 The recording began on August 21 , 1977 and took place in Midtown Manhattan at Media Sound Studios , a premises of a former Episcopalian Church . On the first day of sessions , guitarist Johnny Ramone brought a copy of the Sex Pistols ' single " God Save the Queen " with him , remarking that their type of music " robbed " the band . He emphasized that the album 's sound engineer Ed Stasium needed to incorporate better production than that of the Sex Pistols , to which Stasium replied " no problem . " Johnny relates : " These guys ripped us off and I want to sound better than this . " 
