Warren Ellis (Dirty Three)

Ride On. The B-side of AC/DC's Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.

Forest Swords

The Warmth of the Sun by the Beach Boys, which is the perfect distillation of everything brilliant about the band. The most insane vocals you'll ever hear, like they're piped in from another planet, and it makes me want to give up and move to Hawaii every time I hear it. It's pure bittersweet joy.

Antoni Maiovvi

I would like to recommend the b-side "Romantic" by Neurox that was on the 'A Raving Night' 7" from 1984.

Patrick Riley (Tennis)

"Wives of Farmers" by Grandaddy is one of our all-time favorite b-sides.

Josh Graham (A Storm Of Light)

XTC, "Dear God" obviously not that rare but an amazing song with poignant lyrics. Originally release on the Grass 7".

Colin Huebert (Siskiyou)

Sugar Mountain by Neil Young (A-side is Cinnamon Girl)

Demdike Stare

Both of us whole heartedly recommend the Elevation 7" by Orior on Crystal Groove Records from 1979, both tracks on the B-side, Tutankhamen and Quiet Sky are unbelievable for the time, and we stole the track title Quiet sky for one of our own pieces on our Tryptych CD release.

Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat

Bill Wells - 'Memories', the b-side of 'I'm a Believer' by Robert Wyatt, really beautiful song written by Hugh Hopper which originally appeared on 'Banana Moon' by Daevid Allen. I was amazed to just recently discover that Whitney Houston covered this on a recording also featuring Archie Shepp. Aidan Moffat - I loved Mule, PW Long's old band on Quarterstick, and one of their 7"s had an astounding cover of the Bee Gees' 'To Love Somebody' that I still play loud as fuck today.

Bret (Sleepy Sun)

"Don't Let Me Down" by The Beatles, b-side to the "Get Back" single.. featuring Billy Preston on keys. Also performed on a rooftop in the Let It Be film. Crazy that Phil Spector left this track off the album.

Anthony Vialon (Floor)

"Euthanasia" on the Melvins 'Tanx' 7"

BUZZ (Melvins)

I suppose the flip side to Queen's "We Will Rock You," WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS.....

Dave Mies (Tall Firs)

The song Even In His Youth which was the b-side on Nirvana's Teen Spirit single is a really great tune. There's no such thing as a truly "deep cut" with that band, since everything they ever fucking did went triple platinum or whatever, but I think there are still a few people out there who haven't looked under the cats nose.

Mark Arm (Mudhoney)

Flipper "Love Canal." All the kids love to sing and dance along to "Ha Ha Ha", but it's during the b-side "Love Canal" that the chemicals really kick in.

Justin Anastasi (The Soft Moon)

Siekiera - Misiowie Puszyci. Fantastic b-side. Both Luis and I are fans of this one. The outro is particularly interesting.

Blanck Mass

Mi1=n= 1NDi[n][jC{i}Fji[n 1]+Fexti[(n1) by Aphex Twin, b-side of 'Windowlicker'

Max (Yuck)

I really love 'Winterlong' by the pixies, its a Neil Young cover, but I prefer this version. I found it quite inspirational when I heard it. The vocals flow together so smoothly, and the whole song sounds perfectly untidy. I discovered it when I bought their b-sides album, it just summarises why I fell in love with that band and why they were such a big part of my life.

Bob Weston (Shellac):

'No Time This Time' by The Police, b-side to So Lonely.


Jeremy Barnes (A Hawk And A Hacksaw):

"I'm Not Like Everybody Else" by the Kinks from their 7 inch release with "Sunny Afternoon" on the A side. I first heard "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" on a cassette tape while driving around Albuquerque, New Mexico looking for something to do. I realized halfway through that listening to that track while driving was exactly what I should be doing...


DJ Peanut Butter Wolf:

"Holly Dolly" by Kano (the b-side to "I'm Ready") or "Lorelei" by Tom Tom Club (the b-side to "Genius Of Love"). Those are the first ones that come to mind. Both are records I bought as a kid and realized at the time that I liked "the back as much as the front" of the record. "Erotic City" by Prince is one that was much more popular than the a-side. Then when hip hop singles came out, b-sides were always listened to as well. DWYK by Gang Starr comes to mind. Paul Revere by Beastie Boys. Rebel Without A Pause by Public Enemy. Paid In Full by Eric B & Rakim. My Melody by Eric B & Rakim. PSK by Schoolly D. If The Papes Come by Tribe Called Quest. F-4000 by Fearless Four. And of course Sucker MCs by Run DMC. That changed hip hop when it came out.


JG Thirlwell (Manorexia):

I had a pretty huge seven inch collection from the 70's and early 80's, thousands of them, which I left behind in London when I moved to NYC in 1983. Unfortunately many of them went astray or were stolen and the collection was decimated by the time I finally went to retrieve them after many years, but I still have many boxes of gems. I hate to pick "favorites" because my obsessions change from day to day, but a b-side that popped into my mind when I was asked was "My Mind Ain't So Open" by Magazine, the b-side of their first single "Shot By Both Sides". That was an exciting single at a time when anything seemed possible. In the course of musing about this I also listened to "Amsterdam", a Jacques Brel cover by David Bowie which graced the b-side of his "Sorrow" single, and that still sounds pretty intense.


Matt King (DD/MM/YYYY):

I think our collected favourite 7" b side is maybe 'The Crunge' by Led Zeppelin. It is the B-side to D'yer Maker. It is awesome because it hardly sounds like Led Zeppelin. It's funky, and has a weird synth part, and is in 9 time. I first heard it when I (Matt) first started hanging out with Tomas, Mike and Jordan. We used to listen to that and the song, 'Part Time Lover' by Stevie Wonder all the time. But once we discovered Frank Zappa, everything else was mud for a whole year.


Jimmy LaVelle (The Album Leaf):

'Bullet Train to Vegas' by Drive Like Jehu (b-side to Hand Over Fist)

It's one of they're fastest, most aggressive, most brutal songs, with all the parts and pieces i love about jehu.. amazing guitar parts & amazing vocal melodies. i remember seeing them play it live, almost passing out when they played it because i was 16, in the front row. getting squashed into the stage and nearly getting trampled on.. It blew my mind.. I bought the 7 inch that night.. awesome.


Mark Stewart (The Pop Group):

1978 "David" by Prince Far-I; the B side, a melancholic violin dub I first heard in Revolver Records (Bristol) where every Friday we would knock off school to wait for the van from "Zion" (at the time driven by Mr Adrian Sherwood (On-U Sound)) that would deliver the latest pre-releases hot from "jamdown" (ie jamaica) .... also "R.A.F" B side of Brian Eno's "Kings Lead Hat", by "Snatch", the London based, American girl duo of Patti Pallidin & Judy Nylon.


Gareth Sager (The Pop Group):

1971 honestly, a very uncool choice. "Maggie May" was originally the B-side to Rod Stewart's "Reason to Believe", (which is a really dreary song), but some bright spark DJ played the other side...."Wake up Maggie I think I've got something to say to you" .....Henry Miller in Pop .


Dylan Carlson (Earth):

'Hey, Hey What Can I Do' by Led Zeppelin (b-side to Immigrant Song)

I was madly in love with a beautiful tramp and it reminded me of her, I mean that in a non-judgmental way (the goddess is always inconstant as it regards us merely male mortals). Also I love the line about leaving here/her when the guitars play (music as shamanic portal to a better world). One of my favorite lines in any song is "time to play b-sides" from blue oyster cult's "Burning for you", I think they wrote it with Richard Meltzer. I bought the zeppelin single at positively 4th street in olympia WA. I heard it on the radio in San Antonio TX.


Adrienne Davies (Earth):

'Right Now I Am A-Roaming' by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (b-side to Into My Arms)

My favorite song leaving on tour and coming back from tour, especially beneficial when knee deep in a panic attack assuming crash positions at 38,000 ft. What ever gets you through the flight, is all right. It uses a lull-a-bye like quality to capture the dissonance between the unreality of tour versus the mundanity and comfort of home. It's got bells!


Angelina Baldoz (Earth):

'Nothing To Say' by Soundgarden (b-side to Hunted Down)

The B-side of their blue vinyl 7" 'Hunted Down' of which only 500 copies were made. I bought it at their show at the Canterbury in Seattle in 1987. It was also the first time I had ever heard them. This track is what I imagine metal exploding in slow motion would sound like. Yamamoto's rich bass sound wih his slow grinding riffs, Cameron's exploding drums, Cornell's voice in long sustained tones with vibrato that rides the groove, and Thayil's guitar with such a lush, deep, and dissonant sound that the nerves throughout my body resonate with it, all combine to create a raw physical experience that reminds me of how ecstatic and raw I felt watching the show. My favorite part is the ending. I love the slow and slower diving dirge into the guitar feedback.


Jim Sclavunos (Grinderman):

'Out Of Focus' by Blue Cheer (b-side to Summertime Blues)

I bought Summertime Blues home and the label was on the wrong way around and I was like 'What! I don't remember it sounding like this!' I really dug it though, really slow grungy distorted feedback, just like the rest of the Blue Cheer songs.


Dan Snaith (Caribou):

'Sputnik' by Sidney Owens and the North South Connection (b-side to Funkie Shortnin' Bread)

The A-side of the record is a funk-by-numbers yawn-fest called Funkie Shortnin' Bread which gives no indication of the melancholic, stoned space-soul to be found on the other side - echoey pontification on humanity's place in the universe, dreamy female vocals, and the heaviest of heaviness from the North South Connection (whoever they are). Even better - this is, to my knowledge, the only record that Sidney Owens ever released!


Stephen O'Malley:

'Sweet Young Thing Aint Sweet No More' by Mudhoney (b-side to Touch Me I'm Sick)

I don't know what my favorite is, its always difficult to qualify in that way. The one that comes to mind is "Sweet young Thing Aint Sweet No More" Mudhoney. This is purely a nostagia of being teenager and discovering records at Cellophane Square / Second Time Around / Fallout in Seattle.


Alison (Helen Money):

'Hear My Train a Comin' by Jimi Hendrix

I'm not sure if it qualifies as a b-side, but if it is, my favorite is Hendrix playing "Hear My Train a Comin" acoustic.  Particularly at the end of the documentary on him.  I saw it for the first time when I was deep into my Hendrix phase - which actually isn't over ;-).  I think someone must have just handed him the guitar cause it looks like the tuning is upside-down for him.  Anyway, I feel like his essence as an artist and person really come across - it's so exposed and soulful.  Beautiful.


Aaron Hemphill (Liars):

'Death Threat' side of split 7" with Voodoo Glow Skulls by Hickey

"I had seen Hickey live and thought they were alright, not my favorite. When I heard about this prank, I thought it was so amazing. I mean, they have a split record with a band that literally wants to kill them. It's a great way of turning aggression on the aggressor and turning it into pure comedy. Our favourite part comes in around 1:45" -

Probe records released a 7" which was made to look as if it were a split between Hickey and the Voodoo Glow Skulls. On one side of the 7" was the Hickey song "Food Stamps and Drink Tickets" and the other side members of Hickey played the trumpet that was stolen from Voodoo Glow Skulls over the answering machine messages left by Voodoo Glow Skulls members and Epitaph Records employees demanding the return of the instrument. The 7" also falsely had the Epitaph Records logo on the back as Epitaph had no official part in the release. According to the zine included with the 7" the two bands played together at the now closed Nile Theater in Mesa, Arizona. Matty Luv, singer of Hickey, made disparaging remarks about Epitaph Records and the commercialization of punk. After members of both bands had a confrontation, the Voodoo Glow Skulls convinced the venue owner to eject Hickey without pay. In response, Hickey stole the trumpet in question out of the Voodoo Glow Skulls van. After receiving threatening messages on their answering machine, Hickey filled the trumpet with pudding and returned it.


El-P (Company Flow):

'Brothers from Brentwood Long Island' by EPMD (b-side to Crossover)

Never been on CD.  Possibly the best EPMD song ever.


DJ Mr. Len (Company Flow):

'Erotic City' by Prince (b-side to Let's Go Crazy)

Prince is at his best being bad....this tune is naughty in every way.


Bigg Jus (Company Flow):

'GOD' by Prince (B-side of Purple Rain) and "Synopsis" by E-Rule. (B-side of "Listen Up")


Aaron Hemphill (Liars):

'Erotic City' by Prince (b-side to Let's Go Crazy)

Prince And The Revolution's "Erotic City", which is a b-side to "Let's Go Crazy". I believe Erotic City is one of Prince's best songs...not to knock "Let's Go Crazy", but Erotic City's energy buries the A-side...I believe it was Sheila E.'s debut recording...simple and precise accompaniment, with a very intricately constructed androgynous male/female vocal.


Anika:

'T.V.O.D.' by The Normal (b-side to Warm Leatherette)

I always choose The Normal's TVOD over Warm Leatherette. I always thought this was the a-side anyway. I think on my vinyl copy, the a and b are in really small print and i have terrible vision, so that probably explains it. I prefer the lyrics. I like the line "stick the arial into my skin" it reminds me of 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers', the Don Siegel version (the re-make/s lose the whole point of the film). Both play on the idea of a hidden force brainwashing us and turning us into emotionless dupes, with an inability to think for ourselves. The way Dana Wynter and the bloke in the film try to blend in with the dupes, is by walking around like robots, keeping their heads down, not questioning the system and working. Sounds familiar. Some people i know find it a little repetitive but for me this is the point of it. It puts you into a kind of trance which plays on the TV  OD theme. I also like the deadpan delivery. I picked up the Grace Jone version of warm Leatherette on vinyl the other day, which is an interesting take on the a-side...


Matt Williams (Beak> / Fairhorns):

'Meet Me At The Harbour' by Idlewild (b-side to Actually It's Darkness)

Probably an unpopular choice, but Idlewild's "Meet Me At The Harbour" on the "Actually It's Darkness" Single, (March 2000) is my favourite B-Side - I think it captures the proper slightly ragged proto-emo indiecore thing that they were doing so well before they drifted off into naff low-rent REM territory - Tense and knotted whilst still melodic, I think this track's their strongest out of all of 'em, and don't know why it didn't make it as an album cut, but the fact that it is a secret little B-Side buried on one version of a single makes it all the more special (which adds to the dreamy fey teenage feeling, back when you still bought singles). The piano drop before the last chorus is super effective for me, and gives me that OUCH feeling right in my guts...I saw them play a few weeks after, it was my first proper gig and they played this song right in the middle of the set and I wept like a fuckin' bairn.


Billy Fuller (Beak>):

'Chedder Cheese' by The Wurzels (b-side to One For The Bristol City)

For me, it's got to be 'Chedder Cheese' by The Wurzels, it was the b-side to 'One For The Bristol City'. My copy was from 1977 I think, well, it wasn't my copy, it was my eldest Brother's copy from when Bristol City got promoted to the old 1st Division way back when Starburst were Opal Fruits and only one car (Morris Minor I think) was ever parked in my street. Funnily enough, my old man played snare drum in The Wurzels back when they first started out around 1966. Unfortunately, he didn't last very long in the band because he knocked Adge Cutler out in a pub in a village near Bristol called Pill (in North Somerset & a Beak> tune). When I asked him why he did this, my Dad replied, "Because he was flashing his cash around at the bar the b*stard... I don't like flash b*stards, so I hit 'im!"... um, nice one Dad. Anyway, it's got to be 'Chedder Cheese' because it's the first song I ever remember hearing and having a positive reaction to it, even today, it doesn't sound bad, it just sounds like The Wurzels. And fuck it, everyone else will be going on about some trendy record by Nitzabottom Ein Stickenbacken or something like that.


S.C.U.M:

'Daddy Rollin' (in Your Arms)' by Dion (b-side to Abraham, Martin and John)

It is the music of a pop star falling, a heart throb in decline, insanity approaching.


Citizen Kinsman (Foot Village):

'Violence to Violence' by Rollerskate Skinny

Rollerskate Skinny "Violence to Violence" (on Placebo; 1993) Truly the sound of the universe being ripped open. Every ineffable beauty and terror bursting forth in one stream-lined mess. The sharp compositional twists and confident, poetic delivery of grim lyrics here fascinated my teen mind and continue to inspire me today. If only all the 90s retro going on right now was centered around bands like TFUL282, rRope, and Rollerskate Skinny...


The Telescopes:

'Stole Some Sentimental Jewellery' by Vibracathedral Orchestra and 'Bring it to Jerome' by Bo Diddley (b-side to Pretty Thing)
 

Jabulani Ngozi (Black Roots):

'Seeing Your Face' by Black Roots

In tribute to the late Derrick King, Black Roots Bass player who passed away earlier this year.