For our latest B-sides feature, I thought I’d look back at the man who belted his way through a greatest hits set during the Glastonbury ‘Legends’ slot last weekend. He may be eighty, but Rod the Mod still has a bit of life left in him yet.
Rod scored six UK #1s between 1971 and 1983, and here are the B-sides to three of those chart-toppers…
‘Lost Paraguayos’ – B-side to ‘You Wear It Well’
A lively rocker, very much in the folksy story-teller vein of his earliest hits. And much like ‘Maggie May’, it’s another tale of Rod upping and leaving a lady. But unlike the older Maggie, the unamed filly in this one may be dubiously young… Your ridiculous age, Start a state outrage, And I’ll end up in a Mexican jail… (Ah, the nineteen seventies…) It ends in a flurry of guitar licks and a brass band, and is a whole lot of fun.
‘Stone Cold Sober’ – B-side to ‘Sailing’
Another rocker, this time with a countryish bent. The bar room piano, the glam rock licks… Why wasn’t this version of Rod a greater presence at the top of the charts, over the more earnest (and sometimes slightly dull) balladeer? Plus, we have lyrics which argue that waking up hungover in an alley is worth it as long as you had a wild night (a compelling debate topic, for sure). But on Thursday prepare for your weekend, And let Friday disappear into Saturday morning, When you’re stone cold sober again… Nobody plays the loveable rogue better than Rod Stewart. Speaking of which…
‘Dirty Weekend’ – B-side to ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy’
Those who feel that he slipped too much into parody with ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy’ had better avoid the B-side, in which he’s off over the border again… This bawdy barroom brawl of a tune peaks in the second verse, which deserves to be quoted in full:
I’ll bring the red wine, You bring the ‘ludes, Your mother’s doctor must be quite a dude… We’ll hang a ‘don’t disturb’ outside our door, I’m gonna rock you ’till your pussy’s sore…
I mean… It’s preposterous. But I love it. In the eighties he tried to, probably sensibly, move away from this uber-lothario image, yet I respect the fact that he spent the entire second half of the seventies making a career out of being a borderline sex pest, culminating in this ode to banging your best friend’s girl under a fake name in Mexico. And he brings ‘Dirty Weekend’ to an abrupt end inside two and a half minutes, as if fully aware that this nonsense can go on no longer.
If anything, it’s also been nice featuring some guitar-heavy, balls to the proverbial wall, rock ‘n’ roll tunes back on this blog. I’ll have to do it again sometime soon. Next time we’ll be back to the regular rundown, in 2001, where guitars have become endangered beasts, and rock music but a distant memory…
The UK Number Ones Blog 
Stone Cold Sober sounds so much better than Sailing!
I didn’t know any of these B-sides. I think Rod Stewart’s vocals were made for rock, and he was best when he was rocking. And oftentimes not so great when he didn’t!
I agree. Many of his ballads are great, but sometimes his voice starts to grate…
Absolutely! Whether his records were credited to The Faces, or as solo recordings, and as we know the line was often a blurred one, Rod was one of the greatest pub rock band front men of the era, and I mean that as praise. I also loved the way he fused rock, folk and country together – ‘Lost Paraguayos’ being a prime example, as you say, with those acoustic snatches near the start and then ending in a full-tilt brass workout. (‘Mandolin Wind’, which wasn’t a B-side and doesn’t quality for this list, is another stroke of genius). I could only take so much of his richly-orchestrated ballads, and am in no hurry to hear ’Sailing’ yet again, and he didn’t always cut it for me when it came to making hits for the dance floor. But these B-sides were great, and there are plenty more in his back catalogue where these came from. Anyone who doesn’t know his ballsy duet with Elton John, ‘Let Me Be Your Car’ from the ’Smiler’ album, is in for a treat. Thumbs up to the rockers, and as John Peel always said, you had to love Rod and The Faces as they really stood for good-time music on stage. >
I will check out those recommendations at the bottom of your post, thanks! From his Faces era, ‘Pool Hall Richard’ is a particular favourite. It’s so ‘pub rock’ it even has smashing bottles and glasses sound effects.
Never heard any of those that I recall – and I actually bought Do ya Think and didnt bother with the B side more than once (if that)! The Faces were great but I have a friend who still bemoans the band not turning up till way gone start time at a gig, and pissed. Still not forgiven Rod! 🙂
Now you are in my area…I live for B-Sides! I loved Rod Stewart from 70-74…love that acoustic rock stuff. In 75 he started to get way more commerical but I’m still a fan…I saw him in the early 80s and he was great.
I LOVE Lost Paraguayos…that is great! That will go on my playlist. Dirty Weekend sounds like a draft of Hot Legs.
I like all three of these. Dirty Weekend sounds like the x-rated cut of Hot Legs, which his label wouldn’t let him release as a single!
That is odd that they would not let him release it. I just love the sound of his early 70s stuff….that acoustic with his voice is awesome.
Oh I don’t know if they didn’t let him, I was just creating a back story for it 🙂
LOL…it does sound like a record company.