Blondie (band)

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Blondie
Origin New York City, New York, US
Genre(s) New wave, pop rock, punk rock
Years active 1975–1982
1997–present
Label(s) Chrysalis/EMI Records
Beyond/BMG Records
SBMG Records
Website blondie.net
Members
Deborah Harry
Chris Stein
Clem Burke
Leigh Foxx
Paul Carbonara
Matt Katz-Bohen
Jimmy Destri
Former members
Nigel Harrison
Frank Infante
Gary Valentine
Fred Smith
Billy O'Connor
Eddie Martinez
Ivan Kral
Kevin Patrick
Kevin Topping

Blondie is an American pop/rock band. Founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein [1], the band was a pioneer in the early American new wave and punk rock scenes of the mid 1970s. Their first two albums contained strong elements of these genres, and although successful in the United Kingdom and Australia, Blondie was regarded as an underground band in the United States until the release of Parallel Lines 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.

The band broke up after the release of their 1982 album "The Hunter". Debbie Harry continued to persue a solo career with varied results (though she took a few years off to care for partner Chris Stein, who had developed a life-threatening illness). Keyboardist Jimmy Destri also embarked on a solo career of his own with somewhat less success than Harry. [2]

The group reformed in 1997, achieving renewed success and a number one single in the United Kingdom with "Maria" in 1999. The group toured and performed throughout the world over the following years, and was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the RockWalk of Fame in 2006.[3]

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Early career (1975–1978)

In the early 1970s, Chris Stein moved to New York City from Brooklyn. There, inspired by the burgeoning new music scene New York Dolls, et al, aimed to join a similar band. He joined The Stilettos in 1973 as their guitarist and formed a romantic relationship with the band's vocalist, Debbie Harry. A former waitress and Playboy Bunny,[4] Harry had been a member of the folk-rock band, The Wind in the Willows, in the late 1960s. In 1974, Stein parted ways with The Stilettos and Elda Gentile, the band's originator. Stein and Harry formed a new band with drummer Billy O'Connor and bassist Fred Smith. After some personnel turnover (other early members included sisters Tish Bellomo and Eileen Bellomo on backing vocals) by 1975, Stein and Harry were joined by drummer Clem Burke, keyboard player Jimmy Destri and bass player Gary Valentine. Originally billed as Angel and the Snake[5] the band renamed themselves Blondie in late 1975. The name was derived from comments made by truck drivers who called "Hey, Blondie" to Harry as they drove by. Later, band members were bemused to learn that the name was shared by Adolf Hitler's dog 'Blondi'. Blondie recorded one song semi-anonymously under the name 'Adolf's Dog'. This is on an Iggy Pop tribute album.[6]

  • "In the Flesh" (1977)
    Blondie achieved their first hit single with the ballad "In the Flesh", after it was played by mistake on an Australian television program.
    "Rip Her to Shreds" (1977)
    Harry's aggressive vocals on this track are typical of the band's early style.
    "Denis" (1977)
    Blondie's first European hit added a danceable pop music beat to their established new wave sound.
  • Problems listening to the files? See media help.

Blondie became regulars at New York's Club 51, Max's Kansas City and CBGB.[7] They got their first record deal with Private Stock Records in the mid-1970s and released their debut album Blondie (AUS #14, UK #75) in 1976,[3] along with the single "X-Offender". Private Stock Records was then bought out by the UK-based company, Chrysalis Records, and the first album was re-released on the new label in 1977,[3] along with the single "Rip Her to Shreds". Rolling Stone wrote about Blondie for the first time in August 1977[8] 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".[9]

The band's 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".[3] 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.[10] 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".[11]

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 five 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 canceled a performance due to illness.[12]

In 1977, Blondie released their second album, "Plastic Letters" (UK #10, US #78). The album was recorded as a four-piece band because Gary Valentine had left. Plastic Letters was promoted extensively throughout Europe and Asia by Chrysalis Records.[3] The album's first single, "Denis", was a cover version of Randy and the Rainbows' 1963 hit. It reached number two on the British singles charts, while both the album and its second single, "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear", reached the British top ten. That chart success, along with a successful 1978 UK tour including a gig at the Roundhouse (The Boomtown Rats opened), made Blondie one of the first American new wave bands to achieve mainstream success in the United Kingdom.[3] By this time, Gary Valentine had been replaced by Frank Infante (bass guitar/guitar), and shortly after that Nigel Harrison (bass guitar) was added, expanding the band to a six-piece for the first time.

Allmusic 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".[13]

[edit] Mainstream success (1978–1981)

  • "Heart of Glass" (1978)
    Although Blondie received some criticism for adopting a disco sound, in April 1979, "Heart of Glass" became their first U.S. #1 hit.
    "One Way or Another" (1978)
    More typical of their new wave sound, this song was one of several Blondie songs dealing with the theme of obsessive love, and was a hit in the U.S.
    "Call Me" (1980)
    The biggest hit of Blondie's career, "Call Me" was an early example of Europop featuring a strong use of synthesisers.
    "Rapture" (1980)
    Harry's vocal performance included a lengthy rap, and was one of the earliest rap-influenced songs to achieve mainstream success in the U.S.
  • Problems listening to the files? See media help.

Parallel Lines (UK #1, US #6) Blondie's third album, the groups most popular, and best selling effort was released in September 1978, and was produced by Mike Chapman. The album's first two singles were " Picture This" (UK #12) and "Hanging on the Telephone" (UK #5). "Heart of Glass" was their first U.S. hit. The disco infused track topped the US charts in April 1979. It 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 Gees' "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.[11] 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, for the most part, Blondie had previously been 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" (US #24), and became their second hit single in the United States. Meanwhile in the UK, an alternate single choice, "Sunday Girl", becomes another #1 smash. "Parallel Lines" is ranked #140 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 greatest albums of all time. In June 1979, Blondie graced the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.

Their fourth album, Eat to the Beat (UK #1, US #17) released in October 1979, 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.[3] In the UK, the single "Atomic" (UK #1, US #39) reached number one, "Dreaming" (UK #2, US #27) number two, and "Union City Blue" (UK #13) was another top 20 hit, while in the U.S. their singles did not chart as strongly.[3]

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. Released in February 1980, the track spent 6 weeks at #1 in the U.S., reached #1 in the U.K. and became a hit throughout the world. The song is the bands biggest selling single in the US (over a million copies sold) and was the #1 single of 1980.

In November 1980, their next album, Autoamerican (UK #3, US #7) was released and contained two more #1 US hits: the reggae-styled "The Tide Is High", a cover version of a 1967 song by The Paragons, and the rap-flavored "Rapture", which was one of the earliest songs containing elements of rap vocals to reach number one in the U.S., sweeping the world by storm. "Rapture" would be the band's only single to achieve a higher chart position on the U.S. charts than in the UK, where it peaked at #5. In October 1981, Chrysalis Records released "The Best of Blondie" (UK #4, US #30), the group's first greatest hits compilation.

[edit] Hiatus, The Hunter, and breakup (1981–1982)

Promotional photo from 1982.

Following their success of 1978-80, Blondie took a brief break in 1981. That year, Debbie Harry and Jimmy Destri both released solo albums; Stein helped out with Harry's album Koo Koo (UK #6, US #28) and Burke with Destri's Heart on a Wall.

The band reconvened in 1982 to record and release The Hunter (UK #9, US #33). In contrast to their earlier commercial and critical successes, The Hunter generally received lukewarm-to-negative reviews and failed to hit the top 20 in the U.S. The album did spin off two fairly minor hit singles: "Island of Lost Souls" (#11 UK, #37 US) and "War Child" (#39 UK).

The Hunter also included a song entitled "For Your Eyes Only" which shares its title with a 1981 James Bond film. This song was originally written on spec to be the film's opening-title theme. However, the producers chose another song by the same name, composed by Bill Conti and Michael Leeson. Blondie was offered the chance to perform Conti and Leeson's song, but they turned the offer down. Sheena Easton's rendition of Conti and Leeson's theme song became a top-ten single worldwide.

With tensions within the band on the rise due to the commercial decline and the constant press focus on Harry to the exclusion of the other band members, events reached a breaking point when Stein was diagnosed with the life-threatening illness pemphigus. In August 1982, Blondie canceled their tour plans early and announced their break-up.

Stein and Harry (at the time a couple) stayed together, and retreated from the public spotlight for a few years, with the exception of the minor single releases "Rush Rush" (1983, from the film Scarface) and 1985's dance track "Feel The Spin". After Stein recovered from his illness, Harry resumed her solo career with a new album (Rockbird) in 1986, with active participation from Stein. Meanwhile, Burke became a much-in-demand session drummer (and played for a time with Eurythmics), and Destri also maintained an active career as a producer and session musician.

A remix album entitled Once More into the Bleach was released in 1988, and featured remixes of classic Blondie tracks and material from Harry's solo career.

[edit] Regeneration (1997–2004)
"Maria" (1999)
"Maria" recalled Blondie's late 1970s new wave style and was a number one single in the UK
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Harry continued her successful solo career after the band broke up, and in 1990, she reunited with Stein and Burke for a successful summer tour of midsized venues, as part of a package with the Tom Tom Club and the Ramones. The band did not officially reform until 1997, however: the earlier tour was officially a Deborah Harry solo project.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Blondie's past work began to be recognized again by a new generation of fans and artists including Madonna and RE.M..[14]

Speaking in 1998, Clem Burke said he had recognized elements of Blondie in the band No Doubt, and Harry commented that she began to realize "our reputation had grown since we stopped".[11] Chrysalis/EMI Records also released several compilations and collections of remixed versions of some of its biggest hits.

In 1996, Stein and Harry began the process of reuniting Blondie and contacted original members Burke, Destri, and Valentine, who had by this time moved to London and become a full-time writer under his real name Gary Lachman; his New York Rocker: My Life in the Blank Generation (2002) is a memoir of his years with the band. Former members Harrison and Infante were not invited to participate in the reunion.

In 1997, the original five-piece band reformed, performing live three times without Harrison and Infante, who had unsuccessfully sued to prevent the reunion under the name Blondie. An international tour in late 1998 and early 1999[15] followed.

A new album, No Exit, was released in February 1999 and was described by Jimmy Destri as "15 songs about nothing".[11] The band was now officially a four piece, consisting of Harry, Stein, Burke and Destri: Valentine did not play on the album, although he did co-write two tracks. Session musicians Leigh Foxx and Paul Carbonara would play bass and guitar on this and follow-up Blondie releases, and play at live gigs, though they were not official group members.

No Exit reached number three on the UK charts, and the first single, "Maria", which Destri had written thinking about his high school days,[16] became Blondie's sixth UK number one single exactly twenty years after their first chart-topper "Heart of Glass", giving the band the distinction of being the only American act to reach number one in the UK singles charts in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

The reformed band released the follow-up album The Curse of Blondie in October 2003. Curse proved to be Blondie's lowest-charting album since their debut album in 1976, although the single "Good Boys" managed to reach number 12 on the UK charts. In 2004 Jimmy Destri retired from touring, leaving only Harry, Stein and Burke from the original line-up appearing at live shows, though Destri has confirmed he will continue to work as a member of the band in the studio.[17]

[edit] Legacy and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction (2006)

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 2006, Blondie, following an introductory speech by Shirley Manson of Garbage,[18][19] was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Seven members 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, who asked during the live broadcast of the ceremony to be allowed to perform with the group, a request refused by Harry.[20] On May 22, 2006, Blondie was inducted into the Rock Walk of Fame at Guitar Center on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard. New inductees are voted on by previous Rock Walk inductees.[21]

[edit] Parallel Lines 30th anniversery tour and new album (2008–present)

On July 3, 2008, Blondie commenced a world tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Parallel Lines with a sell-out concert at the amphitheater in Ra'anana, Israel.

Clem Burke and Paul Carbonara have both recently told interviewers that the band is working on another record. No release date has been set for the new album, whch would be their first new album since the release of The Curse of Blondie in 2003. Carbonara described it as "a real Blondie record." [22] [23]

Blondie is also currently (summer 2009) on a North American tour of mid-sized venues with Pat Benatar and The Donnas.

[edit] Band members

[edit] Current members

  • Debbie Harry - lead vocals (1975–1982, 1997–present)
  • Chris Stein - guitar, bass (1975–1982, 1997–present)
  • Clem Burke - drums, percussion, backing vocals (1975–1982, 1997–present)
  • Paul Carbonara - guitar (1997–present)
  • Leigh Foxx - bass (1997–present)
  • Matt Katz-Bohen - keyboards, piano, organ (2008–present)
  • Jimmy Destri - keyboards, piano, synthesizer, organ, backing vocals (1975–1982, 1997–present) - Not touring since 2004

[edit] Former members

[edit] Discography

Main article: Blondie discography

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ "The X Factor; Iraq: The Legacy; Outnumbered; Blondie; Peter Serafinowicz". Time (magazine). 2008-12-13. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article5318731.ece. 
  2. ^ "Blondie Is Back". MTV.com. 1998-04-29. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1426228/19980429/blondie.jhtml. Retrieved on 2008-04-19. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Blondie.net - Official site. URL last accessed September 7, 2006.
  4. ^ Robert Camuto (February 1981). "Does Blondie Really Have More Fun?". Boulevards. http://www.rip-her-to-shreds.com/archive_press_magazines_boulevardsfeb81.php. Retrieved on 2006-07-30. 
  5. ^ The Daily Yomiuri. URL last accessed September 7, 2006.
  6. ^ Wilson, MacKenzie. "Debbie Harry biography". Allmusic. http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/bio/0,,441681,00.html?artist=Debbie%252BHarry. Retrieved on 2006-07-24. 
  7. ^ Microsoft.com band information - Blondie. URL last accessed September 10, 2006.
  8. ^ Blondie at Rolling Stone.com URL last accessed September 7, 2006.
  9. ^ Tucker, Ken (1977-04-07). "Blondie album review". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/blondie/albums/album/248822/review/5941424/blondie. Retrieved on 2006-07-25. 
  10. ^ Matera, Joe (August, 2003). "Blondie, for the Big Takeover #53". Blondie official website. http://www.blondie.net/jimmy_destri_interview_200308_b.shtml. Retrieved on 2006-07-25. 
  11. ^ a b c d Cashmere, Paul (1998). "The Blondie Interview". Undercover Media. http://web.archive.org/web/20030817010558/http://www.undercover.com.au/idol/blondie.html. Retrieved on 2006-07-24. 
  12. ^ "Wild Rock Scenes". Blondie.net (link to copy of Brisbane Telegraph front page, date 1977-12-09). http://www.blondie.net/memorabilia.shtml. Retrieved on 2006-07-24. 
  13. ^ Ruhlman, William. "Plastic Letters review". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:3srb287c05ja. Retrieved on 2006-07-28. 
  14. ^ Prnewswire URL last accessed September 7, 2006.
  15. ^ "Blondie gig list". http://www.blondie.net/gig_list.shtml. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. 
  16. ^ "Blondie online chat". Blondie.net. 1999-12-06. http://www.blondie.net/archives/archived20030811/transcript_twec_onlinechat_1999dec06.html. Retrieved on 2006-07-23. 
  17. ^ Jimmy Destri at Blondie.net. URL last accessed April 2, 2007.
  18. ^ "Shirley inducts Blondie to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!". garbage.com. http://www.garbage.com/news/news.php?uid=330. Retrieved on 2007-09-27. 
  19. ^ "Mayhem and Conflict at the Hall of Fame!!!". Blondie.net. http://www.blondie.net/2006_03_16_blondie_chris_stein_archive.shtml. Retrieved on 2007-09-27. 
  20. ^ Montgomery, James (2006-03-14). "Metallica Thud, Blondie Feud At Rock Hall Of Fame Ceremony". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1526082/20060314/metallica.jhtml?headlines=true. Retrieved on 2006-07-24. 
  21. ^ "Blondie inducted in Hollywood's Rock Walk". Rock Walk. 2006-05-22. http://www.rockwalk.com/inductees/inductee.cfm?id=166. Retrieved on 2006-07-24. 
  22. ^ "Exclusive: Blondie to release brand new album". Mirror.co.uk. 2008-07-07. http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/latest/2008/07/07/exclusive-blondie-to-release-brand-new-album-89520-20634914/. Retrieved on 2008-08-26. 
  23. ^ http://www.crca.net/2009/05/paul-carbonara/

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Blondie
Clem Burke · Jimmy Destri · Debbie Harry · Chris Stein
Paul Carbonara · Leigh Foxx · Nigel Harrison · Frank Infante · Matt Katz-Bohen · Gary Valentine
Studio albums
Compilations
Live albums
Singles
Remixes
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