Andy Cowan
@vinylslam.bsky.social
Author of B-Side: A Flipsided History of Pop (Headpress), MOJO writer, Skill impresario, researcher, former editor/publisher of Hip-Hop Connection
Widely considered the first rap record, the Fatback Band buried King Tim III (Personality Jock) on the B-Side of You’re My Candy Sweet, alerting Sugarhill Records to hip-hop’s untapped potential. New blog: b-side.website/2025/09/19/k...
‘King Tim III (Personality Jock)’ | b-side book
Best known for their 1976 smash ‘(Do The) Spanish Hustle’, the Fatback Band were known for playing fast and loose with styles as
b-side.website
September 19, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Widely considered the first rap record, the Fatback Band buried King Tim III (Personality Jock) on the B-Side of You’re My Candy Sweet, alerting Sugarhill Records to hip-hop’s untapped potential. New blog: b-side.website/2025/09/19/k...
Now 100 years young (!!!), Sentimental Me was just one of the many hits Ben Selvin scored under a deluge of aliases (this time, the Knickerbockers). Although technically a B-side, it landed right behind A-side Manhattan at the top of the US charts.
September 9, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Now 100 years young (!!!), Sentimental Me was just one of the many hits Ben Selvin scored under a deluge of aliases (this time, the Knickerbockers). Although technically a B-side, it landed right behind A-side Manhattan at the top of the US charts.
The Zombies never quite lived up to their first hit, She’s Not There. Released #OTD 60 years ago, I Love You (fizzy B-side of Whenever You’re Ready) ran it close. It later became a global hit for San Jose’s People!, who spaffed the profits on Scientology.
September 3, 2025 at 9:08 AM
The Zombies never quite lived up to their first hit, She’s Not There. Released #OTD 60 years ago, I Love You (fizzy B-side of Whenever You’re Ready) ran it close. It later became a global hit for San Jose’s People!, who spaffed the profits on Scientology.
With no piano and no piercing holler, there was little audible evidence that Little Richard even appeared on Funk Proof (B-side of Try To Help Your Brother), released 50 years ago this month. But there’s no denying insidious groove of this blazing funk instrumental.
August 26, 2025 at 10:26 AM
With no piano and no piercing holler, there was little audible evidence that Little Richard even appeared on Funk Proof (B-side of Try To Help Your Brother), released 50 years ago this month. But there’s no denying insidious groove of this blazing funk instrumental.
Surf-rockers Jackie & The Cedrics had a whale of a time thrashing through misfit hit Sukiyaki, when they needed a quick B-side for Scalping Party 30 years ago. Kyu Sakamoto’s original remains the only Japanese-language song to top the US charts.
August 19, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Surf-rockers Jackie & The Cedrics had a whale of a time thrashing through misfit hit Sukiyaki, when they needed a quick B-side for Scalping Party 30 years ago. Kyu Sakamoto’s original remains the only Japanese-language song to top the US charts.
Before he transformed into Slick Rick, British-born MC Ricky D showcased his storytelling skills on La-Di-Da-De, B-side of Doug E Fresh’s beatbox classic The Show, issued #OTD 40 years ago. His description of his Oil of Olay beauty regime is hard to top!
August 13, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Before he transformed into Slick Rick, British-born MC Ricky D showcased his storytelling skills on La-Di-Da-De, B-side of Doug E Fresh’s beatbox classic The Show, issued #OTD 40 years ago. His description of his Oil of Olay beauty regime is hard to top!
Even the northern soul scene embraced Don’t You Pass Me By, Cleo Laine’s slippery take on an old Patti Page pop smart. Issued 60 years ago on the B-side of If We Live On Top Of A Mountain, it made the most of the first lady of British jazz’s four-octave range. R.I.P.
August 5, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Even the northern soul scene embraced Don’t You Pass Me By, Cleo Laine’s slippery take on an old Patti Page pop smart. Issued 60 years ago on the B-side of If We Live On Top Of A Mountain, it made the most of the first lady of British jazz’s four-octave range. R.I.P.
The story of how John McKay and Kenny Morris left Siouxsie and the Banshees is not only the stuff of goth legend, it's etched into the grooves of scathing Happy House B-side Drop Dead/Celebration. New blog – b-side.website/2025/07/22/d...
July 22, 2025 at 11:05 AM
The story of how John McKay and Kenny Morris left Siouxsie and the Banshees is not only the stuff of goth legend, it's etched into the grooves of scathing Happy House B-side Drop Dead/Celebration. New blog – b-side.website/2025/07/22/d...
Forever butchered by TV talent show wannabes, Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody – the B-side of Hung On You, released #OTD 60 years ago – was the hit no-one saw coming. Not least Phil Spector…
July 17, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Forever butchered by TV talent show wannabes, Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody – the B-side of Hung On You, released #OTD 60 years ago – was the hit no-one saw coming. Not least Phil Spector…
Chuck Berry let pianist Johnny Johnson take the lead on his demo of Wee Wee Hours, hoping it would win him a deal with Chess. It worked, and became the B-side of first single Maybellene, issued 70 years ago this month.
July 10, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Chuck Berry let pianist Johnny Johnson take the lead on his demo of Wee Wee Hours, hoping it would win him a deal with Chess. It worked, and became the B-side of first single Maybellene, issued 70 years ago this month.
Written to capitalise on their top-rated mid-60s Radio London show, Kenny and Cash’s Knees never reached the wider audience it was intended for, thanks to Decca deciding its throwaway flipside – literally titled The ‘B’ Side – should be the A-side. WTF! New blog – b-side.website/2025/07/01/k...
July 1, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Written to capitalise on their top-rated mid-60s Radio London show, Kenny and Cash’s Knees never reached the wider audience it was intended for, thanks to Decca deciding its throwaway flipside – literally titled The ‘B’ Side – should be the A-side. WTF! New blog – b-side.website/2025/07/01/k...
The popularity of Jasper Carrott’s breakout hit Funky Moped, released #OTD 50 years ago, was due to its B-side. Magic Roundabout – presented as a stolen script from the stop-motion TV show – helped the Brummie comic court a wider audience.
June 27, 2025 at 10:41 AM
The popularity of Jasper Carrott’s breakout hit Funky Moped, released #OTD 50 years ago, was due to its B-side. Magic Roundabout – presented as a stolen script from the stop-motion TV show – helped the Brummie comic court a wider audience.
Compromised by a competing cover from Cher, All I Really Want To Do – the Byrds follow-up to Mr Tambourine Man – faltered when it was issued #OTD 60 years ago. Many missed its class-above B-side I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better, a seamless synthesis of the Beatles and Dylan.
June 14, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Compromised by a competing cover from Cher, All I Really Want To Do – the Byrds follow-up to Mr Tambourine Man – faltered when it was issued #OTD 60 years ago. Many missed its class-above B-side I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better, a seamless synthesis of the Beatles and Dylan.
The B-side of their final Motown hit (Forever Came Today), the Jackson 5 had a lingering affection for All I Do Is Think Of You, issued 50 years ago this month. A sitar-laced quiet storm ballad, boasting MJ’s most biting lead to date, they even promoted it over the A-side on Soul Train.
June 6, 2025 at 10:30 AM
The B-side of their final Motown hit (Forever Came Today), the Jackson 5 had a lingering affection for All I Do Is Think Of You, issued 50 years ago this month. A sitar-laced quiet storm ballad, boasting MJ’s most biting lead to date, they even promoted it over the A-side on Soul Train.
The two-part single was something of a godsend to soul and funk acts in the 70s. Issued #OTD 50 years ago, both sides of the Isley Brothers’ Fight The Power brooked no argument, the added frisson of the B-side’s “Fight it!” chant just edging the battle.
May 31, 2025 at 10:36 AM
The two-part single was something of a godsend to soul and funk acts in the 70s. Issued #OTD 50 years ago, both sides of the Isley Brothers’ Fight The Power brooked no argument, the added frisson of the B-side’s “Fight it!” chant just edging the battle.
Remixes had removed the need to record a discrete B-side by the early 90s. But not all were fillers! Issued #OTD 30 years ago, Kelly G’s skipping Bump-N-Go mix of Tina Moore’s Never Gonna Let You Go chimed with UK garage and later became an A-side smash.
May 23, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Remixes had removed the need to record a discrete B-side by the early 90s. But not all were fillers! Issued #OTD 30 years ago, Kelly G’s skipping Bump-N-Go mix of Tina Moore’s Never Gonna Let You Go chimed with UK garage and later became an A-side smash.
Long lost Morgan McVey B-side Looking Good Diving With The Wild Buch had all the constituent parts of Buffalo Stance – Neneh Cherry's raps, chorus, "What is he like?" refrain, scratches and burbling synth riff – but the dynamic was somehow skewed... New blog: b-side.website/2025/05/21/l...
May 21, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Long lost Morgan McVey B-side Looking Good Diving With The Wild Buch had all the constituent parts of Buffalo Stance – Neneh Cherry's raps, chorus, "What is he like?" refrain, scratches and burbling synth riff – but the dynamic was somehow skewed... New blog: b-side.website/2025/05/21/l...
Had a lot of fun editing and expanding this long lost manuscript from the one and only Nash The Slash: skill.bandcamp.com/merch/nash-t...
NASH THE SLASH presents CUT-THROAT– Bandaged Limited Edition PRE-ORDER from Skill
NASH THE SLASH presents CUT-THROAT– Bandaged Limited Edition PRE-ORDER from Skill
skill.bandcamp.com
May 20, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Had a lot of fun editing and expanding this long lost manuscript from the one and only Nash The Slash: skill.bandcamp.com/merch/nash-t...
Issued 30 years ago this month, the “Lager, lager, lager…” refrain of Underworld B-Side Born Slippy .NUXX (flip of a breakbeat instrumental of almost the same name) became inescapable when Danny Boyle co-opted it for Trainspotting.
May 12, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Issued 30 years ago this month, the “Lager, lager, lager…” refrain of Underworld B-Side Born Slippy .NUXX (flip of a breakbeat instrumental of almost the same name) became inescapable when Danny Boyle co-opted it for Trainspotting.
A three-way trade-off between OC, Pharoahe Monch and Street Smartz’ in-house rap engine FT, Metal Thangz (shook B-side of Problemz) more than lived up to its billing. New blog: b-side.website/2025/04/28/m...
April 28, 2025 at 11:10 AM
A three-way trade-off between OC, Pharoahe Monch and Street Smartz’ in-house rap engine FT, Metal Thangz (shook B-side of Problemz) more than lived up to its billing. New blog: b-side.website/2025/04/28/m...
With Noel Gallagher bellowing “We believe in one another” during its chorus, Acquiesce caught Oasis at peak fame and peak form, nonchalantly pushing out A-worthy fare on the B-side of Some Might Say. Issued #OTD 30 years ago.
April 24, 2025 at 9:58 AM
With Noel Gallagher bellowing “We believe in one another” during its chorus, Acquiesce caught Oasis at peak fame and peak form, nonchalantly pushing out A-worthy fare on the B-side of Some Might Say. Issued #OTD 30 years ago.
As its title hints, King Tubby’s mitts are all over Tubby’s Vengeance, his distinctive dub take on Vivian Jackson’s Jah Vengeance, released 50 years ago this month. It’s one of many great dub inversions of the man better known as Yabby You.
April 17, 2025 at 12:21 PM
As its title hints, King Tubby’s mitts are all over Tubby’s Vengeance, his distinctive dub take on Vivian Jackson’s Jah Vengeance, released 50 years ago this month. It’s one of many great dub inversions of the man better known as Yabby You.
Atmospheric with a capital A, Red Planet Revisited (a free one-sided single with Do The Empty House) doubled down on Comsat Angels’ groovy sci-fi strangeness, over heavy-heavy drums. New blog: b-side.website/2025/04/14/r...
April 14, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Atmospheric with a capital A, Red Planet Revisited (a free one-sided single with Do The Empty House) doubled down on Comsat Angels’ groovy sci-fi strangeness, over heavy-heavy drums. New blog: b-side.website/2025/04/14/r...
Canadian rocker Bryan Adams made his dishonourable intentions explicit with Diana (B-side of mega-hit Heaven) #OTD 40 years ago. A jaw-dropping paean to ‘the People’s Princess’ (“I just wanna lay ya!”) it openly dissed King Charles amid rumours of an affair.
April 9, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Canadian rocker Bryan Adams made his dishonourable intentions explicit with Diana (B-side of mega-hit Heaven) #OTD 40 years ago. A jaw-dropping paean to ‘the People’s Princess’ (“I just wanna lay ya!”) it openly dissed King Charles amid rumours of an affair.
A rock’n’roll standard, predicated on a devastating riff on his homemade square guitar, I’m A Man was every bit as influential as its self-titled A-side. Mississippi bluesman Bo Diddley didn’t muck around, putting his two strongest songs on his debut single 70 years ago this month.
April 3, 2025 at 11:15 AM
A rock’n’roll standard, predicated on a devastating riff on his homemade square guitar, I’m A Man was every bit as influential as its self-titled A-side. Mississippi bluesman Bo Diddley didn’t muck around, putting his two strongest songs on his debut single 70 years ago this month.