Blondie is a cult American band. Critics call the group the pioneers of punk rock. The musicians gained fame after the release of the album Parallel Lines, which was released in 1978.
The compositions of the presented collection became real international hits. When Blondie disbanded in 1982, fans were shocked. Their career began to develop, so this turn of events became at least illogical. When, after 15 years, the musicians united, everything fell into place.
History and composition of the Blondie group
The Blondie team was formed in 1974. The group was created in New York. The history of the creation of the team has a romantic backstory.
It all started with a romance between Stilettoes band members Debbie Harry and Chris Stein. Relationships and love for music grew into a strong desire to create their own rock band. Billy O'Connor and bassist Fred Smith soon joined the band. Initially, the group performed under the pseudonym Angel and the Snake, which was quickly changed to Blondie.
The first line-up changes took place less than a year after the band's inception. The backbone remained the same, but Gary Valentine, Clem Burke were accepted as bassist and drummer.
A little later, the sisters Tish and Snooki Bellomo joined the band as backing vocalists. The composition of the new team changed several times, until in 1977 it was fixed in the format of a sextet.
Music by Blondie
In the mid-1970s, the musicians presented their first album. The compilation was produced by Alan Betroc. In general, the record was sustained in the style of punk rock.
To improve the sound of the tracks, the musicians invited keyboardist Jimmy Destri. He later became a permanent member of the group. Blondie signed a contract with Private Stock Records and released an album of the same name. The collection was greeted coolly by both critics and music lovers.
Real recognition came after signing a contract with Chrysalis Records. Soon the musicians re-released their debut album and received a good review from The Rolling Stone. The review noted the beautiful voice of the vocalist and the efforts of producer Richard Gotterer.
The peak of the popularity of the Blondie group
The musicians found real success in 1977. Interestingly, the group gained popularity by accident. On the Australian music channel, instead of the video for their track X-Offender, they mistakenly played the video for the song In the Flesh.
Musicians have always thought that the last track is less interesting for music lovers. As a result, the musical composition took the 2nd position in the chart, and the Blondie group gained long-awaited popularity.
After recognition, the musicians went on a tour of Australia. True, the group had to suspend performances due to Harry's illness. The vocalist quickly recovered, then she arrived at the recording studio to record her second studio album. It's about the Plastic Letters record.
The release of the second compilation was more successful and entered the top 10 in the Netherlands and the UK. It wasn't without problems. The fact is that Gary Valentine left the group. The musicians were soon replaced by Frank Infante and then Nigel Harrison.
Album Parallel Line
Blondie presented the album Parallel Line in 1978, which became the group's most successful album. The musical composition Heart of Glass topped the music charts in several countries. The track was popular in the US, Australia, Canada, and Germany.
Interestingly, a little later, the musical composition became the soundtrack to the movie "Donnie Brasco" and "Masters of the Night". Another song, One Way or Another, was featured in the films Mean Girls and Supernatural.
Many refer to this period as the Debbie Harry era. The fact is that the girl managed to shine everywhere. Against her background, the other members of the group simply “fade out”. Debbie sang, starred in music videos, took part in shows, and even starred in films. It wasn't until the late 1970s that the entire team made it onto the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
Soon the musicians presented the new album Eat to the Beat. It is interesting that the disc has caused delight among music lovers from Australia and Canada, but the Americans, to put it mildly, did not appreciate the efforts of the rockers. The pearl of the disc was the composition Call Me. The track was certified platinum in Canada. The song was recorded as the soundtrack for the movie American Gigolo.
The presentation of the following records by Autoamerican and The Hunter won the hearts of music lovers and music critics, but the new collections could not repeat the success of Parallel Lines.
Team breakup
The musicians were silent about the fact that conflicts arose within the group. Internal tension grew into the fact that the group in 1982 announced the dissolution. From now on, the former members of the team realized themselves independently.
In 1997, unexpectedly for fans, the team announced that they had decided to unite again. The focus was on the inimitable Harry. Stein and Burke joined the vocalist, the composition of other musicians changed several times.
A few years after the reunion of the Blondie group, the musicians presented a new album, No Exit, with the lead single Maria. The track reached number 1 on the UK charts.
But it was not the last collection. The presented album was followed by the release of The Curse of Blondie and Panic of Girls. In support of the albums, the musicians went on a world tour.
The discography of the band was replenished with the collection Pollinator (2017). The recording of the disc was attended by such stars as Johnny Marr, Sia and Charli XCX. The musical composition Fun took the 1st position in the dance chart in the United States of America.
Earlier, the musicians announced that they would perform as the opening act for Phil Collins as part of his Not Dead Yet tour. In addition, the team performed at venues in Australia and New Zealand along with Cyndi Lauper.
Blondie today
In 2019, Blondie revealed on their official social media pages that they would be releasing an EP and mini-documentary called Viviren La Habana.
The new EP is not a full live compilation as Chris added guitar parts to enhance the songs.
Debbie Harry turns 2020 in 75. The age of the performer did not affect her ability to be creative. The singer continues to delight fans of her work with rare but memorable performances.
