The great Swallow my pride

Swallow my pride is one of my favorite tracks from Leave Home and one of the best slow songs the Ramones ever released, if you ask me. Joey wrote the song after the commercial failure of the first album. In Mickey Leights book I sleept with Joey Ramone Joey tells the story behind the song:
"I wrote a song called 'Swallow my pride'. It was about signing with Sire. Tommy always used the expression 'You gotta swallow your pride', and we did when we signed to Sire".
It was released as a single in july 1977. The US version has a great picture sleeve, the UK issue has an ok picture sleeve, the rest came in company sleeves.
Here they are:

Title:Swallow my pride/Pinhead

Number: Sire SA-738

Year: 1977

Country: US

Title:Swallow my pride (stereo)/Swallow my pride (mono)

Number: Sire SA-738

Year: 1977

Country: US

Note: Has the same PS as the stock version.

Title: Swallow my pride //Pinhead/Let's dance (live)

Number: Philips 6078 607

Year: 1977

Country: Ireland

Note: Sold in a irish version of the Phonogram company sleeve.

Some copies have a big centre hole.

Title:Swallow my pride//Pinhead/Let's dance (live)

Number: Sire 6078 607

Year: 1977

Country: UK

Title: Swallow my pride //Pinhead

Number: Philips 6078 512

Year: 1977

Country: Australia

Note: Sold in a australian version of the Phonogram company sleeve.

Ramones - and a safety pin

Here's an exeption from the "only about vinyl"-rule on this blog. Mr Smith sent me pictures of this badge that was sold on Ramones concerts somewhere between 1977 and 1980. Anyone who knows more?

Record of the week – only in France

Here is another example that shows how the record company in France went their own way. In 1977 Philips released You're gonna kill that girl as a single from Leave Home. Some say that is was only out as a jukebox promo, but there is no signs of that on the label. I have seen the record in this turquoise company sleeve and in a red one.

Title:You're gonna kill that girl/Gimme Gimme shock treatment

Number: Philips 6837 381

Year: 1977

Country: France

The "Time Square"-single

Ramones appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Time Square from 1980 with I wanna be sedated. The track was released by RSO records as a single in the UK, USA, Spain and the Philippines. The US versions are pressed on styrene plastic, not vinyl. Watch out for copies with cracks! All stock versions have The return of Jackie & Judie on the flip. Here are the different versions:

UK:

Title: I wanna be sedated//The return of Jackie and Judie 

Number: RSO 70

Year: 1980

Country: UK

United States:

Title: I wanna be sedated//The return of Jackie and Judie 

Number: RSO 1055

Year: 1980

Country: UK

Note: !st press, released in RSO company sleeve

Title: I wanna be sedated//I wanna be sedated

Number: RSO 1055 DJ

Year: 1980

Country: US

Note: !st press, DJ copy with stereo/mono versions, released in RSO company sleeve.

Title: I wanna be sedated//I wanna be sedated

Number: RSO 1055

Year: 1980

Country: US

Note: !st press, white label promo with stereo/mono versions, released in RSO company sleeve.

Title: I wanna be sedated//I wanna be sedated

Number: RSO 1055

Year: 1980

Country: US

Note: 2nd press, released in RSO company sleeve.

Title: I wanna be sedated//I wanna be sedated/ 

Number: RSO 1055

Year: 1980

Country: US

Note: 3rd press, released in RSO company sleeve or in a plain white?

Spain:

Title: I wanna be sedated//The return of Jackie and Judie 

Number: RSO 20 90 512

Year: 1980

Country: Spain

Philippines:

Title: I wanna be sedated//The return of Jackie and Judie 

Number: RSO 873-096

Year: 1980

Country: Philippines

Note: Promo

Title: I wanna be sedated//The return of Jackie and Judie 

Number: RSO 873-096

Year: 1980

Country: Philippines

It would be great if anyone have information about if the Philippines singles. Did they come in a company sleeve or not?

Ramones – the thai releases

Some the most obscure Ramones-singles are the thai releases on Express songs. There are four of them and each one contains "stolen" releases from different labels and with different artists, four tracks on each 45. These very rare and sought after records are not official releases. Still they are not bootlegs, they should rather be seen as counterfeit or pirate records.

There are two reasons why big labels did not find it worth it to release records in Thailand in the 70's, according to the site sex-pistols.net:  

1. Foreign record companies could not stock their own products on site due to the weather damage.
2. Foreign record companies did not want to deal with local Thai companies. It was purely a question of business, there was not enough money to be made. In the 70’s & 80’s no one in Thailand could afford to buy an official Sex Pistols single, retailing around £1. However, Thai record manufacturers could provide low price counterfeit records for local fans. The EP format was a good way to provide cheap compilations with 4 different artists each time.

There are very little information to be found about the thai manufacture, Express Songs. Even the year of release is up for discussion, but it is likely that the first two EP's was released in 1977 and the last two in 1978. Sometime after the first two records with Ramones tracks Express Songs changed the label design.

Around 2005 someone in Sweden did a bootleg of the EP with the God Save the Queen-sleeve. The original thai version have a serrated crown that the bootleg don't have. There are also later pressings of the bootleg on colored vinyl. 

The most rare of the four thai records is the the God Save the Queen single. The reason is that it contains songs from both the Sex Pistols and the Ramones, two of the most collectible band from the punk era. 

I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend 

Other tracks: The Glitter Band – People Like You and People Like Me, Blondie – X Offender, Inner Circle – Reggae Thing.

Number: Express Songs EXP-260

Year: 1977 (?)

California Sun / I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You

Other tracks: Blondie – In The Sun, Rick Dees And His Cast Of Idiots - Disco Duck (Parts 1 & 2)

Number: Express Songs EXP-264

Year: 1977 (?)

Sheena Is A Punk Rocker 

Other tracks:  Bryan Ferry – Tokyo Joe, Boz Scaggs – Lido Shuffle, Sex Pistols – God Save The Queen

Number: Express Songs EXP-0330

Year: 1978 (?)

Swallow My Pride 

Other tracks: Leif Garrett – Surfin' USA, Ram Jam – Black Betty, Stranglers – Something Better Change.

Express Songs EXP-0352

Year: 1978 (?)

Thanks to Oliver Breit for help with scans.

The right sleeves for the japanese singles

The great and collectible japanese singles with the Ramones were all released with a company bag and a sheet instead of a ordinary sleeve. Typical japanese style. The sheet is printed on textured paper exept for the last one, Do you remember Rock'n'roll Radio. That one has glossy plain paper. The records were sold in a sealed plastic bag back in the days when they were released in Japan.
There are three versions of the company sleeve, this is the correct sleeve for each release:

Blitzkrieg Bop SFL-2122

I wanna be your boyfriend SFL-2132

Suzy is a headbanger SFL-2152

Sheena is a punk rocker SFL-2208

Rockaway Beach SFL-2259

Do you wanna dance? SFL-2324

Needles & Pins SFL-2358

Come on let's go (w Paley Brothers) SFL-2372

Do you remember Rock'n'roll radio SFL-2471

Do you remember Rock'n'roll radio SFL-2471 (The white label promo version). Here in the sealed plastic bag.

Record of the week – I'm against it

When Road to ruin was released in France the record company apparently believed more in I'm against it the than in Needles & pins. The "Jackie DeShannon and Searchers among others"-cover only became the B-side of this single. I'm against it is the first french single on Sire label and was pressed by the french pressing plant Pathe Marconi.
The ideas seem to have ended when the back of the cover was designed, it only consists a large black square. But apart from that a nice single which is rather difficult to find nowadays.

Title: I'm against it//Needles & pins

Number: Sire 2C 008-62.042

Year: 1978

Country: France

Rockaway Beach – the final part

The most sought after versions of Rockaway Beach is probably the japanese press with a great live picture on the sleeve. There are a stock version with blue labels and a white label promo of this one. Both came with the pink japanese company bags along with the sleeve-sheet on textured paper. Lyrics in english and japanese on the backside of the sheet.

Title: Rockaway Beach//Teenage Lobotomy

Number: Philips SFL-2259

Year: 1977

Country: Japan

The last two versions of Rockaway Beach are pressed in Australia and New Zealand. The oz-press has Teenage Lobotomy on the flip and the one from NZ has I remember you. Both was sold in Phonogram company sleeves.

Title: Rockaway Beach//Teenage Lobotomy

Number: Philips 6078 515

Year: 1977

Country: Australia

Title: Rockaway Beach//I remember you

Number: Philips 6078 516

Year: 1977

Country: New Zealand

The swedish split with Tom Petty

In 1977 Phonogram released a serie of five split-albums under the name "Rock on". The first album i the serie was the split with Ramones and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The records were pressed i Norway but made for the swedish market and released on the Philips label. It has songs from the first LP and Leave Home together with two live tracks, California Sun/I don't wanna walk around with you. But the album designer didn't get the titles right, the tracks are called Warm California Sun/I wanna walk around with you!

This album has four inserts if it is complete:

* A infosheet with biographies (in swedish) on one side and info about the albums on the other.

* A form to be able participate in a competition. Printed on blue paper. It tells the buyer that there are "410 items to win". Among them 20 handprinted Ramones T-shirts and 35 copies of Sheena is a punk rocker 12". The picture of the T-shirt comes from a swedish collector who where happy enough to find a unused copy of the shirt along wit the letter of gratulations from Phonogram on an auction.

* A big sheet with stickers from bands in the serie: Ramones, The Runaways, Rush, Graham Parker, Hawkwind and Tom Petty.

* A small sticker with the band Clover.

Album: Ramones/Tom Petty & he Heartbreakers

Number: Philips 9199 272

Year: 1977

Country: Norway (sold in Sweden)

The front.

The back.

The info sheet and the contest.

The stickers.

The record.

And the handprinted T-shirt! Thanks to Mr Smith.

What happened to Santa in the UK?

It's always fun when you find something that separates the different pressings of the albums. One odd thing on the first pressing of Rocket to Russia in the UK is that Santa Claus is gone. On all other pressings, with one exception, Santa is standing by the north Pole on John Holmstroms drawing on backside of the sleeve. When the album was released in the UK one year later with WEA as a distributor Santa was back again.
The exception is the greek release on Philips which is based on the first UK cover. So no Santa Claus in Greece either.
Another thing that distinguishes the first UK press (and the greek press) from others is the black frame around the picture on the front.

Album: Rocket to Russia

Number: Sire/Phonogram 9103 255

Year: 1977

Country: UK

The first UK pressing...

...and the ordinary, US pressing.

The front with the black frame...

...and how it looks in the rest of the world.