‘The Masterplan’ was originally released as a B-side to ‘Wonderwall’ when that song was a single back in the day. It, along with many other Oasis B-sides, has always left Oasis fans wondering how they weren’t singles in their own right or at least on their parent albums. Noel Gallagher has said that at the time, he didn’t write shit songs. Which is a fair enough answer. Something had to be a B-side, so he wrote this to fit the quota.

I had been on this earth for only a few months at the time of the ‘Wonderwall’ single. I was three when the The Masterplan B-side album was released. So I didn’t know this song existed for a long time. In 2006 the band released Stop the Clocks, and promotion videos were made for ‘Acquiesce’ and ‘The Masterplan’. Saw the video for the latter on MTV2 one day, and that was all it took, really. Better late than never. With its message that we’re all small things that a part of a bigger picture alongside its L.S. Lowry-inspired animated video which is a huge ode to Manchester, it just made for a memorable music experience. Still does now, but when I was 11 it was even more so.

It is a bit crazy that no one thought to tell Gallagher to save this one. I could think of a song or two on Morning Glory that it could have replaced. It was 25+ years ago, so obviously what’s done is done. It does truly show the quality of Noel Gallagher’s songwriting, particularly during that point from 1994-6 where it seemed that all he touched turned to gold. Good stuff.