Golden Disc Records On Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village was a major contributor to my Elvis Costello import singles collection. Both Michael and Joe, two of the best record store guys in the business, were crazed Elvis Costello fans and I could always count on them to keep me informed on every last b-side and rarity. One day they played "Alison" and Michael said, "Check this out." I listened and thought, "Yeah, so. It's 'Alison.'" Then, I heard a string section and extra harmonies on the second verse and I flipped out. It was the U.S. single mix!
Cha-ching! $3.
But at the time, no b-side knocked me out the way "Big Tears" did. It was the U.K. b-side of "Pump It Up" and it featured Mick Jones of The Clash on guitar. This track was as good as any on "This Year's Model," and maybe even better than a few. Now, 46 years later, Elvis Costello probably has more great b-sides than most artists have A-sides.
I also remember the first time I heard the b-side of Marshall Crenshaw's "Someday Someway." I loved "Favorite Waste of Time" so much, our band Pep In The Cat was covering it a week after it came. That was my sole lead vocal with the band and always a live highlight for my mother!
Okay, how about some of your favorite b-sides? They don't necessarily need to be better than their A-sides, but that would be more fun.
43 comments:
The Godfathers' "Angela" (b-side to the non-album version of "Love is Dead")
I miss Golden Disc Records. Those were great times.
Erotic City by Prince received a lot of spins (and still does). I have always liked Bruce Springsteen's Pink Cadillac, which has aged way better than Dancing In The Dark.
Big Tears is a fabulous song.
Here are a few favorites (all of whom have a lot of non-album tracks):
The Only Ones - Baby's Got A Gun (a-side Silent Night)
U2 - Spanish Eyes (a-side I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For)
Bruce Springsteen - Janey, Don't You Lose Heart (a-side I'm Goin' Down)
Bruce Springsteen - Stand On It (a-side Glory Days)
R.E.M. - White Tornado (a-side Superman)
The Waterboys - The Ways Of Men (a-side Don't Bang The Drum)
- Paul in DK
Two quickly came to mind:
1. 'Agnes' by Donnie Iris (Love is Like a Rock b-side)
2. 'Held Up Without a Gun' by Bruce Springsteen (Hungry Heart b-side)
Both are killer songs!
"AGNES!"
What a killer song!
She's a Woman was always a favorite of mine
If you go back further there are many examples. Granted, tastes change over time and we don't necessarily think the same way as people did back when. These are 45s that arguably has stronger B-sides, or at least just as good without being marketed as double A-sides. At least I think so. All should be available on some steaming service or youtube.
1. Sam Cooke - Shake b/w A Change Is Gonna Come (RCA Victor 47-8486)
2. Carole King - Short Mort b/w Queen of the Beach (RCA Victor 47-7560)
3. Jeannie C. Riley - Things Go Better with Love b/w the Back Side of Dallas (Plantation Records PL-29)
4. Dan Penn - I'm Your Puppet b/w Is a Blue Bird Blue (MGM K13415)
5. Johnnie Allan - Somewhere on Skid Row b/w the Promised Land (JIN 45-244)
6. June Alexander - Sally Sue Brown b/w the Girl That Radiates That Charm (Judd 1020)
7. Laura Nyro - Wedding Bell Blues b/w Stoney End (Verve Folkways KF 5024)
8. Los Zafiros - Soñando Mi Amor b/w Bossa Cubana (Egrem 45-2507)
9. The Swan Silvertones - Move Up b/w Oh Mary, Don't You Weep (Vee-Jay VJ 867)
10. Dion - Lovers Who Wander b/w (I Was) Born to Cry (Laurie LR3123)
11. Pretty Things - Midnight to Six Man b/w Can't Stand the Pain (Fontana TF 647)
12. Wanda Jackson - Right Or Wrong b/w Funnel of Love (Capitol 4553)
And to make a baker’s dozen here’s a 78:
Louie Innis & the String Dusters - She's Mean to Me b/w I Thought She Was a Local (But She Was a Fast Express (Mercury 6273)
/Best
R
I'm sure your mom was proud of her little boy.
Led Zeppelin: Immigrant Song b/w Hey, Hey, What Can I Do
Bubble Puppy: Hot Smoke & Sasafrass b/w Lonely
Cream: Sunshine Of Your Love b/w SWLABR
1910 Fruitgum Co.: Simon Says b/w Reflections Of My Life
Steppenwolf: Rock Me b/w Jupiter Child and Move Over b/w Power Play
The Who: Join Together b/w Baby, Don't You Do It (live)
T Bone Burnett: Baby Fall Down b/w Art Movies
Great post!!
Randy
For me, the most important b-side of any 45 rpm vinyl single is and always will be: “I FEEL MUCH BETTER” by the Small Faces, released on December 2, 1967, b2b with “Tin Soldier” (which in itself is just magic). But “FEEL” holds a secret. It starts off as a strange, drug-induced, and really not very innovative novelty track, which lasts exactly 2 minutes 46 seconds. Then the song goes into “Generalpause!” (which seems more than deserved). BUT THEN the dam breaks, a whole world goes off the rails: that throwaway track explodes into nothing less than THE INVENTION OF HEAVY METAL before Heavy Metal, months/years before Zep, Sabbath, Humble, and the whole lot.
I am returning to this meisterwerk several times a year since 1968, and I never grow tired of the song, its magnificent coda, and an eternal admiration of Mr. Marriott & his then gang. Most wonderful, but also terribly forgotten and underestimated. Best, TC
JD is right. Erotic City is an all-time great B side. And Springsteen had both Pink Cadillac (terrific) and Shut Out The Light as the b side to Born in the USA, one of the rare singles I ever bought, so I can't really play this game. Oh and that song "Penny Lane" was quite good.
The Stray Cats You Can't Hurry Love (Supremes cover), B side of Rock This Town
Among my most beloved B Sides...
Springsteen - quite a few.
Held Up Without A Gun
Shut Out The Light
Pink Cadillac
Johnny Bye Bye
Costello - Yes, Big Tears
Girls Talk
Just A Memory
Tiny Steps
And, of course, Nick Lowe and His Sound's What's So Funny About P, L & U?
Billy Bragg -
She's Leaving Home (This may have been a Double A in the UK)
World Turned Upside Down
His ... errr... version of Walk Away Renee
Scholarship Is The Enemy Of Romance
The Pogues -
Body Of An American
Rainy Night In Soho
(Ok, a cheat as they were on an EP, but songs worth cheating for)
R.E.M. -
Bandwagon
This One Goes Out (actually a live acoustic version of The One I Love on a UK 12" of It's The End Of The World... which I got a month or two before Document was released.
Here are two from the Stones I've always loved:
Child of the Moon, B side to Jumpin' Jack Flash
Jump On Top of Me, B side to You Got Me Rockin'
Good topic!
Bryan
"Through the Lonely Nights". B-side of "It's Only Rock and Roll"
The one that just completely mystified me when it came out was "You Know My Name," which if I remember correctly was the b-side of "Let it Be."
nice to see the golden disc michael mention...he was prime mover at the legendary discophile on 8th st before that..great days
cheers
Though I did make a serious attempt, I never learned to like pretty much all of the BoDeans' ouevre. However, I did buy their single from 1987 called "Only Love", merely because it had a non-album song.
And that's the one I like! (Nay...that's the one I love!!!) It's called "Stella", and it was co-written by Sammy and Kurt.
Here it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH_8GHOqVTY&t=14s&ab_channel=streetsintherain
I remember getting that Marshall Crenshaw single and flipping it over to find the B-side was amazing too; it's hard to describe what a breath of fresh air those songs were at the time.
I guess if I had a favorite, it would be Tapioca Tundra, flip of Valleri. One of Nesmith's stranger efforts but wonderful.
Also, Groovy Times is the backside of Gates of the West...actually, both cuts are fantastic. I once had the 45rpm that was included in the first Clash album. One of those loaned out and never returned. I hate that. Anyway, as good as anything on the album, which is saying something.
Tes, the Beatles didn't do bad B-sides. 'Rain' was maybe better than 'Paperback Writer'.
My favorite Monkees song is "What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round."
But my favorite Nesmith song is absolutely "Tapioca Tundra!"
The Rolling Stones —Through the Lonely Nights,
Absolutely gorgeous ballad b-side of its Only Rock n Roll.
I wore out two promo copies back in my Stereo Review days.
My all-time fave is The Beatles' "You Know My Name" because it's so bizarre.
Three Dog Night - Chest Fever (B-Side of One)
The Buckinghames - Foreign Policy (B-Sife of Susan)
Joe Cocker _ Delta Lady (B-Side of ... Bathroom Window)
The Commodires - Can't Let You tease Me (B-Side of Easy)
Elvis Costello - Hoover Factory (B-Side of Clubland)
The Doobie Brothers - Slat Key Soguel Rag (B-Side of Take Me In Your Arms)
The Steve Miller Band - Baby Wanna Dance (B-Side of Abacadabra)
Prince - She Is Always In My Hair (B-Side ofr Raspberry Beret)
Bruce Springsteen-Pink Cadillac (B-Side of Dancing in the Dark)
XTC-Toys (B-Side of Love on a Farmboy's Wages)
Three of my all-time favorite songs are B-sides: Springsteen's "Shut Out The Light", Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come", and Gram's "In My Hour Of Darkness".
C in California
Hi Sal.....Always love stopping by the blog to see what is cookin.....
How about Marshall Crenshaws live cover of S.O.S. the old Edwin Starr track?? Great stuff indeed. And lets not forget XTC!!! A treasure trove of killer b-sides most all of which I think are album worthy:Toys,desert island,smokeless zone,alternate version of ten feet tall,wait till your boat goes down and so many more!!!
The Police:low life,someone to talk to,a sermon,visions of the night....
Bad Company:little miss fortune,cover version of easy on my soul...
The mind just reels...
Ian Dury's "There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards" (B-side of "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick")
Sex Pistols- Did You No Wrong b-side of God Save The Queen
David Bowie- John I'm Only Dancing b-side version on Hang On To Yourself
Buying singles for the unreleased flip sides was always fun. I have those Elvis and Marshall's, they're great songs.
"Charlena" was the B of Los Lobos' "La Bamba", it's a great garage rocker with a great honkin' sax solo by Steve Berlin. I bought it for "Charlena", I didn't care about the rest of the songs on the album.
More Bruce:
"Jersey Girl" live, the B of "Cover Me"
"Held Up Without A Gun" the B of "Hungry Heart"
"The Big Payback" the B of "Open All Night" on a UK single
"Friggs Theme", an instrumental B-Side of The Friggs great "Bad Word For A Good Thing" single. They were a Philly girl group with Palmyra Delran of Little Steven's Underground garage on guitar. I played it by mistake at 33rpm one time, it was still great, even though they sounded like stoned dudes when they screamed "We're The Friggs!"
"If Only You Were Lonely" was the solo acoustic b-side of the Replacements' first single, and for a long time it was the only way to get that wonderful song.
Kinks - Big Black Smoke
Who - Heaven & Hell
Procol Harum - Drunk Again
Captain Al
"How Soon Is Now?" by the Smiths was originally a B-side of the 1984 single "William, It Was Really Nothing" :)
Clearly, a case could be made that a group or artist with no great B-sides are not worth troubling with. Could you name an artist you like or not without good B-sides?
/R
Fleetwood Mac's Silver Springs was the B-side of Go Your Own Way. I think they should have found a place for it on Rumours.
The Who back in their singles day had some good B sides, but I'd like to add Don't Know Myself as a favorite.
As for Costello, who has two B-side compilations and I'm sure could do a third if he so desired, two I'd like to call out are Shoes Without Heels and American Without Tears No 2, both from the King of America/Blood and Chocolate era.
Buying singles sure was fun.
Bill
Two that I think of are: U2 - B side:"Sweetest Thing", I like better than the A side:"Where the Streets Have No Name" and The Byrds - B side:"I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" to A Side: "All I Really Want To Do." Though all four songs are really A sides in my mind.
God, I recognize quite a few here, but I could add a few more, after all for a while it became an addiction to hunt for B sides:
The Police - Murder by Numbers (Bside of Every Breath You Take)
Nick Lowe - Basing Street (Bside of Cracking Up)
Elvis Costello - American Without Tears # 2 (Twilight Version) (Bside of Blue Chair)
XTC - Heaven Is Paved On Broken Glass (Bside of Ball And Chain)
Dave Edmunds - As Lovers Do (Bside of Here Comes The Weekend)
My fave:
"Play With Fire" Stones flip "Last Time"
All of Buffalo Springfield 45's have strong B's.
Hendrix - "The Wind Cries Mary" flip of "Purple Haze"
Bob Seger - "Turn On Your Lovelight" flip of "Bo Diddley
Love - "Orange Skies" flip to "She Comes In Colors"
Love - "A House Is Not a Motel" flip to "Alone Again Or"
Grateful Dead - "Ripple" flip to "Truckin'"
Creedence - a great run of B-sides from 1969-1971
Monkees - "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone" flip of "I'm a Believer"
Byrds - "She Don't Care About Time" flip to TTT
Bowie - "Lady Grinning Soul" flip to LSTNT
Bowie - "Amsterdam" flip to "Sorrow"
Bowie - "Queen Bitch" flip to "1984"
Moby Grape - "Come In the Morning" flip to "Hey Grandma"
Beach Boys - "Don't Worry Baby" flip of "I Get Around"
Beach Boys - "Girl Don't Tell Me" flip of "Barbara Ann"
Beach Boys - "Warmth of the Sun" flip of DDD
VR
I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better is a great, great tune but, to B pedantic, does it really count as a great B side if it's on the album the A side came from?
The greatest B-side compilation?
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mFtgiwn2W0IkxnwPDk--uZIHvoA0T4CHk&si=5cGKehBNDLWMsnnK
GREAT topic!
Vinyl 45s are my favorite music format of all, to this day ... especially picture sleeves, colored vinyl, and rare b-sides.
Here's a few of my favorite B-Sides:
- Dylan: Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues - live in Liverpool '66, b-side of I Want You
- The Smiths: Work Is A Four-Letter Word, b-side of Girlfriend In A Coma
- U2: Sweetest Thing - B-side of Where the Streets Have No Name
- XTC: The Troubles (demo), b-side of The Meeting Place 12"
- Van Morrison: You've Got the Power, B-side to Jackie Wilson Said
- Elvis Costello - My Funny Valentine, B-side of Oliver's Army
- R.E.M.: Time After Time / Red Rain / So. Central Rain [Live], b-side of Finest Worksong 12"
And yes, Elvis Costello was the KING of b-sides, there's almost no competition for quantity of great ones, other than R.E.M. and XTC.
Oh shite, I forgot about surely the best single b-side ever. Partly because it's so different from the a-side.
Prince - How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?, b-side of 1999
And I revise my earlier statement to say, actually, Prince was the king of b-sides. Sorry, Elvis.
"Oh shite, I forgot about surely the best single b-side ever. Partly because it's so different from the a-side.
Prince - How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?, b-side of 1999"
Noel for the win!
That track is a Top Ten Prince track, regardless of the side.
Sorry late for the party…I did not see anyone mention GP Mercury Poisoning/I Want U Back J5 cover.
Which one is the BSide?
Post a Comment