Rapture: A Retrospective of Blondie
Click below on the streaming service of your choice to listen to the playlist as you read along. .
I first kissed a girl when I was nine. She was a precocious eleven-year-old from Scotland visiting our neighbours in the summer of 1979. She and I hung out together for a few days and on the last day of her time in Toronto, much to my surprise and exhilaration, we kissed. Playing on the stereo at the time, as it had for most of the few days we spent together in my neighbours’ basement, was Parallel Lines by Blondie.
At the same time my initial interest in girls was being stirred I was, still being a young lad, a firm believer in Santa Claus – such are the dichotomies of adolescence. I didn’t challenge the notion of Santa since, well, extra gifts at Christmas, duh. By 1981, I’d grown out of the Santa myth but mom continued the tradition of giving me unwrapped gifts under the tree to discover and enjoy first thing in the morning. Now eleven, I was less inclined to go for toys and had found music, and that Christmas there were three new albums under the tree waiting to be played: Beauty and the Beat by the Go Go’s, Ghost in the Machine by The Police, and The Best of Blondie. I had asked for the first two on my Christmas list, but Santa had thrown me a bonus with the Blondie record. In the end, that was the one I listened to the most, although all three had their grooves well worn.
The Playlist
“X Offender”
“In the Flesh”
“Rip Her to Shreds”
“Denis”
“(I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear”
“I’m on E”
“Poets Problem”
“Hanging on the Telephone”
“One Way or Another”
“Heart of Glass”
“Dreaming”
“Die Young Stay Pretty”
“Atomic”
“Call Me”
“The Tide is High”
“Angels on the Balcony”
“Rapture”
“Island of Lost Souls”
“Screaming Skin”
“Maria”
“Nothing is Real but the Girl”
“Good Boys”
“Songs of Love (for Richard)”
“What I Heard”
“The End the End”
“I Want to Drag You Around”
“Euphoria”
“Long Time”
“Best Day Ever”
So, you could say Blondie found me as much as I did them – a relationship born in the warm memories of a first kiss and a surprise gift from Santa (er, mom). I was always fond of Blondie’s music, but it would be years later when I was able to explore their albums more fully and realize that the songs on Best of Blondie were just the tip of the iceberg. This was a fantastic band through and through. As an unabashed fan of the pop music format, Blondie was the complete package. Catchy, tight tunes with wonderful blends of guitar, drums and keyboards, all backing the wondrous voice of Debbie Harry. I am deeply in love with her voice and am won over to anything she sings. Case in point, how cool and sweet was she on The Muppet Show ( Feb 1981)?
Debbie was born Angela Trimble in Miami and put up for adoption. She was named Deborah Ann by her adopted parents, Richard and Catherine Harry, in Hawthorne, New Jersey. Debbie moved to New York City in the 1960s after graduating college with an arts degree. She did several odd jobs around the city including as receptionist at BBC Radio, a waitress at the famed Max’s Kansas City, a go-go dancer at Union City in Jersey, and as a bunny at the Playboy Club. She started her singing career with a folk band called Wind in the Willows before joining a band called, The Stilettoes.
Chris Stein was born in Brooklyn and joined the Stilettoes in 1973, seeking a band that fit with the emerging music (e.g. New York Dolls) of New York’s culture hub, the Mercer Arts Center. In 1974, Stein and Harry formed a new band which they eventually called Blondie, not surprisingly based on the catcalls that Harry would often receive on the streets of Manhattan (1970s New York was not a very hospitable place for anyone, much less a woman that looked like Debbie). This was the start of a relationship that must rank among the most prolific partnerships of modern pop music. They were romantically involved from their early days together until they split in 1989 but remain together creatively to this day. It should also be noted that Debbie was twenty-nine-years-old at that point and older than her musical peers when Blondie launched.
“X Offender”; “In the Flesh”; “Rip Her to Shreds” \ Blondie (1976)
Stein and Harry changed over several band members by 1975 and were assembling a stellar group of musicians. First was Clem Burke from New Jersey, to become one of the best rock drummers of all time. On bass they were joined by Gary Valentine, who replaced Fred Smith who went on to join the band Television (in turn replacing Richard Hell, who was forming The Heartbreakers). By the end of the year they added Jimmy Destri on keyboards to complete the quintet.
Blondie established themselves at the clubs Max’s Kansas City and CBGBs, which together were the heart of New York’s progressive arts community. Like many of the artists in these venues, Blondie felt unconstrained by convention and were exploring new approaches to rock music, stripping it down to a bare, raw, and urgent form. This was counter to the movement of the big band, fully orchestrated rock most evident in 1975’s major albums such as Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run or Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here.
Like other proto-punk and garage acts, Blondie set itself apart by drawing upon the early ‘60s pop style. After recording demos, they signed with local label, Private Stock Records, and released their first single in the summer of ’76, “X Offender”. It was a variation on the emerging punk sound of the city. “In the Flesh” was the second single and sounded like something recorded by The Shirelles or The Ronettes. It was issued in the fall ahead of the December release of the debut, self-titled LP.
Watching the band did not make you think of those early generation pop bands or girl groups. Debbie was demure, sexy, dangerous, and a rare female lead in the punk clubs. After sounding innocent and sweet during “In the Flesh,” she would come back at you with a vicious snarl in, “Rip Her to Shreds”. The fact she was drop-dead gorgeous was an enhancing element to the band’s musical package, though a constant challenge to their identity.
Harry and Blondie were getting noticed. The album made them part of one of the greatest years of modern rock history, 1977, centred in New York City.
“Denis”; “(I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear”; “I’m on E” \ Plastic Letters (1978)
“Poets Problem” \ B-side to “(I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence Dear” (1978)
Chrysalis Records was a British A&R label formed around Jethro Tull in 1969 and distributed through Island Records. Known mostly for its prog rock acts like Tull, Procul Harem, and Ten Years After, the US branch broke free in 1976 as an independent and partnered with PolyGram for distribution. Recognizing the exciting wave of new bands coming out of London and New York, Chrysalis shifted gears to become one of the leading labels for new wave music during the ensuing years. They also formed 2 Tone Records in England with Jerry Dammers of The Specials and helped launch the British ska scene.
Chrysalis so desperately wanted Blondie they agreed to pay Private Stock Records to free the band of its contract. It was a risk since Blondie’s first album did not sell well, since they were still a sensation only in a few New York City clubs. The move, however, paid off as the band was coming together and writing better and better songs, which they had already started to record with Private Stock. There had also been a line-up change as Valentine left, replaced by Brit, Nigel Harrison, and Frank Infante was brought on as a second guitarist.
Debbie Harry, Nigel Harrison, Chris Stein, Frank Infante, Jimmy Destri, and Clem Burke
The second album, Plastic Letters, was released in February 1978. It maintained the edge and energy of the first album but was more complete. It was a landmark album of the late ‘70s New York scene. “Denis”, a cover of a 1963 tune, “Denise”, by Randy and the Rainbows, held onto the retro ‘60s vibe with a little French thrown in for an exotic twist. “I’m on E” held a pace few bands strove for save for their CBGB clubmates, The Ramones. Although tempting to interpret the song being about the drug, Ecstasy, it came long before that trend. Harry has indicated it wasn’t used for any particular meaning, but more of a general slang for ‘E for England,’ ‘E for energy,’ or ‘E for empty’. The lyrics gave other uses, “I’m on E / I’m on E for easy,” and then with references to “walked my feet to the bone / I’d give my life for a car of my own,” and “Still on E I’ll think of something / I’m on E and I’m on E / I’ll never have to fill my feet up,” it seemed to allude to a common reference at the time to being broke or out of gas, thus the ‘empty’ reference.
But it was the pop brilliance of “Presence Dear” that indicated something special was coming with this band. It was written by Gary Valentine, who was gone from the band by the time the song was released as a single. Keyboards, drums, guitar and Debbie’s voice came together perfectly into one of pop-rock’s most fantastic moments. You could also flip the single over and find a non-album B-side, “Poets Problem,” that sent you on another fantastic swirl through those combinations.
Plastic Letters did not chart highly in the US, peaking at #72, but did gain the band success in the UK, where it reached the top ten. Likewise for the two singles, “Denis” and “Presence Dear”. There was no doubt Blondie was on the rise, even if America wasn’t yet ready to embrace the New York rock sound. Focus was instead on the other New York sound and landmark club of the time, disco and Studio 54.
“Hanging on the Telephone”; “One Way or Another”; “Heart of Glass” \ Parallel Lines (1978)
Bringing on Australian producer, Mike Chapman (also part of the legendary song writing team of Chinn-Chapman), Blondie was emboldened by their increasing – but still minor – success and a creative tension among this group of talented and ambitious musicians. They found the right formula to break big with the next album, Parallel Lines, and its massive hit, “Heart of Glass”.
I strongly encourage you to watch the two videos: The Making of Parallel Lines and the recording of Heart of Glass. They provide great insight to the creative process and inventiveness of the band at this time in their history. One detail, not the least of which of all the interesting aspects of the album, was that Clem Burke had to play each drum separately to record, “Heart of Glass”, in order to time it perfectly with the backing drum machine. Chapman was an exacting and ambitious producer who pushed Blondie to their fullest potential.
Titled, “Once I Had a Love”, in its first incarnation back in ’74-’75, “Heart of Glass” was then dubbed, “The Disco Song,” after it was given its iconic beat and groove for an initial demo. Under its final title, it was ironic that the single rode the disco wave and launched Blondie to international success under the impression that they were a dance band. It was a reputation they would forever struggle with since the rest of Parallel Lines had no disco elements at all. “One Way or Another” was as snarling and menacing a rock song, especially sung by a female, as you could find for the time. Hearing a blond bombshell sing, “One way or another / I’m gonna get ya,” turned the sexual dynamics of the time on its head. “Hanging on the Telephone” was a cover of a song by The Nerves, who were part of the new underground of American power pop in which Blondie was a significant part.
The album reached #1 in the UK and the top ten in the US. The lead single in the UK was, “Picture This,” which went top twenty. However, the first single in the US was “I’m Gonna Love You Too,” hoping another ‘60s cover would repeat the success of “Denis.” It wasn’t to be as it didn’t chart. “Hanging on the Telephone” was the second single on both sides of the ocean, scoring them their third top ten single in the UK but again failing to click in the US. Finally, with the third(!) single, “Heart of Glass” delivered the band its first #1 in both the US and UK, as well as many other countries. They repeated that feat in the UK with, “Sunday Girl,” and finally “One Way or Another” scored them a top forty hit in the US.
“Dreaming”; “Die Young Stay Pretty”; “Atomic” \ Eat to the Beat (1979)
Blondie rose to the challenge of following a masterpiece album with another fantastic LP, Eat to the Beat. Having a massive success can be the undoing of many a band, but not for this group. There was an added test in that the new album was consistent with their power-pop sound and not of the disco variety – though “Atomic” was definitely a dance-oriented tune and consistent with the synth music growing in popularity in North America and the UK.
So, it wasn’t guaranteed their newly expanded audience would stick with them, and in the US the singles failed to break through, with two just barely cracking the top forty. The UK continued to embrace Bondie, sending “Dreaming” to #2, “Union City Blue” to the top twenty, and “Atomic” to #1. The album reached #1 in the UK and the top twenty in the US.
Of note on this album was the introduction of reggae rifts, most notably in the track, “Die Young Stay Pretty.” The band was broadening their sound from the retro-tinged and expansive sounds, though still heard in songs like, “Union City Blue,” but now there was greater variety throughout the album.
Also notable was Chrysalis experimenting with new media forms by creating a video album for Eat to the Beat. There was a video made of each song and made available as a package. Keep in mind this was two years before the debut of MTV. It was likely done because Blondie was so photogenic, centred of course on Debbie, who must have been one of the most photographed people on the planet in the late ‘70s. This became an issue since it was hard to establish the perception of them being a ‘band’ and not simply ‘Blondie’ Debbie with a backing group.
“Call Me” \ non-album single / American Gigolo soundtrack (1980)
If Blondie was concerned about the drop in commercial success of their prior album it was alleviated when they released a single early in the new year that became their second US #1 hit. “Call Me” was used in the movie American Gigolo and musically captured the free and aggressive spirit of an America re-finding its mojo at the start of a new decade. Sure, it was written from the perspective of the film’s lead character, Richard Gere’s male prostitute, Julian Kay, but its use in the movie’s opening sequence with Gere in a convertible on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu captured the tune’s vibe.
For the band, it must have been a relief that it was a song in their traditional, guitar-synth, power pop mold and not a disco song. Ironically though, it was a collaboration with Georgio Moroder, known mostly for his electronic and dance compositions. Perhaps that’s why it also had one of the most recognizable keyboard solos of that early era of synthesizers.
“The Tide is High”; “Angels on the Balcony”; “Rapture” \ Autoamerican (1980)
The next album was one of contradictions. Musically, it was their weakest yet but still reached the top ten in the US and UK and featured two US #1 singles, “The Tide is High” and “Rapture.” The first also reached #1 in the UK while the second peaked at #5.
Autoamerican departed more pointedly from their rock sound and embraced the island sounds first hinted at in the prior album. “The Tide is High”, a cover of a reggae song by the Paragons, was built entirely around calypso rhythms and Caribbean inspired horns. “Rapture” was famously the first #1 song with rap vocals. It also re-introduced the band to audiences as a dance-focused act due to its heavy funk and disco elements.
Blondie, now five albums into their four-year recording history, were straining at the seams despite being at peak success. Disputes over musical direction and the media focus on Debbie were leading to strained relationships within the band.
“Island of Lost Souls” \ The Hunter (1982)
As it was for so many other bands of the 1970s, the ‘80s were not kind to Blondie. The Hunter, their sixth LP, is better in retrospect but, at the time, lacked anything close to a single commensurate with their prior work. The album was a flop (and they did themselves no favours with that awful album cover!). Watching the painful performance Debbie gave for the TV appearance of “Island of Lost Souls” (YouTube playlist) made one wonder where her head was.
Before The Hunter, the band took its first break since forming. The year off allowed many of them to try different things. Harry and Destri released solo albums (both helped by Stein) and Debbie also tried her hand at acting, appearing (as a brunette to separate her character from Blondie) in David Cronenberg’s film, Videodrome. Clem Burke played on the Eurythmics first album, and Infante oddly sued the band for lack of credit for his work on Autoamerican. It was settled out of court and he stayed with the band, but not surprisingly it created additional tension within the band. Blondie kept its fans happy during the break with the release of its greatest hits, the Best of Blondie – the same LP that came to rest under my Christmas tree in 1981.
Once released, The Hunter did not sell well – at least nothing like their prior albums. Continuing to explore new styles along with their continued fixation on reggae, the band seemed to have lost its way. Songs like “Dragonfly” and “Island Caesar” were okay but seemed to wander and lose energy compared to their other work. “For Your Eyes Only” was recorded for the James Bond movie of the same name but lost out to Sheena Easton. “Island of Lost Souls” and “War Child” were the singles and were decent songs but didn’t capture the attention of fans (“War Child” didn’t even chart, a rare event for Blondie at that point). The accompanying tour ended up being cancelled due to poor ticket sales and emerging health concerns regarding Chris Stein.
Stein was diagnosed with pemphigus, an autoimmune disease that affects the skin and could be fatal if not treated. This development, on top of the general unhappiness in the band, led to Blondie calling it quits. They announced the breakup in November of 1982.
Harry and Stein retreated into isolation as she dedicated her time to treating him and helping his recovery. They also decided in 1989 to end their personal relationship and Harry moved into her own place in Manhattan. Debbie released a few singles over the 1980s but could not gain the attention and success she’d had with Blondie.
In the 1990s, interest in Blondie was growing as a new generation of artists raised on their music was taking hold. Harry and Stein, who was now fully recovered, decided to reform the band in 1996. Burke, Destri and Valentine agreed to return. Nigel Harrison and Frank Infante unsuccessfully sued them to prevent the reunion, continuing the band’s sorry history of suing one another.
“Screaming Skin”; “Maria”; “Nothing is Real but the Girl” \ No Exit (1999)
In February of 1999 the band released its first new music in seventeen years. Valentine left before writing and recording, so this was now a four-piece version of Blondie: Harry, Stein, Burke, and Destri. Led by the single, “Maria,” they immediately regained success as the song reached #1 in the UK, the sixth time Blondie had achieved that and twenty years after its first ascent to that spot with “Heart of Glass.” They embarked on their first headlining tour since the reunion. I saw them at Massey Hall and fell in love with them all over again.
Blondie in 1999 promoting No Exit: Destri, Burke, Harry, and Stein
Debbie at this point was fifty-four and her voice still sounded fantastic. The music was generally straightforward and included many of the band’s traditional elements, though the guitar was a bit tougher at times and they tilted more towards a jazz and beat sound rather than the reggae and island feel of their last releases. What was clear was the band could still put great pop songs together. And while Harry had some moderate success as a solo artist during the interregnum, and others such as Burke had played with many other successful acts (The Romantics, Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, Dramarama, Iggy Pop, and Joan Jett), they clearly achieved more when they were together.
“Good Boys”; “Songs of Love” \ The Curse of Blondie (2003)
While Blondie had often utilized dance beats, it had not been their sonic signature, yet they had also struggled with the misnomer of being a disco band. In 2003, they released an album that unabashedly embraced dance music, making the distinctions irrelevant. “Good Boys” reminded me quite a bit of New Order’s music of the same period (the LPs Get Ready in 2001 and Waiting for the Sirens’ Call in 2005). “Songs of Love” was a lovely slow tune that closed the album.
Unfortunately, the album’s title proved true and the move to a purer dance sound cursed them to mixed results, with fans not embracing the new direction. The Curse of Blondie was the lowest charting album since their debut LP and relegated the band out of the spotlight within current music. Perhaps No Exit had succeeded due to the novelty of the reunion, but now it appeared Blondie was yesterday’s news, left to touring casinos and other smaller venues that catered to artists of yesteryear, even though not many older artists were still producing new, good music as regularly as Blondie.
Destri left the band in 2004 to deal with drug addiction problems. Despite plans to bring him back to into the band it never happened. This left Harry, Stein, and Burke as the only original members.
“What I Heard”; “The End the End” \ Panic of Girls (2011)
In 2008, Blondie toured for the thirtieth anniversary of Parallel Lines. I saw them for the second time, this time at Casino Rama, about a two hour drive north of Toronto. The casino was an awful venue to see a band like Blondie. Most of the audience didn’t seem to have any knowledge or interest in the music and many left during the full-album performance of Parallel Lines, which opened the show. The room was large with grandstand seating that was not curved, so the seating at the ends was well-removed from the stage and eliminated any sense of intimacy or ambience. The stage was massive, dwarfing the band in a sea of space. Seeing them struggle with the audience and expansive space led to a very unsatisfying show. The band fought gamely to make something of it, but there were too many countervailing circumstances to overcome. As they returned for the encore most of the crowd was lined-up at the exits, prompting Debbie to call out, “Where are you going? Come back, the show isn’t over!” It was an ignominious sign of the band’s state of affairs.
The ninth album, Panic of Girls, was released in 2011, an extended eight years since their last. Returning to their traditional pop-rock sound it was the strongest album since their return. The electronics now enhanced and filled out the sound, rather than dominate it. The song writing was more consistent and the songs were tighter. The album held together start to finish better than anything they’d done since Eat to the Beat.
The LP included a great cover of Beirut’s song, “Sunday Smile” (which brought back reggae riffs). It was a rare instance of an older band covering a newer band (reminding me of Bowie covering The Pixies’ “Cactus” on his 2002 LP, Heathen).
Unfortunately, the album came and went with barely any notice from record buyers. This was likely due in part to Blondie having trouble finding a record label, being forced to release it themselves in the UK. With the weakness in distribution, it was not surprising the album did poorly, It was again a disappointing situation in which to see such an illustrious band.
Stein, Harry, and Burke
“I Want to Drag You Around”; “Euphoria” \ Blondie 4(0)-Ever / Ghosts of Download (2014)
The band celebrated its fortieth anniversary by releasing a package titled Blondie 4(0)-Ever. It included an album of remastered and remixed greatest hits titled Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux. I didn’t care much for these versions. Perhaps they renewed the songs for today’s audiences, but after living with the songs for forty years I was still happy with the originals. However, what was exciting and great to hear was the new album they packaged with it, Ghosts of Download.
The new album was released online, song-by-song each week leading up to the album’s release. It was another venture into a heavily electronic, dance oriented LP. This time though, the band got it right and refined its approach with this music. The lead single, “A Rose by Any Name,” could fit easily in any dance club. Yet, it was far from the best song on the album. Their penchant for great and varied pop songs was now wonderfully married to the use of electronics. “I Wanna Drag You Around” was another strong down-tempo song. “Sugar on the Side” included a Columbian hip-hop band, Systema Solar, giving it a little extra flavour and spirit. “Euphoria” stomped along with a heavy beat, nicely offsetting Debbie’s vocal.
Despite its strength, the album again was largely ignored, even despite the band appearing on many daytime and evening talk shows to promote it. As usually seems the case, even with strong nostalgia for a famed older band, very few wanted the new stuff.
“Long Time”; “Best Day Ever” \ Pollinator (2017)
Blondie release its eleventh album, Pollinator, in May 2017. It was the fifth since their reformation. Continuing the trend of alternating styles, this one returned to a rock-oriented, full band sound and the electronics took to the back seat. A new twist was several collaborations with other song writers such as David Sitek from TV on the Radio, Sia Furler, and Nick Valensi from The Strokes. Stein and Harry only wrote two songs unaccompanied.
Joan Jett appeared on “Doom or Destiny,” which had a politically oriented video featuring the Joan and Debbie giving a newscast featuring messages about Donald Trump, the environment, sexism, and inequality. Indeed, the LP had an overall theme of environmentalism. The title referred to the threat to the global bee population and a share of the album’s proceeds went to saving the bees.
Musically, the album was solid though not as consistently catchy as Ghosts of Download. The first single, “Fun,” was not very good and fell prone to the soulless, boring sound an electronic song could have if not done properly. Yet, there were definite gems on the LP since a band as experienced and capable as Blondie could not be denied. “Long Time” was a solid second single, and “Already Naked” was another electro-rock combo in which they’d become more adept. “Best Day Ever” was a fun, alt-pop song that had some fun with Debbie’s voice (can anyone stay clear of Auto-Tune these days?).
The 2017 line-up: Matt Katz-Bohen (keyboards), Burke, Stein, Harry, Leigh Foxx (bass) and Tommy Kessler (guitar)
After touring Australia over the winter of 2017 co-headlining with Cyndi Lauper, the band came to North America in the summer co-headlining with the band, Garbage. Joining with other acts was an interesting move to garner a larger audience, a growing trend over the past several years. I saw them for the third time, this time back in the city at The Sony Centre. Thankfully, it was a fantastic show and good enough to clear the ill will from the Rama show (Blondie came to Rama again a few years ago and I refused to go). At age seventy-two, Debbie was still going strong which was amazing to see. She lost nothing by having Shirley Manson of Garbage, twenty-one years her junior, performing ahead of her.
The contribution of Debbie Harry must be acknowledged. Forever the iconic face of the band, whether they liked it or not, few acts have had as recognizable and enigmatic a lead singer. In rock n’ roll especially, few bands have had as capable and striking a lead singer (it’s interesting she’s teamed up recently with others in that mold: Joan Jett, Cyndi Lauper, and Shirley Manson), adding a dimension to the band few others have had to their benefit. It’s ironic that, as MTV took off, the band broke up. If there was ever a band set-up to capitalize on the shift to video it would have been Blondie, yet their heyday was entirely absent from that forum. There was the video album done for Eat to the Beat, which was just ahead of its time, but otherwise they never capitalized on that medium.
Though Blondie has fallen out of the spotlight, their place in modern music history is entrenched, having sold over forty million albums and influenced many artists drawn to the combination of rock, dance, and pop. They were the only artist to come out of the famed CBGBs to break into chart-topping and international success (yes, Talking Heads was critically appreciated with a strong fanbase, but were not as commercially successful, never having a top ten LP and only one top ten single in the US or UK). They brought a mass audience to the punk sounds of New York by fusing it with pop and disco.
The originals: Stein, Harry, & Burke
Yet despite the success, and despite being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, these days Blondie is largely ignored and forgotten other than the usual round of TV appearances and interviews with each album’s release. I was pleased to see their concert sell well this past year, but their albums haven’t garnered any attention or sales – though I was pleased to see Pollinator reached #4 in the UK, to the extent chart placings have any meaning these days). I have also heard “One Way or Another” in commercials over the years (one was for Swiffer, good grief), but it would also be good to hear them when top bands of their era are discussed. In critical terms, their peers The Ramones and Talking Heads get better treatment. Maybe they were too popular for critics to take them seriously, or too brazen to not quit despite approaching their Medicare years, or maybe Harry was too pretty and thus written off as a novelty.
Regardless, I think their music is due for a reassessment. For me, I’ll always have all that great music to listen to and, of course, that first kiss and a gift from Santa to remember them by.
UPDATE November 2025
Since Pollinator, Blondie has not released any new music. There has been a steady diet of remixes, early demos and outtakes, and live recordings both old and current. Stein, who quit touring in 2023 due to health issues, has been writing and earlier this year the band announced a new album, High Noon, will be released in early 2026.
Debbie, holding her autobiography, and Chris, holding his 2018 book of photography, Point of View: Me, New York City, and the Punk Scene.
Stein is a noted photographer, particularly for his archive of the early New York punk scene and work with Andy Warhol and H.R. Giger (a project for the cover of Debbie’s 1981 LP, KooKoo, and the video for the song, “Now I Know You Know”, in which Debbie was dressed as a Giger inspired alien). He has written four books in total, including the photography based, Negative: Me, Blondie and the Advent of Punk, and his 2024 memoir, Under a Rock.
Indeed, since this profile was published in 2018, the band has continued to perform without much of a break. I was tempted to see them for a pair of shows in Havana, Cuba in 2019, but did not go. I did see them again at the Cruel World Festival in Los Angeles in 2022. I was pleased to see a sizeable portion of the crowd at their stage.
In April, Clem Burke passed away from cancer at age seventy. It was a bit unexpected as I had not heard that he was ill. Since Stein is no longer touring, that would leave Debbie as the only original member to possibly take the stage. I’m not sure that reaches the threshold for a ‘Blondie’ show, and Debbie has stated she can’t see a future of live performances. Their last shows were a series of festival dates in Europe in the summer of 2024. Stein and Harry, however, confirmed that Clem plays on the entire forthcoming album, so we’ll have one last chance to hear his wonderful playing in studio.
Debbie Harry turned eighty this past July, yet she continues to go strong. She put out an autobiography, Face It: A Memoir, in 2019. She also collaborated with The Dandy Warhols in 2023 on the song, “IWNSLY”.
