[OT] Stevie Wonder - Which is the A-side?
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Topic: [OT] Stevie Wonder - Which is the A-side?
Posted By: aaronk
Subject: [OT] Stevie Wonder - Which is the A-side?
Date Posted: 18 August 2022 at 3:14pm
Neither of these made the Hot 100, let alone the top 40, but maybe someone here can answer which was the intended A-side. I've used Google, 45cat, and Discogs, as well as consulting the Complete Motown Singles Box sets. There doesn't seem to be a solid consensus and/or definitive reason for picking one side over another for these two:
Tamla 54070
Little Water Boy (DM V-007112) / La La La La (DM B-008103)
Tamla T-54103
Sad Boy (DM 11L-093301 RK4M 2335)/ Happy Street (DM AQL-093304 RQ4M 2338)
While one side of each 45 has a higher matrix number (in parenthesis above), neither are sequential and also have different letters, so again, it's not as obvious to me by looking at those.
Discogs says "Sad Boy" and "La La La La." 45cat says "Happy Street" and "Little Water Boy," but I believe this is based on the box set track lists and were at one time swapped. TCMS puts "Little Water Boy" and "Happy Street" first in their track lists. The matrix numbers for "La La La La" and "Happy Street" are higher, which could potentially mean they are the intended B-side. Neither of the promo 45s have a starred or "plug" side. Clear as mud.
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Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop
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Replies:
Posted By: crapfromthepast
Date Posted: 18 August 2022 at 3:58pm
Here's what's printed in the liner notes to the 4-CD At The Close Of A Century box set:
LITTLE WATER BOY / LA LA LA LA LA (Tamla 54070, released Oct 3 1962) [A-side by Little Stevie Wonder and Clarence Paul]
HAPPY STREET / SAD BOY (Tamla 54103, released Sep 14 1964)
For what it's worth!
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There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one http://www.crapfromthepast.com" rel="nofollow - Crap From The Past .
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Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 18 August 2022 at 4:40pm
Good observation, Ron!
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Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop
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Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 18 August 2022 at 4:51pm
One more monkey wrench:
https://www.discogs.com/release/7693324-Stevie-Wonder-Sad-Boy - https://www.discogs.com/release/7693324-Stevie-Wonder-Sad-Bo y
"Sad Boy" might have its own promo 45 based on that Discogs entry. I also note that 45cat shows a hole drilled 45 for one of the images and what appears to be a stamped on "star" on the "Sad Boy" label.
While it's clear that in the CD era Motown decided "Happy Street" is the A-side, I'm still not 100% convinced that was the case in 1964. On eBay, I see a promo copy that has a black "X" drawn on the "Happy Street" side, while another copy has a number written in sharpie on the "Sad Boy" side.
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Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop
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Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 18 August 2022 at 8:39pm
I think it's most likely that "Little Water Boy" is the A-side, because two sources from the time list it first. This Billboard 10/20/62 listing of songs with Moderate Sales Potential:
https://books.google.com/books?id=5xcEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44&dq=%22little+water+boy%22+%22stevie+wonder%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi2qbaa-tH5AhWWLUQIHYEeBPMQ6AF6BAgCEAI#v=onepage&q=%22little%20water%20boy%22%20%22stevie%20wonder%22&f=false - https://books.google.com/books?
id=5xcEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44&dq=%22little+water+boy%22+%22stevie+ wonder%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi2qbaa-tH5AhWWLUQIHYEeBPMQ6A F6BAgCEAI#v=onepage&q=%22little%20water%20boy%22%20%22stevie %20wonder%22&f=false
Also, 45cat has an image of the Cash Box review of the single, and it also lists "Little Water Boy" first.
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Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 18 August 2022 at 8:53pm
And the Oct. 3 1964 issue of "Music Business Magazine" specifically said that "Sad Boy" was the A-side. See page 18, very bottom left:
https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Music-Business/Music-Business-1964-10-03.pdf - https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Music-Busine ss/Music-Business-1964-10-03.pdf
And Cash Box's review from 9/26/64 not only lists Happy Street second but seems to refer to it as "the flip."
https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1964/CB-1964-09-26.pdf - https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s /1964/CB-1964-09-26.pdf
Although Billboard's R&B DJ Roundup from 10/3/64 lists only "Happy Street" as a Record to Watch in Philadelphia:
https://books.google.com/books?id=0iAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12&dq=%22happy+street%22+%22stevie+wonder%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiRgP3-
uNL5AhUYC0QIHdMBBaAQ6AF6BAgCEAI#v=onepage&q=%22happy%20stree t%22%20%22stevie%20wonder%22&f=false - https://books.google.c om/books?id=0iAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12&dq=%22happy+street%22+%22st evie+wonder%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiRgP3-
uNL5AhUYC0QIHdMBBaAQ6AF6BAgCEAI#v=onepage&q=%22happy%20stree t%22%20%22stevie%20wonder%22&f=false
However, one week later "Sad Boy" is listed as a Breakout in Detroit and San Francisco:
https://books.google.com/books?
id=0CAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14&dq=%22sad+boy%22+%22stevie+wonder%22 &hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjVi9bFudL5AhW5LkQIHQQSCU0Q6AF6BAgFEAI #v=onepage&q=%22sad%20boy%22%20%22stevie%20wonder%22&f=false - https://books.google.com/books?
id=0CAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14&dq=%22sad+boy%22+%22stevie+wonder%22 &hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjVi9bFudL5AhW5LkQIHQQSCU0Q6AF6BAgFEAI #v=onepage&q=%22sad%20boy%22%20%22stevie%20wonder%22&f=false
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Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 18 August 2022 at 9:02pm
Outstanding detective work, Brian. I think you’re right that the A-sides are
“Little Water Boy” and “Sad Boy.”
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Aaron Kannowski
http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound
http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop
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Posted By: AdvprosD
Date Posted: 19 August 2022 at 8:28am
Was this an attempt by the label to toss out two songs at a time and see which one became the preferred "A" side? I guess it wouldn't surprise me if that happened a lot for many labels.
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<Dave> Someone please tell I-Heart Radio that St. Louis is not known as The Loo!
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