10 album title tracks that appeared on a different album

7 October 2023, 09:00

What happens when the album's title track appears on another LP altogether? Or even not on an album at all?

By Radio X

@RadioX

What are we on about? Well, it's like this. The album title track is a fine institution in the world of rock: Wish You Were Here, London Calling, The Queen Is Dead... there are many examples.

But there are also occasions when a title track doesn't make it to the final cut. Sometimes, it's not finished and appears on an album some time later. Or it's put aside and snuck out on the flip of a single later on.

Here are some of the most famous examples.

Read more:

• The greatest title tracks of all time

1. Queen - Sheer Heart Attack

   A favourite phrase from Freddie Mercury gave its name to Queen's third album in 1974, but the title track wasn't finished until Roger Taylor got down to work in 1977, when it appeared on the band's News Of The World album.

   

   Queen - Sheer Heart Attack (Official Lyric Video)

2. Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy

   The title of Zeppelin's 1973 album, but the song of that name was left off its parent LP and not issued until the next one, two years later: Physical Graffiti.

   

   Houses of the Holy (1990 Remaster)

3. AC/DC - If You Want Blood (You've Got It)

   The phrase gave its name to Acca Dacca's 1978 live album - the band liked it enough to write a song with that title on the follow-up next year, Highway To Hell.... which had its own memorable title track.

   

   AC/DC - If You Want Blood (You've Got It) (Official HD Video)

4. The Doors - Waiting For The Sun

   The mystical LA band had written a song of that name around the time of their third album, but while they called their 1968 opus Waiting For The Sun, the tune wasn't finished until 1970's Morrison Hotel.

   

   Waiting for the Sun

5. Foo Fighters - The Colour & The Shape

   A Foos song called The Colour & The Shape didn't make it onto the album that bore that title, but you could find it as a b-side to the single Monkey Wrench in April 1997.

   

   The Colour And The Shape

6. Pulp - His 'N' Hers

   You'll search in vain for a title track on Pulp's breakthrough 1994 album; instead, His 'N' Hers appeared a month after the album as part of the Sisters EP, where it sat beside a remixed version of Babies.

   

   His 'N' Hers

7. Primal Scream - Screamadelica

   The 10-minute epic titled Screamadelica is nowhere to be found on the album of that name, but if you bought the Dixie Narco EP in January 1992, there it was, filling up side B.

   

   Screamadelica

8. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

   No title track for Billy Corgan's 1993 album Siamese Dream... instead a song by that name was issued as the b-side to the single release of the classic Disarm, over six months later.

   

   The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (B-side)

9. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid

   Famously, the title of Elbow's 2008 album was taken from a character created by the American author Damon Runyon and given to one of the band's acquaintances. Despite getting a mention in the song Grounds For Divorce, there wasn't a song called The Seldom Seen Kid until 2021's Flying Dream 1. What kept them?

   

   elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid (Official Video)

10. Julian Cope - World Shut Your Mouth

    The former Teardrop Explodes frontman called his 1984 debut solo album World Shut Your Mouth, but didn't write a song called that until 1987's St Julian.

    

    Julian Cope - World Shut Your Mouth Video