Favorite Finds of 2007

Well, here it is again, the time to look back and reflect on the year just past. One thing I always like to do this time of year is to share with people the 45s that made my collecting worthwhile in the past 12 months. Unfortunately, I end 2007 on a sour note, as the turntable I’ve used since 1991 decided to take a dump on me on Friday, so I will no doubt be spending the first part of 2008 trying to get another one. If anyone can help, I’d sure appreciate it.

Okay, now that the plea for help is out of the way, let’s get down to the business at hand. It always seems that no matter how dismal I think my year in 45 collecting has turned out, I always have a large list to share. This year will be no different, as I turned up bunches of cool 45s. So, I hope you’re ready for a long list. These are the best records I found in 2007. Here goes:

$1,000,000 War Babies: Muddy Water (Dante)
Arlie Nevil: Don’t Throw Any Stones (Fraternity)
Art Grayson and the Graysettes: Better Hush (Congress)
Ascensions: All Alone (Gemini)
Barrett Strong: Money (That’s What I Want) (Anna)
Betty LaVette: He Made A Woman Out of Me (Silver Fox)
Betty Wright: Let Me Be Your Lovemaker (Alston)
Betty Wright: Shoorah! Shoorah! (Alston)
Bill Pinkney: I Do The Jerk (Fontana)
Billy Lamont: Shake and Jerk (Bang)
Billy Preston: Struttin’ (A&M)
Bobby Marchan: Get Down With It (Dial)
Bobby Marchan: Shake Your Tambourine (Cameo)
Brother Jack McDuff: Down Home Style/Theme From Electric Surfboard (Blue Note)
Brother Jack McDuff: Win, Lose or Draw/Black Is (Cadet)
Candi Staton: I’d Rather Be An Old Man’s Sweetheart (Than A Young Man’s Fool)(Fame)
Carlton “King” Coleman: Rock Gospel Mash (King)
Charlie Earland: Sing A Simple Song (Prestige)
Cherry Fizz: Tinker Tailor (Fat Chance)
Chris Harris: Dr. Funky/Tell ‘Em I Am Who I Am (Dial)
Clifton Chenier: Frog Legs (Bell)
Clifton White and His Royal Knights: The Warm-Up Parts 1 and 2 (Anla))
Cookie and His Cupcakes: I’m Twisted (Paula)
Danny James: Boogie in the Mud (Goldband)
Danny James: Switch It (Goldband)
Dave “Baby” Cortez: Happy Feet/Getting to the Point (Chess)
Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band: Getting It On (Sussex)
Doctor Feelgood and the Interns: Don’t Tell Me No Dirty (Columbia)
Don Covay and the Goodtimers: 40 Days – 40 Nights (Atlantic)
Don Gardner: My Baby Likes To Boogaloo (Tru-Glo-Town)
Doris Troy: Hurry (Atlantic)
Eddie Floyd: On A Saturday Night (Stax)
Elvis Presley: A Big Hunk O’Love (RCA Victor)
Elvis Presley: Guitar Man (RCA Victor)
Freddy King: Driving Sideways (Federal)
General Crook: Gimme Some Parts 1 and 2 (Down To Earth)
General Crook: What Time It Is Parts 1 and 2 (Down To Earth)
George Freeman: New Improved Funk (Groove Merchant)
George Torrance and the Naturals: (Mama Come Quick, and Bring Your) Lickin’ Stick (Shout)
Gil Scott Heron with Pretty Purdie and the Playboys: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (Flying Dutchman
Groove Holmes: Night Glider (Groove Merchant)
Ground Hog: Bumpin’ Parts 1 and 2 (Gemico)
Hank Ballard and the Midnighters: Keep On Dancin’/Nothing But Good (King)
Hank Ballard and the Midnighters: Shaky Sue (King)
Hank Jacobs: Elijah Rockin’ With Soul (Call Me)
Haymarket Riot: Nine O’Clock (Coconut Grove)
Herbie Mann: Memphis Two-Step (Embryo)
Herbie Mann: Push Push Parts 1 and 2 (Embryo)
Houston Outlaws: Sweet Thing (Westbound)
Howard Tate: Look At Granny Run Run (Verve)
Hugh Boynton: Funky Grasshopper (Lanor)
J.J. Jackson: Oo-Ma-Liddi (Prelude)
Jay Dee Bryant: Get It (Enjoy)
Jerry-O: (Funky) Four Corners (Boo-Ga-Loo)
Jim Murphy: I’m Gone, Mama/Plumb Crazy (Rev)
Jimmy Castor: Magic Saxophone (Smash)
Jimmy Castor: Psycho Man (Capitol)
Jimmy Lloyd: Where The Rio De Rosa Flows (Roulette)
Jimmy McGriff: Fat Cakes/Sugar Sugar (Capitol)
Jimmy Smith: Funky Broadway/Respect (Verve)
Jimmy Soul: My Baby Loves To Bowl (SPQR)
Joe Chopper and the Swinging 7 Soul Band: Soul Pusher (Lanor)
John English III: Just Don't Complain (Moonglow)
Jomo: Uhruhu (African Twist)/Hangin’ Out (Checker)
King Curtis and the Kingpins: Changes Part 1 and 2)
King Curtis: King Curtis Stomp (King)
Kip Tyler and His Flips: Jungle Hop/Ooh Yeah Baby (Challenge)
Koko Taylor: Don’t Mess with the Messer (Checker)
Lee Dorsey: Get Out of My Life Woman (Amy)
Lee Fields: She’s A Love Maker (London)
Les Lutins: Laissez-Nous Vivre (Carousel)
Little Beaver: Let The Good Times Roll Everybody (Cat)
Maceo and All The King’s Men: Got To Getcha (House of the Fox)
Marie and Rex: I Can’t Sit Down (Carlton)
Marva Whitney and James Brown: You Got To Have A Job (If You Don’t Work, You Can’t Eat) (King)
Maurice and the Radiants: I’ve Got To Dance To Keep My Baby (Chess)
Mongo Santamaria: Wind Jammer/Mo Do (Atlantic)
Moody Scott: A Man In Need (Is A Fool Indeed) (Sound Stage 7)
October Country: My Girlfriend Is A Witch (Epic)
Odell Brown and the Organizers: No More Water in the Well (Cadet)
Oliver Sain: Bus Stop (Abet)
OV Wright: Monkey Dog (Back Beat)
Prentice Moreland: Teacher Drives Me Crazy (Challenge)
Prince Arthur: Limborino (ABC-Paramount)
Rasputin’s Stash: Mr. Cool (Cotillion)
Rimshots: Shake That Thing (A-1)
Robert Parker: The Scratch (Nola)
Robert Parker: You Shakin’ Things Up (Silver Fox)
Royal Monarchs: My Babe (Dell Star)
Sam Lazar Trio: Space Flight Parts 1 and 2 (Cawthron)
Sam Lazar Trio: Space Flight/Dig A Little Deeper (Argo)
Sandy Nelson: Drummin’ Up A Storm (Imperial)
Senor Soul: Don’t Lay No Funky Trip On Me (Whiz)
Sir Frog and the Toads: Mustang (Downey)
Smoke: Choose It Parts 1 and 2 (Uni)
Soul Dog: Soul Dog Parts 1 and 2 (Amherst)
Syl Johnson: I’ll Take Those Skinny Legs/Ode To Soul Man (Twinight)
Ted Taylor: Everywhere I Go (Ebb)
The Bar-Kays: Dance, Dance, Dance Part 1 (Volt)
The Bar-Kays: Don’t Stop Dancin’ to the Music (Volt)
The Big Bopper: Little Red Riding Hood (Mercury)
The Brother Jack McDuff Quintet featuring David Newman: But It’s Alright (Atlantic)
The Carter Brothers: Do The Flo Show (Jewel)
The Chambers Brothers: I Can’t Stand It (Columbia)
The Chantays: Greenz (Downey)
The Collectors: The Beginning (CAN. London)
The Dancers: Born on the Bayou (Pacific Artists)
The Equals: Police On My Back (GER. President)
The Hard Times: I Can’t Wait Till Friday Comes (Grey Ant)
The Ho-Dads: Honky (Imperial)
The Jimmy Castor Bunch: You Better Be Good (Or The Devil Gon’ Getcha) (RCA)
The Kingsmen: Trouble (Wand)
The Last Poets: Black Thighs (Douglas)
The Pacers featuring Bobby Crafford: You’ll Never Know (Razorback)
The Pac-Keys: Stone Fox (Hollywood)
The Pips: Room In Your Heart (Vee Jay)
The Red Dogs: Open Up (Atco)
The Showboats: Sidewinder/Too Much (Goldband)
The Soul Set: Flunky Flunky (BB)
The Soul Sisters: I Can’t Stand It (Sue)
The Soul Toronadoes: Hot Pants Break Down (Magic City)
The Soulful Strings: Burning Spear (Cadet)
The Temptayshuns: Strawberry Man (Federal)
The Unlimited Four: Slow Down (Chanson)
The Who: Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere (Decca)
The Young-Holt Trio: Wack Wack (Brunswick) Tommie Young: Everybody’s Got A Little Devil In Their Soul (Soul Power)
Tony Allen and the Wonders: Looking For My Baby (Jamie)
Vicki Anderson and James Brown: Think (King)
Vince Edwards: Squeelin’ Parrot (Tiwst)(Russ-Fi)
Wallace Brothers: Airborne Shuffle (Jewel)
War: Me and Baby Brother (United Artists)
Warner Mack: Roc-A-Chicka (Decca)
Willie Cobbs: Worst Feeling (I Ever Had) (Soul Beat)
Willie Mitchell: Breaking Point (Hi)
Willie Mitchell: Restless (Hi)
Young-Holt Unlimited: Who’s Making Love (Brunswick)

Whew! Told you that would be long. What’s the point, you ask? Well, nothing spectacular really. I just like to share my findings with everyone. So, if you’re bored, look elsewhere. Deep down, I hope you enjoyed checkin’ it out and hope you did as well this past year in your record hunting. Here’s to many happy digging discoveries in 2008!