Sound + Vision | The Blog

  • Now That Summer's Over

    by Frank Shankly
    A recent warm spell here has us remembering the pleasures of last summer. So why not look back with us at our favorite 45s of Summer 2025? Here are...

  • More Than Five Facts About Taffy Nivert

    by Frank Shankly
    A few weeks ago, we stumbled upon a sizable stash of John Denver 45s, mostly from Denver’s mid-70s classic era. Unfortunately, most had too much su...

  • More Medleys, Pts. 1 & 2

    by Frank Shankly
    Beginning in the late 1980s, a Brit novelty group, Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers, had several hit singles using the same format as Stars on 45. T...

  • R.I.P. Sonny Curtis

    by Frank Shankly
    9 May 1937 - September 2025.

  • Bootleg vs. Soundalike | Stars On 45

    by Frank Shankly
    Back in 1980, while visiting a record store, Willem van Kooten, the managing director of the music publishing company Red Bullet Productions, notic...

  • And He Can't Take That Away

    by Frank Shankly
    The dissolution of federal funding for the arts has Frank thinking about the amazing work of Smithsonian Folkways. A part of the Smithsonian's Smit...

  • Charlie Rich

    by Frank Shankly
    For whatever reason, Frank has been thinking about the wave of '90s nostalgia and revivalism happening in the music world.This somehow led him to r...

  • Sad Songs

    by Frank Shankly
    We love you and want you to be happy. But, life isn't always that way. So, Frank has compiled a list of his favorite sad songs. They might be your...

  • Today’s Rare Recent Arrival

    by Frank Shankly
    The Lost Legend’s LOVE FLIGHT. This beauty was a single-owner. Frank bought the record in a carrying case from a 70-something who hadn't played any...

  • How Many Peaches

    by Frank Shankly
    Here’s a riddle for you: How many Peaches does it take to make a Peaches & Herb? Since the soul duo started in 1966, only Herb Fame has remaine...

  • Brownsville Station : SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS ROOM

    by Frank Shankly
    In season ten, episode ten of Mike Judge’s animated series King Of The Hill, SMOKIN’ IN THE BOYS ROOM is referenced... 32 years after the song was...

  • Bay City Rollers : ROCK AND ROLL LOVE LETTER

    by Frank Shankly
    ROCK AND ROLL LOVE LETTER was the second single from Tim Moore's second album, Behind the Eyes. Tim Moore's version went nowhere.A year later, it ...