Hanging on the Telephone

"Hanging on the Telephone"
Single by Blondie
from the album Parallel Lines
B-side
  • "Will Anything Happen"
  • "Fade Away and Radiate"
Released October 30, 1978
Format 7" vinyl
Recorded 1978
Genre
Length 2:17
Label Chrysalis
Writer(s) Jack Lee
Producer(s) Mike Chapman
Certification Silver (BPI)[3]
Blondie singles chronology
"I'm Gonna Love You Too"
(1978)		 "Hanging on the Telephone"
(1978)		 "Heart of Glass"
(1979)
Music sample
"Hanging on the Telephone"
Alternative cover
US edition of the "Hanging On Telephone" single with alternative cover art.

"Hanging on the Telephone" is a song written by Jack Lee. It was first performed by his short-lived US West Coast power pop trio The Nerves.

Background

The tune was the lead-off track on The Nerves's 1976 EP, the group's only release. New wave band Blondie later popularised "Hanging on the Telephone", when it released a cover of the song as the second single off Parallel Lines in both the US and UK. The tune eventually reached number 5 in the UK in November 1978, as well as inspired other cover versions.

Like one of Blondie's subsequent singles, "Sunday Girl", "Hanging on the Telephone" employs a double backbeat rhythm in its drumming pattern. This percussion style also appeared on other power pop singles from the period, like The Romantics' 1978 release "Tell It to Carrie".[4]

Release history

UK 7" (CHS 2266)
  1. "Hanging on the Telephone" (Jack Lee) – 2:17
  2. "Will Anything Happen" (Lee) – 2:55
US 7" (CHS 2271)
  1. "Hanging on the Telephone" (Lee) – 2:17
  2. "Fade Away and Radiate" (Chris Stein) – 3:57

Chart peak positions

Chart (1978) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 39
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 19
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[7] 16
Ireland (IRMA)[8] 16
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 21
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 20
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 43
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[12] 5

Cover versions and appearances in other media

References

  1. ↑ Cateforis 2011, p. 139.
  2. ↑ "The goddess still rocks". The Advocate (780): 57. March 2, 1999. ISSN 0001-8996.
  3. ↑ "Certified Awards". BPI. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  4. ↑ Cateforis 2011, pp. 140–141.
  5. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Blondie – Hanging On The Telephone" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Radio 2 Top 30 : 16 juni 1979" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  8. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Hangin' on the Telephone". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Blondie - Hanging On The Telephone search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Blondie – Hanging On The Telephone" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Blondie – Hanging On The Telephone". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1978-12-02" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  13. ↑ O'Brien, Jon. "Jimmy Somerville Suddenly – Last Summer". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved July 28, 2013.

External links

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