By Hildee Baldwin
December 16, 2021
Back in the days when things were still proudly built to last and people memorized the phone numbers of friends and families; record companies sold discs the size of bread plates called “singles” – they were often, but not always, made of black vinyl and were etched with two songs, one on each side, that could be played on something called a record player which transferred the music from the single to speakers that allowed you to hear the songs. These singles had what were known as an A-side and a B-side. The A-side usually contained the song the record company bribed the DJs to play, the song they were betting on to launch the entire album or test the waters to see if the public would be interested in shelling out their cash to buy a whole album of songs and concert tickets and t-shirts and wall posters. The B-side was a gift with purchase if you will, something the record label threw on because all discs have two sides and why not give the public a song or remix that may otherwise never ride the airwaves.
