Which singles have you bought for the a-side,but when you played it, you liked the b-side even more?
Mine is XTC and”Sgt. Rock”.
Great single,but I became obsessed by the b-side,a live medley of “Living Through Another Cuba/Generals And Majors”,neither of which I’d heard up to that point. *
This isn’t a thread to say which tunes you think should’ve been the a-side,just one to where you genuinely preferred the flip side.
*This performance is not the version on the single but it’s the only one I could find to post
Still love the A-side but I reckon I play the B-side more often, as much for that glam-punk opening bass line as anything else!
Sparks – Barbecutie
One for the teenagers this 🙂
FWIW – one of the first singles I bought when I was about 8 was Juicy Lucy’s Who Do You Love. The B-side was Walking Down The Highway which is jazzy and may be the reason why within a year or so I was listening to Soft Machine while my friends were all mad about Edison Lighthouse 🙂
Mind you I like Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes too 🙂
The Jam
All Around The World and When You’re Young are stonking tracks.
But Carnaby Street and Butterfly Collector are even stonking-er
I know it was their only single to enter the chart at number one, and the only to bear an additional name, but Don’t Let Me Down p*sees over Get Back
I Am The Walrus
Revolution
The Inner Light
Eleanor Rigby
Also:
This Boy (hardly play I Want To Hold Your Hand these days)
Rain (but, of course)
Old Brown Shoe (way better than The Ballad Of John And Yoko)
Am I right in thinking Eleanor Rigby was a double A with Yellow Submarine, rather than a B side?
Yeah think it was.
I was going to say Rain but if push came to shove I think I’d still go Paperback Writer – the acapella intro, Maccas bass, the lyric, the fuzzy guitar….
Difficult to disagree with that argument.
Hello Goodbye/I Am the Walrus is the sound of 1967 turning into 1968. That’s my bullshit theory anyhoo.
The jam single with Liza Radley on the flip.
Cannot recall if it was Start or Going underground but just fabulous.
Liza appears on the Extras CD and is still superb.
Start it was.
Going Underground has Dreams of Children, which deserves to be on this thread – as does The Great Depression, a cracking song on the b-side of 5 O’Clock Hero.
Wasn’t “Dreams of Children” theoretically a double A-side with “Going Underground”?
I think you’re right! Don’t remember DOC getting airplay though. I didn’t even hear it until it turned up on the magnificent Snap! compo (which was not, disappointingly, a concept album about miners eating sandwiches)
Yes, I suppose that “Dreams of Children” was sort of an A-side in name only – a bit like Wings’s “Girls School”, the other A-side of “Mull of Kintyre”.
The other really glaring example of this is Elton’s Diana single. Nominally a double A, but I can’t even remember what the other side was called even though it was number one for what felt like a thousand years.
And Kraftwerk’s Computer Love/The Model was flipped over and over, in the UK anyway. In the end The Model became the A-side because there was a video for it…
“The Model was flipped over and over”
Site smutmonger, you have exceeded yourself!
(*pours iced water down front of undercrackers*)
And as for Computer Love… such an innocent idea in 1981.
Butterfly Collector was the flip of Strange Town. When You’re Young was c/w’d with Smithers Jones – which was also a top tune!
Aah .. you spotted my deliberate mistake
(honest!)
When I were a lad, someone bought me the ‘Ebony and Ivory” single. I didn’t like it much. Flipping it over, I found a strange little bit of country psych called “Rainclouds” which I immediately loved (and still do). Listening to it one day, my mum commented in passing, “You know, this sounds a bit like The Beatles”.
And so it began
Marillion’s Lavender is nice enough. Doesn’t really work as a single edit out of context with the album.
The B side is the far superior song – Freaks
Marillion had form for this. In another world, the B side to Kayleigh was a massive hit
Yes, fantastic song. Although the locals in a pub in Barnsley weren’t too happy when my mate put it on the jukebox 6 times on the trot! It was always a treat playing b-sides on old jukeboxes.
Up there with Freaks is You Know Where You Went Wrong by the Pet Shop Boys, which is far better than It’s A Sin. Even as a big Pet Shop Boys fan It’s A Sin has always been one of my least favourite of their singles anyway.
I also love Gene’s Sick, Sober and Sorry, which was the b-side to Sleep Well Tonight (I think). And as a young kid I played Skids’ TV Stars far more often than I played Into The Valley. But my favourite track ever is Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s version of Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, which is the b-side of I Won’t Change You. In fact, that’s probably the most popular track in our house and is played at every kitchen disco we have!
Also from PSB: Paninaro. What a great track to hide away on the flip side.
Another juke box b to annoy the natives would be ‘Sebastian’ by Cockney Rebel. An A side originally, it flopped, having to wait until he put it on the back of a more successful single to get me and my chums, momentously called ‘ippies. Summer of ’75. We were in a Southend pub we had then to make a swift getaway from.
Yes, it was always good fun putting Bowie’s Sense Of Doubt on a pub jukebox. Cheered the locals up noo end.
Hawkwind’s Seven By Seven, B-side of Silver Machine, was always warmly received when played on a pub jukebox.
..and of course various obscure tracks by Eno, Evan Parker, Merzbow and Robert Wyatt used to get played by smartarses on internet-connected pub jukeboxes, a practice that became known as “Wyatting”.
Robert’s missus Alfie did not embrace the concept.
“This Wyatting thing made me very angry. That Robert should be used as a means of clever dicks asserting their superiority in pubs, when what you want to hear in a pub is “River Deep, Mountain High”. I mean, if we were in a pub, that’s what we want to hear. It’s not his fault that some of his music is maybe difficult for people. He’s not imposing it on anybody, and never would. It’s so unlike Robert, because he’s so appreciative of the strengths of pop music. So that, I think, is a real unfairness. The man who coined it, I should like to punch him on the nose.”
I have donned a wig and a red robe in order to do my best High-Court Judge impersonation so I can ask “When did Internet connected jukeboxes start up?”
It used to be a good yardstick for assessing the character of a pub: check what was on the jukebox. Fairly infallible in the days of 7″ singles, far more difficult when CD jukeboxes got introduced, but this just makes every jukebox a homogenised music player.
I bought The Colourfield’s eponymous single despite not liking it much, cos the B-Side was Sorry.
Much prefer Armchair Disco, the B- side to Bad Manners biggest hit Can Can.
It’s difficult to argue against When Doves Cry and Let’s Go Crazy as two of Prince’s greatest singles, but I’d suggest that the b-sides – 17 Days and Erotic City – are at least their equal.
On a slightly more modest level, Magic Roundabout pisses all over Funky Moped.
I think I only ever played Funky Moped once, but wore out the b-side.
From Canned Carrott, his finest hour. His account of trying to set up a folk programme on BBC Radio Birmingham would ring a few bells round here, and his “cover version” of Eric Idle’s Smoke-too-Much routine arguably outdoes the original.
£100,000 prize to anyone who can guess my contribution.
1.) The band performed it on The Young Ones
2.) The Evil Dead feature in the video
3.) Nick Cave’s wife features on the parent album (or maybe the album before)
Nasty by The Damned?
Correct. Your prize is on its way.*
(*Actually, it’s not.)
I know i could google, but … what did Mrs Cave (or Miss Bick as she was then, I presume) do on the Damned album?
Stood in a cemetery with her hood up
Oasis relegated Stay Young to the B side of the slightly lumpen D’You Know What I Mean.
Had also earlier stuck Fade Away on the flip side of the “OK, but it ain’t the best track on the album” Cigarette s & Alcohol
Oasis did some great b-sides in the first couple of years. They could easily have had a third great album out of them. Well, I guess they did with the compilation, but songs like The Masterplan and Acquiesce are as good as anything they ever did.
The Charlatans also put some crackers on b-sides, fantastic songs like Everything Changed and Two Of Us.
Slightly Lumpen ought to be the title of their next greatest hits collection.
Jimmy Jimmy by the Undertones was great but the b side Mars Bar was even more greatier.
There’s glucose for energy
Caramel for strength
The chocolate’s only there to keep it the right le-e-ength!
Exactly!
Why it’s never been used for an advert I have no idea.
Much the same as Oasis 20 years later, Slade had a good run of B-sides, many of which didn’t appear on their albums. Candidate, Wondering Y, I’m Me I’m Now and That’s Orl among them.
The B-side of Jeff Beck’s Hi Ho Silver Lining was the double shot of Rod-era track Rock My Plimsoul and the super group (Page, Moon etc) instrumental Beck’s Bolero.
My favourite would have to be the live version of Panic In Detroit, omitted from the David Live album but used as the b-side Of Knock On Wood. What a band – Earl Slick on 🔥
The Human League: Seconds. I wonder how many of those who kept Don’t You Want Me at number one for, seemingly, the whole of winter 1981-82, realised how great the B-side was.
Also from ver League: Hard Times, You Remind Me Of Gold, Total Panic.
New Order had form, too: In A Lonely Place, Everything’s Gone Green and 1963 (both later re-recorded as A-sides), Lonesome Tonight, Theme from Best & Marsh.
A Certain Ratio were another act on Factory with too many good tunes. They couldn’t decide which was A or B for early single Flight or And Then Again, the artwork was done before the choice was made.
Another ACR single, Wild Party, was backed by the far superior Sounds Like Something Dirty.
Two of ACR’s greatest recorded moments, Inside and Si Firmi O Grido, were on the B-side of Mickey Way.
“Tired of Waiting” did its job.
It was a no. 1 single in a world of Beatles and Stones 45s, and it introduced a more introspective sounding Kinks to the public, but “Come On Now” is the little brother of “You Really Got Me” and “Till The End Of The Day” and is FAB-tastic.
If radio DJs were any good, I can’t think of one offhand, it is this song they’d play to illustrate the brash early Kinks.
I Gotta Move, Mr Pleasant, Act Nice & Gentle… the Kinks had a run of b-sides better than many bands’ a-sides.
Come on Now is nice enough (with a good Dave vocal), but not anywhere in the league of Tired of Waiting (or the other tracks you mention).
DD’s solo Death Of A Clown had the equally brilliant (slightly greater?) Love Me Till The Sun Shines ont other side
Let the next 100,000 plays of The Kinks on music radio be divided up among the same 5 songs, I say. That’ll be interesting. No one’s ever heard “You Really Got Me” and they’re all champing at the bit to hear what it sounds like.
The Kinks again.
Drivin’ is tremendous, but “Mindless Child of Motherhood” is even tremendouser.
And “Berkeley Mews” is tops listening when you’re fed up with “Lola.”
Seen And Not Seen, the flip to Once In A Lifetime, is one of my favourite Talking Heads songs.
It was also ripped off by REM – was it Belong, it was called?
It took me years to track down an MP3 (or whatever electronic files are called these days) of People Like Us with John Goodman singing lead, from the film True Stories, so I could stick it on my iPod. For some reason they didn’t add this as a bonus track when they reissued True Stories, but I like it more than the Talking Heads version. It’s a bit more countrified.
Alas, it was the b-side of Wild Wild Life, my favourite Talking Heads song, so it’s not one I could claim to prefer to the a-side, but it’s still one of the best b-sides I’ve heard.
I regularly get a kicking for declaring Love For Sale as Talking Heads greatest single. I’m fascinated to see what happens to you nominating Wild Wild Life as their best song.
*Opens popcorn*
Wild wild life is top. Checking in, checking out!
Message received & understood.
T.Rex delivered excellent B sides, especially in 1972: Cadillac, Baby Strange, Thunderwing, Lady, Jitterbug Love, Sunken Rags and Free Angel (recorded for Tanx but released on the back of 10th Century Boy).
it’s from 71 but Raw Ramp is possibly the best b side ever. Bolan really did justify the hype in that era.
London Calling was (and remains) a great song. One of the Clash’s best but Armagideon Time was just brilliant.
How Soon is Now on 12 inch B side of William is Really Nothing, this was soon corrected and is The Smiths song that I hear the most these days on the radio.
…and the b side of the 7″ was Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want. Astounding VFM.
Whilst “Bad Moon Rising” is a great single I prefer “Lodi”
https://youtu.be/yA7iGxV6rt4
Just had a look through my playlist of my favourite songs on my iPod to see what other non-album track b-sides are on there without the a-side.
All Across The Sands – Stone Roses (Sally Cinnamon)
Drowning In My Own Tears – Simply Red (Holding Back The Years)
Half The World Away & (It’s Good) To Be Free – Oasis (Whatever)
Happen To Die – The Charlatans (Over Rising)
I Backed A Winner (In You) – The Blow Monkeys (Digging Your Scene)
I Won’t Forget – Danny Wilson (The Girl I Used To Know)
Trailer – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Don’t Come Around Here No More)
Wednesday Jones (Dixie) – Stephen Duffy (I Love You)
Although, to be honest, a few of those a-sides are only missing from the playlist due to overfamiliarity.
Pixies were never a great b-sides band, but I definitely prefer “Into The White” to “Here Comes Your Man”.
Not sure if they’re all better, but 1977, City of the Dead, Jail Guitar Doors, The Prisoner, Armagideon Time … the Clash had some fab B sides. (shoulda attached that to Carl’s comment above)
As a kid I bought Elton’s rather meh single ‘Philadelphia Freedom’ just for this b-side…
I had a single of Surfing’ USA backed with Sloop John B. Uncertain which was the A side. Just sayin’.
This B-side talk makes me think of the b-side flip that occurred with Boney M. Rivers of Babylon was in the charts for bloody ages and then the radio started playing the B-side, Brown Girl in the Ring, and the same single rose back up again in the charts.
Billy Fury’s 45rpm A-sides tended to be syrupy schmaltz, but he showed his true colours on the B-sides…check out this stonker.
Yazoo – Situation, flip-side to Only You. As beloved in US clubs, aided by a Francois Kevorkian remix.
The Style Council’s “A Solid Bond in Your Heart” is OK, but flip it over and you get the tip-top “It just Came to Pieces in my Hands”.
Before my time, but Roy Wood is on better form with this than the rock’n’roll pastiche “Wild Tiger Woman”
When I was at school I had a Tangerine Dream single. I can’t even remember what the A side was, but I played the B side to death – a live version of Hobo March.
Used to thrash this B-side quite a bit back in the day…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3ClxhwmJGs
Apparently the keyboard player later went into film and video production….called himself Ben Dover…did he make anything worth seeing?