Flip Sides

CD's are an amazing achievement in the music industry. Still I long for the days of the 45's. One reason is that today you no longer have what use to be called the flip side. There was the "A" side that had the most popular song on it. Then there was the "B" side, also known as the flip side since you had to flip the record over. Early on they would put two popular songs on the 45. If radio stations got enough request for both songs it proved that the records were selling due to the popularity of both sides. Therefore, you had a double sided hit. Record companies got wise and found out they could sell twice as many 45's if they put what they expected to be a hit song on the "A" side and a regular non-hit song on the "B" side. Sometimes the record company was wrong. DJ's wouldn't like the "A" side song and flip over to the "B" side. They would like that and play it. Then the "B" side song would be the hit. It is rumored that is why the song "Hound Dog" by Elvis became a hit. By the 1970's that wasn't happening too much. Record companies got choosing the A sided hit song down to a science. Most people started buying more albums instead. That way you not only had the hit but you had about 11 other songs too. Usually the flip side of the 45 was also on the album. Sometimes it was a song that was not on the album. If you were a big fan of the artist you would always check out the flip side of the 45 even if you already had the album. Sometimes you got a plesant surprise. That is how I came across these two songs. If you click on the photo you will see the songs are Sugar On The Floor by Elton John and They Gave In To The Blues by Barry Manilow. I don't recall seeing them on the albums that the hit songs were from or any other album or CD they have put out. The hit songs on the A sides are Island Girl by Elton and Ships by Barry. Huge hit songs for both men. So, while I do like CD's for the albums and singles, you can't flip them over and get that little surprise anymore.