Halfway to Sanity
Halfway to Sanity is the tenth studio album by the Ramones, released on 15 September 1987. Daniel Rey produced it, and sessions began that April at Intergalactic Studios in New York City. The band put down the instruments before the vocals, which helped them pick up the songs faster. It was the last record to feature drummer Richie Ramone, who left after financial disputes with Johnny. Clem Burke of Blondie, billed as "Elvis Ramone", filled in for two shows before Marky returned.
The sound roams more than usual. Some songs lean towards hard rock, heavy metal and crossover thrash, while others go for bubblegum pop. Joey duets with Blondie's Debbie Harry on "Go Lil' Camaro Go". Reviews at the time were mixed, and it peaked at No. 172 on the Billboard 200, though it did better elsewhere. Stephen Thomas Erlewine later argued it was the last time the band still sounded like they mattered.
Halfway to Sanity: tracklist, credits and charts
12 tracks · 30:06Tracklist
- 1I Wanna LiveDouglas Glenn Colvin and Daniel Rabinowitz2:37
- 2Bop ’Til You DropDouglas Glenn Colvin and Johnny Ramone2:12
- 3Garden of SerenityDouglas Glenn Colvin and Daniel Rey2:27
- 4Weasel FaceDee Dee Ramone and Johnny Ramone1:51
- 5Go Lil’ Camaro GoDee Dee Ramone2:03
- 6I Know Better NowRichie Ramone2:39
- 7Death of MeJoey Ramone2:40
- 8I Lost My MindDee Dee Ramone and Johnny Ramone1:34
- 9A Real Cool TimeJoey Ramone2:39
- 10I’m Not JesusRichie Ramone2:56
- 11Bye Bye BabyJoey Ramone4:35
- 12Worm ManDee Dee Ramone1:53
- Produced by
- Ramones, Daniel Rey
- Recorded at
- Intergalactic, New York City
- Recorded
- April 1987
- Mixed by
- Joe Blaney
- Engineered by
- Jorge Esteban
- Labels
- UpFront, Sire
- Length
- 30:06
Line-up
- Dee Dee Ramone · bass guitar · guest
- Johnny Ramone · guitar · guest
- Richie Ramone · drums (drum set) · guest
- Joey Ramone · lead vocals · guest
- Deborah Harry · background vocals · guest
Singles
- “Real Cool Time" b/w "Indian Giver” · September 1987
- “I Wanna Live" b/w "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)” · November 1987
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1987 | 78 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1987 | 172 |
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) · 1987 | 24 |
| Swedish Albums · 1987 | 43 |
| Dutch Albums · 1987 | 68 |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 15 September 1987 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 15 September 1987 | |
| Wikidata | September 1987 | |
| US release | 15 September 1987 | earliest US date |
5 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | DE | UpFront | 4001408266667 | other |
| 1987 | NL | Torso | other | |
| 15 September 1987 | US | Sire Records | 075992564120 | original |
| 15 September 1987 | US | Sire Records | 075992564113 | original |
| 9 August 2014 | US | Rhino | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · native: native 1500x1500
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1500×1500 | native: native 1500x1500 |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |