The top 8 B-sides of all time

The beauty ?of the B-side|

Without trying to sound too much like we’re yelling “Get off my lawn!,” one of the things that the modern music listener with the CD’s, iPods and downloads will never have the pleasure is discovering the “B-side.” The B-side was the other side of a 45rpm (Google it kids) that for a number or reasons, either didn’t make it onto the LP (Long Play) version of the album, or there simply wasn’t the space on the vinyl.

Many of these songs were considered leftovers or throw away songs but some went on to become even bigger hits than the “A-side.” While you enjoy your leftover Thanksgiving feasts, here’s some leftover tunes to accompany the meal.

8. Colour My World – A-Side: Beginnings – 1971 - Chicago

This song actually has the honor of being a B-Side twice, also appearing with “Make me Smile” in 1970. The song is still a major part of the bands repertoire.

7. Needle and the Damage Done – A Side: Old Man - 1972 - Neil Young

During the recording of “Harvest” Young just decided to add a live version from a year earlier to the album and speaks to the addiction to heroin that he saw taking the lives of many of his friends. The song has since been covered by many, including Our Lady Peace, Green River, Duran Duran, Lior, Simple Minds, the Pretenders, Flea and even Tori Amos.

6. Gold Dust Woman – A Side: You Make Lovin’ Fun – 1977 – Fleetwood Mac

Another song that enjoyed two B side releases before the eventual release as an A side, as it was the B side of “Don’t Stop” in the UK.

5. Rockin’ Down the Highway – A Side: Jesus is Just Alright – 1972 – Doobie Brothers

To us, both were big hits and actually never bought a Doobie Brothers single as the entire album was worth the $3.99 that albums cost then. The A side was actually written by the next artists on this list

4. Feel a Whole Lot better – A Side: All I Really Want to Do – 1965 – the Byrds

A sardonic view of romance, the A&R folks at Columbia Records actually pushed both sides of the single and the song landed on the charts as a B Side. Tom Petty does the version you’ll likely hear these days.

3. Born on the Bayou – A Side: Proud Mary – 1969 – Creedence Clearwater Revival

Although there were not many bayous in El Cerrito, where the band hailed from, band leader John Fogerty managed to grab the spirit of the south in many of the bands early hits. Much of his songs were influenced by Lake Berryessa and the surrounding towns.

2. Livin’ Lovin’ Maid – A Side: Whole Lotta Love – 1970 – Led Zeppelin

One of guitarist Jimmy Page’s least favorite songs, the band never played it live at any show and is also one of the few songs that has John Paul Jones on backing vocals. The song segues from “Heartbreaker” and if the songs are not played together, the DJ has broken one of the primary Led Zeppelin rules.

1. I Am the The Walrus – A Side: Hello, Goodbye – 1967 – the Beatles

After John Lennon received a letter from a student who was attending the high school he had attended and pronounced that he was in a class that analyzed the Beatles Lyrics, Lennon thought he would have a little fun. Amused that anyone would spend that much time analyzing the bands lyrics, he wrote the Walrus based on three song ideas he had in his head. The beginning lyrics of the song were written while Lennon was on acid, according to a 1980 interview with Playboy Magazine. Who’d have thunk it?

James

Marshall

Berry

jmberry@sonoma?music.com

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