Blondie (band)

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Blondie
Blondie's most successful lineup, photographed in 1982. Left to right, Frank Infante, Chris Stein, Deborah Harry, Nigel Harrison, Clem Burke and Jimmy Destri.
Blondie's most successful lineup, photographed in 1982. Left to right, Frank Infante, Chris Stein, Deborah Harry, Nigel Harrison, Clem Burke and Jimmy Destri.
Background information
Origin United States New York City, New York, USA
Genre(s) Rock
Punk rock
New Wave
Pop
Years active 1975 – 1983;[1]
1998 – present
Label(s) Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Members
Deborah Harry: Vocals
Chris Stein: Guitar
Clem Burke: Drums and Percussion
Leigh Foxx: Bass
Paul Carbonara: Guitar
Kevin Patrick: Keyboards
Former members
Jimmy Destri
Nigel Harrison
Frank Infante
Gary Valentine

Blondie is an American rock band that first gained fame in the late 1970s. The band was a pioneer in the early American punk rock and New Wave scenes. Its first two albums contained strong elements of these genres, and although successful in Australia and the United Kingdom, Blondie was regarded as an underground band in the United States until the release of a third album in 1978. Over the next three years, the band achieved several hit singles and was noted for its eclectic mix of musical styles incorporating elements of disco, pop and reggae, while retaining a basic style as a New Wave band.

Lead singer Deborah Harry achieved a level of celebrity that eclipsed other band members leading to tension within the group. Following a poorly received album, and with core member Chris Stein diagnosed with a potentially fatal disease, the group disbanded in 1982.[1] As members pursued other projects, Blondie's reputation grew over the following decade and the group reformed in 1998, achieving renewed success and a number one single in the United Kingdom the following year. The group toured and performed throughout the world over the following years, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.[2]

Contents

[edit] Early career

In the early 1970s, Chris Stein moved to New York City, and inspired by the New York Dolls, aimed to join a similar band. He joined "The Stilettos" in 1973 as their guitarist and formed a romantic relationship with one of the band's vocalists, Deborah Harry. A former waitress and Playboy Bunny,[3] Harry had been a member of the folk-rock band "Wind in the Willows" in the late 1960s. In 1974, she parted ways with "The Stilettos" and Elda Gentile, the band's originator. Stein and Harry formed a new band with drummer Clem Burke, keyboard player Jimmy Destri and bass player Gary Valentine. Originally billed as "Angel and the Snake"[4] the band soon renamed themselves "Blondie" in late 1975. The name was taken from comments from truck drivers who called "Hey, Blondie" to Harry as they drove by.[5]

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They became regulars at New York's Club 51, Max's Kansas City, and CBGB's.[6] They got their first record deal with Private Stock Records in the mid 70s and released their debut album Blondie in 1976,[2] along with the single "X-Offender". Private Stock Records was then bought out by the U.K based company Chrysalis Records, and the first album was re-released on the new label in 1977[2] along with the single "Rip Her To Shreds". By this time, Valentine had been replaced by Nigel Harrison, and another guitarist Frank Infante had been added. Rolling Stone wrote about Blondie for the first time in August 1977[7] and observed the eclectic nature of the group's music, comparing it to Phil Spector and The Who and commented that the album's two strengths were Richard Gottehrer's production and the persona of Deborah Harry, saying she performed with "utter aplomb and involvement throughout: even when she's portraying a character consummately obnoxious and spaced-out, there is a wink of awareness that is comforting and amusing yet never condescending". It also noted that Harry was the "possessor of a bombshell zombie's voice that can sound dreamily seductive and woodenly Mansonite within the same song".[8]

Their first commercial success occurred in Australia in 1977, when the music television program Countdown mistakenly played their video "In the Flesh", which was the b-side of their current single "X-Offender".[2] Jimmy Destri later credited the show's Molly Meldrum for their initial success, commenting that "we still thank him to this day" for playing the wrong song.[9] In a 1998 interview, bandmember Clem Burke recalled seeing the episode in which the wrong song was played, but he and Chris Stein suggested that it may have been a deliberate subterfuge on the part of Meldrum. Stein asserted that "X-Offender" was "too crazy and aggressive [to become a hit]", while "In the Flesh" was "not representative of any punk sensibility. Over the years, I've thought they probably played both things but liked one better. That's all". In retrospect, Burke described "In the Flesh" as "a forerunner to the power ballad".[10]

Blondie, 1976. From left to right : Gary Valentine, Clem Burke, Deborah Harry, Chris Stein and Jimmy Destri.
Enlarge
Blondie, 1976. From left to right : Gary Valentine, Clem Burke, Deborah Harry, Chris Stein and Jimmy Destri.

The single and album each reached the Australian top 5 in October 1977, and a subsequent double-a release of "X-Offender" and "Rip Her to Shreds", was also popular. A successful Australian tour followed in December, though it was marred by an incident in Brisbane when disappointed fans almost rioted after Harry cancelled a performance due to illness.[11]

The following year they released their second album, Plastic Letters which Chrysalis Records promoted extensively throughout Europe and Asia.[2] The album's first single, "Denis", a cover version of Randy and the Rainbows's 1963 hit, reached number two on the British singles charts, while both the album and the second single, "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear", each reached the British top ten, making Blondie one of the first American new wave bands to achieve mainstream success in the United Kingdom.[2]

All Music Review later described Plastic Letters as inferior to its predecessor, saying that with the exception of the two singles, it appeared to have been constructed from "leftovers" from the Blondie album. It noted that Gottehrer's production could not compensate for the "pedestrian musical tracks" or save the album from "general mediocrity".[12]

[edit] Mainstream success

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Parallel Lines, their next album, was produced by Mike Chapman. Its first two singles, "Picture This" and "Hanging on the Telephone" a cover of The Nerves' song, were hits in the UK but, like their earlier work, didn't even crack the charts in the U.S. The album's third single would change that forever. "Heart of Glass" was a reworking of a rock song that the group had performed since its formation, but updated with strong elements of disco music. Clem Burke later said the revamped version was inspired partly by Kraftwerk and partly by the Bee Gee's "Stayin' Alive", whose drum beat Burke tried to emulate. He and Stein gave Jimmy Destri much of the credit for the final result, noting that Destri's appreciation of technology had led him to introduce synthesizers and to rework the keyboard sections.[10] Although some members of the British music press condemned Blondie for "selling out" the song became a popular worldwide success. Selling more than one million copies and garnering major airplay, the single reached number one in many countries including the U.S., where until this point they had been largely considered an "underground" band. The song was accompanied by a music video that showcased Deborah Harry's hard-edged and playfully sexual persona, and she began to attain a celebrity status that set her apart from the other band members, who were largely ignored by the media.

Blondie's next single in the U.S. was a more aggressive rock song, "One Way or Another", and it reached the top 30 but the band's greatest success continued to be in the UK, where an alternate single choice, "Sunday Girl", became another number one smash.

Their fourth album, Eat to the Beat, was well received by critics as a suitable follow-up to Parallel Lines but in the U.S. it failed to achieve the same level of success.[2] In the UK, the single "Atomic" reached number one, "Dreaming" number two, and "Union City Blue" was another substantial hit, while in the U.S. they achieved far lesser success.[2]

Deborah Harry worked with the Italian songwriter and producer Giorgio Moroder, who had been responsible for Donna Summer's biggest hits, and they composed the song "Call Me" for the soundtrack of the film American Gigolo. The song became the biggest hit of Blondie's career, spending seven weeks at number one in the U.S. and becoming a hit throughout the world.[2] Their album Autoamerican was released shortly thereafter and contained two more worldwide hits, the reggae-styled "The Tide Is High" and the rap-flavored "Rapture", each hitting number one in both the U.S. and UK.[2] "Rapture" was the first song containing elements of rap music vocals to reach number one in the U.S. and helped introduce the then underground rap genre to a larger audience. "Rapture" would be their only single to do better on the U.S. charts than in the UK, where it peaked at number five.

[edit] Decline

Blondie's popularity declined rapidly; despite two number one singles, Chrysalis Records elected not to release a third single from Autoamerican and stopped promoting the album in favour of Deborah Harry's solo album Koo Koo (1981). Rolling Stone's review placed most of the blame for the album's failure on the producers and songwriters, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, though it also commented that "Harry is less a trained singer than a moody presence, someone who can breathe atmosphere into a tune without benefit of a wide vocal range".[13]

Blondie's next album The Hunter (1982) and the single "Island of Lost Souls" were released to largely negative reviews. An extensive U.S. tour commenced with Duran Duran as an opening act prior to their break-through in North America, but many shows were cancelled due to low ticket sales.

Blondie disbanded in 1982, amidst media reports of tension within the group, and Harry continued to pursue a solo career.[1] Stein developed the autoimmune disease pemphigus vulgaris, and while Harry nursed him over the course of several years, she disregarded her career and did not perform for five years. Clem Burke was a highly regarded session musician and during this period his most notable work was with Eurythmics.

[edit] Regeneration

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During the late 1980s and into the early 1990s, Blondie's past work was recognised by a new generation of fans and artists such as Madonna,[14] and Chrysalis Records released several collections of remixed versions of some of their biggest hits. Speaking in 1998, Clem Burke said he had recognized elements of Blondie in the band No Doubt, while Harry commented that she began to realize "our reputation had grown since we stopped".[10]

In 1996, Stein began the process of a Blondie reunion and contacted Destri, who was then producing, and Burke. In 1998 the band reformed without Harrison and Infante, who had unsuccessfully sued to prevent the reunion under the name "Blondie". The resulting album, No Exit, described by Jimmy Destri as "15 songs about nothing",[10] reached number 3 on the UK charts, and the song "Maria"—which Destri had written while in high school[15]—became Blondie's sixth UK number one single. During this time Harry also worked as a vocalist for the avant-garde jazz troupe, The Jazz Passengers, having collaborated with them on their 1997 debut album Individually Twisted.

They released the album The Curse of Blondie in October 2003, followed by the single "Good Boys". Blondie continues to tour, but as of May 2006 Jimmy Destri had left the band, leaving only Harry, Stein and Burke from the original lineup.[16]

In 2006, a mash up of Blondie's "Rapture" and The Doors "Riders on the Storm" was released as a single titled "Rapture Riders", and reached the top 30 on the Australian ARIA charts, and the top 10 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club chart in the U.S. Neither Harry nor Stein were involved in the song's production, but Harry commented that the song was "Amazingly good... It's rare that I really love something"[17] and Stein also approved of the song, the two allowing it to be included on Blondie's Greatest Hits: Sight & Sound album.[18]

[edit] Legacy

By 1982, the year the band broke up, Blondie had released six studio albums, each exhibiting a stylistic progression from the last. The band is known not only for the striking stage persona and vocal performances of Harry but also for incorporating elements in their work from numerous subgenres of popular music, reaching from their punk roots to embrace new wave, disco, and hip hop.

In March of 2006, Blondie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. All six members from the "Parallel Lines" era lineup were invited to the ceremony, which led to an on-stage spat between the extant group and their former bandmates Nigel Harrison and Frank Infante when the latter pleaded to be allowed to perform with the group at the ceremony - a request refused by Harry.[19]

A BBC documentary on the group, aired Friday, July 21, 2006, discussed a new legal battle Nigel Harrison and Frank Infante have undertaken against the present day band (most likely over terms of their implied 'partnership' agreement as members of Blondie). This has something to do with the frosty reception they received from Harry and Stein at the induction.[20]

Blondie have influenced many musicians, among them Madonna, Shirley Manson, the band L7, and Gwen Stefani.[14]

On May 22, 2006, Blondie was inducted into the Rock Walk of Fame at Guitar Center on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard. Especially important regarding Blondie's Rock Walk induction is the fact that currently, Rock Walk inductions are voted on by previous Rock Walk inductees, making this truly a musician's award.[21]

They remain the only American act to reach number one in the UK singles charts in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Coincidentally, their last number one hit, "Maria", topped the UK charts exactly twenty years after their first chart-topper "Heart of Glass" in 1979.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

Year Album US UK
1976 Blondie - -
1977 Plastic Letters 72 10
1978 Parallel Lines 6 1
1979 Eat to the Beat 17 1
1980 Autoamerican 7 3
1982 The Hunter 33 9
1999 No Exit 18 8
2003 The Curse of Blondie 160 36

[edit] Compilations

Year Album US UK
1981 The Best of Blondie 30 4
1988 Once More into the Bleach - -
1991 The Complete Picture - The Very Best Of Deborah Harry And Blondie - 3
1993 Blonde And Beyond: Rarities & Oddities - -
1995 Beautiful - The Remix Album - 25
1995 Remixed, Remade, Remodeled - -
1997 Picture This Live (Capitol Anniversary Series) - -
1998 Atomic - The Very Best of Blondie - 12
1999 Atomic/Atomix - The Very Best of Blondie - 12
1999 Livid - -
2002 Greatest Hits - 38
2004 Live By Request - -
2006 Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision - -

[edit] Singles

Year Song US Hot 100 UK singles Album
1976 "X-Offender" - - Blondie
1976 "In the Flesh" - - Blondie
1976 "Rip Her to Shreds" - - Blondie
1977 "Denis" - 2 Plastic Letters
1977 "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear" - 10 Plastic Letters
1978 "Picture This" - 12 Parallel Lines
1978 "Hanging on the Telephone" - 5 Parallel Lines
1979 "Heart of Glass" 1 1 Parallel Lines
1979 "Sunday Girl" - 1 Parallel Lines
1979 "One Way or Another" 24 - Parallel Lines
1979 "Dreaming" 27 2 Eat to the Beat
1979 "Union City Blue" - 13 Eat to the Beat
1980 "The Hardest Part" 84 - Eat to the Beat
1980 "Call Me" 1 1 American Gigolo soundtrack
1980 "Atomic" 39 1 Eat to the Beat
1980 "The Tide Is High" 1 1 Autoamerican
1981 "Rapture" 1 5 Autoamerican
1982 "Island of Lost Souls" 37 11 The Hunter
1982 "War Child" - 39 The Hunter
1999 "Maria" 82 1 No Exit
1999 "Nothing Is Real But The Girl" - 26 No Exit
1999 "No Exit" - - No Exit
2003 "Good Boys" - 12 The Curse of Blondie
2006 "Rapture Riders" - - Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c Profile: Blondie, at About.com URL last accessed September 7, 2006.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Blondie.net - Official site. URL last accessed September 7, 2006.
  3. ^ Robert Camuto. "Does Blondie Really Have More Fun?", Boulevards, February 1981. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
  4. ^ The Daily Yomiuri. URL last accessed September 7, 2006.
  5. ^ Wilson, MacKenzie. Debbie Harry biography. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2006-07-24.
  6. ^ Microsoft.com band information - Blondie. URL last accessed September 10, 2006.
  7. ^ Blondie at Rolling Stone.com URL last accessed September 7, 2006.
  8. ^ Tucker, Ken (1977-04-07). Blondie album review. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.
  9. ^ Matera, Joe (August, 2003). Blondie, for the Big Takeover #53. Blondie official website. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.
  10. ^ a b c d Cashmere, Paul (1998). The Blondie Interview. Undercover Media. Retrieved on 2006-07-24.
  11. ^ Wild Rock Scenes. Blondie.net (link to copy of Brisbane Telegraph front page, date 1977-12-09). Retrieved on 2006-07-24.
  12. ^ Ruhlman, William. Plastic Letters review. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2006-07-28.
  13. ^ "About Harry". Chic tribute.com (citing Rolling Stone, October 29, 1981). Retrieved on 2006-07-25.
  14. ^ a b Prnewswire URL last accessed September 7, 2006.
  15. ^ Blondie online chat. Blondie.net (1999-12-06). Retrieved on 2006-07-23.
  16. ^ Jimmy Destri at AOL music. URL last accessed September 7, 2006.
  17. ^ Stewart, Jenny (2006). Catching up with Debbie Harry. Gaycom Entertainment. Retrieved on 2006-07-28.
  18. ^ Ansaldo, Michael (2006). Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2006: Blondie - Deborah Harry and Chris Stein share the rapture. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.
  19. ^ Montgomery, James (2006-03-14). Metallica Thud, Blondie Feud At Rock Hall Of Fame Ceremony. MTV. Retrieved on 2006-07-24.
  20. ^ Tikilab.com URL last accessed September 7, 2006.
  21. ^ Blondie inducted in Hollywood's Rock Walk. Rock Walk (2006-05-22). Retrieved on 2006-07-24.

[edit] External links

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