What is ‘issue oriented?’

Kiddos, if you’re under 50 years old you might never have seen a “B side” but back in the day we had 45s, or “singles”, which contained hit songs that the band wanted to release. “45” meant that it played at 45 revolutions per minute (RPM). Chart positions were based on sales of singles and radio airplay, so singles were important. There was an “A” side, which had the sure fire hit (or so they hoped) and then the “B” side was a song that was often a throwaway song. The Beatles were the exception to this rule as they would often put two sure fire hits on a single because they were the Beatles and didn’t have throwaway songs.

Singles were the staple of AM radio until FM radio became a more popular medium for music. FM created a style called “album oriented rock”, which started in the early 1970s, propelled by The Who, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. (Pink Floyd is not included because they are not a rock band.) Bands put a lot of thought into a single release because the public’s acceptance of a single would drive album sales. The trivia question for today is at what speed did an album play?

The band Blue Oyster Cult had a huge hit with Burnin’ For You (popularized on the Joe Dirt soundtrack). It contains the line “Time to play B-sides”, which means that you are taking the time to enjoy yourself, explore a little deeper and give your mind a chance to relax.

So other than a little history lesson Kelly, what’s the point? Well you know I love rock song lists, so here is my list of the best B sides ever. 1. I Want To Hold Your Hand – Beatles; 2, Rock Around The Clock – Bill Haley & His Comets; 3. Mercedes Benz – Janis Joplin; 4, Any Major Dude WIll Tell You – Steely Dan; 5. Revolution – Beatles; 6. Maggie May – Rod Stewart; 7. Frankenstein – Edgar Winter Group; 8. Beth – KISS; 9. God Only Knows – Beach Boys; 10. Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) – Green Day; 11. Tequila – The Champs; 12. Suspicion – Elvis; 13. Pink Cadillac – Bruce Springsteen; 14. Teenage Lobotomy – Ramones and 15. I Am The Walrus – Beatles. If you are interested, you can see my entire list of “B” side favorites on my website.

The trivia answer is that albums played at 33 and RPMs.

Kelly Burke, master attorney, former district attorney and magistrate judge, is engaged in private practice. He writes about the law, rock’n’roll and politics. These articles are not designed to give legal advice, but are designed to inform the public about how the law affects their daily lives. Contact Kelly at kelly@burkelasseterllc.com to comment on this article or suggest articles that you’d like to see and visit his website  www.kellyrburke.com to view prior columns.