I was listening to a Word podcast recently about Dylan Jones’ book about ‘Wichita Linesman’ (link below) which is worth a listen. During the podcast Mark Ellen and David Hepworth mention ‘Walk on the wild side’ and say that Herbie Flowers bass line makes the record and it wouldn’t stand without it “it would be just a moan”. I’m not sure about that although it is an outstanding bass line. I decided to have another look into the background of the song. I was surprised to find out the single was a double A-side with ‘Perfect day’. Now I know there are a lot of Beatles fans on this site who might disagree but I think that this is the best double a-side that has ever been released. I bought the album ‘Transformer’ but never bought any singles from it. Looking on youtube ‘Walk on the wild side’ has been streamed about 30 million times and ‘Perfect day’ approx’ 75 million.
There have been 38 double a-sides which have made no1 in the UK charts. Lou Reed’s hasn’t made it yet(it is a bit of a slow burner though!).
What are your fav’ double a-sides?
Double A side singles
Them – “Baby, Please Don’t Go”/”Gloria”
The Stone Roses – “Fools Gold”/”What The World Is Waiting For”
The Jam – Town Called Malice/Precious (Extended Version)
The Jam – Going Underground / Dreams of Children
Dreams Of Children was originally intended as the proper A Side, with Going Underground on the B.
Polydor wanted Underground, the band wanted Dreams. A double A side compromise was agreed, with Dreams being the lead track.
Apparently a printing and pressing mix up in France ensued Going Underground was he front facing track
Translation: Polydor went behind their backs and then blamed it on The French.
They were right, though..
The Jam Down in the Tube Station/A Bomb in Wardour St.
Rod Stewart – Maggie May (still listenable although I must have heard it a thousand times)/Reason To Believe
Yes I saw this one Carl and I had to have a think about my choice. Lou Reed just about edged it for me although it’s a great double.
Rod has form with the double A side – see also I Don’t Want To Talk About It / The First Cut Is The Deepest
(the record that kept Sex Pistols God Save The Queen from Number 1 – some say it was down to sales, others say it was a swindle)
Or maybe because it’s waay better.
I bought Walk On The Wild Side in 1972 without realising it was a double A. Perfect Day was a bonus. I also bought Satellite Of Love with Vicious on the B side. I think a single cost 36p in those days. Needless to say, I didn’t buy the album Transformer. That cost £2.99 and I had all the best tracks on singles already at a fraction of the cost (24% to be precise).
I bought I Love You Suzanne in 1984 and it also had Vicious on the B-side…
I think Vicious was also released as an A side!
Lou was obviously following Ziggy Stardust’s example.
Now that is value for money. Buy one get one free. I still like the whole album.
I played Transformer to a cafe full (about 30) of punters in between Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust. At the following event, two of them told me they’d been and bought Transformer on CD (and that it didn’t sound as good as my vinyl). Public acceptance 47 years after release, that’s what I call a slow burner.
Perhaps that’s the mistake I’ve been making. I’ve never owned the vinyl, though I heard it many times at my mates’ houses.
Ooh there are many other good tunes on Transformer, unlike most of Lou’s other albums.
Maybe. But I got the best four. Easily.
You know that might be right but why wouldn’t you want to have the whole album now? It’s so good!
Excuse my lame comment Tig -drink was had!
No worries.
This started with me comparing the value of 45s v 33 1/3s in 1972. Singles won by a mile, especially when the B side is good too. I did buy Transformer eventually (I have it on CD).
T.Rex taught me the value of the album with Electric Warrior. Get It On and Jeepster/Life’s A Gas were great singles but the rest of the tracks were great too. T.Rex also taught me the value of the single. Telegram Sam and Metal Guru had B sides better than the album tracks on The Slider (Cadillac/Baby Strange and Thunderwing/Lady respectively – Baby Strange is also on The Slider and is one of its best). Tanx traumatised me because it didn’t have Children Of The Revolution/Jitterbug Love/Sunken Rags (the latter track could have been on The Slider) nor 20th Century Boy/Free Angel. In 1972, if you bought T.Rex singles you were getting better songs at a more cost-effective price. Buying two at around 75p gave much better value than three quid for the album.
Look at Transformer without those singles:
Andy’s Chest
Hangin’ ‘Round
Make Up
Wagon Wheel
New York Telephone Conversation
I’m So Free
Goodnight Ladies
Not quite so exciting, is it?
When I finally got round to Transformer in about 1996 I was surprised by how quiet and subtle it is. Very much a comedown album.
If you want abject misery, though, look no further than Berlin.
Berlin is pretty much all killer. It’s Lou’s solo masterpiece. Bleak it may be but the music redeems it, which is partly down to the impressive bunch of musicians on it.
Those Transformer tracks without the singles aint so bad. They work well in the contect of Transformer.
I’m enjoying the ‘Classic album as an EP thread’ on the back of your comments. (;
Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever is obviously the best one ever made. Beatles had a few more We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper, Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby come to mind.
Something/Come Together.
Oh, the zeal of the convert….
I don’t thing Tig is a convert. He’s a lifer.
I meant to AR…. a while back he started a thread called something like “Abbey Road? Bag o’ shite!”. Hampers duly followed…
Spot on Dai.
You’re Gonna Get Yours / Rebel Without a Pause.
One twelve-inch single instantly rendering the rest of the entire genre irrelevant.
Stiff Little Fingers
Suspect Device / Wasted Life (the first release)
Price Of Admission/ Touch & Go (the last (original incarnation) release)
The Special A.K.A. – “Gangsters” / The Selecter – “The Selecter”
Not (repeat NOT) a favourite, but an observation of the Double A side single as cynical marketing.
Wham’s Last Christmas was the bona fie A Side when released in December 1984.
However, as the competition was Band Aid, it (unsurprisingly) stalled at Number 2.
By January, Epic wanted to try and eke as much capital out it as possible, and so flipped the advertising to “Everything She Wants”
(I think they may even have bought advertising space calling it a “New Single” – but that might be my cynical mind)
I think, IIRC, George was keen for the song to step aside for Band Aid in the run up to Christmas and didn’t promote it on TOTP or kids TV – they only showed the video. I really didn’t like Wham! much at the time – but I really liked Everything She Wants.
Mull of Kintyre / Girls School was officially a Double A Side – Macca didn’t think his Mull would sell in big numbers, so insisted on adding the more “standard” Wings track to boost sales.
Girels School is probably the least remembered, and least played, Wings single
I remember Girls School quite well because the single was probably all, or at least 33%, of my record collection back then.
Not so much my favourite double A side insomuch as liking both sides but Everything She Wants as a double a side with Last Christmas was (IMO) George Michaels finest song as “Wham”
This version some years later was peak GM I think.
Good call. I didn’t see this when I posted mine below.
I’m pretty sure Jumpin’ Jack Flash and Child of the Moon were considered equals on release.
Both certainly had promo films made for them.
I wonder why, considering Rain also had a promo film made for it, Paperback Writer/Rain wasn’t a double A-side when the Beatles’ 45s either side were.
holiday in the sun / sattelite
john peel would agree.
i do apologise for the lack of capitals.
Two brilliant tracks but I don’t think this was a double A side single.
‘bursts into tears’
Last Christmas / Everything She Wants by Wham! is obviously the best one ever made. George Michael had a few more, Older / I Can’t Make You Love Me comes to mind.
The Rivers of Babylon/Brown Girl in the Ring Double A side was the only one I remember being promoted as two songs – the first one as a run-up to Christmas and then once that was over the other side was brought to the fore. It’ll be Terry Wogan’s influence that did it. At that time he was arguably more influential in promoting music than John Peel. Trouble is, it was usually shit music.
I’m not sure if it counts as a genuine double-A, but 1999/Little Red Corvette was released as a 7-inch in 1984 in the wake of Purple hysteria.
Of course it does.
See also The Model / Computer Love, which was “flipped” many times and finally had its moment in 1982.
Run’s House / Beats To The Rhyme.
Another one from them:
Peter Piper / My Adidas.
Run DMC’s two greatest reckids right there.