Classic 45's Jukebox

Label: Bang 519
Year: 1966
Condition: M-
Last Price: $20.00. Not currently available for sale.

Does it strike you how often a singer's debut single turns out in retrospect to have been their greatest song, or at least one of their greatest? "Solitary Man" is not just a great song, it's a masterpiece in which Diamond writes of a personal pain in a way that makes it universal. This is a beautiful copy of the rarely seen first pressing from 1966, with the terrific "Do It" on the B side. Diamond re-released the song in 1970 on Bang 571, and it reached #21 on the U.S. Billboard Singles chart. Note: This is one of the nicest copies of Diamond's first release I've yet had in the store, with a drillhole and Near Mint across the board. (This scan is a representative image from our archives.)

Label: Colgems 1001
Year: 1966
Condition: M-
Last Price: $40.00. Not currently available for sale.

This was the group's first chart single, and what a great debut it was! No, they weren't a new Beatles, but this was first-rate pop for sure. Be sure to check out the wonderful Goffin-King tune on the B side, with its delightful little psychedelic interludes. This single's picture sleeve came in several variations... some in full color, some in 2 colors like this one, some with the white banner at the bottom, some not, etc. Note: This copy's Near Mint picture sleeve is bright and shiny with almost no ringwear. The 45 itself looks very close to Mint (Labels, Vinyl), and the audio sounds pristine!

Label: Bang 504
Year: 1965
Condition: M-
Price: $30.00

This recording was a collaboration between the Strangeloves and the Angels and was (possibly) the first commercial rock record issued with a steel band in the arrangement. (Note: Lou Reed was NOT a member of the band for these sessions, as previously reported here.) Note: This beautiful copy has a drillhole on Mint labels. The audio also sounds pristine Mint. (This scan is a representative image from our archives; the drillhole appears over the A in Bang.)

Label: Rolling Stones 19100
Year: 1971
Condition: M-
Last Price: $20.00. Not currently available for sale.

This is one of the greatest of the Stones two-sided monster hits. Well, the B side didn't actually chart, but it's so great it really should have. Presumably, radio just wasn't ready to play a song called "Bitch" yet... though they were prepared by 1975 when Elton John hit the Top 10 with "The Bitch Is Back."

For comparison's sake, here are their #1 U.K. hits. You'll notice that the group gained monster popularity about a year earlier than they did in the U.S., same as the Beatles.

Note: This copy comes in a vintage Atlantic/Atco Records factory sleeve. This copy has a drillhole, not shown in the scan.

Label: Atco 6563
Year: 1968
Condition: M
Last Price: $20.00. Not currently available for sale.

Here's a beautiful Mint copy of this big 1968 Funky Soul hit, in a vintage Atco Records factory sleeve. Note: This scan is a representative image from our archives.

Label: Uni 55100
Year: 1969
Condition: M-
Price: $14.00

The flip is an extremely hot slice of female soul... great backing chorus too. Note: This copy comes in a vintage Uni Records factory sleeve.

Label: Buddah 507
Year: 1975
Condition: M-
Last Price: $15.00. Not currently available for sale.

Was there ever a better instrumental buildup to the climactic opening of this song? Not many, if any... check out the mp3 "snippet" of it. By the way, this is definitely more in the Northern Soul style than in a disco style, but somehow it's never become a huge hit in that scene. The wonderful B side instrumental is more of a disco track. This hit version is specially edited from a 3:54 album track. Note: This beautiful copy comes in a vintage Buddah Records factory sleeve. It has Near Mint labels and vinyl (styrene), and pristine Mint sound!

Label: Columbia 05570
Year: 1985
Condition: M
Price: $9.00

From a warehouse find, this is a new, unplayed stock copy, in its original Columbia factory sleeve. Credited to Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit. Considering all the great singles Nick Lowe released during the late 1970s through the 1980s, it's incredible to realize that this is one of only two that actually hit the American Hot 100. Note that this one found Lowe on the other end of the producer's gun: Lowe let Huey Lewis do the production honors! The A side is specially edited from a 4:25 album track.

Label: Colossus 112
Year: 1970
Condition: M
Last Price: $16.00. Not currently available for sale.

Here's a beautiful copy of this unforgettably catchy hit single from the Netherlands group headed by Johannes Bouwens. The A side is specially edited from a 4:20 album track, and the B side is a non-album cut. Have a listen to the mp3 "snippet" of this incredibly popular song... the audio is amazing! By the way, this group was part of a mini-invasion of pop bands from Northern Europe & Scandinavia starting in 1970 that included:

Label: Apple 5651
Year: 1966
Condition: M-
Last Price: $30.00. Not currently available for sale.

Originally released on Capitol 5651. This is the reissue on Apple Records. In case you've forgotten, the B side of this single is more enduring in some ways than the A side... it's one of the touchstones where a lot of power pop pioneers (e.g., Big Star, Beck) got their inspiration. This is the rarer variant that has "All rights reserved... etc." on the labels. Note: This beautiful copy comes in a vintage Beatles on Apple Records factory sleeve. The labels look untouched, and the audio sounds pristine. The vinyl exhibits light storage wear, grading Near Mint.