Kasabian frontman Sergio Pizzorno has revealed that one of the band’s biggest hits, Fire, was originally intended to be a B-side.
The musician joined Chris Moyles on Radio X to discuss the band’s upcoming world tour and shared how the popular track almost missed out on becoming a single.
During the conversation, Chris asked Sergio whether he had ever nearly discarded a song because he was unsure about it, only for it to become a huge success.
Sergio explained that Fire was initially created as a potential B-side while the band were working on recordings around the time of their Empire album.
He said: “Fire was going to be a B-side on one. I think we were looking for B-sides on Empire and we just needed a track like, ‘Aw, I’ve got this little idea’.”
However, after playing the track several times, the band began to recognise its potential and decided it deserved more than a place on the B-side.
Sergio recalled how the song was played on the tour bus, prompting a change of plan: “Let’s just save that one, maybe it’s not a B-side.”
He also reflected on how some of the biggest songs can emerge unexpectedly, without the pressure of trying to create a hit.
Sergio suggested that the relaxed approach to recording might have helped Fire take shape, explaining: “Maybe there’s something in the fact there’s no pressure. We’re recording a B-side, it doesn’t matter.”
Dominic Byrne suggested the band might have felt a little freer creatively when working on a track that was not initially intended to be a major release.
Chris then asked whether Sergio had specifically gone into the studio to record Fire as a B-side, with the songwriter confirming that was exactly how it started.
He explained: “I just had the computer and went, ‘I’ve got this song I’ve not quite finished yet, but it’s a vibe’.”
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