Do the B-Sides start disappearing now?

[killerklown24]

We are 2 singles in and we are already getting the remixes in mass. I have to say that I am somewhat disappointed. The days of the JT and RaH singles with 2 and sometimes 3 b-sides look to be long gone. With the POP era I could understand, not much left over...but with the last 2 records there were supposedly 25 songs recorded during each session.

Release them to us fellas!!!!! Give us a proper box set!!! All Unreleased and Rare recordings...

 

[JulioArca]

Im with you on this one. Although I like the remixes, I would like more b-sides like Salome and Spinning Head.

The remixes are 'so 90's' now aren't they...

 

[gareth brown]

If they released loads of unreleased material, you'd end up with crap like 'Xanax and Wine' and god knows what else littering the singles...!

 

[popacrobat]

maybe they don't want to realease some of those songs as bsides because they want to work on them for their next album?

what if they released sometimes you cant make it on your own as a bside to stuck in a moment (the shitty version of sometimes...the unreleased version) and we didn't get to have that masterpiece of a song on the bomb? then that would suck.

 

[boosterjuice]

We can't knock U2 for not releasing enough material. We just got an album and 25 unreleased tracks (many of which are awesome songs, ie "Love you like mad"). We also got Fast Cars as a bonus track and, in my opinion, one of U2's best songs; "MERCY". If you do the math, you'll see that we are very fortunate fans as of late.

HTDAAB: 12 songs
Vertigo Single: 2 songs (AYGWF, Neon Lights)
Mercy: 1 song (this should count as 5 songs)
Rare&Unreleased: 25 songs

THAT IS 40 New SONGS in the last few months!!!!

U2's complete catalogue has 447 songs total (including all the remixes and live releases).
So U2 has released just under 10% of lifes work in last few months.

Not bad.

 

[martha]

But not everyone has access to Mercy and the the Apple set. Which makes me think that the days of decent b-sides are over now that itunes has provided a way for the band to both release singles with remixes and charge people for the "rare" songs. It's double-dipping.


And they still had plenty of decent songs for the next album when they were releasing real b-sides.

No. It's either creative stagnation or greed or plain laziness. I'm inclined to think it's laziness.

 

[killerklown24]

If they released loads of unreleased material, you'd end up with crap like 'Xanax and Wine' and god knows what else littering the singles...!

I have to say that I love Xanax and Wine and that is the exact reason I would like to see all of their material. I guess it is more of me being selfish. They could be saving the unreleased stuff for a new record...but still no better time than the present...just can't get enough of their tunes...Hell after Bomb came out I started counting the days until the next one...never satisfied...

 

[Popmartijn]

We are 2 singles in and we are already getting the remixes in mass. I have to say that I am somewhat disappointed. The days of the JT and RaH singles with 2 and sometimes 3 b-sides look to be long gone. With the POP era I could understand, not much left over...but with the last 2 records there were supposedly 25 songs recorded during each session.

Release them to us fellas!!!!! Give us a proper box set!!! All Unreleased and Rare recordings...

Well, the first single off Rattle And Hum also had a remix already. The second one had a live track. And the third one 2 remixes and a cover.
The first single off Achtung Baby had one original song and a remix. The second single had 7 remixes in total (if you count all the different formats).
So I don't see how this one is that much different from the rest.

 

[Yahweh]

U2 could go the way of a lot of bands and just not bother to release singles anymore, just have them out there for radio play. If you dont like remixes dont get the single you have a choice.

I am sure U2 is keeping some of their stuff close to their vest so they can work on it at a later date, because lets face it folks "bsides" dont get heard by many people at all and if U2 feels they have a really strong track that should be worked on to make it an aside i dont blame them.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

It's double-dipping.

But Martha my dear, so what if its like I put my whole mouth in the bowl.

 

[Iskra]

Need more covers!!!!!

 

[Earnie Shavers]

The truth is the 'cd single' will be dead in the next 2-4 years anyway (it pretty much is here now in Australia - single sales have dropped about 60% over the last 5 years and we don't have iTunes here yet).

Also, if you think about it downloading-wise, I guess maybe a band like U2 figure that there are casual fans who will, for example, buy the song Vertigo off iTunes, but not bother with remixes, b-sides etc. Then there are hardcore fans who will not buy Vertigo, because they'll buy the album, but will buy a b-side or remix. I mean, none of us in here buy a U2 single for the lead track, we own that, we buy it for the b-sides.
It's not double dipping, it's dip splitting.

 

[martha]

But Martha my dear, so what if its like I put my whole mouth in the bowl.

Remind me to think twice about the guacamole at your next party.

 

[martha]

The truth is the 'cd single' will be dead in the next 2-4 years anyway

I know. U2 already don't release singles in the New World anymore.


I also agreed with the rest of your post; I just didn't want to quote the whole thing.

 

[babyman]

this happens when you work with deejays like jacknife lee

 

[deltau922]

Funny, i thought b-sides already disappeared in the mid-90s.

 

[TheFly84138]

What's the big deal? U2 make their b-sides much more accessible than most bands. Anyway, you should be able to find them on any decent sized downloading service.

 

[U2girl]

I hope not, I'd rather have a "bad" B-side over a remix version 10000000 ... there was enough of that in the 90's.

 

[shart1780]

I dunno... but I do know that Mercy and Fast Cars are two of the best b-sides they've ever released, and AYGWF isn't too shabby at all!!!

 

[korczykp]

I dunno... but I do know that Mercy and Fast Cars are two of the best b-sides they've ever released, and AYGWF isn't too shabby at all!!!

hmm, Fast Cars isn't really a B-Side... and Mercy hasn't even been released yet

 

[cmb737]

There is an unreleased U2 cover of Happy Birthday that kicks. Unfortunately Michael Jackson owns the publishing to that song and is in the midst of selling it to Applebees. Quite Sad really. Perhaps we will get it on ITunes next digibox set.

Cross your fingers!

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

There is an unreleased U2 cover of Happy Birthday that kicks. Unfortunately Michael Jackson owns the publishing to that song and is in the midst of selling it to Applebees. Quite Sad really. Perhaps we will get it on ITunes next digibox set.

Cross your fingers!

How you know that?

 

[doctorwho]

But not everyone has access to Mercy and the the Apple set. Which makes me think that the days of decent b-sides are over now that itunes has provided a way for the band to both release singles with remixes and charge people for the "rare" songs. It's double-dipping.


And they still had plenty of decent songs for the next album when they were releasing real b-sides.

No. It's either creative stagnation or greed or plain laziness. I'm inclined to think it's laziness.

I think b-side days are over because, barring the U.K., CD single sales are over.

People still love the single - but it's completely different. Back in the day of 45 rpm records, people bought records for the a-side. Often the b-side was just the a-side again or another album track. I have tons of records and know this for a fact - not many artists released new songs as b-sides. In the 60's, often b-sides were hits along with the a-sides. That is, both sides of the record could be hits - but that was long ago. That time has come and gone. Now people just download the song they want. And really, that's why people bought 45 rpm records or CD singles for anyway - they didn't necessarily care about b-sides or remixes or live tracks; they just wanted that one song.

As such downloads are now outselling CD single sales, even in the U.K. And that means that soon there probably won't be any CD singles. A lack of a physical single means no need for b-sides.

So enjoy the extra songs you get now, whether they be remixes, new songs or live tracks. Next album might not have any of these.