10 Must Hear Blues Rock B-Sides

The advent of the single with a Side A and Side B took place in 1949, when the first 45 rpm, 7-inch phonograph record became a method of distributing popular music. Through the 1950s and until the 1980s, when CDs replaced vinyl records, the 45 rpm record was an economically popular way to disseminate music. All the Top 40 radio hits were available on 45 rpm records, and since they had two sides, something had to go on the non-hit side. Sometimes the non-hit side was as good as the hit or would also become a hit, but let the listener be the judge of the following 10 blues rock B-sides.

Blue Cheer – “Out of Focus”

“Out of Focus” is the B-side of Blue Cheer’s single “Summertime Blues,” released in 1968. It was an important year in the evolution of rock music, when both technology and creativity were allowed to flourish in a rapidly growing musical environment. Blue Cheer was one of the San Francisco bands and one of the heaviest-sounding groups on the West Coast at the time. They were a psychedelic hard blues rock trio, and the track was written by bassist and vocalist Dickie Peterson and appears on their debut album Vincebus Eruptum. “Out of Focus” is a hard-rocking, riff-driven wall of guitar from Leigh Stephens, backed by a hard-driving rhythm section featuring Paul Whaley’s pounding drums and Peterson’s relentlessly thumping bass.

Robert Cray – “Fantasized” 

“Fantasized” is the B-side of Robert Cray’s breakthrough hit “Smoking Gun,” from his fourth album Strong Persuader, released in 1986. The song is a smooth, seductive counterpoint, steeped in late-night longing and a materialized fantasy. Cray bridges the gap between traditional blues and his 1980s contemporary style, using subtle guitar licks coupled with a tight rhythm section and atmospheric horns. The song was written by Dennis Walker and paints a vivid picture, with Cray’s silky, soulful vocals delivering emotionally restrained, sensual storytelling.

Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Lodi”  

“Lodi” was the B-side to “Bad Moon Rising” and was released in 1969. It was written by John Fogerty and appeared on Green River. It tells the story of a musician who gets trapped in a town in the middle of nowhere, playing to an indifferent crowd every night. It uses the same formula as Delta blues but applies a 1960s swamp rock filter to deliver one of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s most enduring and blues-soaked performances. It’s a master class in rootsy storytelling and emotional authenticity, overshadowed by its chart-topping A-side.

“I came into town, a one-night stand

Looks like my plans fell through”

The Doors – “Roadhouse Blues” 

“Roadhouse Blues” is the flip side of “You Make Me Real,” released as a single in 1970. Both songs are from Morrison Hotel. “Roadhouse Blues” is a gritty, roadhouse, barroom boogie blues rock track driven by a relentless, stomping shuffle, powered by John Densmore’s rock-steady backbeat. Jim Morrison’s Lizard King persona growls and howls its way through a whiskey-soaked performance. It is one of The Doors’ most authentic blues rock songs, capturing the band’s love for American electric blues.

Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green era) – “Jigsaw Puzzle Blues”

Peter Green originally formed Fleetwood Mac as his blues band and named it after a combination of drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie. “Jigsaw Puzzle Blues” is the B-side of “Albatross,” and both tunes are instrumentals, with Green’s guitar featured on the A-side and Danny Kirwan’s guitar on the other. The song is a tasteful blues rock gem that exudes a lightheartedness reminiscent of French jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.

Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Highway Chile”

“Highway Chile” was the B-side of “The Wind Cries Mary” in the UK and “Purple Haze” in the US. All three songs were by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and are associated with their debut album Are You Experienced, although “Highway Chile” did not appear on the original 1967 US release and was included in a later updated version. It’s a fiery blues rocker, featuring Jimi Hendrix’s signature explosive guitar pyrotechnics and storytelling lyrics about life on the road.

Albert King – “Down Don’t Bother Me” 

Albert King wrote “Down Don’t Bother Me,” which appeared as the B-side of the 1966 Stax Records A-side single “Crosscut Saw.” King’s backing band on both tracks was the Stax house band Booker T. & the M.G.’s, along with the Memphis Horns. The weary authority of King’s electric blues embodies the stoic endurance at the heart of the genre. His stinging call-and-response guitar lines spar with the horns before breaking into a stellar solo. The track rides a tight, mid-tempo groove driven by raw power and emotional depth, and it appeared on King’s 1967 landmark album Born Under a Bad Sign.

“I’m gonna take all my troubles

And cast ’em in the deep, blue sea”

Led Zeppelin – “Hey Hey What Can I Do”

“Hey Hey What Can I Do” is the B-side to “Immigrant Song,” which was released in 1972, and is a sweat-soaked blues jam that could have come from a Mississippi roadhouse. It’s blues heard through a 1970s British filter, led by Jimmy Page’s deft fingerpicking. Robert Plant delivers his signature howl, combining country blues with Memphis soul, interpreted through Led Zeppelin’s unique style. It swings more than it stomps and has a loose, joyous sound. It appeared on an Atlantic Records 1972 compilation album of various artists.

Rolling Stones – “The Spider and the Fly”  

“The Spider and the Fly” is the B-side to “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” released as a 45 rpm record in 1965. It’s a raw, slow-burning, bass-thumping, harmonica-blowing, Chuck Berry-influenced blues rocker. The song is the perfect embodiment of B-side brilliance, acting as a counterbalance to an A-side that exploded into rock immortality. The driving rhythm section of Charlie Watts’ drums and Bill Wyman’s heavy bass thumps provides the greasy, late-night groove for Mick Jagger to wail on his harp and belt out sly, leering vocals.

“Smoking, moping, maybe just hoping

Some little girl will pass on by”

ZZ Top – “Just Got Paid”

“Just Got Paid” is the B-side to “La Grange,” and it’s boogie blues rock done with ZZ Top’s signature sound. It’s a raw, greasy slice of Texas blues boogie that perfectly captures the band’s early 1970s swagger. Billy Gibbons’ gravelly vocals, coupled with his stinging slide guitar, deliver Southern roadhouse blues, telling the classic story of a working stiff finally getting his paycheck. The song was written by Gibbons and manager-producer Bill Ham, and it appeared on ZZ Top’s 1972 sophomore album Rio Grande Mud.