5/15/2023 0 Comments Blondie parallel linesA full-time bass replacement came in the shape of Nigel Harrison, an English musician who had moved to New York at a young age, bringing with him a love of The Yardbirds and The Who. Initially enlisted as a session player, Infante would prove a vital creative element as they approached this new record. This time, it would be a record that nobody could ignore.Ī further, final shake up of personnel took place, with additional guitarist and occasional bassist Frank Infante joining the crew to replace the erstwhile Gary Valentine. Wasting no time, the band decided to plunge headlong into the recording of another album in that same year. Their follow-up LP, Plastic Letters was released in February of 1978, and though the record further demonstrated Blondie’s inventiveness, and cemented their place as one of the UK’s favourite punk-pop outfits, it did little to wake-up America’s record-buying public. It was this odd disparity – commercial and critical favour in the UK but a lack of widespread interest on home soil – that informed the band’s next move. But, across the pond in Britain, nods of approval from the likes of David Bowie and Iggy Pop (who would eventually seek the band out to support him on his The Idiot tour), as well as exposure on UK chart shows, enabled Blondie to build a solid core of Brit fans. Signing to the charmed Chrysalis Records, Blondie were clearly on the path to becoming something special indeed.ĭespite their debut self-titled album sporting those aforementioned top-drawer cuts, this opening shot failed to make an impact in the US. Blondie’s initial clutch of songs bore the same quirky DNA that would be central to their greatest work, from the irresistible lo-fi swagger of X-Offender, to the knowingly kitsch, Phil Spector-aping In The Flesh and their snarlingly cool take-down of high-minded critics, Rip Her To Shreds. With an alluring fusion of 50s and 60s girl-group, mod and the ramshackle punk sensibility of Stein’s guitar playing, the band quickly cultivated heady buzz on the cabalistic CBGB-oriented new wave scene. From the outset, Stein’s guitar approach prioritised attitude over technical flair, “Schooling and practice is not a bad thing, but at that time, there was a spontaneity missing on the radio.” He explained to Cryptic Rock. Joining Harry and Stein came Clem Burke on drums, Gary Valentine on bass and Jimmy Destri on keys. Appropriating a slur that the Monroe-like Harry had been frequently met with as she strolled around the decaying Bowery neighbourhood in Manhattan, the burgeoning band christened themselves as ‘Blondie’, and eventually settled on a five-piece line up. I think it must be down to his punk spirit.”īefore long, the pair sought to create a new kind of musical vehicle. “I just love the way Chris thinks.” Harry told The Sun, “He is open to all kinds of music. Stein and Harry shared a love of similar flavours of punk and pop, and soon forged both a tight creative and romantic partnership. The band first originated when 23-year old guitarist Chris Stein joined former waitress and Playboy bunny Debbie Harry’s female vocal troupe The Stilettos. Ever since their inception in 1974, Blondie had consciously cherry-picked from a forest of influences.
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