Yesterday Once More

20 Aug 2014

Double-Sided Hits

Hi Listeners

This week we are going to delve into another feature of pop songs in the fifties and sixties. A feature that had almost disappeared in the seventies and today does not exist at all. This feature was the double-sided hit. With vinyl single disc records (commonly called 45s) there was usually an A- side and a B-side. The A-side featured the recording that the artist, record label and producer thought would be a ‘hit’. The B-side or ‘flip’ side was a secondary recording not considered ‘hit’ material.

However, some artists released B-sides which were considered as strong as the A-sides, notably Elvis and the Beatles. Some records were even branded as ‘Double A sided’ records such as the Beatles two songs we are featuring this week ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ and ‘Penny Lane’. Many artists in the fifties and sixties had ‘Double-Sided’ hits where there were designated A and B sides. Indeed, sometimes the B-side outperformed the A -side. In Ricky Nelson’s contribution to the program ‘Travelling Man’ was the designated A- side, but the B-side ‘Hello Mary Lou’ charted just as impressively. It was not uncommon for both A and B sides to be in the charts at the same time. The Jimmie Rodgers songs even charted in different years – ‘Make Me A Miracle'(1958) and ‘Woman From Liberia’ (1960).

So sit back relax and enjoy this week’s program.

Playlist