Taking its name from the catcalls often heard by their bleach-blond singer as she walked down the streets of New York, Blondie was the brain-child of guitarist Chris Stein, and vocalist Deborah Harry. Harry and Stein formed the group in 1974, after leaving their previous band, The Stilettos. During their original run, the band recorded six albums between 1977 and 1982. In the process, they became one of the most successful recording acts of all time, with three consecutive multi-platinum albums to their credit, as well as a slew of other accolades too numerous to mention!
Their story begins in late 1973. Founding members Harry and Stein had been performing in the aforementioned Stilettos, but were unhappy within the group, so they decided to leave and start a new band. Their first act upon their departure from The Stilettos was to invite the group's bassist, Gary Valentine, to join them in their new venture. From there, the trio set themselves to the task of finding other musicians to complete the new project, and were quickly joined by drummer Clement Burke, and keyboardist Jimmy Destri. With the new lineup firmly in place, they began playing the New York club circuit, where they quickly gained a massive following among fans of the Punk/New Wave movement, who frequented clubs like Max's Kansas City, Mothers, and the famed CBGB's.
In late 1976, they were signed to Private Stock Records, who released their first album early the following year. The self-titled debut failed to chart in The States, but was well received abroad. The band scored a number one hit in Australia with a tune called "In The Flesh."
Spurred on by this success, they entered the studio in the summer of 1977 to record their sophomore disc, Plastic Letters. The first single from that album, "Denis," a remake of the 60's classic "Denise" by Randy & The Rainbows, made it to number 2 on the UK chart. As a result, their contract with Private Stock was bought out by Chrysalis Records, and the first two albums were re-released on the new label. An extensive tour of Europe and Asia followed.
Despite their international success, Blondie had yet to break in their home country. Determined to remedy this, they enlisted the services of well-known British producer Mike Chapman to help them create their third album, Parallel Lines. As producers go, Chapman had a reputation for being a stern taskmaster, demanding flawless tempo, and pitch-perfect tuning. Although no one in the band was very happy with his methods, they were extremely pleased with the results that he delivered. He gave the band a much more polished, radio-friendly sound.
By the time that Parallel Lines was released in September of 1978, bassist Gary Valentine had been replaced by Nigel Harrison, and the group had expanded to a sextet with the addition of a second guitarist, Frank Infante. The new album gave the band everything it had been hoping for. By the time all was said and done, Parallel Lines had become a multi-million selling album containing five hit singles. One of those singles, the song “Heart Of Glass,” not only gave the band it's first hit in the US, it went on to become a worldwide phenomenon!
Following a world tour in support of Parallel Lines, the group wasted no time. They immediately began work on their fourth LP. By this time, however, everyone was feeling the strain of the band's grueling schedule. Debbie was growing tired of maintaining the “Blondie Image,” and the rest of the band members were resentful of the fact that she was getting more attention from the press than they were. The sessions for the new record were rife with tension and progressed slowly. When it was finally released in August of 1979, Eat To The Beat was their second album to go platinum, proving that great art is indeed born from pain. The album boasted four singles that made it to the top 40 in the US, and went top ten in the UK. The last of those singles, a track called “Atomic,” gave them their third number one record in the UK.
Following another tour, the band took a brief break before returning to the studio in the fall of 1980. Although Blondie was always a band who experimented musically, dabbling in many styles, this new album would prove to be their most eclectic collection of songs to date; it featured lush instrumental tracks, a couple of jazz numbers, a reggae classic, and even a rap song. Autoamerican was released in December of 1980. Its two singles, “The Tide Is High,” and “Rapture,” went to number one, and again propelled the album to platinum sales.
It was around this time that Debbie Harry began a collaboration with Italian producer Giorgio Moroder, who had previously been known for his work with disco acts such as Donna Summer and The Village People. The two worked on a song entitled “Call Me,” which was used as the theme song for the Richard Gere film “American Gigolo.” The song was another massive hit, both here and abroad.
For most of 1981, the band parted ways to work on individual projects, the most notable of which was Debbie Harry's first solo album, Koo Koo. Sadly, the album, produced by Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, didn't fare as well as she had hoped. She was still feeling the sting of that disappointment when Blondie reconvened to record their sixth record in early 1982; in fact, she had become very disillusioned with the music business in general.
In addition to this, Chris Stein was not well. By the time that sessions commenced for The Hunter, he had been experiencing health problems for some time, and it made a marked difference in his level of performance. Still, in spite of all these problems, everyone put on a brave face and attempted to soldier on. Even though everyone had the best of intentions, the effort was halfhearted at best; the result was a very mediocre album that produced only one radio singe called “Island Of Lost Souls,” which gave the band another UK hit.
Following a tour for The Hunter, Chris was finally diagnosed with the rare and often fatal genetic disease Pemphigus, a painful skin disorder which causes severe blistering of the skin and the mucous membranes. The diagnosis forced them to call it quits.
After the split, the individual members went on to do many things. When his health permitted him to do so, Chris produced other bands around the New York area. Debbie continued a part-time solo career while she cared for Chris. She also tried her hand at acting, appearing in several independent films. Jimmy Destri left music, started a family, and went to work as a contractor. Clem Burke continued to tour and record, working with several popular acts throughout the 80s and 90s, including The Ramones (Under the stage name Elvis Ramone), The Romantics, and The Eurhythmics. Nigel and Frank worked on numerous projects, both individually, and together.
Eventually, they got used to being apart, but their friendships remained intact; they stayed in touch through the years, which left the door open for what would become one of the greatest comeback stories ever. In 1999, sixteen years after their original departure from the music scene, they accepted a request to play a one-off show. The had so much fun doing it that they decided to try and make some new music.
Once they began the writing process, they realized that the old chemistry was still present. They entered the studio with a wealth of ideas, and quickly emerged with their seventh album, No Exit. The album was a perfect collection of songs, striking just the right balance between the old Blondie sound, and a few new elements meant to push the band in new directions. No Exit was a triumphant return for the band, highlighted by the hit single “Maria.” Naturally, a tour followed, and gave birth to a live album toward the end of that year. An extensive hits compilation came next in 2002. Then, proving that their reunion was no one-time fluke, the band released another new album, The Curse Of Blondie in 2004. But their crowning achievement came in 2006, when they were inducted into the prestigious Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.
Love them or hate them, their talent cannot be denied. Blondie were trend setters who not only wrote great music, but also crossed boundaries and broke records. They embraced experimentation with an all-consuming spirit of adventure. They were musicians who fearlessly allowed their creativity to lead them, realizing that the music is always much bigger than the people who create it. They had every single trait that is needed to make a great band, and they continue to prove their greatness even after more than thirty years in the business! What more could anyone ask for?
No comments:
Post a Comment