B-Sides

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B-Sides

B-Sides were tracks on 45s
That never hit the air
Purchased with the A-side track
Which was heard everywhere

B-Sides were usually placed face down
So you could play the hit
With the needle in the grooves
On the side that's opposite

B-Sides were played privately
Once you'd worn out side A
A tune not quite as catchy
But you played it anyway

Sometimes B-Sides were better
Than the song you bought it for
Where you found yourself playing
The obscure tune side more

B-Sides were soon forgotten
On the charts they'd never rank
Besides it would've been worse
If the B-Side had been blank

© Jul 29, Richard Beck   

Once in a while I take a trip down memory lane by digging out my favourite vinyl 45-rpm singles, sticking them on the turntable and playing them very loudly.  (I make no apology for being somewhat old fashioned in way I listen to music.) Most of them are from the 60s and 70s, so memories of childhood and teenage years come flooding back.

I've usually forgotten just how many gems I have in my rather eclectic mix, so was pleased recently to discover Nina and Frederick's 'Listen to the Ocean' alongside the Stylistics' 'I Can't Give You Anything But My Love', Fleetwood Mac's 'Oh Well' and Earth, Wind and Fire's 'That's the Way of the World'.

Favourite among them, however, was Chicago's 'Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?' . This is actually the B-side of their hit 'I'm a Man' from 1969. As with some other 45-rpm singles, this B-side I  consider better than the A. 

B-sides were often thought to be songs of lower quality, receiving less attention than the more popular A-side and therefore often overlooked. Click here to discover some B-sides that became big hits.

Writing Prompts:

• Do you have an A and a B side? Write about your A-side - the one that you find acceptable and seems to be a hit with other people.
• Now write about your B-side - the part of you that perhaps you regard as being 'of lower quality', or an aspect of your character that you feel is less popular with others, or is sometimes overlooked. 
• Do you have a favourite B-side from a 45-rpm single? Write about it and any memories it evokes.