Greatest "B" side recordings ever

[HOTDON]

Early Weezer was the tail end of the b-side era. Susanne was the b-side to Undone (The Sweater Song). The soaring doo wop vocals and grungy rhythm guitar were as tight as anything on the Blue Album and the lyrics tell a great story from the days just before the band broke. One of the best examples of their early sound.

 

[KidSilverhair]

I'm surprised no one has brought up the Beatles yet. I'm not a huge Beatles fan either, but they had some pretty big hits from the B side, including, but not limited to, Yellow Submarine and Penny Lane. Again, not a big Beatles fan, so I might be wrong about this.

Just a sampling of what the Beatles put out on their B sides:

I Am The Walrus was the B side of Hello, Goodbye.

Day Tripper was the B side of We Can Work It Out.

Revolution was the B side of Hey, Jude.

Come Together was the B side of Something.

And yes, Penny Lane and Yellow Submarine were B sides (of Strawberry Fields Forever and Eleanor Rigby, respectively).

 

[Mr Janny]

Early Weezer was the tail end of the b-side era. Susanne was the b-side to Undone (The Sweater Song). The soaring doo wop vocals and grungy rhythm guitar were as tight as anything on the Blue Album and the lyrics tell a great story from the days just before the band broke. One of the best examples of their early sound.

Hell yeah, I forgot this was a B-side. It's a great song

 

[MeanDean]

I'm surprised no one has brought up the Beatles yet. I'm not a huge Beatles fan either, but they had some pretty big hits from the B side, including, but not limited to, Yellow Submarine and Penny Lane. Again, not a big Beatles fan, so I might be wrong about this.

Pretty much 80 percent of their B sides were equal to or better than the A-side. This was the B-side to Paperback Writer.

 

[MeanDean]

Which is the A side????

View attachment 128902

CCR had plenty of great A/B combos

 

[MeanDean]

Wouldn't It Be Nice/God Only Knows

 

[MeanDean]

Not a huge Elvis Fan, but this is right up there:

(Marie's the Name) His latest Flame/Little Sister

 

[MeanDean]

Buddy had some killers too:

That'll Be the Day/Looking for Someone to Love
Peggy Sue/Everyday
Oh Boy/Not Fade Away

 

[MeanDean]

Arthur Alexander:
You Better Move On/A Shot of Rhythm and Blues

 

[cyclones500]

Just a sampling of what the Beatles put out on their B sides:

I Am The Walrus was the B side of Hello, Goodbye.

Day Tripper was the B side of We Can Work It Out.

Revolution was the B side of Hey, Jude.

Come Together was the B side of Something.

And yes, Penny Lane and Yellow Submarine were B sides (of Strawberry Fields Forever and Eleanor Rigby, respectively).

Good roundup.

Formally, Eleanor Rigby/Submarine & Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane were double-A-side releases.

 

[cyclones500]

CCR had plenty of great A/B combos

One example:

Born on the Bayou
(A-side: Proud Mary)

 

[CloneFan65]

Most won't know this song, but I know there are a few Mats fans out there that would appreciate this. It was a B-side that didn't make it on an album, but has become a fan favorite.

 

[matclone]

Some of my fav Beatle B-sides not already mentioned are:

I Don't Want to Spoil the Party (A: Eight Days a Week)

Yes it Is (A: Ticket to Ride)

 

[Al_4_State]

This one is probably the winner for me. One of my absolute favorite Zeppelin songs.

I think it IS my favorite Zeppelin song.

 

[Al_4_State]

Most won't know this song, but I know there are a few Mats fans out there that would appreciate this. It was a B-side that didn't make it on an album, but has become a fan favorite.

On the Mats front, I've always thought that version of "Can't Hardly Wait" that was recorded for Tim, but ultimately scrapped, was better than the version that ended up on Pleased To Meet Me.



"If Only You Were Lonely" is probably the first blatantly country influenced Mats songs. They were incredibly influential on the alt-country bands that started a few years after they called it quits, and this is sort of the genesis of that IMO.

 

[Gunnerclone]

 

[Big Daddy Kang]

The b-side of Space Oddity:

 

[CloneLawman]

I'm surprised no one has brought up the Beatles yet. I'm not a huge Beatles fan either, but they had some pretty big hits from the B side, including, but not limited to, Yellow Submarine and Penny Lane. Again, not a big Beatles fan, so I might be wrong about this.

 

[cyclones500]

Returning to Creedence Clearwater Revival, mentioned by @MuskieCy and @MeanDean (I can’t seem to multi-quote).

Several CCR 45s were considered double-A-side, esp. during the “Willy and the Poor Boys” and “Cosmo’s Factory” sessions.

I won’t attempt to distinguish here (so I don't risk inaccuracy — that would be embarrassing!) ... A broader picture: Here are singles released July 1969-January 1971.

Each of these included at least one top 10 hit in U.S., and all but the last couplet had a top-5. Dazzling.

Proud Mary / Born on the Bayou
Bad Moon Rising / Lodi
Green River / Commotion
Down on the Corner / Fortunate Son
Who’ll Stop the Rain / Travelin’ Band
Up Around the Bend / Run Through the Jungle
Lookin’ Out My Back Door / Long as I Can See the Light
Have You Ever Seen the Rain / Hey Tonight

 

[demoncore1031]

And can we forget the B-side to Green Jelly's hit Three Little Pigs?

The answer is "yes, we definitely can forget it" because it was an absolutely forgettable track called Obey the Cow God

Are you reeeeady?!?!