What are some great A and B side 45s.
July 15, 2011 7:43 AM   Subscribe

Help me fill my jukebox with records. What are some great A and B side 45s.

I am getting an old jukebox that can play both sides of a 45 record. I am limited to 50 records and could use some suggestions for filling.

I am open to all genres and time periods. The only preferences I have are that the record has one song that is instantly recognizable (and good) and that the flip side of the record also has a pretty good song.
posted by travis08 to Media & Arts (14 answers total)
 
Sammy Davis Jr.
A side) The Candy Man (instantly recognizable, though you may or may not consider it good)
B side) I Want to be Happy
posted by Balonious Assault at 7:56 AM on July 15, 2011


The novelty song "They're Coming To Take Me Away Haa Haa!" was issued on a 45, with the 'A' side as the full song -- but the 'B' side was the song played in reverse, in its entirety. Neither are particularly 'good', but it's a rather 'unique' b-side...
posted by AzraelBrown at 8:03 AM on July 15, 2011


Otis Redding - Hard to Handle / Amen
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - What Have you done for me lately? pt. 1 / What Have you done for me lately? pt. 2
John Lennon - Watching the Wheels / Yes, I'm your angel
The Black Keys - The Moan / Have Love Will Travel
posted by brand-gnu at 8:06 AM on July 15, 2011


The Police - Every Breath You Take / Murder by Numbers
The Romantics - Talking in Your Sleep / I'm Hip
Bruce Springsteen - My Hometown / Santa Claus is Coming to Town
posted by hoppytoad at 8:14 AM on July 15, 2011


The Beatles issued a bunch of 45's that are considered double A sides:

Day Tripper / We Can Work it Out
Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine
Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane
Something / Come Together
posted by eightball at 8:14 AM on July 15, 2011


The single for U2's I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For has Spanish Eyes for a B-side, which is a pretty rockin' song for Joshua Tree-era U2.
posted by bondcliff at 8:25 AM on July 15, 2011


One of my favorite B-sides of all time is Marigold by Nirvana (Dave Grohl sings on it) so I would suggest Heart Shaped Box / Marigold.
posted by burnmp3s at 8:37 AM on July 15, 2011




My pick for a Beatles single would be Hey Jude/Revolution. The single version of Revolution seriously rocks.

Others that come to mind:

You Haven't Done Nothin'/Big Brother - Stevie Wonder
You're So Good to Me/Sloop John B - Beach Boys
I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)/ Do Right Woman - Do Right Man - Aretha Franklin
Fool in Love/The Way You Love Me - Ike & Tina Turner
Chuck Berry - Promised Land/The Things That I Used to Do
Ray Charles - (Night Time Is) The Right Time/Tell All the World About You (the B side of this varies but I'm Movin On is also a great track.)

Also I think the Kinks - Apeman/Rats is a killer single although instantly recognizable might be
a stretch.
posted by Lorin at 9:31 AM on July 15, 2011


Blondie's "Heart of Glass" B-side is "11:59". My all-time fave by her.
posted by foxhat10 at 12:30 PM on July 15, 2011


Eddie Floyd's Knock on Wood with Gotta Make a Comeback as the B side.
Your Precious Love with Hold Me Oh My Darling as the B side by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Brick House with Captain Quick Draw as the B side by the Commodores, is certainly an interesting record.

I Put A Spell on You by Screamin' Jay Hawkins was released, probably first, on 78, and then later, with a bit different lyrics on 45, with a B side of the same song, on a lot of 45 copies. (Story I've heard is that these were supposed to go to radio stations, when the song was in heavy rotation, so that if one side got scratched, the other side could still play).
posted by paulsc at 8:40 PM on July 15, 2011


My favorite 45 when I was a kid was the Zombies' She's Not There/You Make Me Feel Good (I learned from an early age that the b-side is almost always better!)
posted by Mael Oui at 9:09 PM on July 15, 2011


I'm not sure about all the B sides, they tend to vary in different countries, but heres Sneeky Pete's Jukebox in Edinburgh, Scotland (circa 1980's):

Altered Images - Happy Birthday
America - A horse with no name
Animals - The House of the rising sun
Animals - Don't let me be Misunderstood
Associates - Party fears two /It's better This Way (b)
Aztec Camera - Oblivious
The B52's - Rock Lobster/Planet Claire (b)
The B52's - Love Shack
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
David Bowie - The Jean Genie
Blondie - Heart of Glass
Blue Oyster Cult - Don't fear the Reaper
The Boomtown Rats - I don't like Mondays / Rat Trap (b)
Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star
Buzzcocks - Even fallen in love (with someone you shouldnt've)
Cher - Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves
The Cars - My best friends Girl
The Clash - London Calling
The Clash - Rock the Casbah
The Clash - Should I stay or should I go
The Clash - Straight to hell
The Cult - She sells Sanctuary
The Cure - Boys don't cry
The Cure - A forest
The Cure - The Caterpillar
Elvis Costello - Oliver's Army
Ian Dury and the Blockheads - Hit me with your rhythm stick / There ain't half been some clever bastards (b)
Dexys Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
The Eagles - Hotel California
Dr Feelgood - Milk & Alcohol
Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill
J. Geils Band - Centerfold
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Make Me Smile (Come Up & See me)
Joe Jackson - Is she really going out with him
Joe Jackson - It's different for girls
The Jam - A town called Malice
The Jam - Going Underground
The Jam - The Eton Rifles
The Jam - Down in the tube station at Midnight
The Kinks - Lola
The Kinks - Sunny Afternoon
Lloyd Cole and the commotions - Perfect Skin
Martha & The Muffins - Echo Beach
Don McLean - American Pie
Roger Miller - King Of the Road
Orange Juice - Rip it Up
Pretenders - Brass in Pocket
Procol Harem - A whiter shade of Pale
The Police - Roxanne / Peanuts (b)
The Police - Don't stand so close to me
Iggy Pop - The Passenger
Iggy Pop - NightClubbing
The Pogues - Sally MacLennane
The Proclaimers - 500 Miles
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen - Crazy little thing called love
The Psychedelic Furs - Heaven
The Psychedelic Furs - Pretty in Pink
Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street
Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side
Otis Redding - Sitting on the dock of the bay
REM - Orange crush
Roxy Music - Love is the drug
Roxy Music - Virginia Plain
Simple Minds - Don't you forget about me
Frank Sinatra - New York, New York
The Skids - Into the Valley
Pete Shelly - Homosapien
Soft Cell - Tainted Love
Sparks - This Town Aint Big Enough For The Both Of Us
Squeeze - Cool for Cats / Model (B)
Squeeze - Pulling Mussels (from the Shell)
Squeeze - Up the junction
The Stranglers - No more heroes/ In The Shadows (b)
The Stranglers - Golden Brown / Love 30 (B)
The Stranglers - Nice n' Sleasy
The Stranglers - Get a grip on yourself
The Stranglers - Peaches
Stealers Wheel - Stuck in the middle with you
The Sweet - Blockbuster / Need A Lot Of Lovin (b)
Talking Heads - Psycho Killer
Talking Heads - Once in a lifetime
Talking Heads - Road to nowhere
Thin lizzy - Whiskey in the Jar (Full Version)
Thin lizzy - The boys are back in Town
Thin Lizzy - The Rocker
Tom Robinson Band - 2-4-6-8 Motorway
The Troggs - Wild Thing
T-Rex - Children of the revolution
T-Rex - Get it on
U2 - Pride in the Name of Love
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
Undertones - Teenage Kicks
Undertones - My Perfect cousin
The Vapours - Turning Japanese
The Waterboys - The Whole Of The Moon
The Who - Pinball Wizard
Wings - Mull of Kintyre
XTC - Senses working overtime
XTC - Making plans for Nigel
Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London
Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven / Whole Lotta Love (b)
posted by Lanark at 4:42 AM on July 16, 2011


A bunch of labels put out "back to back hits" 45s that had great songs on both sides. Collectables Records lived off that stuff for a while. Check eBay - there are "Can We Still Be Friends"/"Hello It's Me" and "Lola"/"Apeman" singles there right now that would be spiff in any jukebox. Also, if you like them at all, Pet Shop Boys usually had great non-LP b-sides on their singles, and they're generally pretty inexpensive on eBay. (You're looking for US-style large center holes, right?)
posted by mintcake! at 11:15 AM on July 17, 2011


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