In 1962 in London, a Decca Records executive, a hapless soul who shall remain nameless, yawned as he listened to the audition of a fledgling band from Liverpool. He showed them the door as he told their manager: “Guitar groups are on the way out, Mr. Epstein. Go back to Liverpool.” A few months later, George Martin at EMI Records signed The Beatles and went on to change popular music history.
Record company executives have certainly made their share of correct decisions over the years when it comes to backing the right artists and picking the right song. But there are hundreds of examples throughout the rock ‘n roll era of some glaring missteps, when execs showed questionable judgment and made some wrong choices. Sometimes others stepped up later to make the right choice, or disc jockeys and radio listeners made the right choice for them.
There have been many instances throughout the rock music era when a record company or producer showed tin ears when selecting the songs that would appear on the next single. They would listen to a new artist’s work and say, “THIS is the song that has hit potential.” They would then release a single, which had an A-side and a B-side. The supposed hit would be promoted on the A-side, while the B-side was pretty much just thrown in as an extra, taking up space on the other side of the 45. But lo and behold, sometimes the song these wizards thought would be a hit was not as compelling as the supposed “filler” that sat on the B-side. Savvy DJs checked out the flip side and decided it was the better song, and it became the hit instead.
In 1954, the record company for Bill Haley and the Comets — Decca, again showing poor judgement — somehow didn’t see the appeal of the band’s effervescent “Rock Around the Clock” and shuffled it off to the B-side of an otherwise forgettable song, “13 Women.” The next year, “Rock Around the Clock” was featured in the teen flick “The Blackboard Jungle,” ended up a #1 song in 1955 and is generally regarded as the first-ever rock ‘n roll hit single.
This continued: Gene Vincent’s landmark “Be-Bop-a Lula” and The Champs’ classic “Tequila” were originally released as B-sides, playing second fiddle to clunkers like “Woman Love” and “Train to Nowhere” respectively. “Save the Last Dance for Me,” the marvelous 1960 tune by The Drifters, was a B-side upon release, as was Booker T. and the MGs’ 1962 hit “Green Onions,” an instrumental that easily overshadowed the intended single “Behave Yourself.”
Decca Records may have passed on The Beatles but they managed to sign The Rolling Stones…however, more than once, the song they assigned to the B-side outperformed the A-side.
“The Last Time” was more successful than the intended 1965 single “Play With Fire,” and Decca also chose “Let’s Spend the Night Together” as the 1967 single, but its lyrics were considered too risqué for AM radio, and DJs instead played its B-side, “Ruby Tuesday,” which went to #1.
There was also Rod Stewart’s 1971 single “Reason to Believe,” a modest remake of an old Tim Hardin folk song that Rod’s people felt would do well as a single. On the flip side, they inserted an album track called “Maggie May.” DJs chose to play that one instead, and it, too, rocketed to #1.
In 1974, The Doobie Brothers released a single, “Another Park, Another Sunday,” that barely cracked the Top 40, but its B-side, “Black Water,” got substantial airplay and ended up as the group’s only #1 single. Even a fabulous tune like the 1971 Bill Withers beauty “Ain’t No Sunshine” was initially pegged as a throwaway B-side. In 1972, The Spinners put out a single called “How Could I Let You Get Away” that stiffed, but its B-side, “I”ll Be Around,” became a #3 hit that year.
In 1979, Gloria Gaynor, a disco vocalist, released a new single called “Substitute” (no relation to The Who’s song of the same name), but DJs preferred the B-side, a little number called “I Will Survive,” and instead played that as, um, a substitute. It went on to become not only a monster #1 hit but one of the iconic songs of the disco era, and the feminist and gay rights movements as well.
Usually, B-sides were songs found on the same album as the A-side song, but now and then, artists would use the B-sides to feature rare extra tracks unavailable elsewhere. If you were an album buyer like me, you didn’t buy singles, so you wouldn’t know, for instance, that when Led Zeppelin released the single “Immigrant Song” in 1970 from “Led Zeppelin III,” the flip side, a catchy track called “Hey Hey What Can I Do,” was available only if you bought the single. Same with Fleetwod Mac’s 1977 hit “Go Your Own Way,” the leadoff single from the 25-million-selling album “Rumours.” The flip side of that single, Stevie Nicks’ gorgeous “Silver Springs,” had been cut from the “Rumours” lineup and ended up becoming a B-side rarity.
Bruce Springsteen released an unprecedented nine singles from his 1984 blockbuster “Born in the USA” album, and each one featured a B-side that was unavailable elsewhere (“Pink Cadillac” paired with “Dancing in the Dark,” and “Johnny Bye Bye” paired with “I’m On Fire,” for example). He later compiled all these B-sides on a limited edition EP, but for years, they could only be found on the 45s.
As vinyl singles gave way to cassette singles in the ’80s and ’90s and then to mp3 files, iTunes, and other online music delivery systems, the importance of A-sides versus B-sides was significantly diminished. Fans can now get their hands on pretty much whatever songs they like, so it’s no longer as relevant which tracks the record labels and artists designate as the hit or the also-ran. But for decades, it was fun for DJs, fans, and collectors to sometimes prove the “hit makers” wrong by finding B-sides that were superior to their trumped-up A-sides.
In 1969, a band known as Steam recorded a song called “It’s the Magic in You Girl,” selected by their label as a potential hit. They were then told, “Okay, now record something else, anything at all, to put on the B-side of the single. It can be instrumental, it doesn’t matter. Whatever you want.” In less than an hour, they came up with a light commercial jam with throwaway lyrics and a chorus of “na na na”s, and they were done. When the single was released, the DJs thought “It’s the Magic in You Girl” was lame and ignored it, but they loved the catchy ditty on the B-side. Within a few weeks, “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” was the #1 song in the country!
Before the arrival of Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys and The Beatles, singing and songwriting were considered two distinctly separate talents. Up until about 1960, you were one or the other, but not both.
Songwriters, by and large, accepted their place in the scheme of things, churning out catchy melodies and lyrics that someone else turned into hit singles. In some cases, however, the songwriter nursed a dream of becoming a recording artist in his/her own right, even if that didn’t happen until years later.
Carole King and Gerry Goffin working on songs in a Brill Building studio in the early ’60s
Carole King is perhaps the best example of this. Throughout the ’60s, she and husband Gerry Goffin wrote dozens of hits made famous by others — “Up on the Roof” by the Drifters, “I’m Into Something Good” by Herman’s Hermits, “The Locomotion” by Little Eva, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” by The Shirrelles, “(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin, “Hi-De-Ho” by Blood Sweat and Tears, to name just a few.
Then in 1970, King took a stab at singing, and although her debut album went unnoticed, her second was “Tapestry,” one of the biggest-selling albums of all time, and the beginning of an accomplished career as a singer.
There are some intriguing examples in the ’60s and ’70s of hit songs written by songwriters who hadn’t yet made their name on the charts as singers. In the process of creating the song, the composers often recorded their own versions, either as demos or as official recordings that received little attention. Hearing these composers’ “rough drafts” of tunes that became huge hits by other artists makes for fascinating listening, as the Spotify song list at the end of this blog will demonstrate.
And here we go:
“I’m a Believer”
Written by Neil Diamond, made famous by The Monkees (#1 in 1967)
Diamond, who went on to write 37 Top 40 hits, developed a passion for songwriting at age 15 growing up in Brooklyn. He had his eye on a recording career, but meanwhile, he was happy to have his songs picked up by others. In 1966, TV producer Don Kirshner, in charge of finding material for the new created-for-TV pop rock band The Monkees, came to Diamond and selected one of his recent compositions called “I’m a Believer.” The Monkees’ version became the #1 song of 1967 on US pop charts. Diamond recorded his own version later the same year on his “Just for You” LP, which also included his first hits “Cherry, Cherry,” “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” and “Thank the Lord for the Night Time.”
“Red Rubber Ball”
Written by Paul Simon, made famous by The Cyrkle (#6 in 1966)
Simon had been writing his irresistible melodies and introspective lyrics since 1963, and had recorded one album with Art Garfunkel that went nowhere. But when a producer added drums, bass and electric guitar to their acoustic recording of “The Sound of Silence,” it became a #1 hit in early 1966, and Simon and Garfunkel were off and running. Meanwhile, he had written “Red Rubber Ball” with Bruce Woodley of The Seekers, and the short-lived band called The Cyrkle made it into a big hit. S&G played it in concert occasionally, and their 1967 live recording of the song appears on the 1997 three-CD collection “Old Friends.”
“One Fine Day”
Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, made famous by The Chiffons (1963)
The Goffin-King partnership was steeped in musical tradition including big band and swing and even opera. The duo loved the Italian language title “Un Bel Dì” from Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” and chose to write “One Fine Day” as a pop song of romantic longing. They intended it for Little Eva as a follow-up single for her #1 hit “The Locomotion,” but it ended up going to the girl group The Chiffons in a new arrangement by The Tokens, which reached #5 in 1963. King re-recorded it herself in 1980 for her collection “Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King.”
“One”
Written by Harry Nilsson, made famous by Three Dog Night (#5 in 1969)
In 1968, at a time when bands wanted to (or were expected to) write their own songs, Three Dog Night went the other way, covering songs written by others, mostly struggling young songwriters who had great material. Singer Chuck Negron heard the unknown 1968 album “Aerial Ballet” by Nilsson, which included a track called “One,” a simple, mellow song about the loneliness felt following a romantic breakup. The band recorded a more exuberant arrangement for their debut album, and “One” became a #5 hit in 1969, the first of 15 Top 20 singles for the trio.
“Wedding Bell Blues”
Written by Laura Nyro, made famous by The 5th Dimension (#1 in 1969)
Nyro’s original vision for “Wedding Bell Blues” was as part of a mini-suite with dramatic rhythm changes to reflect the dual themes of adoring love and frustrated lament felt by the woman who “wonders if she’ll ever see her wedding day.” That version was turned down by her producer, but instead she recorded a more soulful arrangement and released it in 1967 on her “More Than a New Discovery” debut album. Two years later, The 5th Dimension enjoyed a pair of hits with Nyro’s songs “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “Sweet Blindness,” so they tried a third time with their rendition of “Wedding Bell Blues” (which was very similar to Nyro’s), and it went to #1.
“Leaving on a Jet Plane”
Written by John Denver, made famous by Peter, Paul & Mary (#1 in 1969)
Denver was a member of The Chad Mitchell Trio in the mid-’60s, writing and performing songs in folk clubs. He put together a homemade demo of a batch of his songs, including one he was then calling “Babe, I Hate to Go,” and circulated it to music industry friends. Peter, Paul & Mary were so impressed with it that they recorded it for their 1967 LP, “Album 1700,” under its new title, “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” It sat ignored for two years until PP&M, in the throes of breaking up, decided to release it as a single, and it ended up the #1 song in the US during the final week of the 1960s. Denver’s own version can be found on his 1969 album, “Rhymes & Reasons.”
“Mr. Tambourine Man”
Written by Bob Dylan, made famous by The Byrds (#1 in 1965)
In the early ’60s, Dylan was already regarded as a songwriting genius/prophet in some circles, but he hadn’t yet made a dent on the singles charts. That changed when the Southern California band The Byrds used their jangly electric 12-string guitar sound and lush harmonies on a folk-rock arrangement of Dylan’s acoustic “Mr. Tambourine Man,” and The Byrds’ cover rocketed to #1. Dylan’s version, found on his “Bringing It All Back Home” LP, has a running time of 5:34 and includes four verses; The Byrds’ version is severely truncated to 2:29, using only the second of the four verses.
“Both Sides Now”
Written by Joni Mitchell, made famous by Judy Collins (#8 in 1968).
Judy Collins gives credit to her friend and musician Al Kooper for introducing her to the genius of Joni Mitchell in 1967, still a relative unknown at the time. “He knew I was in the midst of recording my ‘Wildflowers’ album, and he wanted me to hear Joni’s songs, particularly ‘Both Sides Now,'” Collins wrote in her autobiography. “Joni’s writing was magnificent. ‘Both Sides Now’ has everything — sweep and tenderness, specificity and breadth. It’s a perfect jewel of a song, perhaps one of the greatest songs ever written.” Mitchell’s own version appeared on her second album, “Clouds,” in 1969. (I couldn’t include her original on the playlist below because Mitchell refuses to make her recordings available on Spotify, but instead I located a “Live at BBC 1970” recording of her performing the song.)
“Wichita Lineman”
Written by Jimmy Webb, made famous by Glen Campbell (#3 in 1968)
Webb remembers driving toward the late afternoon sun one day in Oklahoma, passing endless miles of telephone poles, until he saw the silhouette of a solitary lineman atop a pole. “He looked like the absolute picture of loneliness,” said Webb, who put himself in the lineman’s place and wrote what has been described as “the first existential country song” and “the greatest pop song ever composed.” Glen Campbell was the first of many artists to record “Wichita Lineman,” which charted at #3. Early demos of Webb doing his own stuff haven’t survived, but he finally got around to recording them for real on his 1996 album called “Ten Easy Pieces,” which also includes new arrangements of other hits he wrote like “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “The Worst That Can Happen,” “Galveston” and “MacArthur Park.”
“Mama Told Me Not to Come”
Written by Randy Newman, made famous by Three Dog Night (#1 in 1970)
After an early attempt as a recording artist flopped, Newman concentrated on songwriting throughout the ’60s, and his 1966 song “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” was recorded by a dozen different singers. That same year he wrote “Mama Told Me Not to Come” for Eric Burdon and The Animals, but it ended up an overlooked album track. Four years later, Newman released his “12 Songs” LP, which included his piano-based rendition of the song. Almost simultaneously, Three Dog Night’s rock/funk version raced up the charts to become one of the biggest singles of the year.
“Come and Get It”
Written by Paul McCartney, made famous by Badfinger (#7 in 1970)
McCartney (with and without John Lennon) wrote several songs during the Beatles years that he gave away to others, particularly Peter & Gordon (Peter Asher was the brother of his then-girlfriend Jane Asher). In 1969, McCartney was commissioned to write songs for “The Magic Christian” soundtrack, and in the midst of the “Abbey Road” sessions, he arrived early one day and recorded a polished demo of “Come and Get It” by himself. Badfinger was a new band signed to the Apple label, and to help jumpstart their career, he gave the song to them, also producing it exactly as he had recorded it on the demo, and it reached #7. McCartney’s original was finally released 25 years later as a track on the “Beatles Anthology 3” CD.
“Red Red Wine”
Written by Neil Diamond, made famous by UB40 (#1 in 1988)
This one has this list’s longest gestation period from composing to hit-single status. Originally written and recorded by Diamond in 1967 on his “Just for You” LP, “Red Red Wine” was resurrected 15 years later by British pop/reggae band UB40, who released an album in 1983 of cover versions of songs by their early rock idols. Although their reggae version went to #1 in the UK, it stalled at #34 here, but five years later in 1988, it was re-released in the US and went to #1 here as well.
“Stoney End”
Written by Laura Nyro, made famous by Barbra Streisand (#6 in 1971)
Another Nyro composition that appeared on her underrated 1967 debut “More Than a New Discovery” was this upbeat number that eventually captured the attention of producer Richard Perry. He suggested it as a featured song for Barbra Streisand’s first album of pop-rock songs, and although she initially balked at the line “I was raised on the good book Jesus” because of her Jewish faith, it ended up being the title song when released in 1971. She took Nyro’s song to #6, her first Top Ten hit since “People” in 1964, and the beginning of an impressive run on the charts throughout the ’70s and into the ’80s.
“Pleasant Valley Sunday”
Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, made famous by The Monkees (#3 in 1967)
In 1967, the Goffin-King marriage was in trouble and nearing its end. Goffin had been overdoing the drug experimentation in vogue at the time, and their recent move from New York City to a suburban neighborhood in New Jersey had proven unsatisfying, inspiring the song “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” It’s a clever, sardonic take on the sameness of suburban life, but its bright, cheery tempo and melody made it s big hit when recorded by The Monkees that year. King’s demo, eventually released on a 2012 compilation LP, features some different lyrics and a simpler arrangement.
“Me and Bobby McGee”
Written by Kris Kristofferson, made famous by Janis Joplin (#1 in 1971)
Kris Kristofferson was an Army brat who became an accomplished pilot, an award-winning boxer and rugby player, and a Rhodes scholar at Oxford — and he left all that behind to pursue his dreams of writing music and acting. He found his niche in Nashville, where his songs were recorded by country stars like Johnny Cash and Ray Price, but Kristofferson’s own recordings never achieved much commercial success. He introduced one song from his 1970 debut album “Kristofferson” to his friend Janis Joplin, who decided to record a rollicking arrangement for what would become her final album, “Pearl.” Four months after her death, Janis’s recording of “Me and Bobby McGee” was the #1 song in the country.
“All the Young Dudes”
Written by David Bowie, made famous by Mott the Hoople (#37 in 1972)
In 1972, Bowie’s career was just starting to take off in the US when he heard that his friends in Mott the Hoople were about to break up because of a lack of chart success. He offered them his song “Suffragette City” from the “Ziggy Stardust” LP, but they turned him down, so instead, Bowie sat down in a London flat across from singer Ian Hunter and wrote “All the Young Dudes” specifically for them. It went to #3 in the UK, saving the band’s career, and it became the unofficial anthem of the glam-rock era. Bowie recorded it himself during the 1972-73 “Aladdin Sane” sessions but never released it until the double-album compilation “Bowie: Legacy” following his death in 2016..
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I urge you to check out the composers’ versions of these other hits that made my honorable mention list:
Bruce Springsteen wrote “Blinded by the Light,”“Fire,” and “Because the Night” (popularized by Manfred Mann, The Pointer Sisters and Patti Smith, respectively); Bob Marley wrote “I Shot the Sheriff,” a #1 hit for Eric Clapton; Neil Young wrote “Lotta Love,” which launched Nicolette Larson’s career; Leon Russell wrote “This Masquerade” (a hit for George Benson) and “A Song for You” (the title song of The Carpenters’ fourth album); Tom Waits wrote “Ol ’55,” a popular track for The Eagles; Prince wrote “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Sinead O’Connor’s big debut) and “Manic Monday” (a #1 smash for The Bangles); and Bob Dylan wrote “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” (both Top Five hits for Peter, Paul & Mary) and “All Along the Watchtower” (wildly reimagined by Jimi Hendrix).
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