B4 I get in2 this, I see from the news that photographer & album-cover designer Storm Thorgerson has died at age 69 after a battle against cancer. Along with the many album covers he & his mates at Hipgnosis did 4 bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin & MANY others, Storm also wrote almost the entire text 4 Hipgnosis's 1st collection of cover artwork, WALK AWAY RENE -- see if you can track down a copy, the STORIES in it R hilarious, & of course the photos & artwork R amazing. It's 1 of my favorite books ever....
Now then, here's some more great B-sides, including a handful I forgot the 1st time around & a coupla OBVIOUS 1's I shoulda remembered....
* Beach Boys: "God Only Knows" -- The B-side 2 the nice but kinda average "Wouldn't it be Nice," "God Only Knows" is the BB's at their absolute best, 1 of the most beautiful songs in all of creation. Check out Carl Wilson's perfect lead vocal, & the gorgeous choir-vocal finish. In "cool" mid-'60s LA, THIS was the A-side. Course the album it's from ain't no slouch neither: PET SOUNDS.
* Boston: "Used to Bad News" -- B-side 2 the lame non-hit "Feeling Satisfied." Buried near the end of the 1/2-finished 2nd side of DON'T LOOK BACK, this downbeat lost-love lament written by lead singer Brad Delp is a perfect modest miniature, 1 of the best things they ever did. Great organ & guitar work, & a superb hurt lead vocal from Brad. It had "hit" written all over it. Shoulda sold millions & otta B played every day by Classic Rock stations.
* Byrds: "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" -- B-side 2 the lame Dylan song "All I Really Want to Do." From that rousing electric lead 2 the great group-vocal choruses, this Gene Clark composition beats the heck outta "All I Really Want to Do" -- jeez, even Sonny & Cher beat the Byrds on THAT 1. Couldn't the folks at CBS HEAR? Or did they just wanna go with another safe Dylan-song sure-thing 4 the A-side? Tom Petty covered this song a few years back, but he should just give up....
* Kansas: "Questions of My Childhood" -- B-side 2 "Carry On Wayward Son." What really sucked me in on this is that loopy keyboard hook that's the 1st thing you hear. & it picks back up again at the end. The lyrics R kinda cute & silly. Fake-Meaningful, lighter than air, & WAY better than "Dust in the Wind," 4 Xample....
* Journey: "Daydream" & "People and Places." "Daydream" was the B-side 2 "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin';" "People and Places" was the B-side 2 some lame minor hit offa DEPARTURE. "Daydream" shoulda kept me from buying EVOLUTION, but I eventually caved-in anyway & was disappointed. "People and Places" DID keep me from buying DEPARTURE, cos "People" was by far the best thing on it. "Daydream" is a moody dream-piece with some nice Neal Schon guitar work; "People and Places" is an arty, airy vocal piece with rockin' choruses. Both songs R throwbacks 2 Journey's progressive-rock beginnings. They shoulda done WAY more stuff like this ... or at least this good.... But of course there was no $$$ in this arty, impressionistic stuff....
* Jefferson Starship: "Freedom at Point Zero." B-side 2 "Jane." I was always a sucker 4 Paul Kantner's science-fiction chorale pieces, & this rocker is 1 of the best Xamples. So's the album it came from, 4 which this was the title track. Most of the better songs on FREEDOM came out as B-sides -- "Fading Lady Light," "Just the Same"....
* Johnny Rivers: "It Wouldn't Happen With Me" -- B-side 2 the Top 3 hit "Memphis." Good as "Memphis" is, this is a comedy classic, all about how all those female fans out there will never get the chance 2 marry (or even date!) the Beatles or Elvis or Ricky Nelson ... but Johnny's Available! Some of the lines R just priceless, & it rocks!
* Neil Diamond: "Crunchy Granola Suite," "Done Too Soon," "Broad Old Woman (6 A.M. Insanity)." The insanely silly & catchy "Crunchy Granola" was the B-side 2 "Stones." After all these years, I'm still not sure if it's a celebration of Regularity or really about smoking pot. The brief history-lesson "Done Too Soon" was the B-side 2 "I Am, I Said." Wonder if Billy Joel heard this B4 he wrote "We Didn't Start the Fire"? "Broad Old Woman (6 A.M. Insanity)" was the B-side 2 the non-hit "Two-Bit Manchild." It really does sound like Neil & band in the studio at 6 am, working on a lame blues number that really HAS been cooking 2 long. See if you can track it down if you feel brave -- I coulda taken a whole album of this kinda stuff, back in the day....
* Ringo Starr: "Early 1970" -- B-side to "It Don't Come Easy." The world's biggest Beatles fan finally gets his say. Featuring brief, hilarious portraits of his mates in the Fabs, it's simple & modest enuf that Mr. Starkey didn't need any production help from heavyweights like Phil Spector. 1 of a kind, it finally got on an album with Ringo's BLAST FROM THE PAST best-of....
...Possibly more coming soon....
Showing posts with label B-sides. Show all posts
Showing posts with label B-sides. Show all posts
Friday, April 19, 2013
Sunday, April 14, 2013
#652: Great Backsides!
No, we R not gonna talk about Kim Kardashian here. Or J-Lo. Or Beyonce. Those R all worthwhile subjects 4 a whole 'nother blog.
1nce upon a time, record companies used 2 release little 7-inch vinyl musical donuts that played at 45 rpm's -- they were called "45's" or "singles," & sometimes recording artists issued some great overlooked stuff on the non-hit-side of the single, the "B-side."
Can't believe I haven't written about this stuff B4, this list came 2 me so easily -- maybe I've mentioned them all previously as part of my series on Great Lost Singles. Anyway, here's a dozen or so worth checking out ... again....
* Fleetwood Mac: "Silver Springs" -- The B-side 2 "Go Your Own Way," this is the track that got squoze-off RUMOURS, & they shoulda found some way 2 squeeze it right back on there, there's sevral songs it's EASILY better than. This is 4 minutes of haunting, heartbroken melancholy, probly the best thing Stevie Nicks has ever done. Great mournful guitar from Lindsey Buckingham, too, & a great dramatic choral-vocal finish. Finally appeared on-album on THE CHAIN box set about 10 years later....
* Moody Blues: "Simple Game" -- In Europe, this was the B-side 2 "Ride My See-Saw," finally appeared on-album on the Moodies' THIS IS best-of in '74. Sorta a nod back 2 their beat-band roots, or a cross between their simpler beginnings & their late-'60s cosmic stuff, the "doo-doo-doo" chorus'll get you every time. 4 me, it's the best thing keyboardist Mike Pinder ever wrote. If Decca Records had been smart, this coulda been a hit in '74. & the Four Tops did a cover version....
* Dion: "Daddy Rollin' (In Your Arms)" -- The B-side 2 his big late-'60s peace-love&understanding hit "Abraham, Martin and John," "Daddy Rollin'" is a stripped-down country-blues number that seems to make vague references 2 Dion's well-known heroin habit. Not only does it rock more convincingly than anything else he's ever done, check out summa the vocals later in the song -- his cold, distant whining is really chilling. 1 of a kind.
* Kate Bush: "Empty Bullring" -- This stark, brief, stripped-down piano&vocal portrait of a disintegrating marriage was the B-side of Kate's Top 10 British single "Breathing," & it's among the 1/2dozen most haunting things she's ever done. Finally appeared on-album on her THIS WOMAN'S WORK best-of, where there's LOTS of other Good Stuff, like "Cloudbusting," "December Will be Magic Again," "Running Up That Hill," the heartbreaking "This Woman's Work," etc....
* Billy Joel: "All for Leyna" -- 4 me by far the best song offa GLASS HOUSES was the B-side 2 the hit "Sometimes a Fantasy" (I think....), so there was no chance of it ever getting any airplay. 4 me, this is among Billy's Top 5 best ever, sums up everything he tried 2 do on THE STRANGER, & adds summa that NYC Attitude, & it still rocks. Nice piano, too.
* Nino Tempo & April Stevens: "I've Been Carrying a Torch for You So Long That I've Burned a Great Big Hole in My Heart" -- I'm not making this up. The B-side 2 the 1961 #1 Grammy-winning "Deep Purple." Talk about stripped-down: loony vocals, strummin' guitar, & lyrics that R out of this world, like a deep whoop of lovestruck lunacy, somewhere between a yodel & a field holler. The folks at Atco Records were on some heavy drugz I guess, "Deep Purple" always sounded strange enuf 2 me....
* Electric Light Orchestra: "10538 Overture (live)" -- This live version of a track offa their very 1st album was the B-side 2 "Evil Woman" (I think....), & has the same majesty & catchiness & haunting melody that made "Can't Get it Out of My Head" a big hit. & even with the string section, it still rocks....
* Dave Edmunds: "Creature from the Black Lagoon" -- The B-side 2 the shoulda-been-hit "Girls Talk," this is a 3-minute horror-comedy-lovestory with lots of great driving guitar. Dave shoulda had 1/2adozen more hits....
* Genesis: "Vancouver," "Inside and Out" -- Do EP's count? The 3-minute runaway story "Vancouver" was part of the B-side 2 the British "Many Too Many" single. It doesn't overstay its welcome, the lyrics R great, Phil Collins's singing is sweet, it's perfect in its way. "Inside and Out" was guitarist Steve Hackett's last work with the band, & the 7-minute track features about 4 mins of great instrumental interplay at the end. It was the B-side of the British "Match of the Day" EP.
* Fleetwood Mac: "Monday Morning (live)" -- The live version of this song (from FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE) beats the studio original 2 DEATH. A rousing, rocking crowd-pleaser. The A-side is the gorgeous Beach Boys cover "The Farmer's Daughter," which shoulda been a huge hit....
* The Beach Boys -- They always had LOTS of great B-sides, like "Kiss Me Baby," "Let Him Run Wild," "There's No Other (Like My Baby)," "Here Today," "This Whole World," "She Knows Me Too Well," even silly stuff like the dinner-table chant "You're Welcome," or the hilarious "TM Song." Or how bout "Susie Cincinnati," which was a B-side at least 2wice B4 it ever got on an album?
* The Beatles -- Speaking of great B-sides, how 'bout "I Am the Walrus," "Old Brown Shoe," "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)," "I'm Down," "Thank You Girl," "I Saw Her Standing There," "I Should Have Known Better," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Do You Want to Know a Secret," "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party," "Day Tripper," "Baby You're a Rich Man"....
...& your favorite backsides of all time are...?
1nce upon a time, record companies used 2 release little 7-inch vinyl musical donuts that played at 45 rpm's -- they were called "45's" or "singles," & sometimes recording artists issued some great overlooked stuff on the non-hit-side of the single, the "B-side."
Can't believe I haven't written about this stuff B4, this list came 2 me so easily -- maybe I've mentioned them all previously as part of my series on Great Lost Singles. Anyway, here's a dozen or so worth checking out ... again....
* Fleetwood Mac: "Silver Springs" -- The B-side 2 "Go Your Own Way," this is the track that got squoze-off RUMOURS, & they shoulda found some way 2 squeeze it right back on there, there's sevral songs it's EASILY better than. This is 4 minutes of haunting, heartbroken melancholy, probly the best thing Stevie Nicks has ever done. Great mournful guitar from Lindsey Buckingham, too, & a great dramatic choral-vocal finish. Finally appeared on-album on THE CHAIN box set about 10 years later....
* Moody Blues: "Simple Game" -- In Europe, this was the B-side 2 "Ride My See-Saw," finally appeared on-album on the Moodies' THIS IS best-of in '74. Sorta a nod back 2 their beat-band roots, or a cross between their simpler beginnings & their late-'60s cosmic stuff, the "doo-doo-doo" chorus'll get you every time. 4 me, it's the best thing keyboardist Mike Pinder ever wrote. If Decca Records had been smart, this coulda been a hit in '74. & the Four Tops did a cover version....
* Dion: "Daddy Rollin' (In Your Arms)" -- The B-side 2 his big late-'60s peace-love&understanding hit "Abraham, Martin and John," "Daddy Rollin'" is a stripped-down country-blues number that seems to make vague references 2 Dion's well-known heroin habit. Not only does it rock more convincingly than anything else he's ever done, check out summa the vocals later in the song -- his cold, distant whining is really chilling. 1 of a kind.
* Kate Bush: "Empty Bullring" -- This stark, brief, stripped-down piano&vocal portrait of a disintegrating marriage was the B-side of Kate's Top 10 British single "Breathing," & it's among the 1/2dozen most haunting things she's ever done. Finally appeared on-album on her THIS WOMAN'S WORK best-of, where there's LOTS of other Good Stuff, like "Cloudbusting," "December Will be Magic Again," "Running Up That Hill," the heartbreaking "This Woman's Work," etc....
* Billy Joel: "All for Leyna" -- 4 me by far the best song offa GLASS HOUSES was the B-side 2 the hit "Sometimes a Fantasy" (I think....), so there was no chance of it ever getting any airplay. 4 me, this is among Billy's Top 5 best ever, sums up everything he tried 2 do on THE STRANGER, & adds summa that NYC Attitude, & it still rocks. Nice piano, too.
* Nino Tempo & April Stevens: "I've Been Carrying a Torch for You So Long That I've Burned a Great Big Hole in My Heart" -- I'm not making this up. The B-side 2 the 1961 #1 Grammy-winning "Deep Purple." Talk about stripped-down: loony vocals, strummin' guitar, & lyrics that R out of this world, like a deep whoop of lovestruck lunacy, somewhere between a yodel & a field holler. The folks at Atco Records were on some heavy drugz I guess, "Deep Purple" always sounded strange enuf 2 me....
* Electric Light Orchestra: "10538 Overture (live)" -- This live version of a track offa their very 1st album was the B-side 2 "Evil Woman" (I think....), & has the same majesty & catchiness & haunting melody that made "Can't Get it Out of My Head" a big hit. & even with the string section, it still rocks....
* Dave Edmunds: "Creature from the Black Lagoon" -- The B-side 2 the shoulda-been-hit "Girls Talk," this is a 3-minute horror-comedy-lovestory with lots of great driving guitar. Dave shoulda had 1/2adozen more hits....
* Genesis: "Vancouver," "Inside and Out" -- Do EP's count? The 3-minute runaway story "Vancouver" was part of the B-side 2 the British "Many Too Many" single. It doesn't overstay its welcome, the lyrics R great, Phil Collins's singing is sweet, it's perfect in its way. "Inside and Out" was guitarist Steve Hackett's last work with the band, & the 7-minute track features about 4 mins of great instrumental interplay at the end. It was the B-side of the British "Match of the Day" EP.
* Fleetwood Mac: "Monday Morning (live)" -- The live version of this song (from FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE) beats the studio original 2 DEATH. A rousing, rocking crowd-pleaser. The A-side is the gorgeous Beach Boys cover "The Farmer's Daughter," which shoulda been a huge hit....
* The Beach Boys -- They always had LOTS of great B-sides, like "Kiss Me Baby," "Let Him Run Wild," "There's No Other (Like My Baby)," "Here Today," "This Whole World," "She Knows Me Too Well," even silly stuff like the dinner-table chant "You're Welcome," or the hilarious "TM Song." Or how bout "Susie Cincinnati," which was a B-side at least 2wice B4 it ever got on an album?
* The Beatles -- Speaking of great B-sides, how 'bout "I Am the Walrus," "Old Brown Shoe," "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)," "I'm Down," "Thank You Girl," "I Saw Her Standing There," "I Should Have Known Better," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Do You Want to Know a Secret," "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party," "Day Tripper," "Baby You're a Rich Man"....
...& your favorite backsides of all time are...?
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