Classic 45's Jukebox

Label: Columbia 10844 dj
Year: 1978
Condition: M
Last Price: $14.00. Not currently available for sale.

From a warehouse find, this is a new, unplayed Stereo/Mono promo copy, in its original factory sleeve. This great track, an essential example of the U.K. power pop movement of the late 1970s, was from Lowe's first solo album, Pure Pop For Now People. Lowe was a major player in U.K. power pop, as he not only wrote and recorded a huge library of terrific songs himself, but also made his mark as a producer. Among his production highlights were all the early Elvis Costello albums and some recording sessions for Dave Edmunds, the Pretenders, and Paul Carrack. Note: This beautiful 45 has some light discoloration that is hard to see the scan on the label, but otherwise grades Mint across the board (Labels, Vinyl, Audio).

Label: Epic 10852
Year: 1972
Condition: M-
Last Price: $12.00. Not currently available for sale.

Iconic bass & guitar riffs propel this classic rock song into the Classic 45s jukebox. Check it out! This 3:15 track is a seriously edited version of the 6:15 album cut. Enjoy! Note: This beautiful copy comes in a vintage Epic Records factory sleeve. It has Mint labels and nearly Mint audio. (This scan is a representative image from our archives.)

Label: Motown 1157
Year: 1969
Condition: M-
Last Price: $18.00. Not currently available for sale.

Even Michael Jackson's detractors must admit he was unbelievably talented. Witness this, the greatest of all Jackson 5 singles, as well as their first, and the first of four consecutive #1 hits over the course of the next 10 months. All of this success falling squarely on the back of little 11-year-old Michael. What a talent! Of course, whoever is doing honors on the piano and guitar ain't half bad either... I mean, the opening few bars of this record, once heard, are not soon forgotten. How could anyone not love this song? By the way, the B side is specially edited from a 3:57 album track. Note: This beautiful copy comes in a vintage Motown Records factory sleeve. It grades very close to Mint in appearance (Labels, Vinyl) and has powerful, pristine Mint sound. (This scan is a representative image from our archives.)

Label: EMI 17493
Year: 1993
Condition: M
Price: $26.00

From a warehouse find, this is a new, unplayed stock copy. This was a special jukebox issue on clear green vinyl. These tracks are terrific Scottish-style neo-Rockabilly. If you haven't heard them, you're in for a treat! I love 'em both, but often prefer the B side to the hit! Have a listen and see what you think! The A side is from an earlier album by the group, and the B side is a non-album cut available nowhere else on vinyl. Note: This beautiful copy grades pristine Mint across the board (Labels, Vinyl, Audio).

Label: Columbia 44297
Year: 1967
Condition: M-
Last Price: $12.50. Not currently available for sale.

This was the group's first hit, credited as "The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett". As impressive as the A side is, appealing to fans of both Sunshine Pop and Northern Soul, a lot of collector interest is directed to the equally impressive, but rarely heard, B side. "Don't Make Promises" was written by Tim Hardin, who released his own, folky version on the B side of a 1968 single, "Lady Came From Baltimore." This Union Gap recording is the first version released on 45 rpm, and somehow Jerry Fuller and Al Capps transformed Hardin's simple folk number into a catchy, crescendoing Northern Soul toe-tapper with a hypnotic bass line. As I listened to it again just now, I decided it deserved a place in the Classic 45s "jukebox", so have a listen to the mp3 snippet! (Please forgive me! To keep the snippet under 2 minutes and still capture the climax, I edited out the first verse following the first chorus. You wouldn't notice it if you were unfamiliar with the song.) The song's soul pedigree was further enhanced by Z.Z. Hill, who released his own soulful version in 1969 on Kent Records. Unfortunately, the song never did get the airplay it deserved... in any market. Note: This beautiful copy comes in a vintage Columbia Records factory sleeve. Its labels are nearly flawless, with only one or two tiny spots of outer-edge wear on the labels keeping it from a Mint grade. The vinyl (styrene) has some very light surface scuffing, but not enough to deny it a Near Mint grade. I'm grading the audio Near Mint overall, but note that both sides have light surface noise early in the recording.

Label: Decca 32362
Year: 1968
Condition: M-
Price: $30.00

This is an especially beautiful copy of this especially great Who single. Besides the classic A side that everyone knows and loves, you get a superfine, quite catchy Entwistle rocker that hardly anyone knows on the flip side. Check it out! Note: This 45 record comes in a vintage Decca Records factory sleeve. It has Near Mint labels and nearly untouched-looking vinyl. The astounding audio is pristine Mint, both sides! (This scan is a representative image from our archives.)

Label: Epic 03578
Year: 1983
Condition: M-
Last Price: $16.00. Not currently available for sale.

This single's A side is specially edited from a 6:00 album track. Simply scrumptious! I had to get an mp3 "snippet" into the "jukebox" to put it in regular rotation, so I can hear it more often. Note: This copy looks Near Mint (Labels, Vinyl) and has pristine Mint sound.

Label: Philles/Coll. 3210
Year: 1963
Condition: M-
Price: $15.00

The A side was originally released on Philles 111. However, the B side of this limited-edition release on Collectables was never released, before or since, on vinyl or CD. (That's why I don't tag this 45 as a reissue.) I had a bit of a jaw-dropping moment when listening to it, for as a huge fan of Spector's Philles productions, it was like discovering a long lost, never released Beatles studio recording. For those who aren't already fans of Darlene Love, she was, in the view of many, the best singer in Phil Spector's stable of talented girl-group vocalists. Aside from the handful of classics she released under her own name, she also sang lead vocals on the Crystals' "He's a Rebel" as well as on "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah," a hit for Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans. You'll notice that Dave Marsh places two of her 3 chart singles in his list of the 1001 greatest singles of all time —? this one and "Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home." In addition to these, Love hit Billboard's Hot 100 with the amazing "A Fine Fine Boy."

But somehow, "Strange Kind of Love" must have got lost on one of the studio tapes, only emerging much later. This Collectables release is the first (and only) appearance of the song on 45 rpm vinyl.

Incidentally, the tune's writers (who actually recorded on their own under various names, including the Trade Winds) have credits to numerous classic 1960s hits, including "New York's A Lonely Town," "Do I Love You?" by the Ronettes, and "Soldier Baby" by Candy & the Kisses.

Label: RCA 0217
Year: 1974
Condition: M-
Last Price: $10.00. Not currently available for sale.

I've been in love with this tune since the very first time I heart Burton Cummings belting out that acapella intro back in '74. It's great to have a copy back in the store! The flip is an uncharacteristically hard rocker. Note: This beautiful copy comes in a vintage RCA Victor Records factory sleeve. It has pristine Mint audio.

Label: RSO 1039
Year: 1978
Condition: M-
Last Price: $8.00. Not currently available for sale.

Note: This beautiful copy comes in a vintage RSO Records factory sleeve and grades Near Mint across the board (Labels, Vinyl, Audio)