What’s the deal with the abbreviation “b/w” on an old 45 record to indicate the B side? I was told a long time ago that it stood for beside/with, but I’ve also seen it as “c/w” (contained/with?). Can you shed any light on this burning issue? –Worth, via the Internet
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The term single actually is a misnomer–couple is more like it, since a 45 has two sides. The side the record company felt had more commercial potential was referred to as the A side, and the flip side was the B side. In the trade press, and on the picture sleeve in which the single was often packaged, the A side was listed as being “b/w” (or occasionally “c/w”) the B side, as in this 1958 Billboard ad: “Thanks DJs for All Those Spins / Connie Francis / Current Best Seller / ‘Who’s Sorry Now’ c/w ‘You Were Only Fooling.’”
Even more interesting are single releases for which the A side sank like a stone while the B side went to the top of the charts. One classic example is “Surfer Joe” b/w “Wipe Out” by the Surfaris. “Wipe Out” was a throwaway song recorded in two takes, but the opening “witch laugh” by Surfaris manager/producer Dale Smallin made the tune unforgettable. “Surfer Joe” peaked at number 62, while “Wipe Out” rose to number 2.
