This week, the week of January 11-15, 2016, we will be reviewing "B" sides that were bigger hits than their "A" side counterparts!

We call it:  "See you on the flip side!"

January 15, 2016

I am not naive enough to believe that anyone who is reading this isn't old enough to remember when you could buy a 45 rpm record...or that they don't know what a "B" side is.  But lets review anyway!

In the history of recorded music the various formats have all held time as the most popular.  Today a generation of people would rather buy a digital copy that never wears out than invest in a solid piece of vinyl with a groove it that you have to physically restart every time it ends!

But the 45 was an integral part of the music scene for decades.

The beauty of the 45 was you got two songs (usually) for the price of one...without buying the entire album.

Many times the "B" side was a throw away song or a novelty or even just an instrumental version of the "A" side.

On occasion, however, the second song actually became more popular than the song everyone was trying to push on the other side!  And that could happen for a variety of reasons.

As we have already discussed having a number one is hard.  And sometimes it takes a bit of luck along with all the hard work and planning.

Gloria Gaynor has had some success as a member of a group called the Soul Satisfiers and as a solo artist was essential in introduction the "disco sound" to mainstream audiences with her first few albums. Including a top 10 hit in 1974.

In October of 1978 Gaynor released a remake of a Righteous Brothers song called "Substitute".

As an "A" side "Substitute" didn't crack the Hot 100 and only reached #78 on the US R&B chart.

However the "B" side started getting heavy airplay and was re-released as an "A" side of its own Gaynor garnered her first and US Hot 100 #1 hit.

Gaynor continued to chart on the R&B and dance charts up until the 2000's.

And that is it for this week!

Next week there will be a new theme and more music to break up your work day!

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Glenn

This week, the week of January 11-15, 2016, we will be reviewing "B" sides that were bigger hits than their "A" side counterparts!

We call it:  "See you on the flip side!"

January 14, 2016

I am not naive enough to believe that anyone who is reading this isn't old enough to remember when you could buy a 45 rpm record...or that they don't know what a "B" side is.  But lets review anyway!

In the history of recorded music the various formats have all held time as the most popular.  Today a generation of people would rather buy a digital copy that never wears out than invest in a solid piece of vinyl with a groove it that you have to physically restart every time it ends!

But the 45 was an integral part of the music scene for decades.

The beauty of the 45 was you got two songs (usually) for the price of one...without buying the entire album.

Many times the "B" side was a throw away song or a novelty or even just an instrumental version of the "A" side.

On occasion, however, the second song actually became more popular than the song everyone was trying to push on the other side!  And that could happen for a variety of reasons.

In 1971 Rod Stewart released his version of a song originally from 1965 by Tim Hardin.

Stewart's version only reached #62 on the Hot 100, but part of the reason for that was that radio DJs preferred to play the "B" side...which went straight to #1 in the US.  And the UK.  And Australia.  All at the same time.

And really that is the whole story.  The guys and gals spinning the tunes liked this one better so the listeners heard it more.

However "Reason to Believe" got a second chance when it was reprised by Stewart for his MTV Unplugged and Seated special in 1993 reaching #19.

Tomorrow: Sometimes you to persevere....

~ Glenn

This week, the week of January 11-15, 2016, we will be reviewing "B" sides that were bigger hits than their "A" side counterparts!

We call it:  "See you on the flip side!"

January 13, 2016

I am not naive enough to believe that anyone who is reading this isn't old enough to remember when you could buy a 45 rpm record...or that they don't know what a "B" side is.  But lets review anyway!

In the history of recorded music the various formats have all held time as the most popular.  Today a generation of people would rather buy a digital copy that never wears out than invest in a solid piece of vinyl with a groove it that you have to physically restart every time it ends!

But the 45 was an integral part of the music scene for decades.

The beauty of the 45 was you got two songs (usually) for the price of one...without buying the entire album.

Many times the "B" side was a throw away song or a novelty or even just an instrumental version of the "A" side.

On occasion, however, the second song actually became more popular than the song everyone was trying to push on the other side!  And that could happen for a variety of reasons.

The Rolling Stones have never been a band known for being "shy".  One famous example was their song "Let's Spend the Night Together."  Controversial at the time of its release in 1967  Ed Sullivan famously told the band to change the lyrics for their performance on his show to "let's spend some time together".  

Some radio DJ's also took offense to the song and started playing the "B" side of the 45 and THAT song made it all the way to number one for one week in 1967.

"Let's Spend the Night Together" only reached #55.

Tomorrow: More DJ interference!

~ Glenn

This week, the week of January 11-15, 2016, we will be reviewing "B" sides that were bigger hits than their "A" side counterparts!

We call it:  "See you on the flip side!"

January 12, 2016

I am not naive enough to believe that anyone who is reading this isn't old enough to remember when you could buy a 45 rpm record...or that they don't know what a "B" side is.  But lets review anyway!

In the history of recorded music the various formats have all held time as the most popular.  Today a generation of people would rather buy a digital copy that never wears out than invest in a solid piece of vinyl with a groove it that you have to physically restart every time it ends!

But the 45 was an integral part of the music scene for decades.

The beauty of the 45 was you got two songs (usually) for the price of one...without buying the entire album.

Many times the "B" side was a throw away song or a novelty or even just an instrumental version of the "A" side.

On occasion, however, the second song actually became more popular than the song everyone was trying to push on the other side!  And that could happen for a variety of reasons.

Many times a "B" side simply got more radio air play because the DJ's liked it better and that would be all it took to get the song into the ears of listeners and consumers.

In 1958 The Champs, on a record label owned by Gene Autry, released a song off their first album called "A Train to Nowhere"

Receiving little airplay, a DJ in Cleveland flipped the 45 over and started playing the little jam session song The Champs had recorded to fill out the album.

"Tequila" hit the top of the charts and sat there for five weeks.

Used often in television and movies it received a big boost and a return to the charts thanks to the film "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" in 1985.

Tomorrow: Censorship makes a song a hit!

~ Glenn

This week, the week of January 11-15, 2016, we will be reviewing "B" sides that were bigger hits than their "A" side counterparts!

We call it:  "See you on the flip side!"

January 11, 2016

I am not naive enough to believe that anyone who is reading this isn't old enough to remember when you could buy a 45 rpm record...or that they don't know what a "B" side is.  But lets review anyway!

In the history of recorded music the various formats have all held time as the most popular.  Today a generation of people would rather buy a digital copy that never wears out than invest in a solid piece of vinyl with a groove it that you have to physically restart every time it ends!

But the 45 was an integral part of the music scene for decades.

The beauty of the 45 was you got two songs (usually) for the price of one...without buying the entire album.

Many times the "B" side was a throw away song or a novelty or even just an instrumental version of the "A" side.

On occasion, however, the second song actually became more popular than the song everyone was trying to push on the other side!  And that could happen for a variety of reasons.

One of the earliest example is Bill Haley and The Comets.  Their single "13 Women (And Only One Man In Town) was released as an "A" side in 1954 and didn't crack the top 30 songs of the year on the Billboard chart.

The "B" side of that 45 was also a disappointment even though it also charted during the year.

However the next year that second song was featured in a hit movie and immediately took off.

Considered by many the first "Rock and Roll" hit song, "Rock Around the Clock" was the #2 hit for the entire year of  1955.

Tomorrow:  Get on your big shoes!

~ Glenn