QUESTION:

A long time ago but not so far away, a “single” record came on a disc with two sides. The A side was the song destined, if lucky, for radio play. The B side (or “flip side”) was often an afterthought. But sometimes the B side became a hit as well, producing a “double-sided” hit. The following A sides, huge hits on their own, also included a B side that became popular in its own right. What was the flip side of each of the following records?

“Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley
“Peggy Sue” by Buddy Holly
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” by the Shirelles
“We Can Work It Out” by the Beatles
“Honky Tonk Women” by the Rolling Stones

ANSWER:

In 1956, Elvis exploded with “Heartbreak Hotel,” his first national hit on RCA Records, with “I Was the One” as its B side. Later that year, he had one of his biggest hits ever with “Don’t Be Cruel.” The flip side, “Hound Dog,” likewise became another enormous hit.

“Peggy Sue” was released on September 20, 1957 with “Everyday” as its B side. A bit of a musical departure for Holly, especially since his band, the Crickets, are not credited on the record, “Everyday” was later recorded by James Taylor, John Denver and Don McLean, among others.

In late 1960, the Shirelles released “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, a song that became their first Number One hit. The B side was a rocker called “Boys,” a song that was later recorded by the Beatles, giving Ringo Starr his first lead vocal with the group.

The Beatles had several double-sided hits. Nearly every flip side made its mark. While “We Can Work It Out” was released as the “hit” single and reached Number One on Billboard, the flip side, “Day Tripper,” made it into the Top Five. Both songs have been covered many times: Stevie Wonder had a hit with “We Can Work it Out” and James Taylor recorded one of the best covers of “Day Tripper” ever put to tape.

In 1969, the Rolling Stones had yet another huge hit single when they released “Honky Tonk Women.” The B side of that record, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” while never a huge hit single on its own, has long been considered one of the group’s greatest songs.