Record #0840: Cheap Sunglasses / Tube Snake Boogie – ZZ TOP

Warner Bros. 7-21969 (re-issue) USA, 1987
Words & Music by:  Side A – Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, Frank Beard; Side B – Gibbons, Hill, Beard
Musicians: Billy Gibbons (lead vocals, guitars), Dusty Hill (backing vocals, bass), Frank Beard (drums, percussion)
Recording sessions: Produced by Bill Ham at Ardent Studios, Memphis, TN, Side A – early 1979; Side B - early 1981
Highest chart positions: The re-issue didn’t chart; original: Side A – US 89; Side B – US #103, US Mainstream #4

This is a re-issue of the A-sides of two earlier singles; “Cheap Sunglasses” / “Esther Be the One” (WBS 49220) from 1979 album “Degüello” and “Tube Snake Boogie” / “Heaven, Hell or Houston” (WBS 49865) from 1981 album “El Loco”.

Frank Lee Beard (11. June 1949 – 17. August 2026), Rest In Peace.

List price: Estimated market value is around €2-€4.

 

Record #0839: Doubleback / Planet of Women – ZZ TOP

Warner Bros. 7-19812 (original) USA, May 1990
Words & Music by:  Side A – Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, Frank Beard; Side B – Gibbons, Hill, Beard
Musicians: Billy Gibbons (lead vocals, guitars), Dusty Hill (backing vocals, bass), Frank Beard (drums)
Recording sessions: Produced by Bill Ham at Memphis Sound Production Studios, Memphis, TN, Side A – late 1989 or early 1990; Side B - March – July 1985
Highest chart positions: Side A – US #50, US Mainstream #1, Canada #14, UK #29, Australia #41, New Zealand #28, Germany #33, Sweden #9, Finland #1 (for 2 weeks in June 1990) ; Side B - none

“Doubleback” was written for the movie “Back To theFuture Part III”. It was also included on ZZ Top’s 1990 album “Recycler”, which sold Platinum in the US, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden and Finland.

The band had a small cameo role in the movie as a country & western band. There’s also a C&W instrumental version of “Doubleback”, which is included on the movie soundtrack album.

The flipside is from their 1985 album “Afterburner”.

List price: VG+ $1,50, NM $3; picture sleeves VG+ $3, NM $6

 

Record #0838: Rough Boy / Delirious – ZZ TOP

Warner Bros. 7-28733 (original) USA, February 1986
Words & Music by:  Side A – Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, Frank Beard; Side B – Gibbons, Hill, Beard
Musicians: Billy Gibbons (vocals, lead on side A, guitars), Dusty Hill (vocals, lead on side B, bass, keyboards), Frank Beard (drums)
Recording sessions: Produced by Bill Ham at Ardent Studios, Memphis, TN, March – July 1985
Highest chart positions: Side A – US #22, US Mainstream #5, Canada #58, UK #23, Ireland #23; Side B - none

Both sides appeared on ZZ Top’s 1985 album “Afterburner”. The album version of “Rough Boy” is 4 minutes and 45 seconds long while the single version is a minute and 7 seconds shorter (optimized for the radio play).

Some parts of the song sound a lot like their earlier song “Leila” from 1981 album “El Loco”

“Rough Boy” was played at Dusty Hill’s wedding on 23. March 2002 by a group called “Duck Soup”.

This copy is from the vinyl pressing by Specialty Records Corporation (“SR” marking in the runout). Some pressings by other companies were made of cheap and brittle styrene plastics that wear out faster.

List price: The estimated market price for this is around $1,50 - $3,50. This was pressed in huge quantities. Styrene pressings valued at the low end of the range.