Posted February 7, 201411 yr I was just wonder what's a double A side(think that's what its called)?what are the advantages in releasing 2 songs at once?why don't they do it now?didn't west life do it with I have a dream/seasons in the sun
February 7, 201411 yr I was just wonder what's a double A side(think that's what its called)?what are the advantages in releasing 2 songs at once?why don't they do it now?didn't west life do it with I have a dream/seasons in the sun A double A side used to mean two songs that are promoted equally (In theory) two videos etc. Advantages- if people didn't like one they might buy the other Why don't they do it now- Because the tracks would be classed as separate purchases and sales split appropriately. You could do it as a bundle but one track would be nominated as the lead track and sales would be split accordingly. I'm guessing it isn't even possible now in reality. Westlife- yes indeed they did.
February 7, 201411 yr In the days of physical records, particularly 7" vinyls, there was a track on each side of the disc, the lead track, the one being promoted, was the A-side, and the other side was the B-side. Sometimes the B-side was an inferior track, but often there were some good songs there. In the case of some artists the record label decided to promote both sides, for example Elvis Presley had different followings on each side of the Atlantic in the late 50s and early 60s, so one side would be more to US tastes and one to UK tastes. In these case where both sides were being promoted, either at the same time, or a few weeks apart to prolong the chart life of the record, they would be said to be 'Double A-sides'. When the age of the CD came in and more tracks began to be put on a disc, the double a-side began to lose it's role in the marketing of singles, although TV crooners Robson and Groan managed to have a number one with a treble A-side at one point in the mid 90s. In the age of the download the rules for double a-sides governing which sales can be added together and which have to be excluded are rather complicated, and the exclusions can make or break a singles success, as Leona Lewis found out when they made the difference between Better In Time/Footprints In The Sand from getting the top spot and not getting it, although this is nothing new as the various charts disagreed about combining or separating the sides even in the early 50s, which is odd considering you either bought the disc with both sides on it, or bought no disc.
February 7, 201411 yr Just to add that in the days of generic sleeved vinyl, the promotion of one side and then the other side, alongside the fact that often people never bothered to play the b-sides of the records they owned, meant you could potentially fool the same fans into buying the same disc again simply by promoting the second side as the act in question's 'new single' without mentioning that it was the other side of their last single. This tactic is rumoured to be why Boney M's Rivers Of Babylon/Brown Girl In The Ring managed 2m sales and such chart longevity.
February 7, 201411 yr I started a thread on double A-sides a while back http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=131182
February 7, 201411 yr Author So it is just like now for example if Katy Perry had a double A side of roar/unconditionally and they were released on the same week..then the sales of both would be added together?would that not mean it would have a higher peak..could they not now release a new single and another album track together as a double A side to get a higher peak?
February 7, 201411 yr So it is just like now for example if Katy Perry had a double A side of roar/unconditionally and they were released on the same week..then the sales of both would be added together?would that not mean it would have a higher peak..could they not now release a new single and another album track together as a double A side to get a higher peak? No. The OCC count different songs as separate sales unless they are in a "bundle" or "EP" in which case the sale is credited to the nominated track, invariably the "lead" track. It only worked in the "olden" days when there was a "physical" product (CD, 7", 12" Cassingle etc)
February 7, 201411 yr How to make people feel old part 2,301 - Ask "What is a double a-side?" :( My nephew asked me what my vinyl records were for the other day. I told him they have music on them. He said, they are really big, they must have a lot of music on them. Edited February 7, 201411 yr by Bamse
February 7, 201411 yr My nephew asked me what my vinyl records were for the other day. I told him they have music on them. He said, they are really big, they must have a lot of music on them. :lol:
February 7, 201411 yr Double A-sides were essentially a promotional tool as stated above, however in the digital era they have become pretty much obsolete outside of fanbase acts. The last double A-side #1 was McFly's "Baby's Coming Back/Transylvania" which famously fell 1-20 in May 2007. Others included KWS's 1992 5 week chart topping "Please Don't Go / Game Boy", Elton John in 1990 (also 5 weeks) with "Sacrifice / Healing Hands". X-Factor winner Leona Lewis was denied a #1 in 2008 by 302 copies of Duffy's "Mercy" (then in its 5th week at No. 1) over her double A-side "Better In Time / Footprints In The Sand" - the reason... sales of "Footprints In The Sand" (download) were counted separately.
February 8, 201411 yr The Beatles were kings of the Double A side in the 60s with singles such as: Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You I Want To Hold Your Hand / This Boy Can't Buy Me Love / You Can't Do That We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever All You Need Is Love / Baby You're A Rich Man Hey Jude / Revolution Rolling Stones had 3 19th Nervous Breakdown / Play With Fire Let's Spend The Night Together / Ruby Tuesday We Love You / Dandelion In the US for chart purposes Billboard charted them as separate singles. Many other acts had the odd Double A side One noticeable single in 1979 was that of Boney M: Rivers Of Babylon / Brown Girl In The Ring - Radio mainly played Rivers Of Babylon which became a number one hit. Clubs were playing Brown Girl In The Ring. When Rivers Of Babylon slipped down the charts as far as #21 Radio started playing Brown Girl In The Ring and the single climbed back up the charts to #2. On odd occasions the A & B sides were flipped after release mainly due to popularity. A couple I remember were: Four Pennies - Tell Me Why flopped on initial release and they flipped it so that the original B side became the A side and was a #1 hit. The song was Juliet - back in 1964 Another from 1971 was by Rod Stewart. Reason To Believe was the original A side peaking at #19. It was then flipped so that the original B side became the A side and was a #1 hit. The song was Maggie May. Edited February 8, 201411 yr by euro music
February 8, 201411 yr Good old Steps did well with Heartbeat/Tragedy as they climbed to number 1 after Christmas in 1999 as the less festive Tragedy was played more. Bloody Robson and Jerome were culprits of the AA. They even had the only AAA side to get to number 1.
February 8, 201411 yr Robson & Jerome had 7 songs go to #1 in 3 different releases because of double/triple A-sides. I don't think anyone else can say they've done that.
February 8, 201411 yr Robson & Jerome had 7 songs go to #1 in 3 different releases because of double/triple A-sides. I don't think anyone else can say they've done that. Technically any #1 album is 7+ songs going to #1 in one release :P
February 8, 201411 yr Wasn't Lana Del Rey's 'Video Games/Blue Jeans' a double A-side at first? Obviously only one of those got any interest at the time and 'Blue Jeans' was later pushed on its own but for at least a time they were one release.
February 10, 201411 yr Don't forget the most famous, and arguably one of the most successful, examples: Spice Girls - Holla/ Let Love Lead the Way (2000)
February 10, 201411 yr Don't forget the most famous, and arguably one of the most successful, examples: Spice Girls - Holla/ Let Love Lead the Way (2000) It's called Holler. It was their last number 1 single, and I think both songs almost their weakest. Only Headlines beat them. BTW it's by far not their successful and famous (and it's not even arguable). Much more successful was Mama/Who Do You think You Are. And both one of the girls' best!
February 10, 201411 yr a few I can think of... Spice Girls - Mama/Who Do You Think You Are Spice Girls - Viva Forever/Never Give Up On The Good Times [cancelled] Spice Girls - Holler/Let Love Lead The Way S Club 7 - Two in a Million / Your My Number One S Club 7 - Say Goodbye / Love Aint Gonna Wait For You
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