[78-L] "A" vs "B" sides

[Cary Ginell]

I file my records accordingly, in descending order of importance:

1) Genre
2) Artist
3) Label
4) Record No.
5) Label design variations

To explain - with #4, this means that records are not necessarily chronological within each artist and label category. Decca’s post-war 46000 series comes earlier than the pop series but I maintain numerical accuracy. #5 would include filing DJ copies before commercial copies if I had examples of both, since DJ issues were released first. Similar to this are label designs - a scroll Victor would precede a “circle” design if I had both issues. Thus, only in #5 would strict chronology take precedence. 

A & B sides are filed according to what can be determined as the “A” side. If none is displayed, I go with the earlier recording. In some cases, such as with more prominent artists in my archive, I will make exceptions to that. Thus, since I’m a Carson Robison collector, there are many discs that have other artists on the opposite side. If it’s an obscure artist with only one release, I might still file it under Robison, even if the opposing side was recorded earlier, only because I would be more likely to be looking for the Robison side than the other side. It’s all up to you.

Cary

> On Jun 27, 2019, at 10:37 PM, Rodger J. Holtin <rjh334578 at gmail.com.invalid> wrote:
> 
> 
> Since the A and B are often just as arbitrary as those not having an A and B (or R and L) I always list the lower number first. At least it’s consistent, even if it seems to be counterintuitive, like those instances where a big name or hit tune becomes the second side and the first side is a dud by an unknown artist. 
> 
> As for filing I always use the original issue number. They become self indexing and more or less chronological. There are exceptions where I’ve slipped some grouped things into an album for quick access, but in the main they’re numerical by series and label. Even the ones in albums are by number just like they came that way. Sometimes they did!
> 
> I’ve taught my wife and kids how to find stuff using Rust et al and some albums were assembled so they could find favorites quickly. The grandees are learning to find the stuff via the spreadsheets however. Perhaps partly because they helped build the spreadsheets! 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Jun 27, 2019, at 4:57 PM, Lloyd Davies <all_my_linx at yahoo.ca.invalid> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> Folks,    I'm hoping for a simple answer to my conundrum.  When cataloguing my records, I find often that there is no clear "A" or "B" side, so I don't know which song to list first in my entry.
>>    I tend to list first whichever side has the earlier matrix number, but this doesn't work when the sides were recorded in different studios in different cities and have different numbering systems.
>>    Any advice?
>>    - Lloyd in Calgary
>> 
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