October 1, 2010 Playlist

   

Time To Play B-Sides
Featuring the flip sides of 7" singles
"Magic Bus: The Who On Tour" by The Who (1968)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
The Who  "Magic Bus: The Who On Tour"  1968 (UK)
Since we're mostly focusing on 7" singles for this month's special, finding a classic "album" of the week was a bit of a challenge.  Until I remembered how many weird and wonderful B-sides The Who released during the glory years of their career, and American record companies' habit of chopping up British releases to create new albums for the US market.  One of the more charming examples of both of these trends is The Who's fourth American album, which was pieced together from UK singles and EP's and not intended for release in their home country.  (It's definitely not a live album either, in spite of the deceptive "on tour" title.)  This was actually one of the very first albums I ever got by this band, so it holds a special place in my heart.  It's also one of their wackiest and most "psychedelic" albums (the cover art isn't deceptive on that point!)  Though critics generally rip this album apart -- click on the album cover at left and read Greil Marcus's "review" which is mainly a rant against their record company.
Among the classic tracks to be found on this album are "Magic Bus" (a minor hit in the USA and the UK) and "Pictures Of Lily" (Top 10 in the UK but not a hit in the states.)  Since the A-sides of The Who singles were always Pete Townshend's songs, most of the B-sides were written by the other members of the group (so they could collect the royalty money), in particular saturnine bassist John Entwistle.  Some of Entwistle's more notable B-sides include his most notorious tune "Boris The Spider" (released on the flip of a single in Japan) and "Heaven & Hell", a song which they often used to open their concerts but which never appeared on a proper album.
Although it was rarely the intention, occasionally B-sides of hit songs would also become hits in their own right.  One classic example is The Guess Who's "Undun", which is much better remembered today than the hit song on the A-side ("Laughing").  Finally, here's a Canadian TV show band called Northwest Company performing "Tapioca Tundra", one of The Monkees strangest B-sides which scraped the lower reaches of the American Top 40 in 1968 (as the flip side of the Top 10 smash "Valleri".)
   
Artist Song (B-side) A-side of original single
(album where you can find the B-side, if any)
Year Country
The Beatles Rain Paperback Writer
(USA: Hey Jude LP comp., UK: Rarities LP comp.; also Past Masters CD comp.)
1966 UK
The Byrds Why (original version) Eight Miles High
(5th Dimension CD bonus track)
1965 USA
The Yardbirds Still I'm Sad Evil Hearted You (UK) / I'm A Man (USA)
(USA: Having A Rave Up With The Yardbirds LP)
1965 UK
Love Laughing Stock Your Mind And We Belong Together
(Love Story 1966-1972 CD box set)
1968 USA
The Monkees Tapioca Tundra Valleri
(The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees LP)
1968 USA/UK
The Rolling Stones 2000 Light Years From Home She's A Rainbow
(Their Satanic Majesties Request LP)
1967 UK
Eric Burdon & The Animals A Girl Named Sandoz When I Was Young
(The Best of Eric Burdon & The Animals, Vol. II LP comp.)
1967 UK
The Guess Who Undun Laughing
(Canned Wheat Packed By The Guess Who LP)
1969 Canada
 
 
The Who Someone's Coming I Can See For Miles (UK) / Magic Bus (USA)
(USA: Magic Bus: The Who On Tour LP)

CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1967
(LP 1968)
UK
The Who Doctor, Doctor Pictures Of Lily
(USA: Magic Bus: The Who On Tour LP)

CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1967
(LP 1968)
UK
The Who Circles (revised version - also known as "Instant Party") Substitute
(Two's Missing LP comp.)
1966 UK
The Who Baby Don't You Do It (live - Marvin Gaye) Join Together
(Europe & Japan: Rarities Vol. 2 LP, Australia: Join Together Rarities LP; the only CD reissues that include the original unedited track are the versions from Germany and Japan.  This track has never been released on an album in the USA.)
1972 UK
Led Zeppelin Hey Hey What Can I Do Immigrant Song
(The New Age of Atlantic various artists LP comp., Coda CD bonus track)
1970 UK
 
 
The Troggs Feels Like A Woman (produced by Rodger Bain) Everything's Funny
(The Vintage Years LP comp.)
1972 UK
The Pink Fairies Do It (single edit) The Snake
(Never Never Land CD bonus track)
1971 UK
Hawkwind Motorhead Kings Of Speed
(Warrior on the Edge of Time CD bonus track)
1975 UK
Hatfield & The North Fitter Stoke Has A Bath (single version) Let's Eat (Real Soon)
(Afters LP comp., Hatfield & The North CD bonus track)
1974 UK
Genesis Twilight Alehouse I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
(Genesis Archive 1967-75 CD box set)
1973 UK
 
 
AC/DC Soul Stripper High Voltage
(Australian version of High Voltage LP, rest of world '74 Jailbreak EP comp.)
1975 Australia
The Sex Pistols No Feeling (original version of "No Feelings") God Save The Queen (withdrawn original A&M version)
(Spunk - originally a bootleg, officially released 1996)
1977 UK
Mission Of Burma Max Ernst Academy Fight Song
(Signals Calls & Marches CD bonus track)
1980 USA
XTC Pulsing, Pulsing Making Plans For Nigel
(Rag And Bone Buffet: Rare Cuts And Leftovers CD comp.)
1979 UK
Dinosaur jr Keep The Glove Freak Scene
(Fossils EP comp.)
1988 USA
Husker Du Love Is All Around (Sonny Curtis - aka "The Mary Tyler Moore Show Theme") Makes No Sense At All
(Eight Miles High/Makes No Sense At All CD comp.)
1985 USA
Bobby Conn Me, Most Of All (produced by Jim O'Rourke) Never Get Ahead
(no official album release yet)
1996 USA
Killdozer Unbelievable (EMF) The Pig Was Cool
(no official album release yet)
1993 USA
   
 
The Clique Superman (later covered by R.E.M.) Sugar On Sunday
(The Clique LP)
1969 USA
The Music Machine Come On In Talk Talk
(Turn On The Music Machine LP)
1966 USA
The Blues Magoos Dante's Inferno One By One
(Electric Comic Book CD bonus track)
1967 USA
The Count Five They're Gonna Get You Psychotic Reaction
(Psychotic Reaction LP)
1966 USA
The Abstracts See The Birdies Smell Of Insence
(The Abstracts LP)
1968 USA
The Balloon Farm Hurtin' For Your Love A Question Of Temperature
(Turds On A Bum Ride Vol. 6 various artists comp. CD from Italy)
1967 USA
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band Frying Pan Moonchild
(The Legendary A&M Sessions EP comp.)
1966 USA
The Mothers Of Invention (Frank Zappa) Why Don't You Do Me Right? Big Leg Emma
(Absolutely Free CD bonus track)
1967 USA
Creedence Clearwater Revival Call It Pretending Porterville
(Creedence Clearwater Revival CD bonus track - originally released as the band's last single under the name The Golliwogs, then reissued in early 1968 after they changed their name.)
1967 USA
   
 
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Stone Free Hey Joe (UK & Europe)
(Smash Hits LP comp. -- also released in the USA as the A-side of a single in 1969 to promote this album)
1966 USA/UK
Pink Floyd Candy And A Current Bun Arnold Layne
(Europe only: Masters Of Rock Vol. 1: The Best Of The Pink Floyd LP / also The Early Singles CD included in the Shine On CD box set)
1967 UK
Eric Burdon & War Magic Mountain Spill The Wine
(Love Is All Around LP comp.)
1970 USA/UK
Sly & The Family Stone I Want To Take You Higher Stand!
(Stand! LP)
1969 USA
Rufus Thomas Do The Funky Penguin (part 2) Do The Funky Penguin (part 1)
(no official album release for "part 2" yet?)
1971 USA
Strawberry Alarm Clock Pretty Song From Psych-Out Sit With The Guru
(Wake Up...It's Tomorrow LP)
1968 USA
Magma Klaus Kombalad Mekanik Kommandoh
(Simples CD comp.)
1972 France
   
 
Neil Young Sugar Mountain The Loner
(Decade LP comp.)
1968 Canada
             
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