Which was the A-side?

[Harry]

As I mentioned in another thread, I'm assembling a more complete collection of Tijuana Brass 45s and have gotten a big lot of them recently. In compiling a collection of a- and b-sides, I'm running into some oddities regarding which track was the a-side. I thought I could rely on the matrix numbers to point the way, but now I'm not sure.

First example: AM 711 "Let It Be Me" and "Mexican Corn". At number 711, this looks to be the third single from the group. The matrix numbers indicate 1021 for "Let It Be Me" and 1022 for "Mexican Corn". The oddity here is that "Mexican Corn" would have been the newer track, since it hails from VOLUME 2, whereas "Let It Be Me" comes from the older THE LONELY BULL album. Was "Let It Be Me" the a-side?

I think I know the story behind AM 775, "Third Man Theme" and "A Taste Of Honey". It was sent out as "Third Man Theme" but they flipped it around after release, making "Taste" the effective a-side, despite the matrix number, right?

And I've always been amazed that "Spanish Flea" was really the b-side to "What Now My Love", but I guess this is a case of a double a-side.

Harry

 

[bob]

hi harry, as I mention I have all of the 45 singles all mint as for mexican corn the single as you know as the piano part as where the volume 2 does not. and spaniah the single after the second verse you hear more of the maracac and on going

places you do not. I wish they could find all the masters to all the old singles and release them. but I know maybe the masters have drop outs and maybe just release them on herb's wen site but one can dream lol

bob

 

[Rudy]

I think I know the story behind AM 775, "Third Man Theme" and "A Taste Of Honey". It was sent out as "Third Man Theme" but they flipped it around after release, making "Taste" the effective a-side, despite the matrix number, right?

I think it was radio that found the B-side more attractive, and A&M of course would have gone along with it and pushed the more popular song as the A-side in the future. Singles I've seen do not specify which is officially the A or B side, but promotion would identify which one to push in radio and at retail. I don't put weight in the matrix numbers typically, although it helps on albums when the label isn't clear. (Such as an LP that has them labeled Side 1 on one side, and Side A on the other. Which appeals to my own twisted sense of humor--I'd do the same. )

And I've always been amazed that "Spanish Flea" was really the b-side to "What Now My Love", but I guess this is a case of a double a-side.

If "What Now My Love" was recorded later, then it makes sense to put an older song on the B-side, even if it was a prior hit. A double A-side (to me, anyway) is a single with two tracks that have never seen release before, recorded nearly at the same time (same sessions, same album, etc.) with the label not specifically pointing out which one might be the preferred hit side. Think "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields" or Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff"/"Bad Girls". A newer/older track doesn't make sense for a double A-side.

 

[DeeInKY]

(Such as an LP that has them labeled Side 1 on one side, and Side A on the other. Which appeals to my own twisted sense of humor--I'd do the same. )

Like posting "use other door" on both glass doors in the entry of a business.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

It was kind of a "thing" for a while for artists to number their LP sides in strange ways. I remember examples such as:

Side Uno / Side Ye (on a Cheech & Chong album)
This Side / That Side
One Side / The Other Side
Loud Side / Soft Side
Dog / Butterfly (from the Heart album of the same name)

and of course there was a Monty Python album that had THREE sides, with dual grooves on one of the LP sides, so you never knew what you were going to get when you played it. I'd bet there are lots of other examples - that's something I've tried Googling for but without success. That's about as "minutiae" as you can get!

 

[Harry]

When these early singles were being released, I wasn't paying any attention and have no idea if "Let It Be Me" or "Mexican Corn" was ever even played on radio. I don't think the single charted at all unless in the lower reaches or a specialty MOR-type chart. All I DO know is that "Let It Be Me" hails from THE LONELY BULL and "Mexican Corn" was from VOLUME 2, and typically, the newer song was generally considered the A-side, with a past album track relegated to the B-side.

The fact that the single fell in between 706 Marching Through Madrid/Struttin' With Maria and 721 Spanish Harlem/A-me-ri-ca tells me that "Mexican Corn" was the intended A-side as Herb was looking for a hit from that second album.

Regarding "Spanish Flea", it was paired with "What Now My Love" and both charted at the same time, so I'm pretty sure that was a double A-side, even though they're not from the same album. Herb's hits were coming fast and furious at that time (April 1966). It's interesting that there were no other singles from WHAT NOW MY LOVE.

Harry

 

[Bobberman]

I remember that there were a couple other songs from "What now my Love" released as singles b sides to a couple S.R.O a sides Flamingo was paired with So what's new? And Plucky( non striptease version) i think was the flip side of "The Work Song" i may be wrong but that is what.i remember.

 

[DeeInKY]

Regarding "Spanish Flea", it was paired with "What Now My Love" and both charted at the same time, so I'm pretty sure that was a double A-side, even though they're not from the same album. Herb's hits were coming fast and furious at that time (April 1966). It's interesting that there were no other singles from WHAT NOW MY LOVE.

Harry

I always liked "The Shadow of Your Smile" from that album. As to "What Now My Love", whenever I think about that song I always hear Herb's version in my head. Considering that the lyrics to the song are pretty depressing, he turned it into more of an upbeat tune.

 

[AM Matt]

Not to mention "Fast Side" & "Slow Side" or you call it "Fast Half" or "Slow Half" of Rod Stewart "Atlantic Crossing" & "A Night On The Town". On "Blondes Have More Fun", instead of Side 2, Rod called it "Side 1 continued.." Matt Clark Sanford, MI

 

[Rudy]

Like posting "use other door" on both glass doors in the entry of a business.

 

[Aaron Bitman]

It was kind of a "thing" for a while for artists to number their LP sides in strange ways. I remember examples such as:

Side Uno / Side Ye (on a Cheech & Chong album)
This Side / That Side
One Side / The Other Side
Loud Side / Soft Side
Dog / Butterfly (from the Heart album of the same name)

The first major studio album by the band Guns N' Roses - often abbreviated "G N' R" - labelled its sides as "G" and "R".

 

[Rudy]

Joe Jackson's Night & Day album had a day side (white label, black letters) and a night side (black label, white letters).

 

[TonyCurrie]

Both the Australian and New Zealand pressings (on Festival) of Mexican Corn have it as the A side, so I would assume that it was marketed as such. As Herb explained in the interview we did in Oakland that although A&M originally issued Third Man Theme as the A-side, it was 'Taste of Honey' that was being played on the radio and Herb personally urged them to flip the sides. Which they did. Unsurprisingly.

 

[JeffM]

I used to do a double take when I would open up multi-LP sets that were in "automatic sequence" (designed to be played on a changer and then flip the whole stack) that would have labels like "SIDE F."

 

[AM Matt]

Chevy Chase Arista 1980 album had "Side 1" & the flip side "Side 3"!! Matt Clark Sanford, MI

 

[Rudy]

I forget which album it is but I swore I had one with Side 1 and Side A.

 

[AM Matt]

You mean Daryl Hall & John Oates "Private Eyes" or "H2O" or "Big Bam Boom"?? Matt Clark Sanford, MI

 

[Rudy]

Could be Private Eyes. Still have my original vinyl on that one. I believe I have my H2O also but it's not a favorite of mine like it used to be.