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12.21pm
31 October 2013
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Can anyone point me to a definitive account of the double A sides? I’ve seen a variety of accounts. This Wikipedia page says that “I Want To Hold Your Hand ” / “I Saw Her Standing There ” was one. Steve Hoffmann Music Forums says the first double A side was “We Can Work It Out “/ “Day Tripper .” I know of course that “Strawberry Fields Forever”/”Penny Lane” was one, but are there still others?
I can be more specific about my questions.
1. What was the first double A side?
2. What’s the complete list?
3. Is it even possible to know definitively what was a double A side? Was it such an overt category, or might it have been a more subtle matter, given that no side was marked “A” or “B,” and it was really a matter of emphasis for promotion and such.
Thanks for any thoughts.
1.01pm
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Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline jwshenk said
Can anyone point me to a definitive account of the double A sides? I’ve seen a variety of accounts. This Wikipedia page says that “I Want To Hold Your Hand ” / “I Saw Her Standing There ” was one. Steve Hoffmann Music Forums says the first double A side was “We Can Work It Out “/ “Day Tripper .” I know of course that “Strawberry Fields Forever”/”Penny Lane” was one, but are there still others?I can be more specific about my questions.
1. What was the first double A side?
2. What’s the complete list?
3. Is it even possible to know definitively what was a double A side? Was it such an overt category, or might it have been a more subtle matter, given that no side was marked “A” or “B,” and it was really a matter of emphasis for promotion and such.
Thanks for any thoughts.
Double a-sides (UK dates)
We Can Work It Out /Day Tripper (3rd December 1965)
Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine (5th August 1966)
Strawberry Fields Forever /Penny Lane (17th February 1967)
Come Together /Something (31st October 1969 – US release was the 6th October 1969)
I Want To Hold Your Hand /I Saw Her Standing There was a US single in December 1963 but I Want To Hold Your Hand was the a-side.
Wasn’t it all about which side of the single was to get more airplay and promotion?
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
10.52pm
31 October 2013
Offline Wasn’t it all about which side of the single was to get more airplay and promotion?
Yes, that’s my impression–and that’s how I wonder whether there is, in fact, an official classification for double A sides, or whether we are relying on the characterization of the release in reminiscences, such as George Martin’s on Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane . Or perhaps there exist somewhere press releases that made the designation explicit.
5.16am
11 November 2010
Offline I’ve always disliked that term, though I’m not sure why.
I'm Necko. I'm like Ringo except I wear necklaces.
I'm also ewe2 on weekends.
Most likely to post things that make you go hmm... 2015, 2016, 2017. 
5.54am
Reviewers
17 December 2012
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jwshenk said
I wonder whether there is, in fact, an official classification for double A sides, or whether we are relying on the characterization of the release in reminiscences, such as George Martin’s on Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane . Or perhaps there exist somewhere press releases that made the designation explicit.
There is actually the discs themselves. Demonstration (promotional) records sent out to DJs, reviewers, etc. would make clear which was the a-side by having a big red A on that side, to make clear which track the band would be promoting as the lead track, and to avoid the mistake of the wrong side being played/reviewed.
Here is the demonstration copy of We Can Work It Out /Day Tripper :
As can be seen, the A appears on both sides.
The demonstration records do throw up one particular oddity in relation to this however. While Day Tripper was intended to be a b-side until John got his way and EMI agreed to promote it as a double-a, EMI had originally intended to promote A Hard Day’s Night /Things We Said Today as a double-a back in July 1964, and only changed their strategy after the promotional copies had been pressed.
Though Beatles b-sides always received attention, and not to detract from Things We Said Today in any way (a McCartney gem), this may be a part of the reason that Things We Said Today received a similar amount of airplay to A Hard Day’s Night .
The following people thank Ron Nasty for this post:
sigh butterfly, Richard"I only said we were bigger than Rod... and now there's all this!" Ron Nasty
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The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
3.24pm
31 October 2013
Offline mja6758, this is brilliant. thanks for posting. does anyone have an image of the promotional record for Strawberry Fields Forever /Penny Lane ?
4.19pm
9 January 2014
Offline mja6758 said
Though Beatles b-sides always received attention, and not to detract from Things We Said Today in any way (a McCartney gem), this may be a part of the reason that Things We Said Today received a similar amount of airplay to A Hard Day’s Night .
There is an interview somewhere from 1964, where Paul is asked about the rumour that the band wanted to put out Things We Said Today as an A-side. Paul said something about how they just happened to like Things a lot because it was more like the folk music they had been listening to lately (in other words, the Freewheelin’ album they had just listened to at the beginning of February).
