Life of Blondie :: essays research papers

Blondie was the most commercially successful band to emerge from the much-vaunted poser/new wave movement of the late 70s. The group was formed in New York City in August 1974 by singer Deborah devastate (b. July 1, 1945, Miami), formerly of Wind in the Willows, and guitarist Chris Stein (b. January 5, 1950, Brooklyn) out of the remnants of Harrys precedent group, the Stilettos. The lineup fluctuated over the next year. Drummer Clement Burke (b. November 24, 1955, New York) conjugated in May 1975. Bassist Gary Valentine joined in August. In October, keyboard player jam Destri (b. April 13, 1954) joined, to complete the initial permanent lineup. They released their send-off album, Blondie, on Private transport Records in December 1976. In July 1977, Valentine was replaced by Frank Infante.In August, Chrysalis Records bought their focus from Private Stock and in October reissued Blondie and released the morsel album, Plastic Letters. Blondie expanded to a sextet in November w ith the addition of bassist Nigel Harrison (born in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, England), as Infante switched to guitar. Blondie skint commercially in the U.K. in March 1978, when their cover of Randy and the Rainbows 1963 despatch "Denise," renamed "Denis," became a exculpate Ten hit, as did Plastic Letters, followed by a atomic number 42 U.K. Top Ten, "(Im Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear." Blondie turned to U.K. producer/ballad maker Mike Chapman for their third album, Parallel Lines, which was released in September 1978 and eventually broke them worldwide. "Picture This" became a U.K. Top 40 hit, and "Hanging on the teleph atomic number 53" made the U.K. Top Ten, but it was the albums third ace, the disco-influenced "Heart of Glass," that took Blondie to number unmatched in both the U.K. and the U.S. "Sunday Girl" hit number one in the U.K. in May, and "One Way or Another" hit the U.S. Top 40 in August. Blondie followed with their fourth album, Eat to the Beat, in October. Its first single, "Dreaming," went Top Ten in the U.K., Top 40 in the U.S. The second U.K. single, "Union City Blue," went Top 40. In March 1980, the third U.K. single from Eat to the Beat, "Atomic," became the groups third British number one. (It later made the U.S. Top 40.)Meanwhile, Harry was collaborating with German disco producer Giorgio Moroder on "Call Me," the national from the movie American Gigolo. It became Blondies second transatlantic chart-topper.