Hard To Find 45 versions- And Where To Get Them!

[Captainfirst]

I've been working like crazy to find as many original mixes and single edits as I can and it's amazing how hard some of them are almost impossible to find. Here's a short list of some titles and where I obtained them. It'd be nice of others to share their sources, so please add whatever you can.

Copacabana- Barry Manilow-

Every compilation or greatest hits CD I've seen has either the long B-side mix or an early-mid 1990s remix of the A-side. Finally tracked down the A-side original mix from the soundtrack to the movie "Madagascar 2", of all places. Well worth the purchase price from Rhapsody.

The Devil Went Down To Georgia- Charlie Daniels Band-

Yeah. Just try to find the "son of a gun" version. Finally found it on a "Billboard Top Hits:1979" cassette at a thrift store. There's also a fan-created video that has it that was posted on Youtube, if you're really desperate.

Jet Airliner- Steve Miller Band-

A few years ago, the record label replaced all the single versions on the "Greatest Hits 1974-1978" album with the album versions. Rhapsody has both editions of the album as of this writing, so those of us who want to hear "funky kicks" near the end of this song had better buy it while we can.

Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In- Fifth Dimension-

The single clocks in at 4:49, I believe, though some CDs have it listed at anywhere from 4:48-4:53. But for those of us who want the edit as played on radio, 3:47 or so from a Virgin Records 2-disc set from 2008 titled "The Swingin' Sixties"
and also on the sadly out-of-print 1998 release "Dick Bartley Presents Collector's Essentials on the Radio: Volume 4".

Substitute (US 45 version)- The Who-

With the infamous altered lyrics that the record label in the USA (Decca, I believe) forced the group to use. To my knowledge, available from one source and one alone (except for actual 45 copies)- the bonus disc in the UK version of the "Ultimate Who" 2-disc set. I think this is out of print- I know that my unopened copy from Ebay was one of the most expensive music purchases I've ever made. Oddly enough, the entire album including the bonus disc was licensed by MCA for download on the now-defunct Spiralfrog site.

Light My Fire- The Doors -

Single mono edit. One source I'm sure of and just one- the "digital 45" (these are actual 45s dubbed over and released as legal downloads). I got my copy from Rhapsody and I believe Amazon and Napster have it as well. IF memory serves, this was also included as a bonus track on the CD edition of the soundtrack to the movie "The Doors", but I'm far from certain about that.

Tears Of A Clown- Smokey Robinson And The Miracles.

Multiple versions of this out there. US stereo LP, UK mono single (a clean master and a really bad transfer), US stereo single, but I finally got the US mono single from the very expensive box set "202 Motown Songs:The Complete #1s". The set as priced would break my bank so I paid just for the one song from Rhapsody.

So, if anyone was looking for one or more of these, glad to be of help and as I said, I think that others sharing their sources would be nice. I"ll watch for a bit to see what else is added then toss in some more of my own.

 

[TheFonz]

I've been working like crazy to find as many original mixes and single edits as I can and it's amazing how hard some of them are almost impossible to find. Here's a short list of some titles and where I obtained them. It'd be nice of others to share their sources, so please add whatever you can.

Copacabana- Barry Manilow-

Every compilation or greatest hits CD I've seen has either the long B-side mix or an early-mid 1990s remix of the A-side. Finally tracked down the A-side original mix from the soundtrack to the movie "Madagascar 2", of all places. Well worth the purchase price from Rhapsody.

The Devil Went Down To Georgia- Charlie Daniels Band-

Yeah. Just try to find the "son of a gun" version. Finally found it on a "Billboard Top Hits:1979" cassette at a thrift store. There's also a fan-created video that has it that was posted on Youtube, if you're really desperate.

Jet Airliner- Steve Miller Band-

A few years ago, the record label replaced all the single versions on the "Greatest Hits 1974-1978" album with the album versions. Rhapsody has both editions of the album as of this writing, so those of us who want to hear "funky kicks" near the end of this song had better buy it while we can.

Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In- Fifth Dimension-

The single clocks in at 4:49, I believe, though some CDs have it listed at anywhere from 4:48-4:53. But for those of us who want the edit as played on radio, 3:47 or so from a Virgin Records 2-disc set from 2008 titled "The Swingin' Sixties"
and also on the sadly out-of-print 1998 release "Dick Bartley Presents Collector's Essentials on the Radio: Volume 4".

Substitute (US 45 version)- The Who-

With the infamous altered lyrics that the record label in the USA (Decca, I believe) forced the group to use. To my knowledge, available from one source and one alone (except for actual 45 copies)- the bonus disc in the UK version of the "Ultimate Who" 2-disc set. I think this is out of print- I know that my unopened copy from Ebay was one of the most expensive music purchases I've ever made. Oddly enough, the entire album including the bonus disc was licensed by MCA for download on the now-defunct Spiralfrog site.

Light My Fire- The Doors -

Single mono edit. One source I'm sure of and just one- the "digital 45" (these are actual 45s dubbed over and released as legal downloads). I got my copy from Rhapsody and I believe Amazon and Napster have it as well. IF memory serves, this was also included as a bonus track on the CD edition of the soundtrack to the movie "The Doors", but I'm far from certain about that.

Tears Of A Clown- Smokey Robinson And The Miracles.

Multiple versions of this out there. US stereo LP, UK mono single (a clean master and a really bad transfer), US stereo single, but I finally got the US mono single from the very expensive box set "202 Motown Songs:The Complete #1s". The set as priced would break my bank so I paid just for the one song from Rhapsody.

So, if anyone was looking for one or more of these, glad to be of help and as I said, I think that others sharing their sources would be nice. I"ll watch for a bit to see what else is added then toss in some more of my own.

Grumpy's Golden Oldies at http://www.goldhunt.fsnet.co.uk/Grumpy/ will take requests and usually post the songs within a week. The songs are in mp3 format, of course. Some really rare songs might be dubbed from vinyl. But if you really need the song, it's worth a try. And it's free!

 

[oldies76]

I've been working like crazy to find as many original mixes and single edits as I can and it's amazing how hard some of them are almost impossible to find. Here's a short list of some titles and where I obtained them. It'd be nice of others to share their sources, so please add whatever you can.

There's always the original 45 rpm record....e-Bay is loaded with them..just look for VG+ or M's.
And if you look carefully (since some unknowingly sellers list the "B sides" as the main titles) you should find many for under 2 or 3 bucks. Shipping is the killer, unless you buy multiple quantities.

 

[TheFonz]

Grumpy's Golden Oldies at http://www.goldhunt.fsnet.co.uk/Grumpy/ will take requests and usually post the songs within a week. The songs are in mp3 format, of course. Some really rare songs might be dubbed from vinyl. But if you really need the song, it's worth a try. And it's free!

An added note: Grumpy's is based in the U.K. American '50s/'60s music is much more popular in Europe than it is in the U.S. Therefore, a song considered hard to find in the U.S. might be easily available in the U.K.

 

[johnbasalla]

You may also try GEMM.com . They have dealers from all over who advertise there. If you want to support a local "brick-and-mortar" store, as I do, you might see if there's one in your area. In Western Cuyahoga County (Cleveland, Ohio) there's "Royal Garden Records". I've gotten a number of hard-to-find records there, and he'll search for you.

 

[oldies76]

American '50s/'60s music is much more popular in Europe than it is in the U.S.

???

 

[hornet61]

labels that specialiaze in.......... "hard to find oldies"

Eric ..Label has several volumes of "Hard to find Oldies"...many are the orig single edit.
Varaese Saraband (spelling??).........has several volumes
"Look What I Found" series.......deals with the rarest of the rare.
Collectables...has become the leader in re-issue market...check out their website oldies.com

 

[billyg]

The censored version of The Who's "Substitute" was released by Atco in 66. I found a mint promo copy of it years ago at a thrift store. ;D Thanks for the CD info.

And "Tears of a Clown" is a real mess.. when it became a surprise hit off the 1967 "Going To A Go-Go" LP in the UK, Motown in the USA decided to overdub more drums and percussion for the 1970 single and the album of the same name. I found that mono 45 mix on the "Hitsville USA: Motown Singles 1959-1971" box.

 

[hornet61]

I have collected alot of music and a lot of reference material over the years... I didn't realize how many variations to music I collected. I have learned alot in this area over the past four years, thanks to this site. Another old dog, gets educated.

 

[radioman148]

I have collected alot of music and a lot of reference material over the years... I didn't realize how many variations to music I collected. I have learned alot in this area over the past four years, thanks to this site. Another old dog, gets educated.

"Woof woof"--I'm right there with you Hornet. ;D

 

[Captainfirst]

Since my original post, I've picked up four killer compilations for four groups that tend to get overlooked a bit these days.

They are, "Paul Revere And The Raiders:The Complete Columbia Singles", "Jan And Dean:The Complete Liberty Singles", "Gary Lewis And The Playboys:Liberty Singles Collection" and "Jay And The Americans:Complete United Artists Singles". All purchased from Amazon and picked up for under 100 bucks, total.

These have every A and B side, great liner notes, killer sound, original single mixes (mono and stereo, whichever the original 45 release was). It's so amazing to hear songs like "Dead Man's Curve", "Kicks", "Let's Lock The Door (And Throw Away The Key)" and "This Diamond Ring" the way they were meant to sound. And if you can't afford it on CD, the Paul Revere set has been added to Rhapsody for streaming, download, and purchase. The Jan and Dean set is, of course, missing their early cuts like "Baby Talk" as they were cut for a different label than Liberty.

Also, it's been nice to see other folks sharing their input on this. Let's keep it going if we can!

 

[Captainfirst]

Good God, how could we all have overlooked Rhino's "Have A Nice Day" series? Single edits and mixes all the way through. Bonus tracks on CD versus cassette. Just last year I saw several brand-new copies, still unopened, at Amoeba Records (their San Francisco location near Golden Gate Park). Reasonably priced, too. I picked up about a half dozen different volumes.

 

[hornet61]

Good God, how could we all have overlooked Rhino's "Have A Nice Day" series? Single edits and mixes all the way through. Bonus tracks on CD versus cassette. Just last year I saw several brand-new copies, still unopened, at Amoeba Records (their San Francisco location near Golden Gate Park). Reasonably priced, too. I picked up about a half dozen different volumes.

Rhino also released the companion to "Have A Nice Day" called "Soul Hits of The 70's" over 30 volumes .......real nice.

 

[TheFonz]

Since my original post, I've picked up four killer compilations for four groups that tend to get overlooked a bit these days.

They are, "Paul Revere And The Raiders:The Complete Columbia Singles", "Jan And Dean:The Complete Liberty Singles", "Gary Lewis And The Playboys:Liberty Singles Collection" and "Jay And The Americans:Complete United Artists Singles". All purchased from Amazon and picked up for under 100 bucks, total.

These have every A and B side, great liner notes, killer sound, original single mixes (mono and stereo, whichever the original 45 release was). It's so amazing to hear songs like "Dead Man's Curve", "Kicks", "Let's Lock The Door (And Throw Away The Key)" and "This Diamond Ring" the way they were meant to sound. And if you can't afford it on CD, the Paul Revere set has been added to Rhapsody for streaming, download, and purchase. The Jan and Dean set is, of course, missing their early cuts like "Baby Talk" as they were cut for a different label than Liberty.

Also, it's been nice to see other folks sharing their input on this. Let's keep it going if we can!

Jan & Dean's early sides are also available on CD:

http://www.amazon.com/Teen-Suite-Be...r_1_28?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1298962697&sr=1-28

 

[hornet61]

Since my original post, I've picked up four killer compilations for four groups that tend to get overlooked a bit these days.

They are, "Paul Revere And The Raiders:The Complete Columbia Singles", "Jan And Dean:The Complete Liberty Singles", "Gary Lewis And The Playboys:Liberty Singles Collection" and "Jay And The Americans:Complete United Artists Singles". All purchased from Amazon and picked up for under 100 bucks, total.

These have every A and B side, great liner notes, killer sound, original single mixes (mono and stereo, whichever the original 45 release was). It's so amazing to hear songs like "Dead Man's Curve", "Kicks", "Let's Lock The Door (And Throw Away The Key)" and "This Diamond Ring" the way they were meant to sound. And if you can't afford it on CD, the Paul Revere set has been added to Rhapsody for streaming, download, and purchase. The Jan and Dean set is, of course, missing their early cuts like "Baby Talk" as they were cut for a different label than Liberty.

Also, it's been nice to see other folks sharing their input on this. Let's keep it going if we can!

Jan & Dean's early sides are also available on CD:

http://www.amazon.com/Teen-Suite-Be...r_1_28?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1298962697&sr=1-28

This Is an especially nice Jan and Dean collection, it's a pretty complete discography, prior to Liberty. All the Arwin and Dore singles plus the rare "Heart and Soul" on Challenge. The Dore singles were produced by Herb Alpert, If I'm not mistaken.

 

[firepoint525]

Good God, how could we all have overlooked Rhino's "Have A Nice Day" series? Single edits and mixes all the way through. Bonus tracks on CD versus cassette. Just last year I saw several brand-new copies, still unopened, at Amoeba Records (their San Francisco location near Golden Gate Park). Reasonably priced, too. I picked up about a half dozen different volumes.

This answers one of the questions that I have had about the Have a Nice Day series for quite some time now. When I pick one up in a used record store and turn it over and read the titles on the back, I have often wondered if those were long versions or short versions on there. This seems to answer my question. I have often posted on here that I wish that CD compilations include the full versions of the songs, since CDs can hold up to about 80 minutes of music. However, if they can get close to 80 minutes' worth of songs onto one CD, even if it is all short versions, I would still say that it is a good deal.

 

[hornet61]

Good God, how could we all have overlooked Rhino's "Have A Nice Day" series? Single edits and mixes all the way through. Bonus tracks on CD versus cassette. Just last year I saw several brand-new copies, still unopened, at Amoeba Records (their San Francisco location near Golden Gate Park). Reasonably priced, too. I picked up about a half dozen different volumes.

This answers one of the questions that I have had about the Have a Nice Day series for quite some time now. When I pick one up in a used record store and turn it over and read the titles on the back, I have often wondered if those were long versions or short versions on there. This seems to answer my question. I have often posted on here that I wish that CD compilations include the full versions of the songs, since CDs can hold up to about 80 minutes of music. However, if they can get close to 80 minutes' worth of songs onto one CD, even if it is all short versions, I would still say that it is a good deal.

wouldn't that be nice, to get 28 cuts (shorter versions) 78-80 minutes , instead of 15....Rhino would rather sell us two cd's with with 15 cuts each, than one with almost 30. Another problem is the closer you get to the full 80 minutes the cd's act up.
Having said that..the "have a good day" and "Soul hits of the 70's" series are usually reasonably priced by Rhino...

 

[hornet61]

Grumpy's Golden Oldies at http://www.goldhunt.fsnet.co.uk/Grumpy/ will take requests and usually post the songs within a week. The songs are in mp3 format, of course. Some really rare songs might be dubbed from vinyl. But if you really need the song, it's worth a try. And it's free!

An added note: Grumpy's is based in the U.K. American '50s/'60s music is much more popular in Europe than it is in the U.S. Therefore, a song considered hard to find in the U.S. might be easily available in the U.K.

This is very true the Brits take no prisoners when it comes to American Rock N' Roll, ACE UK, (not to be mistaken with the American ACE records/Jackson Miss) has one of the best series called "American history of Rock N Roll" something like that..it is the best i have ever seen, sometimes up to 30 cuts (must be 90 minute cd's) a little pricey, but you get more than your moneys worth , plus the packaging is first class, plenty of liner notes , pictures and chart date US/UK. I have a few volumes , i believe there may be over 30 volumes.

 

[firepoint525]

Good God, how could we all have overlooked Rhino's "Have A Nice Day" series? Single edits and mixes all the way through. Bonus tracks on CD versus cassette. Just last year I saw several brand-new copies, still unopened, at Amoeba Records (their San Francisco location near Golden Gate Park). Reasonably priced, too. I picked up about a half dozen different volumes.

This answers one of the questions that I have had about the Have a Nice Day series for quite some time now. When I pick one up in a used record store and turn it over and read the titles on the back, I have often wondered if those were long versions or short versions on there. This seems to answer my question. I have often posted on here that I wish that CD compilations include the full versions of the songs, since CDs can hold up to about 80 minutes of music. However, if they can get close to 80 minutes' worth of songs onto one CD, even if it is all short versions, I would still say that it is a good deal.

wouldn't that be nice, to get 28 cuts (shorter versions) 78-80 minutes , instead of 15....Rhino would rather sell us two cd's with with 15 cuts each, than one with almost 30. Another problem is the closer you get to the full 80 minutes the cd's act up.
Having said that..the "have a good day" and "Soul hits of the 70's" series are usually reasonably priced by Rhino...

Some more good news and bad news there. I find most of my stuff used, so pricing should not be a problem. At least it's a good deal (apparently).

 

[hornet61]

Good God, how could we all have overlooked Rhino's "Have A Nice Day" series? Single edits and mixes all the way through. Bonus tracks on CD versus cassette. Just last year I saw several brand-new copies, still unopened, at Amoeba Records (their San Francisco location near Golden Gate Park). Reasonably priced, too. I picked up about a half dozen different volumes.

This answers one of the questions that I have had about the Have a Nice Day series for quite some time now. When I pick one up in a used record store and turn it over and read the titles on the back, I have often wondered if those were long versions or short versions on there. This seems to answer my question. I have often posted on here that I wish that CD compilations include the full versions of the songs, since CDs can hold up to about 80 minutes of music. However, if they can get close to 80 minutes' worth of songs onto one CD, even if it is all short versions, I would still say that it is a good deal.

wouldn't that be nice, to get 28 cuts (shorter versions) 78-80 minutes , instead of 15....Rhino would rather sell us two cd's with with 15 cuts each, than one with almost 30. Another problem is the closer you get to the full 80 minutes the cd's act up.
Having said that..the "have a good day" and "Soul hits of the 70's" series are usually reasonably priced by Rhino...

Some more good news and bad news there. I find most of my stuff used, so pricing should not be a problem. At least it's a good deal (apparently).

I'll bet you 80% of my stuff is used ...i used to moonlight at a record store.......