B-Sides Compiled First

But there was one, released in Holland in 1970, before Relics. Albeit a weird one.

 

Wilco will release both their b-sides/rarities compilation and their "best of" on the same day (November 17).

 

The Stone Roses compilation "Turns Into Stone" collected B-sides and non-album tracks from their first album long before they had a compilation out.

Gene's "To See The Lights" collected B-sides and rarities well before their 1999 "best-of" release.

 

Barbed Wire Kisses - Jesus and Mary Chain

 

Can I be the third to say Barbed Wire Kisses, or am I already too late?

 

I don't think this has been mentioned, but Catherine Wheel's "Like Cats And Dogs" is a b-sides/outtakes compilation. Like Elbow, they have not released a greatest hits compilation yet.

Cheers,
Paul

 

You made it just under the wire, Brian.

 

They Might Be Giants, Miscellaneous T
Plenty of b-sides after only two albums! They haven't followed suit with the remainder of their catalog, unfortunately, making life interesting for the fans who want everything.

 

The Cure released their B-Sides as the b-side to the cassette of their first "best of" Standing on A Beach. I know it's not before as it's the b-side but.... I mention it because it's the same time and I still think one of the best compilations ever released.

 

I posted this in the OP.

 

Released concurrently with the A-sides compilation 'Waxworks'.

I'd actually assume that from the 80s and (especially) the 90s onwards, releasing a b-side compilation before an a-side one was the more common strategy (at least for the kind of bands I'm interested in!) Apart from the ones mentioned, there's The House of Love (the German album and 'A Spy in the House of Love'), Blur ('Special Collector's Edition'), Smog ('Accumulation: None' in 2002, no 'Greatest Hits' as yet!), Bjork ('The Greatest Mixes. . .' and 'Telegram'), Radiohead ('Com Lag'), PJ Harvey ('The B-Sides', still no best of), The Apples in Stereo ('Electronic Projects for Musicians'), Belle and Sebastian ('Lazy Line Painter Jane', 'Push Barman to Open Old Wounds', 'The Third Eye Centre'; no best of), Pere Ubu ('Terminal Tower'), Bryan Ferry ('Let's Stick Together'). . .

 

So good it had to mentioned twice.

 

A fun Danish compilation. Some A-sides, but all of them are non-album tracks. Released a few years before A Collection Of Beatles Oldies, which was their first greatest hits disc (in this country at least).

 

Just to go the other extreme, the first North American release by 'Baby Bird' was 'Greatest Hits' compilation of his first 5 lo-fi indie albums.

The debut album by the Canadian band 'Rheostatics' was called 'greatest hits' but was just a regular release.

 

This is the first one I thought of too.

 

Yes. I still have my original vinyl of this release.

 

T. Rex had one I think.