SHAKIN' ALL OVER - A BRITISH ROCK 'N' ROLL CLASSIC

Artist: JOHNNY KIDD & THE PIRATES; Title: SHAKIN' ALL OVER; Label: HMV; Format: 7"; Cat. No.: 45-POP 753; Year: 1960; Country: UK

Last post of 2014 - and hoping all you out there in blog-sphere have had a excellent festive period!  Looking today at what has to be a prime chunk of bona fide British Rock 'n' Roll.  Namely this 1960 classic from Johnny Kidd & The Pirates.

The A Side gives you what has to be one of the best bits of home-grown Rock 'n' Roll (yes I know I'm repeating myself but it's a point worth making!) in the shape of "Shakin' All Over".  So what it makes it a classic?  For starters there's that opening guitar riff courtesy of Joe Moretti.  Then there's that clear, clean production - with not a single angelic chorus, or string section in sight.  In short everything a Rock 'n' Roll record should be.

And from the sublime to the downright bloody awful - as the B Side gives you the kitch-fest that is "Yes Sir, That's My Baby".  Which needs to be avoided like the plague!  Just wondering if that was the trade off with EMI - allowing them to do their own thing with the A Side, and then having to record this drivel for the B Side.  It's the type of thing that appears on the 'Can't Believe It's Not Better' slot on Graham Norton's radio show.

That's if from The Vinyl Consultancy for 2014!  See all you vinylheads in the New Year!!!!

I DON'T WHY - STEVIE WONDER'S FORGOTTON A SIDE

Artist: STEVIE WONDER; Title: I DON'T WHY I LOVE YOU; Label: TAMLA MOTOWN; Format: 7"; Cat. No.: TMG 690; Year; 1969; Country: UK

Carrying on the theme of singles flipped in favour of their B Sides which I mentioned in connection with the recent Shirelles post, looking today at what's probably one of the classic cases of this happening.  This 1969 offering from Stevie Wonder.

The A Side as it was originally issued is the rather excellent "I Don't Why I Love You".  Which finds Stevie Wonder in fine form on this excellent bit of late 60's Soul/Funk - and you can hear creative muscles beginning to be flexed - as the bosses at Motown were beginning to be aware of just what this blind kid was capable of.  I actually came to the song via the Stones cover of it that surfaced on the mid-70's 'Metamorphosis' set which they'd recorded around the time this came out - ie 1969 when their relationship with Decca had soured somewhat.

And what's on the B Side you may ask?  Only what went on to become one of Stevie Wonder's biggest ever hits. A little ditty entitled "My Cherie Amour".  Still prefer the A Side though!