Musical Notes — Blondie

Voiceover by Lawrence Standifer Stevens / Written by Joseph E. Casanova

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Blondie’s first #1 hit, Heart of Glass, in 1979, hinted at the end of disco, signifying a revolution in rock with the onslaught of punk and new wave.

Former Playboy Bunny Debbie Harry and Blondie exploded onto the rock scene in 1979 with Heart of Glass. 

Harry, along with high priestess, Patti Smith, and Banshees’ frontwoman Siouxie Sioux, helped pave the way for a new legion of female rockers including Chrissie Hynde, Pat Benatar, and the GoGo’s. 

Blondie’s musical styles included disco, reggae, and rap, all reflected in The Tide Is High and Rapture.

My personal favorite, Call Me, was the top song of 1980. It was also the theme song to the Richard Gere film, American Gigolo, which was embarrassingly enough the first R-rated movie I ever saw.

I don’t recall if I told my folks what we had planned to see. I was 14 at the time and I went with my neighbors and their 18-year-old cousin.

Once I saw the movie, I checked out the book from the local public library. My parents were livid after they found it on the dining room table.  

“What’s the big deal? We already saw it at the theater.”

“You are not to let my son check out books like that ever again. What’s wrong with you people?” Mom was really — really — ticked off at that librarian. 

One Way or Another played in my head as I tried to manipulate that poor lady at the front desk to let me have the books I wanted.

I emphasized how I had already read rather mature works by Sidney Sheldon and Jacqueline Suzanne, many of which Mom had on her shelves. 

Annnnd. . . It worked.

Blondie disbanded in 1982 and Harry scored a few solo hits including In Love with Love and French Kissing in the USA. The group reformed in 1997 and continues actively to tour all over the US and Europe.

I guess it is true. . . Blondie does have more fun. Now where did I leave that bottle of peroxide?