by Emma Challacombe
If there’s one girl that goes top of my list it has to be the irresistible ‘Blondie’. Debbie Harry went from being a playboy bunny waitress to being the lead vocalist in a downtown band ‘Blondie’, created in 1974. The move resulted in a career that’s lasted nearly thirty years.
The original line up was vocalist Debbie Harry, guitarist Chris Stein, drummer Clem Burke and keyboard player Jimmy Destri. The group had a massive following and recorded there first album ‘Blondie’ in 1976, released in 1977. The bands continuing success showed when they toured in support of David Bowie and Iggy Pop in that same year.
There first album was a hit, followed in the summer of ’77 with the album ‘Plastic Letters’. By the end of the year the album ‘Parallel Lines’ had been recorded. ‘Hanging on the Telephone’ was there first UK no.1 hit, shortly followed by there first no.1 hit in the USA ‘Heart of Glass’. In 1979 ‘Sunday Girl’ went to no.1 and they released there fourth album with a feature length video, ‘Eat to the Beat’.
‘Blondie couldn’t have been bigger. In 1980 ‘Atomic’ went to no.1, ‘Eat to the Beat’ went Plantinum. The album ‘Autoamerican’ was released in Jan, 1981. ‘The Tide is High’ went straight to no.1. Debbie made numerous t.v appearances at this time. The band were at there peak.
This success was followed by dissension. When ‘The best of Blondie’ was released it suggested the end of an era. The band split in 1984. Chris Stein was seriously ill at this time. After Chris’s recovery Debbie went solo producing a failure single ‘Koo Koo’ and the album ‘The Hunter’ – the album lacked the chic and punk that was ‘Blondie’.
Fourteen years later, in 1998, the band teamed up with the producer of the ‘Blondie’ album and released the no.1 hit ‘Maria’ and the album ‘No Exit’. Thank goodness Blondie is back on track and I have the chance to see Debbie on tour.
My fave album is ‘Parallel Lines’ and my all time tracks are ‘Heart of Glass’, ‘Sunday Girl’, ‘Atomic’ and ‘Heart of Glass’. I think ‘Blondie’s’ hits fit with all of my moods, whether I’m mad, sad or partying:
It's good to hear your voice you know it's been so long
If I don't get your calls then everything goes wrong
I want to tell you something you've known all along
Don't leave me hanging on the telephone
(Hanging on the Telephone)
Tonight
Right
Oh your hair is beautiful
Oh tonight
Atomic
Tonight make it magnificent
Tonight
Make me tonight
(Atomic)
Once I had a love and it was a gas
Soon turned out had a heart of glass
Seemed like the real thing, only to find much o' mistrust
Love's gone behind
Once I had a love and it was divine
Soon found out I was losing my mind
It seemed like the real thing but I was so blind
Much o' mistrust
Love's gone behind
In between what I find is pleasing and I'm feeling fine
Love is so confusing, there's no peace of mind.
(Heart of Glass)
The lyrics, the sound, the passion of all Blondie songs are what makes them so brilliant. Debbie wrote a lot of her own music, many of the tracks are written by her and the other band members. She is the ultimate ambition of any good time girl. I think her punk, chic style is what makes Blondie my chosen ‘girl on girl’.
