Sunday, October 14, 2012

Ramones made it in Portugal


In 1977 Jose Manuel Fortunato bought a pressing plant in Portugal for $ 100.000. It only had two manual presses and four employees. Three years later, Fortunato had 30 employees and new machines. A major reason for the success was the Ramones.
The company, Companhia de Musica Nova, started with printing and distributing records in Portugal from U.S. and brittish labels such as Sire and Stiff.
"We were were having great success with the international repertoire. When one of the leaders of the company heard the Ramones for the first time he said" No way! ", But after a little while the Ramones were selling really well, not just on the street but also to wholesalers", said António Sérgio, who was responsible for the licensee releases, to a Portuguese journalist in 1995.
Many records was sold outside Portugal, in Sweden in the mid 80's it was possible to find lots of cheap Rocket to Russia and Road to ruin pressed in Portugal in the large supermarkets.
Nova released all the Ramones albums until Pleasant Dreams 1981. I have not been able to find out when the first album was released in Portugal, but my guess is 1978. The company began in 1977 and in 1979 they released the LP Música Moderna with the Portuguese post-punk band Corpo Diplomático which was possible because of the success of selling Ramones records. The Portuguese version has the same number as the second U.S. press, so it's unlikely that the record was released before 1978.
Along with the End of the Century Nova released two singles, Baby I love you and Do you remember rock'n'roll radio. They are the only Ramones-singles pressed in Portugal.

This is the the records pressed in Portugal:
Albums:
Ramones                    Sire Nova SR 6020 NP  1978?     
Leave Home               Sire Nova SR 6031 NP  1978?    With a fold out lyrics sheet
Rocket to Russia        Sire Nova SR 6042 NP  1978?    With a fold out lyrics sheet
Road to Ruin             Sire Nova SR 6063 NP  1978
It's alive                     Sire Nova SRK2 6074    1779
End of the Century   Sire Nova SR 6077 NP  1980
Pleasant Dreams      Sire Nova SRK 3571      1981

Singles:
Songs: Baby I love you/High Risk Insurance
Number: Sire Nova SRE 49182 NP
Year: 1980
Country: Portugal
Note: Released together with the local radio station Rock em Stock.




Songs: Do you remember Rock'n'roll Radio?/I want you around

Number: Sire Nova SIR 4037 NP

Year: 1980

Country: Portugal




6 comments:

  1. Funny how i never knew which Ramones records were actually pressed here!

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  2. Replies
    1. yes it is helpful
      thank you
      pitty about not having the records on this great site :D

      Delete
  3. Anyone know if the pressing plant or any pressing plant for that matter is still active in Portugal?

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  4. Hi. I really don't know. Anyone from Portugal...

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  5. i got the first one with sire/nova companhia da musica, ltda label
    portuguese edition

    ReplyDelete