Japan Japanese 7" discography / The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977]

The Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar - Pioneer P-1043S • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977]The Rolling Stones - Japan single - Tumbling Dice signFrom 1971 to 1977, Rolling Stones Records were distributed by Pioneer in Japan.
Records have Warner yellow labels, and from August 1971 were distributed into simple insert picture sleeves - one 7" x 7" sheet of paper with lyrics on the back, on top of their company sleeves [which latter was the tongue shaped sleeve on 4 occasions].
Very rare promo copies were pressed for each track - distributed into stock PS - and bore blue labels until mid-72, then white.

Two different artworks were made in 1971 for the single 'Brown Sugar' [P-1043S] in fold-out sleeves, including an exclusive 'red hammock' cover [the European white 'pants' design is rarer in Japan though].

The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses - Pioneer P-1062S • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977]'Wild Horses' [P-1062S], coupled with 'Sway' as in the US, also came out with two different covers:
the 'horses' sleeve [also used in Mexico] is not really easy to find, but its 'on stage' version promoting the 'Gimme Shelter' movie with its back in Japanese is a major Japanese rarity.

Three singles were extracted from the 'Exile On Main Street' album and distributed into the thick tongue shaped company sleeve, with yellow inserts inside.
'Tumbling Dice' [P-1115S] was the latest single from this era whom promo pressings would be issued on blue labels. The 'Happy' [P-1156S] single was the same coupling as for the US, yet is rarer than its predecessor. The third single, 'Rocks Off' is even harder-to-find, due to its exclusive flip - w/ 'Sweet Virginia' [P-1192S]. Besides an extremely rare UK promo-only version, Japan was indeed the only country to have issued this track as a single.

RSR / Pioneer information
# view cat.# year titles a-side / b-side PS - labels
112-a P 1043S 05/71 Brown Sugar / Bitch hammock FO - blue promo labels
112-b P 1043S 05/71 Brown Sugar / Bitch hammock FO
112-c P 1043S 05/71 Brown Sugar / Bitch white FO - 400¥
112-d P 1043S 1972 Brown Sugar / Bitch white FO - 500¥
113-a P 1062S 08/71 Wild Horses / Sway 'live' IS
113-b P 1062S 08/71 Wild Horses / Sway 'horses' IS - also blue promo labels
114-a P 1115S 05/72 Tumbling Dice / Sweet Black Angel 'tongue' CS - blue promo labels
114-b P 1115S 05/72 Tumbling Dice / Sweet Black Angel 'tongue' CS - yellow labels
115-a P 1156S 09/72 Happy / All Down The Line 'tongue' CS - test pressing
115-b P 1156S 09/72 Happy / All Down The Line 'tongue' CS - white promo labels
115-c P 1156S 09/72 Happy / All Down The Line 'tongue' CS - yellow labels
116-a P 1192S 01/73 Rocks Off / Sweet Virginia 'tongue' CS - white promo labels
116-b P 1192S 01/73 Rocks Off / Sweet Virginia 'tongue' CS - yellow labels
117-a P 1256S 09/73 Angie / Silver Train IS - white promo labels
117-b P 1256S 09/73 Angie / Silver Train IS + 'tongue' CS
118 P 118S 1976 Angie / Silver Train IS
119-a P 1281S 03/74 Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo / Dancing w/ Mr.D. IS - white promo labels
119-b P 1281S 03/74 Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo / Dancing w/ Mr.D. IS
120-a P 1333S 09/74 It's Only Rock'n'Roll / Through The Lonely Nights test pressing
120-b P 1333S 09/74 It's Only Rock'n'Roll / Through The Lonely Nights IS - white promo labels
120-c P 1333S 09/74 It's Only Rock'n'Roll / Through The Lonely Nights IS
121 P 141S 1976 It's Only Rock'n'Roll / Through The Lonely Nights IS
122-a P 1359S 01/75 Ain't Too Proud To Beg / Dance Little Sister IS - white promo labels
122-b P 1359S 01/75 Ain't Too Proud To Beg / Dance Little Sister IS
123-a P 15S 06/76 Fool To Cry / Crazy Mama IS - white promo labels
123-b P 15S 06/76 Fool To Cry / Crazy Mama IS

The Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar - Pioneer P-1043S • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977] The Rolling Stones - Angie - Pioneer P-1256S • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977] The Rolling Stones - Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo - Pioneer P-1281SS • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977] The Rolling Stones - Fool To Cry - Pioneer P-15S • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977]
The Rolling Stones - Japan - The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977] The Rolling Stones - Japan - The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977] The Rolling Stones - Japan - The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977] The Rolling Stones - Rocks Off • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977]

'Angie' initially issued in 1973 [P-1256S] was reissued in 1976 with a new catalogue number [P-118S] and the same picture insert artwork inspired from the 'Goats Head Soup' album with the David Bailey's shot of Mick Jagger.

The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses - Pioneer P-1062S • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977]A unique live cover again was designed for the uncommon 'Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo [Heartbreaker]' [P-1281S], which strangely - or mistakenly - sported an artisanal reworked tongue logo [to be seen in Italy at the same time].

As for 'Angie', double numbering would happen for 'It's Only Rock'n'Roll' [P-1333S and P-141S] whom artwork signed by airbrush artist Philip Castle illustrates the lyrics of the song - Germans also used this nice drawing for their 'Ain't Too Proud To Beg' picture sleeve.

Belgian artist Guy Pellaert designed the album of the same name whom second single 'Ain't Too Proud To Beg' picture sleeve [P 1359S] is a reproduction in miniature.


The Rolling Stones - It's Only Rock'n'Roll - P1333S • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977]The Rolling Stones - Ain't Too Proud To Beg - P1359 • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977]






Its rarity and beauty made it the second most desirable single from this era.


The picture sleeve for 'Fool To Cry' [P-15S] in 1976 is very Japanese since using the photo of Yasuhiro Wakabayashi from the 'Black & Blue' album artwork.

The Rolling Stones - Tumbling Dice - P1115S - promo labels • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977]The Rolling Stones - Ain't Too Proud To Beg - P1359 • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977]

A word about company covers:
The first 2 singles and 'Angie' came into an Atlantic red & white company sleeve, the red Pioneer CS was used in 1973 and 1974, and the blue and white in 1976.

The Rolling Stones - CS • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977]


Extra note

The Rolling Stones - Angie - promo singles pack • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977] The Rolling Stones - Angie - promo singles pack • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977] The Rolling Stones - Tumbling Dice - promo singles pack • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977] The Rolling Stones - Tumbling Dice - promo singles pack • Japan discography: The RSR - Pioneer years [1971-1977] On top of this discography, two promo double singles packs by various artists including a track by the Rolling Stones were issued in 1972 and 1973 [gatefold covers with 4 fronts, and 4 promo A-sides].

  • Tumbling Dice along with tracks by Graham Nash & David Crosby, America & Deep Purple.
  • Angie along with tracks by America, Allman Brothers & Roberta Flack.