In the era of 12-inch singles, the B-side was more than "the other side." It was a creative playground - a place where artists could allow themselves experiments, extended versions, instrumentals, remixes. Many of those B-sides are underrated today - overshadowed by the A-side hits. But real gems hide there. Here are a few worth your attention.
What a B-Side Means in Italo Disco
Before we dig in, a quick note on terminology. In the vinyl era, every record had two sides - A (front) and B (back). The main track usually went on the A-side; the B-side got used in different ways.
In Italo Disco, four B-side formats were common:
- An instrumental version of the A-side track - no vocals, just music.
- An extended dance version - a dub or club mix for DJs.
- A separate composition, often more experimental than the A-side.
- Alternative mixes or rare versions for collectors.
Gazebo - Masterpiece (Instrumental)
On one of Gazebo's early singles, the B-side held the instrumental version of "Masterpiece." Without vocals, the synth melody becomes even more apparent, and you can hear how carefully the arrangement was built. Plenty of collectors think the instrumental might even be better than the original.
Ken Laszlo - Tonight (Dub Version)
The B-side of the "Tonight" 12-inch single held an extended dub version running about eight minutes. This was classic work for clubs - long instrumental breaks, moments built for DJ mixing, vocals pulled back to a minimum.
Versions like this were indispensable for '80s dance floors. DJs could mix them with other tracks to build long dance sessions. And it was often in these long versions that the full depth of the arrangement showed through, which the radio edit could flatten.
Ryan Paris - Fall in Love (Dolce Vita B-side)
An interesting case - on some pressings of "Dolce Vita," the B-side wasn't an instrumental of the main hit but a different composition, "Fall in Love." That gives you the chance to hear another piece of the artist's work, often more interesting for a listener already familiar with the main hit.
Valerie Dore - Get Closer (Vocal vs. Instrumental)
One of the Valerie Dore singles had an interesting setup - the A-side carried the vocal version, the B-side the instrumental. Without vocals, you can hear the complex electronic arrangement - synth lines, drum-machine work, effects processing - doing all its heavy lifting.
Baltimora - Chinese Restaurant
The B-side of the "Tarzan Boy" 12-inch held a forgotten track, "Chinese Restaurant" - nothing like the famous hit. More experimental, with Eastern motifs, a completely different mood. Today only collectors have heard it, but it shows that Baltimora was more than one song.
Radiorama - Instrumental Versions
Radiorama were known for the quality of their B-sides. Nearly every one of their 12-inch singles had extended club versions that showcased the full depth of their production work. Instrumental versions of "Yeti," "Aliens," and "Chance to Desire" form a separate layer of the group's output.
Savage - Don't Cry Tonight (Dance Mix)
The dance version of "Don't Cry Tonight" on the 12-inch B-side is noticeably different from the radio edit. New parts are added, breaks are extended, the balance between vocals and instruments is rebalanced. For a Savage fan, this version is a must-have.
How to Hear Them Now
In the streaming era, the concept of a B-side has essentially vanished - tracks exist independently of each other, without the "A plus B on one record" pairing. That's more convenient for consumption, but it thins out the context the originals lived in; B-sides often carry more creativity than A-sides, because artists allowed themselves to experiment there.
In the digital age, finding B-sides has become both easier and harder. Easier - because many releases have been digitized and are on streaming platforms. Harder - because some of the material never made it to digital and exists only on vinyl. Useful resources: specialized "Italo Disco B-Sides" compilations, enthusiast YouTube channels that rip rare records, and Discogs for buying originals.
Listening to B-sides is like reading between the lines. You get more context, you understand what the artist was thinking beyond the obvious hit, you see a fuller picture of the work.
Concretely: the Crimson Productions "The 12" 80s" compilation series has collected more than 300 original era B-sides across 30-plus discs since the 2010s. This isn't an academic rarity - it's working material for retro DJs. It's the best starting route if you want to hear the flip side of the genre without hunting for individual records.