patti smith -- commercial discography

SINGLES / EPs

"Hey Joe" (Version) / "Piss Factory" (1974)

Mer Records, # 601 -- no picture sleeve (PS)

"Gloria" / "My Generation" (1976)

("My Generation" was recorded live in Cleveland on 1/26/76.)
Arista Records AS 0171 (US)
Arista Records/Pathe Marconi/EMI 2C.010-97.523 (France)
Arista Records ARISTA 135 (UK) (12" 45 RPM single)
Note: Early issues of the British single were released with "My Generation" censored. (Patti not happy about that!)

"Pissing In A River" / "Ask The Angels" (1976)

Arista Records/EMI Electrola 1 C 062-98 283 (Germany)

"Ask The Angels" / "Time Is On My Side" (1977)

Arista/Pathe Marconi/EMI 2C 006-98.529 (France)
This is available only as a French import.
Note: "Time Is On My Side" was recorded live - lousy quality copy. (Paris performance, Oct 21, 1976)

"Hey Joe" / "Radio Ethiopia" (1977)

Arista/Pathe Marconi/EMI 2C 052-60.133 z (France)
(12" 45 RPM single) This is available only as a French import.
This is a hard one to get. Nice picture sleeve of Patti on burro.
Note: "Hey Joe" is the same as on Mer # 601, and "Radio
Ethiopia" was recorded live at CBGB's on June 5, 1977.

"Hey Joe" (Version) / "Piss Factory" (1977)

Sire Records SRE 1009 (US)
Sire Records/SIAE SAA 740 (Italy)
(Reissue of Mer #601)
The US version has a nice picture sleeve of Patti photographed by Robert Mapplethorpe. The Italian version has a tinted B/W photo of Patti in Keith Richards T-shirt on the sleeve.

"Because the Night" / "God Speed" (1978)

Arista Records AS 0318 (US)
Arista Records/Toshiba EMI IER-20433 (Japan)
Note: "God Speed" is only on this single. Very nice color picture sleeve.

Set Free EP (1978)

Arista Records ARIST 12197 (UK)
Arista Records/EMI Records Australia ED.12 (Australia)
(both are in 12" 45 RPM EP form)
"Privilege", "Ask The Angels" (both studio), "25th Floor" (Live in Paris, Easter Sunday, 1978), and the poem "Babel Field" (Live in London on Brian Jones' birthday, Feb 28, 1978). With a very nice brown and white picture sleeve which photocopies badly.

"Frederick" / "Frederick" (live) (1979)

Arista Records SP-62 Promo (US)
(12" 33.3 RPM single)
This selection of tracks is also the lineup for the commercially released American 7" single (AS 0427).

"So You Want To Be (A Rock'n'Roll Star)" / "5-4-3-2-1" / "A Fire of Unknown Origin" (1979)

Arista Records AS 0453 Promo (US)
(7" 3 song EP)
Note: "5-4-3-2-1" was recorded live in NY, May 23, 1979.
Note also that the label mistakenly claims that "So You Want" is a live recording from the same show, down to the Thom Panunzio/PSG production credit. It is only a truncated (3:56) version of the Rundgren-produced LP version (4:18).

"Frederick" / "Fire of Unknown Origin" (1979)

Arista Records ARIST 264 (UK)
Arista Records 6RS-30 (Japan)
Note: "Fire of Unknown Origin" (one of Patti's early poems) is only on the 3 song EP and this single.

"Dancing Barefoot" / "5-4-3-2-1" (1979)

Arista Records ARIST 281 (UK)
Arista Records/EMI Italiana S.p.A 3C 006-63326 (Italy)

British 12" 45 RPM retrospective EP with deluxe picture sleeve (1983)

Arista Records ARIST 12 513
"Because The Night", "Redondo Beach", "Dancing Barefoot", and "Free Money".
Note: There was also a 7" with the same picture sleeve.

"Because The Night" / "So You Want To Be (A Rock'n'Roll Star)"

(early/mid 80's — actual release year unknown)
Flashback Records/Arista Records AFS-9173 (US)

"Because The Night" / "Frederick" / "Gloria" (1988)

Arista Records CD3-3018 (US) (3" 3 song CD)

"People Have The Power" / "Wild Leaves" (1988)

Arista Records AS1 9689 (US)
Arista Records A07S-28 (Japan)

"People Have The Power" / "Where Duty Calls" / "Wild Leaves" (1988)

Arista Records AD1-9688 (US)
(12" 33.3 RPM three song EP)
Both have a nice R. Mapplethorpe picture sleeve.
Note: "Wild Leaves" is only on these two records.

"People Have the Power" (1988)

Arista Records (3" CD single)

"Looking For You (I Was)" / "Up There Down There" (1988)

Arista Records AS-9762 (US) (7" single)
Sleeve has B & W photo of Patti with wide eyes and hand at mouth, by Marc Hauser.

"Summer Cannibals" (1996)

Arista 38931-2 (Germany)
Extended-play cd single with four tracks: "Summer Cannibals" | "Come Back Little Sheba" (quiet, pretty acoustic song with Patti on acoustic guitar, Lenny on autoharp, and Tony on acoustic bass) | "Come On In My Kitchen" (Robert Johnson blues song) | "People Have the Power" (Dream of Life version).
This cd is available from CD Now

"Summer Cannibals" (1996)

Arista 74321-40168-2 & -40299-2 (UK)
Two-part CD single
Part 1 track list: "Summer Cannibals" (LP version) | "Come Back Little Sheba" | "Gone Again" (acoustic--live from "Later w/ Jools Holland," aired on June 8) | "People Have the Power" (LP version)
Part 2 track list: "Summer Cannibals" (LP version) | "People Have the Power" (spoken word--live from same "Jools Holland" show) | "Beneath the Southern Cross" (LP version) | "Come On In My Kitchen

ALBUMS

Horses (1975)

Producer: John Cale
"Gloria", "Redondo Beach", "Birdland", "Free Money" -- side 1
"Kimberly", "Break It Up", "Land", "Elegie" -- side 2
(ARTY 122 - UK) (201 112 - Germany) (18RS-7 - Japan)
(AL 4066 - US) (ARCD 8362 - US, CD)

Radio Ethiopia (1976)

Producer: Jack Douglas
"Ask The Angels", "Ain't It Strange", "Poppies", "Pissing In A River" -- side 1
"Pumping (My Heart)", "Distant Fingers", "Radio Ethiopia", "Abyssinia" -- side 2
(AB 4097 - US) (18RS-8 - Japan) (ARCD 8161 - US, CD)

Easter (1978)

Producer: Jimmy Iovine
"Till Victory", "Space Monkey", "Because The Night", "Ghost Dance", "Babelogue", "Rock'N'Roll Nigger" -- side 1
"Privilege (Set Me Free)", "We Three", "25th Floor", "High On Rebellion", "Easter" -- side 2
(SPART 1043 - UK) (18RS-9 - Japan)
(AB 4171 - US) (ARCD 8166 - US, CD)
(Kong Mei Record Co., LTD. KM-2198 - Taiwan) This record has a flimsy paper cover with the picture of Patti's group on the back in B/W.
(Arista Records/Pathe Marconi/EMI PIC 5 - France) This version of EASTER, released in 1979, is a picture disk with the album front cover picture (Patti) on side 1 and the back cover picture (her group) on side 2.
Special Note: Patti's original intent was to call this album Rock'N'Roll Nigger -- she was advised not to.

Wave (1979)

Producer: Todd Rundgren
"Frederick", "Dancing Barefoot", "So You Want To Be (A Rock'N'Roll Star)", "Hymn", "Revenge" -- side 1
"Citizen Ship", "Seven Ways Of Going", "Broken Flag", "Wave" -- side 2
(AB 4221 - US) (25RS-24 - Japan, Promo)
(201 139 - Germany) (ARCD 8546 - US, CD)
Special Note: Wave may also have been released as a picture disc by Arista/Pathe Marconi/EMI (France). If this is true, the record is ultra-rare.

Dream of Life (1988)

Producers: J. Iovine, Fred "Sonic" Smith
"People Have The Power", "Going Under", "Up There Down There", "Paths That Cross" -- side 1
"Dream Of Life", "Where Duty Calls", "Looking For You (I Was)", "The Jackson Song" -- side 2
(AL-8453 - US) (A27L-52 - Japan) (ARCD 8453 - US, CD)

Super Stars Best Collection CD (CR F-027 -- Japan)

"Because The Night", "Gloria", "Rock'n'Roll Nigger", "Till Victory", "Space Monkey", "Ghost Dance", "Privilege", "We Three", "Redondo Beach", "Free Money", "Easter", "Elegie"
This recent CD, comprised of songs from Horses and Easter, is available only as a Japanese import.

Gone Again (1996)

Producers: Malcolm Burn and Lenny Kaye
"Gone Again," "Beneath the Southern Cross," "About a Boy," "My Madrigal," "Summer Cannibals," "Dead to the World," "Wing," "Ravens," "Wicked Messenger" (by Bob Dylan), "Fireflies," "Farewell Reel"
(Arista Records CD 07822-18747-2 -- US)

The Patti Smith Masters (1996)

Digitally re-mastered CD versions of the first 5 albums, complete with all the liner notes from the original vinyl and some bonus tracks. The bonus tracks are as follows: Horses: "My Generation" | Radio Ethiopia: "Chiklets" | Easter: "Godspeed" | Wave: "Fire of Unknown Origin" & a live version of "54321/Wave" | Dream of Life: "As the Night Goes By" & "Wild Leaves."

The track order on Dream of Life is changed to "People Have the Power," "Up There Down There," "Paths That Cross," "Dream of Life," "Where Duty Calls," Going Under," "Looking for You (I Was)," and "The Jackson Song" (followed by 2 bonus tracks).

This set is numbered. The set also includes a 6th disc (promo sampler): Selected Songs with "Gloria," "Redondo Beach," "Ask the Angels," "Because the Night," "Babelogue/Rock 'N' Roll Nigger," "Dancing Barefoot," "People Have the Power," "Paths That Cross," "Gone Again," and "Summer Cannibals."

The packaging is a mostly unembellished charcoal-gray box. The art direction is excellent, including a new version of the Radio Ethiopia cover photo, interesting lines in patti's handwriting on the discs themselves, and various other details. Cover photo for Selected Songs is by Annie Leibovitz.
(Arista Records 07822-18933-2 -- US)

Peace and Noise (1997)

See this page.

SPECIAL PROMO STUFF

Crawdaddy Interview (no given date, but I'd guess late 1975)

An interview with Patti for radio airplay on a one-sided disc.
(about 11 minutes) Excellent!

Earth News : Two tracks for the week of Jan 12, 1976.

Two more tracks for the week of Nov 29, 1976. (up-to-date info)

Rock Around the World # 207 (1978)

LP for radio airplay, including interview and concert cuts from Patti's performance in Cleveland. For the week of July 23, 1978.

Todd Rundgren/Radio Sampler (1979) (Bearsville PRO-A-788)

Side 2 of this LP is a conversation with Todd Rundgren and Patti.

CD Sampler (1988) (Arista Records ASCD 9683)

An Arista CD of six songs, "Gloria" and "Redondo Beach" from Horses, "Ask The Angels" from Radio Ethiopia, "Because The Night" and "Space Monkey" from Easter, and "Dancing Barefoot" from Wave -- This CD was released promo only.

Two CD promo singles -- each with different length versions of the same song. (Arista Records)

1. "People Have The Power" -- 2 versions (ASCD 9689)
2. "Looking For You (I Was)" -- 3 versions (ASCD 9762)

Arista Alternative? You're Shittin' Me! (Arista Records)

Has a live reading of "Piss Factory" from the 1993 Central Park Summerstage appearance.

APPEARANCES

Rick Derringer
All American Boy

Blue Sky Records 32481 (1973)
Patti wrote the lyrics to the song "Hold."

Patti also wrote the lyrics for "Sleepless" on Derringer's If I Weren't So Romantic I'd Shoot You LP.

Ray Manzarek
The Whole Thing Started with Rock & Roll Now It's Out of Control

Mercury Records SRM-1-1014 (1974)
Patti quotes an excerpt from Jim Morrison's poem "The New Creatures" (with a lot of echo reverb) on the song "I Wake Up Screaming".

Blue Oyster Cult
Agents of Fortune

Columbia Records CK 34164 (1976)
Patti wrote the words to and sang backup in "The Revenge of Vera Gemini".

Patti has also co-written other songs for BOC, including:
-- "Debbie Denise" on this same LP
-- "Baby Ice Dog" on Tyranny & Mutation (Columbia Records KC32017)(1973) -- credited to A Bouchard-E Bloom-P Smith
-- "Career of Evil" on Secret Treaties (Columbia Records KC32858) (1974) -- credited to A. Bouchard-P Smith

Lastly, in the early or mid '80s, BOC made a song out of "Fire of Unknown Origin" (might have even been the title track of one of their albums).

Bob Neuwirth
Look Up

Watermelon Records (1996)
P.O. Box 49056, Austin, Texas 78765. (512) 472-6192.
Patti co-writes and sings vocals on "Just Like You" (2:59), which was recorded in Patti's inner sanctum in Detroit, Michigan.

Ivan Kral
Nostalgia

BMG-Ariola CR/SR (74321-28525-2 -- Czech Republic) (1996)
Patti and John Cale play on the song "Perfect Moon," same lyrics as the poem "december" in Early Work.
Inside the CD is this hand-written poem:

when you move thru the forest
you will find me nothing
but a willow that bends
don't touch these limbs
that bend
don't touch
if you should move thru the
forest see that

Patti Smith 28.2.1995

Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses
In Paradisu

Mercury/Phillips 1996
Produced by John Cale and David Young
On track 13, "Dies Irae", Patti Smith introduces the song with a recitation of an original poem.

Question:

Did she do some work on a Bob Seger album, circa 1989?

COMPILATIONS

New Wave

Vertigo/Phonogram 6300 902 (British Import) (1977)
"Piss Factory" is included.

The Sire Machine Turns You Up

Sire records -- SMP 1. (1978)
Includes "Hey Joe."
Note: Made in England by WEA records Ltd.
Inclusion of Patti is to promote the single SRE 1009.

Times Square (Motion Picture Soundtrack)

RSO (1979)
"Pissing in a River" is included.

That Summer! (Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Arista Records SPART 1088 (British Import) (1979)
"Because The Night" is included.

The Nova Convention

Giorno Poetry Systems Tapes GPS 016 (1979)
This is available only in cassette form (two tapes).
Patti appeared with other poets and performers at this event, which was recorded 12/2/78. She did a "Poem for Jim Morrison & Bumblebee".

Singles -- The Great New York Singles Scene

Reachout International Records ROIR A116 (1982)
"Piss Factory" is included.

Additional info: This cassette was eventually licensed for CD, LP and cassette by a company calling themselves, strangely enough, "Danceteria". Catalog info for the CD version is: DANCD077/D760. Their address is (was?): Danceteria, 222 Rue Solferino 59000, Lille, France
Phone: (33)20782878    Fax: (33)20782623

Rock At the Edge

Arista AL-8436 (1986)
Contains "Gloria" and the live "My Generation" from the flip side of the "Gloria" single.

Until the End of the World (Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Warner Bros. CD WB 26707-2 (1991)
Patti and Fred "Sonic" Smith performed together in a nice poetic/musical piece called "It Takes Time".

Just Say Yesterday Vol. 6

Sire 92694-2 (1992)
This compilation CD contains "Piss Factory".

Cash Cow -- The Best of Giorno Poetry Systems, 1965-1993

Giorno Poetry Systems CD GPS 045 (1993)
Patti's 1975 "Histories of The Universe" performance at St. Mark's Church is reproduced here.

Note: Patti has appeared on other Giorno Poetry systems LP's, such as You're A Hook, GPS 030 (includes "Histories of The Universe" and "Fire of Unknown Origin" performed at the Nova Convention 12/78) -- also "Seven Ways of Going" from St. Mark's Church (1975) and "No Jestering" (Lenny Kaye -- same as on the bootleg 7"). "Parade" was on the Sugar, Alcohol and Meat compilation.

Additional info: The "Histories of The Universe" performance is not complete on Cash Cow. The full-length legitimate release first appeared on Big Ego. This was put out by Giorno Poetry Systems Institute (GPS 012-013). The reading was recorded at St Mark's church, New York, Jan 1, 1975 and is 7min 46 sec in length. This reading was part of the St Mark's Poetry Project's annual marathon New Years day poetry reading.

Another complete version of "Histories of the Universe" is on the Live in London double bootleg album on Smilin' Ears Records. By the sound quality on Live in London it appears they got this straight off a copy of Big Ego.

Blank Generation -- The New York Scene (1975-78)

Rhino 71175 (1993)
Includes "Ask the Angels."

No Alternative

Arista 07822-18737-2 (1993)
Patti does an a capella song to Robert Mapplethorpe entitled "Memorial Song," apparently from her Central Park Summerstage reading in 1993.

Best of the King Biscuit Flower Hour

Sandstone Records (1991)
Volume 2, track 2, (D233006-2) taken from Easter 1978 show in Paris.

Natural Born Killers (Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Nothing/Interscope 92460-2 (?date)
Includes "Rock 'N' Roll Nigger," remixed by Flood for 140db. The album was produced by Trent Reznor.

Ain't Nuthin' But a She Thing

London 422-828 674-2 (1995)
Patti contributes cover of old Nina Simone song, "Don't Smoke in Bed."

Track listing and details on this press release.

Dead Man Walking (Motion Picture Soundtrack)

?? label (1995)
Patti contributes the song "Walkin' Blind."

Le Temps Des Assassins (AKA The Assassins)

was supposed to come out on META label -- now up in the air
Lizzy Mercier Descloux (French poet/singer) was asked by Bill Laswell to record an Arthur Rimbaud poem on this album including performances by Iggy Pop, John Cale, William Burroughs, etc. Lizzy asked Patti to do this poem together. They recorded the track in New York in August '95 -- Patti in English, Lizzy in French. They chose "Matinée d'ivresse" from the book Les Illuminations. (more detailed info to follow)

*** Question ***

-- Is there an LP of the 1978 King Biscuit Flower Hour that featured Patti? Tom Bessoir reports he has a King Biscuit Flower Hour on tape, but it is from 1/76 not '78. It was recorded at The Cellar Door in Washington DC and broadcast live. The KBFH broadcast 6 songs for a total of 20 minutes.

OTHER

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