Saturday, October 26, 2019

A Few More Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides

From Rob Feder's column this week ...
 
It’s a “45s and Flipsides Weekend” at MeTV FM. 
Look for the Weigel Broadcasting soft-rock oldies station at WRME 87.7-FM to spotlight a select group of records that had memorable songs on both sides. 
Starting at 7 p.m. Friday, listeners will get to hear both sides first the A-side, then the B-side — played back-to-back for more than 100 two-sided hits throughout the weekend. “As a kid trying to stretch my allowance, I remember that getting a popular song on the B-side of a 45 was a real bonus — two hits for the price of one,” said program director Rick O’Dell.



The most common response we got when we first ran our Favorite Forgotten B-Sides Poll back in 2007 was "Hell, yes I played both sides ... I PAID for both sides, didn't I?!?!?"

And I think that's probably true of most of us.  (I remember as a kid having a very limited amount of 45's to choose from ... so when I would do my own weekly countdown on my pretend radio station in my bedroom, I would HAVE to play the B-Sides just to have enough songs to make up a Top 40 list!)

>>>After 2 1/2 years of badgering ... (OK, well maybe not badgering ... but you get the idea) ... Me-TV-FM is FINALLY going to run our A Sides / B Sides / Catch You On The Flipside Weekend!  It all kicks off THIS FRIDAY NIGHT (October 25th) at 7 pm and runs straight thru Sunday Night ... and they'll be playing some of the biggest two-sided hits of The Rock Era along with some of your Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides ... over 100 2-Fers in all!  (This one's been a long time comin'!!!)  If you don't live in the Chicago area, you can LISTEN LIVE thru the Milwaukee feed.  (kk)

HAHAHA! - Just saw this today - 
You see the power you have, Kent! - Super Cool !!!!!!!!
Jeff James
It was a little bit hard sell than I anticipated as it just seemed like such a perfect fit ... but my hope is that if the initial response is good, they'll continue this tradition on an annual basis as currently anticipated. Be sure to tune in and listen ... I think they're doing a brand new 2-Fer every half hour!  (kk)

kk  ...
I can't wait for you to retire from your day job. 
FORGOTTEN HITS could not be any better. 
I'm just wondering what its going to be like when you put 100% of your time & energy into it. 
I love the two-sided hits countdown. I will be playing it in Larry's Pub Jukebox. My "FRANKIE" came in at # 10. 
Frank B.
Figured you'd like THAT one!  (lol)
I don't know if it made the Me-TV-FM cut or not ... but Program Director Rick O'Dell told me that SEVERAL songs never before played on the station will be airing this weekend as part of this special feature ... including a couple by Connie Francis!  (Guess you'll just have to tune in and listen like the rest of us!  lol)

Here are a few others that scored well in our B-Sides Poll:


Probably the best known Two-Sided Hit by The Guess Who would have to be "Laughing" / "Undun," both of which made The Top 25 in 1969 ... but actually this happened due to a bit of unusual circumstances.

After "Laughing" had run its course and was working its way down the charts, deejays started flipping the record over and playing the other side ... which then became a hit all on its own, working its way back UP the charts in the process.  I think it's a pretty safe bet that you'll hear both sides of this single on Me-TV-FM's special A Side / B Side Weekend.

Two others that you probably WON'T hear (at least not in this format) would likely be "Bus Rider," the flipside of "Share The Land" which, incredibly, got quite a bit of airplay on both WLS and WCFL in 1970 despite the offensive lyric at the end of the tune ... and the other track listed below.



Then again, a lot of people thought Burton Cummings was singing "Goodbye American Woman, Goodbye American Bitch" when in fact he was singing "Goodbye American Chick," so many his "God-damned glad" like wasn't quite that out of character to listeners' ears in 1970!
The B-Side of THAT single was the shortened version of "No Sugar Tonight," a song you've probably only ever heard since as part of the "No Sugar Tonight" / "New Mother Nature" medley that was included on the "American Woman" album.
But that's NOT the way this 45 was released at the time ... so please enjoy, perhaps for the first time in nearly 50 years, "No Sugar Tonight" ... the single!



Herman's Hermits had some GREAT B-Sides, some of which got airplay during the early days of The British Invasion.
Me-TV-FM will likely play "There's A Kind Of Hush" / "No Milk Today" as part of their "Catch Ya On The Flipside" Weekend ... but also worth noting are both Peter Noone's version of "The End Of The World," the B-Side to "I'm Henry VIII, I Am" and "I Gotta Dream On," flipside of their #1 Hit "Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter."





Other great B-Sides that may (or may not) get noted this weekend include "Silver Springs" by Fleetwood Mac (flipside of "Go Your Own Way" ... and not released on an album at the time), "Everybody Is A Star" by Sly and the Family Stone (B-Side to "Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin"), "Ol' '55" by The Eagles (flipside of "Best Of My Love," two of the most beautiful ballads they ever recorded) and the aforementioned Led Zeppelin tunes "Livin' Lovin' Maid" (probably not heard as a single track since we played it on Dave The Rave's show back in 2007 ... and heard today only as the second half of the "Heartbreaker" medley on classic rock stations) and "Hey Hey What Can I Do," flipside of 1971's "Immigrant Song."



There are lots of others we could mention that would be great to hear on the radio again ... how about Elvis' "Treat Me Right" from "Jailhouse Rock"?  It backed up that #1 Single.  Ditto for The Four Seasons' original version of "Silence Is Golden," flipside to "Rag Doll."  How about "Long Time Gone" by Crosby, Stills and Nash" ... "Let Me Roll It" by Paul McCartney and Wings ... heck, even their future #1 Hit "Black Water" first saw life as the B-Side of The Doobie Brothers' 1974 minor hit "Another Park, Another Sunday."  (The same thing happened with The Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" ... although it's been getting TONS of airplay since it was first released in 1969, it didn't chart on its own until four years later when it was re-released as an A-Side in 1973.)

And I just can't wrap things up without playing one of my own personal all-time favorites.  This just might be the most beautiful thing The Dave Clark Five ever recorded short of "Because."  "Hurting Inside" wound up on the flip side of their 1965 Hit "I Like It Like That" ... it absolutely would have been a Top Ten Hit on its own had it been released as an A-Side.



There are TONS more of great choices for consideration ... review our lists ... and then call or email Me-TV-FM and tell them what you want to hear ... maybe they'll include more of these Forgotten Favorites in the SECOND Annual A Side / B Side Weekend!!!   Meanwhile, be sure to let them know how much you're enjoying this feature!  (kk)


https://www.radio.com/metvfmmke/listen
http://forgottenhits.com/the_top_200_two-sided_hits_of_all-time
http://forgottenhits.com/your_top_200_favorite_forgotten_b-sides


And here's another quick scoop from Me-TV-FM's Rick O'Dell ...    

Hi Kent:
We really appreciate the front page coverage of our “45s and Flipsides Weekend” today.  
And I think you’ll be happy to hear when these Beatles and Rolling Stones A-side  / B-side combos will be airing:
“She Loves You” / ”I’ll Get You” – Sunday, 10/27, 5:10 pm “Ruby Tuesday”/ ”Let’s Spend The Night Together” – Sunday, 10/27, 7:10 pm  
MeTVFM plays darn close to EVERYTHING!  
Have a good weekend.
Rick
We'll be sure to tune in and listen!  Thanks, Rick!  (kk)