| rhyeking 18.03.2013 13:06 |
This seems to be something that should be straightforward, but I'm looking for a definitive answer that is elusive for some reason. Was the North American (Elektra Records) "We Are The Champions" and "We Are The Champions" single officially a AA-side single when issued in 1977? Reports I'm reading seem to differ, even official ones: The current 2012 Official Fan Club Discography lists it as a "Double-A side" single. The 1978 OFC Discography says this: "We Will Rock You" was originally planned as a "B" side for "Champions," but the track received so much airplay that the single was eventually a Double "A" side. Does that mean it was released in the US as the B-side, but was simply *called* a AA-side because of its popularity? I always considered WWRY the B-side of the single that circumstances (its popularity) made into a hit despite not being a AA-side. What are other people's thoughts on this? I'm also aware that there was an Elektra promo 12" that had the following track listing: Side 1: "We Are The Champions" "We Will Rock You" Side 2: "We Will Rock You" "We Are The Champions" This certainly helped elevate the two as a natural pairing. |
| waunakonor 18.03.2013 15:13 |
I wasn't there so I couldn't tell you exactly how it all went down, but from what I can tell the only different between an A/B single and a AA single is that both songs in an AA single receive a lot of attention. In that case, WAtC/WWRY is definitely an AA side, though I don't know how it was originally marketed. Meanwhile, Killer Queen/Flick of the Wrist was supposed to be an AA single, but for some reason FotW got no love, so it's really more of a B-side than a double A-side. |
| rhyeking 18.03.2013 15:52 |
I see your point. Some singles are planned in advance as AA-sides, as I understand it, for example: "Killer Queen" "Flick Of The Wrist" "Bicycle Race" "Fat Bottomed Girls" "Bohemian Rhapsody" "These Are The Days Of Our Lives" If one of the AA tracks, like FOTW, doesn't chart, I'd assume it gets viewed as any failed A-side (like "Keep Yourself Alive"): It's just a single that didn't chart. KYA doesn't become a BB-side because neither song on it charted. I know, I'm getting into iffy semantics, but it's sort of my point. Do we retroactively assign AA-side status to a single with a B-side hit? Since this is the only example of this in Queen's singles catalogue, it appears to be an anomaly. "We Will Rock You" is an undisputed hit, no question, but in strict singles record-keeping, should history be re-written (if that's what's happening)? My thought is "No." If WWRY was the B-side, let be listed as such in discographies. I don't think it takes away anything from its popularity. In fact, it becomes an interesting fact, the B-side that became a hit, matching its A-side track. It's also worth noting that these same discographies agree that in the UK, where it's also considered a hit, it's not given AA status, which just adds to the confusion. |
| GT 18.03.2013 16:47 |
We Will Rock You was released in the USA as a double A side from the off. Before it's commercial release on 7" single, the 12" promo single was released to radio stations with both tracks on either side together on one side and reversed on the other, so radio could play both tracks with either WWRY or WATC being the first song of the two to be played. Elektra saw the songs as one track and were often played as one song at the time. In the UK WATC was the A side with WWRY as the B side. WWRY was only picked up by radio after the single had been released with WWRY gaining some airplay and becoming a popular song thereafter. This was the reason it was released on Greatest Hits, as it had soon become an instantly recognisable Queen track that became a hit after being released as a B side. |
| cmsdrums 18.03.2013 16:49 |
Good post! Does anyone have the US vinyl single where they can look at the label? In the UK I'm sure singles were labelled 'A' and 'B', or in the case of singles where both tracks were officially released, as 'A' and 'AA'. If the US one is labelled 'A' and 'B' then the answer is surely that WWRY was never actually an A side single but just a B side that got lucky! Would be nice to resolve - and I'm sure the correct answer will be found here rather than on any official discography. |
| GT 18.03.2013 17:00 |
In the seventies, a double A side had A and B on the labels just like Killer Queen / Flick Of The Wrist did in the UK. It was the marketing that distinguished a single being a double A side. Whether radio picked up on both sides was up to the programmers. In the case of Flick Of The Wrist, it was deemed too risque for airplay and was only usually played on rock or night time shows. But then with a song as strong as KQ why would you play the less commercial side? Whether the rule of labelling A and B to A and AA on a label ever changed you would have to check out the double A side singles from the eighties and nineties. |
| inu-liger 18.03.2013 17:15 |
GT wrote: We Will Rock You was released in the USA as a double A side from the off. Before it's commercial release on 7" single, the 12" promo single was released to radio stations with both tracks on either side together on one side and reversed on the other, so radio could play both tracks with either WWRY or WATC being the first song of the two to be played. Elektra saw the songs as one track and were often played as one song at the time.Not just that, but Hollywood Records also kept the same practice, issuing at least one promo CD that had the two literally on one track. |
| mooghead 18.03.2013 17:23 |
There is no such thing as a 'double A side'. They need to be different for cataloguing purposes. Candle in the Wind 1997 was a 'double A side' with Something about the Way You Look Tonight. I have the We Will Rock You/Champions single. One of them is A and one is B. I cannot remember, or do not care, which is which. I will dig them out from my bottomless pit....... if you want to be shocked...... |
| rhyeking 18.03.2013 17:29 |
Thanks, Gary! :-) |
| rhyeking 18.03.2013 17:55 |
I found this online, too, since we're discussing AA-side singles. NSFW, so heads up. It's the original ad for the BR/FBG single, with the *unaltered* pic of the model from the sleeve. Catalogue numbers aside, certain singles were advertised as "Double A-side". It was the question of whether this was the stated intention for the WATC/WWRY US 7" single that prompted my original post. Gary clarified the issue for me nicely! |
| mooghead 18.03.2013 18:11 |
Scan the label from each side and one will be A and one will be B. Advertising/Actual... not the same..... |
| rhyeking 18.03.2013 18:39 |
That's why advertising exists for this, to distinguish for the public the difference between the artist's intention and the necessary internal company numbering systems (catalogue numbers). Now that I know the band's intention *before* the single was released was for the songs to be the A- and AA-sides (rather than as A- and B-sides, in the less-formal sense of A = Song we what to be a hit, and B = not-as-important song), I have what I need. That Elektra couldn't designate each side the same thing, or even -A and -AA for that matter, shouldn't surprise anyone. Nor should the -A and -B portions of Cat #s be taken so literally, at the expense of the artist's stated intention. Anyway, I'm off! Talk amongst yourselves. Thanks again, everyone. :-) |
| DLCVinnuendo 18.03.2013 19:07 |
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| DLCVinnuendo 18.03.2013 19:17 |
The back of USA 7" single, there's nothing saying that is a double single, there is B/W WWRY link |
| DLCVinnuendo 18.03.2013 19:19 |
i think that only in france, that WWRY was a single "alone", without WATC link |
| GT 19.03.2013 02:56 |
The single in France was a different story. Because WATC got to No 1 in the French charts, there rules state that a single cannot be No 1 longer than 12 weeks in a row, which WATC achieved. So to get around the rules EMI Pathe Marconi issued the regular picture sleeve with the words We Will Rock You on the front cover to distinguish that this was the new A side. The single then continued at No 1 with WWRY as the A side and radio played WWRY as the new single. |
| Queenfred 19.03.2013 05:39 |
Don't know if this is the case around the world, but when the Australian radio station "Triple M" play We Will Rock You, it is ALWAYS followed by We are the Champions. Every time. |
| *goodco* 19.03.2013 17:52 |
The Queen USA Elektra release: WATC E-45441-A WWRY E-45441-B When it was released, one never knew when WWRY was played whether WATC would follow, or would be something entirely different. As to double A sides, one example is: The Beatles 'Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out' link or, is it 'We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper' Same for Strawberry Fields, Hey Jude etc |
