Top 20 Killer B's

[skinnytie]

This thread was inspired by Dave's thread for top 20 favorite 45's. I was hoping for a better response to that one, but never saw it, so I thought I'd narrow the field a bit. Question: What are your top 20 favorite non-lp B-sides, in order? I made my list using the following criteria:
The song could not have appeared on an album (of course) at the time, even though they now may show up as bonus tracks on CD's.
The song had to be totally new; that is, not just a live or dub version of the A-side, for example.
Any B-sides of double 45's, EP's or 12"s were acceptable, as long as they fit the above guidelines.
Non-lp A-sides were not acceptable.

Anyway, here's my list; 20 being least favorite, 1 being most favorite. All are UK releases unless noted:

20. "A Sleeping Rain" - Siouxsie & the Banshees (B-side on 12" of "Melt"
19. "Throw Your Foot" - The Cure (B-side on 12" of "The Caterpillar")
18. "Base for Alec" - Yello (B-side of "Lost Again")
17. "I Don't Want to Be Your Shadow" - The Psychedeic Furs (B-side of "Danger")
16. "Liza Radley" - The Jam (B-side of "Start")
15. "Cadillac Car" - Bronski Beat (B-side of "Why")
14. "1-2 Crush on You" - The Clash (B-side of "Tommy Gun")
13. "Are Everything" - Heaven 17 (a cover of the Buzzcocks tune, from the B-side of "I'm Your Money").
12. "Visions of the Night" by the Police (B-side of "Walking on the Moon")
11. Tie: "Crazy Alice" (B-side of "That's What John Said") and "The Day I Found a Fiver" (B-side of "Sensation") - The Motors
10. "Chapel of Love" - Holly & the Italians (B-side of "Tell That Girl to Shut Up)
9. "Busy Little B-Side" - Pearl Harbor & the Explosions (B-side of "Up and Over")
8. "Having a Good Time" - The Belle Stars (one of the B-sides to the "Another Latin Love Song" EP)
7. Tie: "In the City" (B-side of "Cardiac Arrest") and "Nutty Theme" (B-side on 12" of "One Step Beyond") - Madness
6. "Flexible" - Depeche Mode (B-side of "Shake the Disease)
5. "Real Different" - The Boomtown Rats (B-side of "The Elephant's Graveyard")
4. "Sea of Thunder" - Tenpole Tudor (B-side of "Let the Four Winds Blow")
3. "All's Well" - Squeeze (B-side of "Slap and Tickle")
2. "Don't Lose Your Temper" - XTC (one of the B-sides to the double 45 of "Generals and Majors")
1. "Women in Charge" - Graham Parker & the Rumour (B-side to "Stupefaction").

I'm curious to see all of yours. Have fun! [:)]

[MikeP]

I wholeheartedly agree with XTC's "Don't Lose Your Temper" ... awesome tune, but barring that one:

20. "Pharaohs" - Tears For Fears (B-side of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World")
19. "Am I" - The Thought (B-side of "I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night" 12")
18. "That's My Impression" - Pet Shop Boys (B-side of "Love Comes Quickly")
17. "Julie Don't Live Here" - ELO (B-side of "Twilight")
16. "Driftwood" - a-ha (B-side of "The Sun Always Shines on TV")
15. "Dance On" - Icehouse (B-side of "Taking the Town")
14. TIE: "Dockland"/"Forever I and I" - China Crisis (B-sides of "Working With Fire and Steel" 12")
13. "Just One Kiss" - The Cure (B-side of "Let's Go to Bed" & "The Walk" EP)
12. "Ages of You" - R.E.M. (B-side of "Wendell Gee" double 45)
11. "Once Upon a Daydream" - The Police (B-side of "Synchronicity II")
10. "Paths & Angles" - Ultravox (B-side of "The Voice")
9. TIE: "Twelfth House" (B-side of "All You Need is Love") / "She's a Magazine" (B-side of "Sanctuary") - New Musik
8. "Sacred Heart - OMD (B-side of "Souvenir")
7. "Next Generation" - Alphaville (B-side of "Red Rose")
6. "Living in Heaven" - A Flock of Seagulls (B-side of "Never Again (The Dancer)")
5. "Lonesome Tonight" - New Order (B-side of "Thieves Like Us")
4. "Shout!" - Depeche Mode (B-side of "New Life")
3. "Love Comes Tumbling" - U2 (b-side of "The Unforgettable Fire" / Wide Awake in America EP)
2. TIE: "It's Getting Late in the Evening" (B-side of "Life's What You Make It") / "For What It's Worth" (B-side of "Living in Another World") / "Pictures of Bernadette" (B-side of "Give It Up") - Talk Talk
1. "As You Will" - The Church (B-side of "Already Yesterday")

[skinnytie]

wow, great choices, Mike. I actually forgot some of those, and in seeing your choices, I don't know how I overlooked "Treasure (or Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop") by U2.

[Frau_Blucher]

Sorry if I'm notplaying right. Lots of these probably appeared on albums eventually or originally but were truly b-sides on 7 or 12" vinyl. I just don't have the knowledge to to dig up those really crazy rarities. I just think these are b-sides that the labels should have been smart enough to make into a-sides to begin with...

20. Taking the Day Off – The English Beat on Too Much or Nothing
19. Oscillate Wildly – The Smiths on How Soon is Now
18. Did You No Wrong – Sex Pistols on God Save the Queen
17. Harold and Joe – The Cure on Never Enough
16. The Tide is High (Rapture on most others) – Blondie on Heart of Glass
15. Sex Machine (James Brown cover) – Janie Jones and The Clash on House of the Ju Ju Queen
14. Theme for Great Cities – Simples Minds on Promised You a Miracle
13. Dear God – XTC on Grass
12. Nite Klub – The Specials on Message to You Rudy
11. Handsome Devil – The Smiths on Hand in Glove
10. Ferry Across the Mersey (Gerry & Pacemakers cover) – FGTH on Relax
09. The Émigré – Leisure Process on Cashflow
08. King – UB40 on Food for Thought
07. Do It Clean – Echo and the Bunnymen on The Puppet
06. The Beach (Blue Monday instrumental) – New Order on Blue Monday
05. Precious – The Jam on Town Called Malice
04. Back to the Old House – The Smiths on What Difference Does it Make
03. Insecure me – Soft Cell on Torch
02. Beat My Guest – Adam & the Ants on Stand and Deliver
01. 1963 – New Order on True Faith

Honorable mention to my alltime favorites, albeit not New Wave, and not on vinyl, but on CD singles:
B. The Aeroplane Flies High – The Smashing Pumpkins on Thirty-Three
A. Tonight Reprise – The Smashing Pumpkins on Tonight Tonight

[FearOfGhosts]

I'd love to trade each of you for any of those mentioned that you can't otherwise purchase...

[Edited by MikeP]:
Go here to see FearOfGhosts' CD-R list:
http://www.nwoutpost.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1414

[red]

20.'Broke my neck'-Echo and the Bunnymen (A Promise)
19.'Passing Through Air'-Kate Bush (Army Dreamers)
18.'Steam'-March Violets (Grooving in Green)
17.'Heaven Says'-The Go-Betweens (Cattle and Cane)
16.'Sleep (Fantasy Dreams)-Virgin Prunes (Sandpaper Lullabye)
15.'Tarantula'-Colour Box (Breakdown)
14''Some of That'-Dead or Alive (The Stranger)
13.'God Forbid'-The Wild Swans (Revolutionary Spirit)
12.'The Visionary'-Modern Eon (Childs Play)
11.'Touch'-U2 (11 o' clock Tick Tock)
10.'Meat Whiplash'-The Fire Engines (Candyskin)
09.'Sixteen Days-Gathering Dust'-This Mortal Coil (Song to the Siren)
08.'All My Wives were Iron'-Bill Nelson (Youth of Nation on Fire double pack)
07.'Hide'-Danse Society (Somewhere)
06.'Sun Sea and Piracy'-Bow Wow Wow (C30 C60 C90 Go!)
05.'The Death of Peter X'-Artery (Alabama Song)
04.'And Then Again'-A Certain Ratio (Flight)
03.'Postal Bargains'-Diagram Brothers (Bricks)
02.'Introducing'-The Human League (Empire State Human)
01.'Sentimental'-Altered Images (Dead Pop Stars)

[Jimbo L]

"Cuban Slide"--Pretenders (UK b-side of "Talk of the Town," appeared in the US on the "Extended Play" EP)

[skinnytie]

One thing about these lists is that after seeing people's responses, I realize there's about another 20 that just missed the list or I totally forgot about. "Porcelain" (b-side of "Message of Love") by the Pretenders, "Treasure (or Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop)" by U2 (b-side of "New Year's Day") are just another two that came to mind.
Fear of Ghosts, if there are any from my list that you're interested in, please let me know. I think most are on CD these days, either as bonus tracks or on box set compilations, but I don't know how easy they are to come by.

[KYYX4ever]

I can't resist a wee list for my favorite B SIDES:

....all by Duran Duran:

1. "Faster Than Light" - bside to "Girls on Film"
2. "Late Bar" - bside "Planet Earth"
3. "Khanada" -bside "Careless Memories"
4. "Fame" - also bside nightversion "Careless Memories"
5. "Like An Angel" - bside "My Own Way"
6. "Faith in This Colour" -bside "Is There Something I Should Know"
7. "Sekret Oktober" - bside "Union of the Snake"
8. "Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile" - bside "The Reflex"

I have gone through periods of time where I think these Bsides are better than their released material....but it's all good stuff now !

[skinnytie]

The strange thing is, KYYX4ever, that even as I'm reading your list, I'm listening to the Duran Duran singles box set. [:)]

[quote]Originally posted by KYYX4ever
[br]I can't resist a wee list for my favorite B SIDES:

....all by Duran Duran:

1. "Faster Than Light" - bside to "Girls on Film"
2. "Late Bar" - bside "Planet Earth"
3. "Khanada" -bside "Careless Memories"
4. "Fame" - also bside nightversion "Careless Memories"
5. "Like An Angel" - bside "My Own Way"
6. "Faith in This Colour" -bside "Is There Something I Should Know"
7. "Sekret Oktober" - bside "Union of the Snake"
8. "Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile" - bside "The Reflex"

I have gone through periods of time where I think these Bsides are better than their released material....but it's all good stuff now !
[/quote]

[KYYX4ever]

what a strange coincidence! good stuff, eh ? those bsides, esp. the earlier ones, were damn catchy.

[FearOfGhosts]

I just ordered the Cure B-Sides and rarities 4 cd set... Letcha know how it goes once it comes in... Looking forward to "Fear Of Ghosts" on CD along with many others...

[8D]

[skinnytie]

That Cure box set is a godsend, you'll enjoy it for sure. It's very comprehensive, and gives all their rarities a chance to shine. I hope the Siouxsie & the Banshees B-side box set is equally as good when it comes out.

[quote]Originally posted by FearOfGhosts
[br]I just ordered the Cure B-Sides and rarities 4 cd set... Letcha know how it goes once it comes in... Looking forward to "Fear Of Ghosts" on CD along with many others...

[8D]
[/quote]

[deckard0]

How about Go! by Tones on Tails as the B-side to Lions?

[ben_at_work]

You guys all rule.
I had forgotten half of those mentioned [;)]