10 Great B-Sides

A friend of mine started a discussion the other week about epic b-sides and it really was a fun little journey to discover some cool and obscure tracks. Back in the 60's, 70's and 80's when singles off a record were released on a 45, very often the song on the opposite was a track that was left off the album, a cover or a live version of some sorts. Since the 90's though when albums were released on CD along with the singles, a b-side was considered the other tracks that came with the single. Really the term could be applied to any obscure and rare track that didn't make the album's final cut. 10 Great B-Sides!

1. Pearl Jam - "Yellow Ledbetter"

"Yellow Ledbetter" was included as a b-side to the single "Jeremy" released in 1991. The lyrics are mainly gibberish and Vedder rarely sings it the same way twice in live shows. Maybe it went unfinished and they liked the way it sounded, who knows, but it has since become one of Pearl Jam's biggest hits and most well known songs

2. Radiohead - "Talk Show Host"

Another b-side from the era of CDs. This one was featured on the "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" single.
"Talk Show Host" has become a favourite of Radiohead fans, it gained more attention after it was used on the soundtrack for Romeo + Juliet, which is a great soundtrack. It was even included on the special edition Greatest Hits album

3. Blitzkrieg - "Blitzkrieg"

Blitzkrieg were an English band who were part of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement of the late 70's and 80's. Their first release was the 1981 single "Buried Alive" and featured on the b-side was a song called "Blitzkrieg"...i guess they liked their name so much, they felt they needed to write a song about it. "Blitzkrieg" would become just as recognizable and successful for the band as "Buried Alive". 3 years later Metallica would cover the song and use it themselves as a b-side to their single "Creeping Death".

4. The Cribs - "Get Yr Hands Out Of My Grave"

This is another case of a b-side becoming a band's more popular songs. The Cribs are a British indie rock group who got their start in 2002. In 2007 they released the album Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever. The second single "Moving Pictures" had the b-side "Get Yr Hands Out Of My Grave" which many feel is the band's best song.

5. Led Zeppelin - "Hey, Hey What Can I Do?"

Because I wasn't around in 1971 I was surprised to hear that my favourite Led Zeppelin was not included on an LP. "Hey, Hey What Can I Do?" was the b-side to "The Immigrant Song". Imagine if the song was included on the same album? Alot more people would own Led Zeppelin III i can guarantee that.

6. XTC - "Dear God"

"Dear God" was not originally featured on XTC's 1987 album Skylarking, instead it was used as a b-side to the single "Grass". It was American DJs who decided to flip the single over and play "Dear God" more frequently. The song became so popular that the record label decided to re-release Skylarking with the track "Mermaid Smiled" being replaced by "Dear God"

7.  The Smashing Pumpkins - "Starla"

First appearing as a b-side on the "I Am One" single the 10 minute long "Starla" eventually found it's way on to Pisces Iscariot the 1994 compilation album of rarities and b-sides.

8. The Smiths - "How Soon Is Now?"

Arguably The Smiths most well known song. "How Soon Is Now?" began it's life as a b-side to "William, It Was Really Nothing". Because of the song's cult success however, it go on to pop on subsequent Smiths albums, but only on oversea releases. It was featured on the US, Canada, and Australian versions of Meat Is Murder.

9. Buddy Holly - "Everyday"

This song is normally included on every Top Songs of all time lists and it was originally used as a b-side to the equally huge "Peggy Sue".

10. The Beatles - "I Am The Walrus"

Perhaps the inventers of the great b-side, The Beatles included this enigmatic track as the flip side to the more by-the-numbers "Hello Goodbye" in 1967. John Lennon had heard that a teacher at his old high school was getting students analyze and find meaning in Beatles lyrics. Lennon purposely wrote his next song with confusing and puzzling lyrics to keep himself amused at the thought of students pouring over "I Am The Walrus" for some deep profound meaning.

What are some of your favourite B-Sides??

Tweet them to @jonnyzhivago

JZ

10 Great Songs About Penis

Yup! This one's for everyone who likes dick!! There are plenty of songs out there about the male organ, some more ambiguous than others...and there's really not much else to say about it so here we go! 10 Great Songs About Dick

1. System Of A Down - "Cigaro"

This song touches on the very popular analogy of comparing dick sizes to see who is the bigger man. Usually the "dick sizes" are not explicitly measured but measured in other ways like fighting, drinking, owning bigger trucks, y'know compensation and such. This song comes off the first of two System Of A Down records released in 2005 Mesmerize, the second album, named Hypnotize, was released later that year. Here SOAD is using the dick-measuring analogy to compare acts of war by various world leaders.

2. Mickey Avalon - "My Dick"

Mickey Avalon is an American rapper and glam rocker from Hollywood, California and most of his songs are about excess with drugs and women. "My Dick" is a simple and funny diss track about a couple of guys riffin' on each other's wangs. It features rappers Dirty Nasty and Andre Legacy.

3. Buck 65 - "The Centaur"

Richard Tefry is a Canadian hip-hop artist, and songwriter from Nova Scotia who goes by the stage name Buck 65. He's also been known as Uncle Climax, Johnny Rockwell and Stinkin' Rich. Most of his songs have a bit of a satirical side to them...here he compares himself to the mythical Centaur, basically being a horse form the waist down.

4. Tool - "Hooker With A Penis"

Ok this one isn't really about dicks, but a song comparing the manipulative and complicated nature of the music industry to getting something you didn't pay for by finding out your hooker for a night has a penis. I love Tool.

5. Next - "Too Close"

"I wonder if she can tell i'm hard right now?" Those are the opening lines of Next's 1997 hit song "Too Close". Yes this song was a hit, actually most of these songs became popular in one way or another. This one hit #1 on Billboard's Hot 100. Just goes to show that despite some people's warnings, the world doesn't go to shit if a song about a certain subject makes it to the children's ears.
This song is about dancing too close to a girl and having her feel your erection. Yes.

6. Chuck Berry - "My Ding-a-Ling"

Chuck Berry was known for righting many rock classics, he was also known for his sense of humour and admitted that he dreamt of being a comedian when he was younger. "My Ding-a-Ling" is often looked off as a novelty track about a young boy first discovering his hangdown, but Chuck was proud of it. It was his only #1 hit after all.

7. The Pixies - "Gigantic"

Though they never openly admitted it, it is widely accepted that Kim Deal wrote this song about a relationship with a black man. You can imagine what she was describing as "gigantic". A few years ago in the advertising fail of the year, Apple decided to use this song in a commercial about their new iPhone or something...sadly the ad featured multiple people singing and playing along to this song, including young children. The ad mysteriously was yanked from TV shortly after.

8. 20 Fingers - "Short Dick Man" feat. Gillette

American Electropop duo 20 Fingers are not known for much else beyond the 1994 single "Short Dick Man" a song that was more commonly censored as "Short Short Man" and played on radio stations and in clubs around the world. The song featured Sandra Gillette, aka Gillette a fellow rapper and dancer who's only other hit was "Mr. Personality". She had a knack for insulting men in her life I suppose.

9. Naughty By Nature - "O.P.P"

One of the all time classic hip-hop tracks of our generation. Many people wonder the second P stands for in this one...well if you listen to the lyrics it stands for property. If you really listen and read between the lines, you'll realize it actually has a triple meaning...

10. King Missile - "Detachable Penis"

Turns out I can't spell Missile right...took me three tries to get that stupid red wavy line out from underneath the word. King Missile is the brain child of John S Hall who got his start doing open mic poetry. He would eventually add musicians to his readings and his band was born. "Detachable Penis" released in 1992, is probably his best known work

Thanks dicks!!!

JZ
twitter - @jonnyzhivago