Two versions of the spanish Halfway To Sanity

After Pleasant Dreams the local division of Ariola took over the fabrication of Ramones records in Spain. This is the third release on Ariola Eurodisc A.S and there is at least two different pressings of the album. The first issue, referring to the matrix numbers, is marked with the spanish rights society S.G.A.E on the labels. The second version has S.G.A.E together with BIEM, the international license group.
Besides that the labels has a slightly different design the second press is also made of heavier vinyl, the weight is 125 grams compared with 100 grams for the first pressing.
The sleeve and printed inner is the same for both pressings.

Album: Halfway To Sanity

Number: Ariola 5C 208759

Year: 1987.

Country: Spain.

Matrix number, A-side: 5C 208759 A 2N3 DMI  B-side: 5C 208759 B 1N3 DMI
Notes: First press.

Album: Halfway To Sanity

Number: Ariola 5C 208759

Year: 1987 (?).

Country: Spain.

Matrix number, A-side: 5C 208759 A 3N3 DMI  B-side: 5C 208759 B 1N3 DMI
Notes: Second press.

Something to do soon – don't miss this

I got a mail from Tom Trusnovic who is running an amazing project on his blog, "Humming A Sickening Tune". He is writing an essay about every single Ramones song in order! He just got up to Rockaway Beach from Rocket To Russia.
This is how Tom explains his mission on the blog:
"HUMMING A SICKENING TUNE Shall encompass a track by track review of the complete recorded works of THE RAMONES, giving consideration to each song's composition, recording and place in the overall arc of the band's career."
I'm gonna follow this for sure. Keep up the good work!

http://ramoneshummingasickeningtune.blogspot.com/

Record of the week – the japanese Do You Wanna Dance

For some reason this is the japanese Ramones pressing that is hardest to find, especially the white label promo version. It is the first single on Sire, the earlier stuff was released on Philips. Maybe this one was pressed in smaller numbers, I don't really know.
But it is a nice picture sleeve, or picture sheet, as always when it comes to japanese releases.

Songs: Do You Wanna Dance?/It's A Long Way Back To Germany

Number: Sire SFL-2324

Year: 1978

Country: Japan

Matrix number: 6078 521 A  1  1 / 6078 521 A  1  1  (machine stamped)

Watch out for fake DJ sleeve!

When it comes to Ramones records it is fairly easy to recognize and avoid fakes. They are usually poorly made and more to be regarded as unofficial reissues. But there are exceptions. It is particularly difficult when it's hard to find an original to compare to.

A record that have appeared on the market a couple of times in recent years is the Italian pressing of Needles & Pins with the DJ sleeve.

The records are the real stuff but I've long suspected that the DJ sleeves are counterfeit. To be sure I managed to get another italian record with the same type of DJ sleeve. And now I am even more convinced that many of the sleeves that you see for sale are copied, not printed on a real printing press. There is a clear difference between the two sleeves. The colors are different, which could be due to ageing, but it is also a clear difference in the sharpness. And the paper-white parts on the sleeve, the parts with no colors printed, don't look real on the fake sleeve. Look at the pictures and see what I mean.  

I would be very careful before I paid a lot of money for this single. 

Copied sleeve.

The original printed sleeve.

Record of the week – the french Sheena is a Punk Rocker

Released in 1977 the Sheena single is the third Ramones 45 from France. As with the Blitzkrieg bop single the year before the people at Philips did a great job with the picture sleeve – at least with the front side. The inspiration seems to have come to an end when it was time to do something with back side – it is once again all white.
Sheena is a Punk Rocker is backed up with Commando and not I Don't Care as on most other pressings. There is no "real" promo-version of this release, only copies stamped with promo on the sleeve. I have seen copies that are rubber stamped on the back of the sleeve and others that have an emossed stamp in the upper left corner.

Songs: Sheena is a Punk Rocker/Commando

Number: Philips 6173 525

Year: 1977

Country: France

A copy with promo stamp.

A white label promo single from Portugal

Here's another one from Portugal. And this time it's a pressing that I not even knew existed until this week – a white label promo version of the Do You Remember Rock n'Roll Radio? single.
The labels are printed with "Invendavel disco de promocao" (promo not for sale) on both sides. The sleeve is the same as the stock issue.

Songs: Do You Remember Rock'n'Roll Radio?/I Want You Around

Number: Sire/Nova SIR 4037 NP

Year: 1980

Country: Portugal

Matrix: SIR 4037-A / SIR 4037-B

Notes: White label promo

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And here is the stock version:

Songs: Do You Remember Rock'n'Roll Radio?/I Want You Around

Number: Sire/Nova SIR 4037 NP

Year: 1980

Country: Portugal

Matrix: SIR 4037-A / SIR 4037-B

Notes: Stock version

The sleeve is the same for both versions:

More info about Nova and the portuguese pressings here and here.