Back stabbers and g.e.'s top 10 singles

As May draws to its inexorable close, we'll end the photographic 45s essays on a high note.





B-side The Seeds, "Pushin' Too Hard"









Like all good lists, the one below is a of a particular moment in its "synchronicity." It is not a list of the 10 best singles ever made (well except for entries 1-3 but then that was obvious!) but rather of my 10 favorite singles to listen to. I've added 3 honorable mentions for a nice round baker's dozen. The last singles removed from earlier versions of this list: The Box Tops, "The Letter" & The Grass Roots, "Temptation Eyes." I decided some of the latter's credit was blowback from the Blake Babies's fantastic cover and that wasn't right. As to the former, Alex Chilton doesn't need my approval to maintain his cool! Without further adieu . . .

My Top 10 Singles (anything but Long Players)

1 Freda Payne, "Band of Gold"
2 The Clash, "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais"
3 Otis Redding, "That's How Strong My Love Is"
4 Funkadelic, "One Nation Under a Groove"
5 The O'Jays, "Back Stabbers"
6 My Bloody Valentine, "Feed Me With Your Kiss"
7 New Order, "Blue Monday" the original "floppy" 12" (FAC 10)
8 The Buzzcocks Spiral Scratch EP (New Hormones 1/Mute 9122) esp. "Boredom"
9 Screaming Trees, "Flashes" Change Has Come EP (SP 48)
10 The Three Degrees, "When Will I See You Again?"

Honorable Mention

The Beach Boys, "In My Room"
The Beatles, "She Loves You"
Marvin Gaye, "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)"

I'd love to see your list in my comments sections; there's always good old songs to remember and new ones to discover!