B Sides

[fiction-factory]

When I was an avid buyer of singles in the 1970s , 80s and 90s (and when i started buying old 60s singles) I used to enjoy listening to the B sides. Some were rubbish (the Stranglers had Don't Bring Harry on several singles) , some in the 70s were just instrumental versions of the B side, but quite often they were excellent. Excellent ones included-
PS I Love You (Love Me Do)
Queen's -We Will Rock You
Oasis - Half the world away
Oasis -the Masterplan

This is possibly my favourite that comes to mind at the moment (B side of Mr Blue Sky)

[fiction-factory]

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Chinajan]

I used to enjoy early Sweet b-sides. They were a heavy rock band at heart but went with glam rock/pop records for commercial reasons.

You may not be a heavy rock fan of course...

[mushroom25]

this was on the flip side of "Super Trouper" - very different to material released to that date:-

[The Builder]

So subjective isn't it, FF?
I shall have to part company with you over ELO. I think I would prefer just about anything to the pompous-twaddle of Mr Blue Sky ;o(

Anyway, before I'm lynched... I haven't bought any singles since the 60s. Here's something that got my interest. Are you old enough to remember The Spencer Davis Group "Gimme Some Lovin'"?
This is the B side. A 16 year old Stevie Winwood.
Not just the regular three Blues chords, but all the passing Jazz Blues chords as well....................
.

[fiction-factory]

Yes, I was a fan of the Sweet and as well as their singles (Blockbuster onwards) I liked their heavier stuff on albums and B sides.

[fiction-factory]

Hi, The Builder. I actually preferred one Summer Dream to the A side. I already had Mr Blue Sky on the album so I must have bought it either for the B side or for the blue vinyl

[The Builder]

Blue vinyl?
I always knew you were cool FF ;o)

[fiction-factory]

The B side of Teenage Kicks by The Undertones was excellent- True Confessions

[jno]

It's all over now / Tell me

[fiction-factory]

I will have a listen.

[fiction-factory]

[Chinajan]

Agree with you The Builder re Mr Blue Sky - in fact your description would apply to ELO's entire output [for me].

If we're mentioning blue vinyl credentials I have Eloise by The Damned in that format.

[EdmundD]

I am The Walrus - Beatles
Green Onions - Booker T
You Can't Always Get What You Want - Stones
I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better - Byrds
She Belongs To Me - Dylan

[fiction-factory]

Tell Me is okay- actually I recognise it but I thought it was an early single rather than a B side

[fiction-factory]

Television's Marquee Moon had the excellent Prove It as a B side

[fiction-factory]

^ I had that on green vinyl.

[fiction-factory]

I'm in Love with My Car was a strong B side to Bohemian Rhapsody. Did I read that it was originally going to be the A side?

I think Fools Gold by Stone Roses was originally the B side of something (What the World is waiting for?)

[Sipowicz]

B side to Talk of the

[Sipowicz]

....town!

[Togo]

I remember some great B sides from the 60s but stopped buying singles by the end of that decade and bought the vinyy, then cassette or 8 track, then CD and now we have the mp3 format amongst other storage and playback systems. There is one however that I remember as being better than the A side from a combo that backed Dylan live in 1966. The A side was "Up on Cripple Creek" and the B side is one that I still play regularly and still sing along to, as I do with another of their great ones...."The Weight".