Jonathan Richman - Roadrunner - How many versions?

Just the two that I know of, discounting live versions. The original was recorded in '72, (produced by John Cale) and released on the first Modern Lovers LP on Beserkeley in '76 (reissued on Rhino in the early '90s).

Richman re-recorded it as a solo act for Beserkeley around '77, and that version was included on the Beserkeley Chartbusters vinyl comp. I think that version is on the Richman Beserkeley Years CD.

 

'Once' and 'Twice' on the a and b of the single then 'Thrice' as the b-side of 'morning of our lives' single..but there may be more....

 

I have a UK 45 with the solo BERSERKLEY CHARTBUSTERS version on one side, and the Modern Lovers album version on the other.

On different import 45's, as b-sides there's "Roadrunner Twice" and "Roadrunner Thrice."

Dunno if the B-sides showed up on CD anywheres.

 

There are five different studio recordings of this song, four of which have been officially released:

1. Intermedia Studio demo session, produced by John Cale, Fall 1971. Available on "Songs of Rememberance" (sic) bootleg.

2. Warner demo session, Elektra Studios LA, produced by John Cale, March 1972. Available on the "The Modern Lovers" album (which was released by Rhino on CD)

3. Dinky Dawson basement studio session, Boston, produced by Kim Fowley, June 1972. Available on "The Original Modern Lovers" CD (on Bomp records). This version is identified as "Roadrunner #1" on that CD.

4. Gold Star studio session, LA, produced by Kim Fowley, Fall 1973. Also available on "The Original Modern Lovers" CD (on Bomp records). This version is identified as "Roadrunner #2" on that CD.

5. Beserkeley Chartbusters Session, CBS Studios San Francisco, Spring/Summer 1974. This version does not feature the original Modern Lovers lineup, it was after they'd broken up. It appears on various compilations, most recently as a bonus track on the British reissue of "Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers".

The above info is courtesy of the excellent sessionography here: http://users.ids.net/~dmsr/sessionography.html