As a kid, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a new single, Those 7” pieces of vinyl always had me mesmerised. I loved them, along with the labels, but hey! that’s another story for another day.
What I want to talk about to-day is the ‘B’ sides of the singles. I used to find as many great songs on the flip side as I did on the main side. What’s more, I sometimes felt that the ‘B’ side was even better then the ‘A’ side.
I’d get home to my Dansette, slide the record from the cover, place it on the spindle and get ready to transport myself into a new dimension. I’d play the ‘A’ side first. After all that’s why I’d bought it in the first place. And then I’d turn it over and get ready for the surprise…..great if I was lucky….disappointed if my artist of choice that day had let me down.
At this point I will say that I’ve always wanted records, and when I say always, that’s exactly what I mean. I was brought into this world in a family that loved its music. My dad had a reel to reel tape recorder with all the hits of the day and it was always being played even when I was a baby. My Godfather owned a record shop. Records were always being played in my home. Apparently I was engrossed from the minute I could get my hands on them. So much so, that I’m reliably informed, I was bought my first record player at the age of 2 and my first tape recorder at the age of 3.
So for one day only…. Let me transport you back in time to some of those ‘B’ sides that in my opinion were killers. I won’t necessarily do them in chronological order, just in the order they all come back to me.
Let’s start with Elvis Presley – in January 1958 he released Jailhouse Rock. This was two years before I was born. I say this because I don’t want you thinking I’m that old! However, my Dad had the single and I managed to get hold of it at a very young age. Treat Me Nice was the ‘B’ side, and from the moment the piano started playing at the beginning I was hooked. When Elvis started singing ‘When I walked through the door’, that was it for me.
Next Up, comes Eddie Cochran and Cut Across Shorty. The story of a country boy, Shorty, who was up against city boy, Dan to win the heart of Lucy. I won’t tell you how he did it, you’ll have to find that out for yourself. But in the end Shorty wins, and that’s what’s important. So what was the ‘A side? – Three Steps To Heaven.
The first single I ever bought, and I was told this by my Mum, because at the age of 3 years old, I really can’t re-member. It was The Beatles I Want To Hold Your Hand. I don’t remember buying it, but the ‘B’ side, This Boy has al-ways been a favourite of mine. Slower than the ‘A’ side, John Lennon’s voice to me was mesmerising. Building to a crescendo halfway through the song, John’s vocal had me singing (some would say wailing) at the top of my voice! Then it drops back down and fades out about a minute too quickly.
When I was about 11, a friend of my brother’s was getting rid of a load of singles and as he knew I loved them, he gave them to me. I can remember it to this day. He walked into our living room with a box, full to the brim of early and mid 60s singles. As I went through them one by one I got to Bobby Vee’s Run To Me. Now that was a hit back in 1961 and I thought it was quite good, but when I flipped it over, and played it, was I one happy bunny. The song was called Walkin’ With My Angel, and boy, was it catchy. Starting off with what sounded like footsteps, then a guitar plink plink plinking into the vocal, it sounded OK, and then it took off!
Into the 70s it carried on – in 1978, The O’Jays brought out the wonderful Use Ta Be My Girl. On turning this over, I was confronted by This Time Baby. Much more upbeat than the other side, not as good, however a great tune in its own right. It was covered by Jackie Moore, who made it her own.
A couple of years later, Gene Chandler brought out Does She Have A Friend For Me, which was great song, about finding a girl. Then, on turning the record over this is probably sung when he got the girl. Let Me Make Love To You is just awesome. Mid-paced and with a great lyric, you just felt sure she was gonna say yes!
It doesn’t stop there – Locksmith produced some great funk – in 1978 they released the excellent Unlock The Funk. Imagine how pleased I was to flip it and find what I felt was the better side, Black-jack. A quality instrumental, that galloped from start to finish.
Speaking of instrumentals, Patrice Rushen had the wonderful Number One placed on the ‘B’ Side of I Was Tired Of Being Alone. The start felt like you were about to take off to a different stratosphere. It felt at the time like it should have been released as the main side, and fortunately for many, it was a couple of years later.
And to finish off this little look back at Killer B’s, I’m going to finish with a tune that I re-dis-covered a few weeks ago when I was converting some vinyl to mp3. I was sorting out some singles and played Unlimited Touch’s Searching To Find The One. I turned it over and didn’t recognise the name on the other side. However, within two seconds, it all came flooding back to me. A tune that I’d loved way back in 1981. It’s funny how things drift from your memory when you’ve not heard it for such a long time. I’ll tell you this though – Carry On is way too good to let it get out of my thoughts again!
Well that’s my little look back – 10 Killer B’s – I’m sure you can think of loads that you’ve loved over the years as well. Why not get in touch and let me know the ones that floated your boat?
