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Flip Sides

Those of you with XM radio might want to tune in on Sunday for a show titled "flip sides of the '60s". The show promises to feature some great flip sides of records that were hits in the '60s. Should be an interesting show. It airs at 9AM & 6PM eastern time on XM's channel 6.
 
Flip sides really deteriorated in the 70s

That would be interesting to hear. The 60s and late 50s were a time where you could flip the 45 over and hear a song that might be as good as-- if not better-- than the "hit" side.

That pretty much ended by the mid-70s when record companies seemed to want to put the WORST song on the LP on the flip.

The last great "flip" I remember was COLOUR MY WORLD by CHICAGO.
That song never charted but was played over and over on the radio, many more times than its hit, which was stil great, BEGINNINGS.

Here is what about.com said about this great flip:

A sweet, classical-jazz haiku backed by an epic Latin-flavored ode to renewal, these represented only two of several hits in Chicago's breakthrough year of '71. Indeed, "Beginnings" had flopped the first time around, but two years on, the trends had turned towards jazz, progressive rock, ethnicity, and urban renewal. Chicago's greatest two-sided hit fit neatly into all those categories at once.

http://oldies.about.com/od/70spopandsoul/tp/topten1971.htm

Later Chicago 45s, such as JUST YOU 'N ME and FEELIN' STRONGER EVERY DAY had pretty lousy songs on the flip.

At the skating rink while I was in jr. high, during 1976 or 1977, I remember requesting the DJ play the flip to JUST YOU N' ME, because on my 45 at home, FEELIN' STRONGER - that great rockin' tune- was on the other side.

Imagine my distate when a crappy song got on instead. The 45 I had at home was a reissue, not the original. Oops.


> Those of you with XM radio might want to tune in on Sunday
> for a show titled "flip sides of the '60s". The show
> promises to feature some great flip sides of records that
> were hits in the '60s. Should be an interesting show. It
> airs at 9AM & 6PM eastern time on XM's channel 6.
>
 
Re: Flip sides really deteriorated in the 70s

> That would be interesting to hear. The 60s and late 50s were
> a time where you could flip the 45 over and hear a song that
> might be as good as-- if not better-- than the "hit" side.
>

I would say that was over by the beginning of the 70's.
Hey Jude/Revolution was billed as one chart entry even though they are on opposite sides. And at the top of my mind, there weren't too many double sided hit records after that.

> That pretty much ended by the mid-70s when record companies
> seemed to want to put the WORST song on the LP on the flip.
>
> The last great "flip" I remember was COLOUR MY WORLD by
> CHICAGO.
> That song never charted but was played over and over on the
> radio, many more times than its hit, which was stil great,
> BEGINNINGS.
>
> Here is what about.com said about this great flip:
>
> A sweet, classical-jazz haiku backed by an epic
> Latin-flavored ode to renewal, these represented only two of
> several hits in Chicago's breakthrough year of '71. Indeed,
> "Beginnings" had flopped the first time around, but two
> years on, the trends had turned towards jazz, progressive
> rock, ethnicity, and urban renewal. Chicago's greatest
> two-sided hit fit neatly into all those categories at once.
>
> http://oldies.about.com/od/70spopandsoul/tp/topten1971.htm
>
> Later Chicago 45s, such as JUST YOU 'N ME and FEELIN'
> STRONGER EVERY DAY had pretty lousy songs on the flip.
>
> At the skating rink while I was in jr. high, during 1976 or
> 1977, I remember requesting the DJ play the flip to JUST YOU
> N' ME, because on my 45 at home, FEELIN' STRONGER - that
> great rockin' tune- was on the other side.
>
> Imagine my distate when a crappy song got on instead. The
> 45 I had at home was a reissue, not the original. Oops.
>
>
> > Those of you with XM radio might want to tune in on Sunday
>
> > for a show titled "flip sides of the '60s". The show
> > promises to feature some great flip sides of records that
> > were hits in the '60s. Should be an interesting show. It
> > airs at 9AM & 6PM eastern time on XM's channel 6.
> >
>
 
Re: Flip sides really deteriorated in the 70s

>
> I would say that was over by the beginning of the 70's.
> Hey Jude/Revolution was billed as one chart entry even
> though they are on opposite sides. And at the top of my
> mind, there weren't too many double sided hit records after
> that.
>

I agree with the overall premise that during the course of the 70's, flip side quality went down. But there were still great flip side hits to be found in the 70's. As one example, that's where the Doobie Brothers' 1974 hit "Black Water" came from - by flipping over "Another Park, Another Sunday". There are other examples. By the time the decade came to an end, though, I think there were very few.

It seems that during the 70's once disco hit big, many songs got longer and there were a substantial number of "Part 1"/"Part 2" type singles. I recall I wasn't too happy with that trend...
 
Re: Flip sides really deteriorated in the 70s

Just off the top, no peaking.

Come Together/Something-Beatles
Another Day/Oh! Woman Why-Paul McCartner
Brown Sugar/Bitch-Rolling Stones
I Fell Like A Bullet/Grow Some Funk Of Your Own-Elton John
Next Step In Love/ (forgot the other side)-Elvis
Beginnings/Colour My World-Chicago
My Sweet Lord/Isn't It A Pity-George Harrison
Your Song/Take Me To The Pilot-Elton John (check this one, I am not sure)
Band On The Run/1985-Paul McCartney
Bicycle Morning/Fat Bottomed Girls-Queen

I can come up with many more.




> > That would be interesting to hear. The 60s and late 50s
> were
> > a time where you could flip the 45 over and hear a song
> that
> > might be as good as-- if not better-- than the "hit" side.
>
> >
>
> I would say that was over by the beginning of the 70's.
> Hey Jude/Revolution was billed as one chart entry even
> though they are on opposite sides. And at the top of my
> mind, there weren't too many double sided hit records after
> that.
>
> > That pretty much ended by the mid-70s when record
> companies
> > seemed to want to put the WORST song on the LP on the
> flip.
> >
> > The last great "flip" I remember was COLOUR MY WORLD by
> > CHICAGO.
> > That song never charted but was played over and over on
> the
> > radio, many more times than its hit, which was stil great,
>
> > BEGINNINGS.
> >
> > Here is what about.com said about this great flip:
> >
> > A sweet, classical-jazz haiku backed by an epic
> > Latin-flavored ode to renewal, these represented only two
> of
> > several hits in Chicago's breakthrough year of '71.
> Indeed,
> > "Beginnings" had flopped the first time around, but two
> > years on, the trends had turned towards jazz, progressive
> > rock, ethnicity, and urban renewal. Chicago's greatest
> > two-sided hit fit neatly into all those categories at
> once.
> >
> > http://oldies.about.com/od/70spopandsoul/tp/topten1971.htm
>
> >
> > Later Chicago 45s, such as JUST YOU 'N ME and FEELIN'
> > STRONGER EVERY DAY had pretty lousy songs on the flip.
> >
> > At the skating rink while I was in jr. high, during 1976
> or
> > 1977, I remember requesting the DJ play the flip to JUST
> YOU
> > N' ME, because on my 45 at home, FEELIN' STRONGER - that
> > great rockin' tune- was on the other side.
> >
> > Imagine my distate when a crappy song got on instead. The
>
> > 45 I had at home was a reissue, not the original. Oops.
> >
> >
> > > Those of you with XM radio might want to tune in on
> Sunday
> >
> > > for a show titled "flip sides of the '60s". The show
> > > promises to feature some great flip sides of records
> that
> > > were hits in the '60s. Should be an interesting show.
> It
> > > airs at 9AM & 6PM eastern time on XM's channel 6.
> > >
> >
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
 
Re: Flip sides really deteriorated in the 70s

> Just off the top, no peaking.
>
> Come Together/Something-Beatles
> Another Day/Oh! Woman Why-Paul McCartner
> Brown Sugar/Bitch-Rolling Stones
> I Fell Like A Bullet/Grow Some Funk Of Your Own-Elton John
> Next Step In Love/ (forgot the other side)-Elvis
> Beginnings/Colour My World-Chicago
> My Sweet Lord/Isn't It A Pity-George Harrison
> Your Song/Take Me To The Pilot-Elton John (check this one,
> I am not sure)
> Band On The Run/1985-Paul McCartney
> Bicycle Morning/Fat Bottomed Girls-Queen

What about "Dancing In The Dark"/"Pink Cadillac"--Bruce Springsteen (1984).

By the mid-late 80s, increasing numbers of hit songs were either never released as singles, or were not readily available (ie-few record stores carried singles anymore), so the concept of a 2-sided hit became moot.
 
How could you guys forget .....

We Will Rock You / We Are the Champions ??
Don't know about you, but it's just too wierd if I hear one without the other and ALWAYS Champions HAS to follow We Will Rock You
 
Re: How could you guys forget .....

Were they on separate sides of a single?


> We Will Rock You / We Are the Champions ??
> Don't know about you, but it's just too wierd if I hear one
> without the other and ALWAYS Champions HAS to follow We Will
> Rock You
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
 
Re: How could you guys forget .....

> Were they on separate sides of a single?
>
>
> > We Will Rock You / We Are the Champions ??
> > Don't know about you, but it's just too wierd if I hear
> one
> > without the other and ALWAYS Champions HAS to follow We
> Will
> > Rock You
> >
>
After I posted that I tried to remember, but I just now checked my 6th Edition Whitburn and I quote from it:

"B-side "We Will Rock You" did not chart, however, it received extensive airplay because both sides were segued together on the album 'News Of The World' "

I bought the LP back in the day, never bought the single because I already had the album. Hard to believe "We Will Rock You" officially never charted!
 
Re: Flip sides really deteriorated in the 70s

Add to that:

Bridge Over Troubled Water/Keep The Customer Satisfied - Simon & Garfunkel - 1970
I'm Sorry/Calypso - John Denver - 1975 (maybe '76)

>
> By the mid-late 80s, increasing numbers of hit songs were
> either never released as singles, or were not readily
> available (ie-few record stores carried singles anymore), so
> the concept of a 2-sided hit became moot.
 
Record company missed a good chance

On the Go-Go's final album "Talk Show" there was a song called "Turn To You". This song had FLIP SIDE written all over it, and would have made a GREAT B-side to "Head Over Heels" -- in fact, maybe even another 2-hitter. Unfortunately, it was released as just the follow-up single.
 
Re: Flip sides really deteriorated in the 70s

On my copy it is:

Bridge Over Troubled Water/The Only Living Boy In New York City.

Both good songs.



> Add to that:
>
> Bridge Over Troubled Water/Keep The Customer Satisfied -
> Simon & Garfunkel - 1970
> I'm Sorry/Calypso - John Denver - 1975 (maybe '76)
>
> > <P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
 
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