Stellar B-Sides

[firepoint525]

Take Me Back was the B-side of two different singles, and both Get On The Floor and Can't Get Outta The Rain were B-sides of three different singles. Pretty chintzy!

So three MJ songs served as b-sides for a total of eight of his singles! No wonder he was able to get so many singles from his albums! He reused the handful of songs that he used as b-sides!

Several Salt-N-Pepa singles had a B-side that was a remix of the A-side. Their first hit, Push It (Next Plateau 315) had the same song, same version, on both sides. Pretty chintzy!

So record buyers got, in effect, the same single that was being sent to radio stations, the radio station copy. Chintzy indeed!

I liked instrumental b-sides, like Ray Parker Jr's Ghostbusters or Buckner & Garcia's Pac Man Fever. It made for fun parodies or background music for commercials.

Yes, they are great as "bumper music," music beds for commercials, and I suppose that they are great for anyone who sings karaoke. But they are pretty much a ripoff for everyone else. (I have one of those "oldies 45s" of "Pac Man Fever" which had the followup single "Do the Donkey Kong," on the other side. Also have a reissue 45 of Rick Dees' "Disco Duck" which has "Barely White" on the second side.)

I have Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing as a one sided single from 1982. I remember they cost around 40-50 cents. I liked the idea, but I didn't like that CBS didn't punch out the center hole. I bet that was a big reason why they didn't sell well.

A seven-inch record with a small (LP-sized) whole in the center would be virtually worthless to most radio stations, since their turntables are recessed in the middle with a built-in "adapter" in the center. You CAN play such a record on a radio station turntable, but you must tape it to the adapter to prevent it from slipping while being played. Or you could just place an LP on the turntable, and lay the seven-incher right on top of it. But you might still need to tape it to prevent slippage.

 

[firepoint525]

Steve Miller Band's album The Joker, which was really his "breakthrough" album, was heavily mined for singles, both A- and B-sides. Between these, and a handful of cover songs that I was already familiar with by other artists, I believe there were only one or two songs on the album that I was not already familiar with:

• "The Joker" (title track), A-side single (#1 in 1973-1974)
• "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma," b-side of "Rock'n Me" (1976 #1 single)*
• "Lovin' Cup," b-side of "Fly Like An Eagle," (1976-1977 #2 single)
• "Something to Believe In," b-side of "The Joker"

*"Livin' in the USA" also served as the b-side of "Rock'n Me" on some pressings. "Livin' in the USA" dates back to 1968, and had itself previously been an A-side single, with "Kow Kow Calqulator" as the b-side. Its catalog number, Capitol 3884, suggests that it might have been (re)issued as a single in 1974, in the wake of the success of "The Joker." And on that label (3884), both songs were credited to his album, Anthology, which came out in the early '70s, and not to the album, Brave New World, from which they originated.

 

[billyg]

*"Livin' in the USA" also served as the b-side of "Rock'n Me" on some pressings. "Livin' in the USA" dates back to 1968, and had itself previously been an A-side single, with "Kow Kow Calqulator" as the b-side. Its catalog number, Capitol 3884, suggests that it might have been (re)issued as a single in 1974, in the wake of the success of "The Joker." And on that label (3884), both songs were credited to his album, Anthology, which came out in the early '70s, and not to the album, Brave New World, from which they originated.

I remember KELi or KAKC in Tulsa playing Livin' In The USA in 74-5. My only guess for the reissue is Capitol thought they could score a hit with it. Space Cowboy which used to get a lot of AOR airplay would have been a much better choice for a single since Steve mentioned it in The Joker.

Capitol was really big on 2-LP anthologies in the mid 70's and scored hits with a reissue of Surfin' USA from the Beach Boys "Endless Summer", and later Got To Get You Into My Life from The Beatles "Rock N Roll Music".

A seven-inch record with a small (LP-sized) whole in the center would be virtually worthless to most radio stations, since their turntables are recessed in the middle with a built-in "adapter" in the center. You CAN play such a record on a radio station turntable, but you must tape it to the adapter to prevent it from slipping while being played. Or you could just place an LP on the turntable, and lay the seven-incher right on top of it. But you might still need to tape it to prevent slippage.

I hated them too! I was the Public Service director at my college radio station that had QRK turntables and I always had to do that with the many 7" PSA's from the US Armed Forces and Ad Council. I always kept a old "Powerline" disc around in the production room for that.

 

[johnbasalla]

I never saw a Columbia promo copy that was made like these one-sided records, in other words, I never saw a promo copy with the small hole. I thought that these were purely commercial items to bring down the cost of a single record, and they were not meant to be sent to radio stations.

 

[RadioMan203]

A personal fav was the Rip Chords' "Hot Rod U.S.A" which was the flip of Three Window Coupe. Discovered this gem in a pile of records that was gifted by a guy who repaired jukeboxes.

Back in my high school radio days we all gravitated to playing the B side, not even realizing until much later that Coupe was the intended A side of that Columbia single.

 

[firepoint525]

I remember KELi or KAKC in Tulsa playing Livin' In The USA in 74-5. My only guess for the reissue is Capitol thought they could score a hit with it. Space Cowboy which used to get a lot of AOR airplay would have been a much better choice for a single since Steve mentioned it in The Joker.

Good call on that. Maybe Capitol figured with the bicentennial approaching (at the time) that "Livin' in the USA" would have been a better choice. May also have figured into it being reissued as the b-side of "Rock'n Me" a couple of years later.

Capitol was really big on 2-LP anthologies in the mid 70's and scored hits with a reissue of Surfin' USA from the Beach Boys "Endless Summer", and later Got To Get You Into My Life from The Beatles "Rock N Roll Music".

I have an import copy of Endless Summer on the MFP label (Music For Pleasure) in which they got the entire album (all 20 songs!) onto just ONE disc (10 per side!)! With as short as most of those songs were, that probably was not difficult to do.

A seven-inch record with a small (LP-sized) whole in the center would be virtually worthless to most radio stations, since their turntables are recessed in the middle with a built-in "adapter" in the center. You CAN play such a record on a radio station turntable, but you must tape it to the adapter to prevent it from slipping while being played. Or you could just place an LP on the turntable, and lay the seven-incher right on top of it. But you might still need to tape it to prevent slippage.

I hated them too! I was the Public Service director at my college radio station that had QRK turntables and I always had to do that with the many 7" PSA's from the US Armed Forces and Ad Council. I always kept a old "Powerline" disc around in the production room for that.

Your college station carried Powerline? Interesting!

Do you have any British 45s or EPs? The British 45s have the small hole in the center, but with the "punch-out" adapter. Fortunately, since I play those here at home (on my FLAT turntable), I have had no need to try "punching out" the adapter. The EPs, however, while they also play at 45 rpm, do not have the "punch-out" adapter, only the small LP-sized hole in the center. But again, I am only playing them here at home, so that is not an issue.

 

[Thomps2525]

I mentioned Not Fade Away, the non-charting B-side of Buddy Holly's Oh Boy; the song became a big hit for the Rolling Stones. Four years after Holly's death, Coral released his 1957 remake of Bo Diddley's Bo Diddley as a single; it failed to make the Hot 100 but the song on the B-side, True Love Ways---oh, they just couldn't release a ballad as an A-side---would become a big pop hit for Peter & Gordon and a number-one country hit for Mickey Gilley.

 

[amfmsw]

But "True Love Ways" did chart Top 10 in the UK.

 

[firepoint525]

My sister was one of those who, as a kid, would never listen to flipsides. Until, that is, one of her friends turned her on to "Don't Try Suicide" by Queen, which, for those of you who don't know, was the b-side of "Another One Bites the Dust." She already had the 45 of "Dust" at the time, so, you guessed it, she started listening to "Don't Try Suicide" repeatedly. As far as I know, she never listened to any other b-side as much as she played that one! :

 

[firepoint525]

Supremes
Ask Any Girl (flip of "Baby Love")
He's All I Got (flip of "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart")

Quite a few Supremes B-sides were every bit as good as the A side. A couple of my faves are:
"Put Yourself In My Place" (You Can't Hurry Love)
"There's No Stopping Us Now" (Love Is Here, Now You're Gone)

The only Supremes 45 that I have (and it actually belongs to my wife) is "Love Child," with the b-side "Will This Be the Day."

I have the 45 of Diana Ross (solo) singing "I'm Coming Out," which had "Give Up" as the b-side. Diana was concerned about sounding like a guest vocalist on a Chic album (Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers of Chic produced her 1980 Diana album from which this single came), but nowhere (that I have heard) did she sound more like a guest vocalist on a Chic album than on "Give Up."

 

[landtuna]

Where do you surf in Phoenix?

Big Surf, of course!

http://bigsurffun.com/history-2

 

[analog420]

Bobby Rydell had two B-sides that charted in 1960: "Little Bitty Girl" (b-side of "Wild One") and "Ding-a-Ling" ("Swingin' School"). Both A-sides were top 5, the B-sides charted separately and reached top 20.

 

[Biondi4Mayor]

Supremes
Ask Any Girl (flip of "Baby Love")
He's All I Got (flip of "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart")

Quite a few Supremes B-sides were every bit as good as the A side. A couple of my faves are:
"Put Yourself In My Place" (You Can't Hurry Love)
"There's No Stopping Us Now" (Love Is Here, Now You're Gone)

The only Supremes 45 that I have (and it actually belongs to my wife) is "Love Child," with the b-side "Will This Be the Day."

I have the 45 of Diana Ross (solo) singing "I'm Coming Out," which had "Give Up" as the b-side. Diana was concerned about sounding like a guest vocalist on a Chic album (Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers of Chic produced her 1980 Diana album from which this single came), but nowhere (that I have heard) did she sound more like a guest vocalist on a Chic album than on "Give Up."

I know what you mean about the "guest vocalist" sound. That whole album, "Diana" is pretty great though. That album was also altered to be far more "commercial" than what Chic had in mind.

Love Child, great song. "Will This Be The Day" in my opinion was a weak B-side.

 

[firepoint525]

"Will This Be The Day" in my opinion was a weak B-side.

I was kinda disappointed in it, too, especially in light of the discussion of Supremes' b-sides from earlier in this thread. Supremes' fans probably liked it, and it wasn't too "threatening," but it likely would have only been a mid-charter, at best, had it been an A-side. (Even some of their A-sides were starting to "miss the mark" by then.)

 

[Biondi4Mayor]

"Will This Be The Day" in my opinion was a weak B-side.

I was kinda disappointed in it, too, especially in light of the discussion of Supremes' b-sides from earlier in this thread. Supremes' fans probably liked it, and it wasn't too "threatening," but it likely would have only been a mid-charter, at best, had it been an A-side. (Even some of their A-sides were starting to "miss the mark" by then.)

There was plenty of good stuff both on later albums and in the vaults that would have made stronger A or B sides from '67 - '69. I often wonder what some other choices would have done for the group. Some great Tempts/Supremes duets that would have made strong singles too!

They'll always be one of my favs still. Best Amercian group period. (well tied w/ Beach Boys )

 

[johnbasalla]

How many of you know the "saga" of the often used Buddah label B-side song "(Poor Old) Mr. Jensen" aka "Zig Zag"? I have it as the B-side to 5 different Buddah/Buddah-related singles! Producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz must have REALLY liked this song. Like "Mrs. Green" mentioned in a previous post, this has interesting Classical music stylings. It's a dreary (but compelling) song about a guy who died, and outside of his immediate family, no one cares all that much. My brother calls it the poor man's "Eleanor Rigby". It appeared on the K-K Singing Orchestral Circus LP. Here are the appearances:

1. B-side of "Yummy Yummy Yummy" by Ohio Express, Buddah Record number: (BDA-38). Credited to the producers, Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz, the song's title is "Zig Zag". It's an instrumental going backwards, something that K-K did a lot.

2. I only recognized "Zig Zag" as an instrumental version of "(Poor Old) Mr. Jensen" decades later when I picked up a re-issue '45' on Buddah's "Radio Active Gold" label and this time they had "Zig Zag" played forward.

3. B-Side of "May I Take A Giant Step (...) by 1910 Fruitgum Company. BDA-39. The very next single put out by Buddah after "Yummy...". This time the song is credited to the producers and D.Taxin. Presumably Taxin wrote the lyrics. With lyrics, the song is - for the first time - called "(Poor Old) Mr. Jensen". This is the best recorded version of the song although the Orchestral/Classical styling would be more pronounced in upcoming versions.

4. B-Side of "Quick Joey Small (Run Joe Run)" by Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus. BDA-64. This is the all-out, "balls-to-the-wall" BIG production number version.
There's strong symphonic orchestration coupled with an "Opera-like" or maybe "Church-like" choir. Unfortunately they conspire to somewhat drown out the lead vocalist who sounds weak in the mix. Still, this is the most powerful version.

5. B-Side to "Sweet Sweet Lovin' You" by Jerry and Jeff on their own SuperK brand. The producers tried their hand at having a hit record of their own. Didn't work. This version of "(Poor Old) Mr. Jensen" is another instrumental. Remember that the song started life as a throw-away instrumental B-side called "Zig Zag". Anyway, the orchestral sound is more cleanly produced here then on #4 above and like all versions, has the Rock based drumming.

Are there other versions out there? Hmmm??

 

[johnbasalla]

One more thing. If you want to hear the BIG (#4) produced version of "(Poor Old) Mr. Jensen" to its best advantage, you really need to seek out the Stereo LP version. The single is in mono. There's so much going on that you need the stereo version to clearly hear all the instruments. The mono version sounds very crammed, and some of the good instrumentation gets lost in the mix. There's no room for the instruments to breathe in the mono version.

 

[unitron]

The single I bought (Epic ENR-03575) came in a sleeve that said "One-sided single. Get the hit! Special low price." The B-side had a weird textured pattern and a label that said "One-sided single. Do not play this side." Pretty chintzy!

I liked instrumental b-sides, like Ray Parker Jr's Ghostbusters or Buckner & Garcia's Pac Man Fever. It made for fun parodies or background music for commercials.

I have Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing as a one sided single from 1982. I remember they cost around 40-50 cents. I liked the idea, but I didn't like that CBS didn't punch out the center hole. I bet that was a big reason why they didn't sell well.

Did it have an LP sized hole or are you updating the old joke about the Oral Roberts label?

 

[hornet61]

Dootone Records the Penguins

A-side "Hey Senorita"..B-side "Earth Angel"

 

[johnbasalla]

The Columbia/Epic single-sided singles had the LP hole. I think that was to differentiate them from the regular 45s with a song on the B-side.