Blondie Announces Retirement

respectable decision. I hope Debbie still makes the occasional appearance here and there.

Blondie Can Not be 68 years old necause if she is then that means o m g

I have tickets to their show in September. Please don't let them quit mid tour! Got stood up twice by Morrissey this past year, and finally get the chance to see Debbie live, and I have to so I can die happy! I seriously will be crushed if they cancel, and X is their opening band, how much more perfect could it be (except having Jimmy Destri back)?

But the world retired from her years ago.

I'd love a solid album start to finish before they go, but I've felt that way since 'AutoAmerican'. It's time.

from what? Dagwood supported her.

(I always thought Dagwood was cute)

was the guy with the curly hair in Blondie gay?

[quote]I'd love a solid album start to finish before they go

Yeah, me too.

The thing is, Blondie is 100 percent a singles band. Blondie's albums are terrible.

There's nothing wrong with that. As a singles act, Blondie is right up there at the top. But they've never been able to extend that across an entire record.

Aren't they supposed to have a new album coming out this fall?

They should have quit back in the 80s. Their later stuff was horrible, and Harry got so much face work done, she looks frightening. She's starting to turn into Madonna. Good for her to know when to pack it in.

The greatest.

I don't blame her.

Bump.

Barring a couple clinkers like Sound-A-Sleep, Eat to the Beat is a pretty strong record, with beautiful production.

It's not true. Both Debbie and Chris went on Facebook and Twitter to deny any rumours of retirement.

[quote]The thing is, Blondie is 100 percent a singles band. Blondie's albums are terrible. There's nothing wrong with that. As a singles act, Blondie is right up there at the top. But they've never been able to extend that across an entire record.

Speak for yourself. I can play their first three albums without ever wanting to skip a track. Not so much for the next two and I only played the Hunter once, so the quality dipped but it was definitely there at the start.

Well they really should have stopped doing the live nostalgia shit a while ago. Her voice is shot to smithereens, I just don't see the point in going to see them. The comeback with "Maria" and "Good Boys" was good, but that's about it.

Debbie looks great. Her face work has been tasteful. Saw her this spring at a lecture at the Library of Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. She has a good sense of humor and doesn't seem to take herself too seriously.

[quote]The thing is, Blondie is 100 percent a singles band. Blondie's albums are terrible.

That's not true, Parallel Lines is considered a legendary all time great album.

As mentioned, Eat to the Beat isn't far behind.

It's true that as a pop act, despite their punk cred, like Madonna, ABBA etc they're a singles act at the end of the day, but Blondie have their classic album.

At least Debbie Harry won't be singing "Heart Of Glass" onstage when she turns seventy years old. Grace Slick did the right thing at the end of the 1980's to put the microphone down for good.

[quote]Her voice is shot to smithereens,

Are you deaf? Her voice is better than it ever was. Her years with the Jazz Passengers (and possible vocal training) have given her voice a nice depth.

[quote]That's not true, Parallel Lines is considered a legendary all time great album.

Totally agree. It's a fantastic album from start to finish. A New Wave classic.

The first two albums are pretty great too. No really clunkers on either of them. It was only when they started to go all avant garde with Auto American that they became more of a singles band.

Debbie's an icon, will always be. Lookin' good for 68 without horrendous surgery, and still someone with a graet heart, and much-loved in her own neighborhood. Long may she wave.

*great

[quote]Grace Slick did the right thing at the end of the 1980's to put the microphone down for good.

I read an interview Grace Slick did a few years ago where she went on a rant about how pathetic old people look singing songs about sex and drugs when they're senior citizens. Grace said she retired from the music biz at the end of the 80s because she felt ridiculous on a stage singing rock music and she knew it was time to move on to something more age-appropriate. She was really funny about it, too. I totally agree with her.

R19 as does Madonna with Like a Prayer and Ray of Light

ABBA not so much

This is what you call better than ever, r21? To expect someone 30 years later to still sound as good is a bit much, but she does sound pretty awful lately. Oh and that last horrible solo album she did was autotune city.

r26, the last 3 ABBA albums are great, especially The Visitors. But they aren't seen to have a defining classic, no.

Ray of Light is my fave, but I don't think it's revered in quite the same way as LAP.

I also like what Grace Slick said about older women wearing tight clothes and sleeveless outfits. She said look, do the world a favor and cover up. It looks good on younger women but when you get to be a certain age, have some sense. She was talking about heavyset women as well as gym barnacles like Madonna with those gnarled guns of hers.

I find the idea that Blondie is a singles band ridiculous.

Debbie can get away with singing her songs at 70 (yes, even "Rapture"). Madonna and Grace Slick... not so much. Then again, look at The Stones.

Did Slick continue to put out recorded music after she said that? I think it's a good idea to hang it up live after a certain point but why not keep putting out records, at least.

One of the unique things about Deb was she was well into her 30s when she hit with Blondie and was still a major sex symbol. That just wouldn't happen nowadays. Grace Slick was also known for being relatively old compared to others on the scene, as old as Tina Turner and older than The Beatles or The Stones.

Debbie's PS is exemplary.

R31 Madonna's only 54, Grace Slick is a whole other generation from her

And how can Madonna not get away with singing her songs at 70? When she was on her 20s and 30s people were saying that she wouldn't be rocking the stage in her 50s, and yet last year she had the #1 tour at the box office grossing $305 million, it's the kind of success that Blondie (I love them, but let's be real) can only dream of.

STFU about Madonna. God this place is awful.

[quote]And how can Madonna not get away with singing her songs at 70?

Because her songs are/were all very poppy and sex kitteny. Can you imagine a 70 year old Madonna hobbling around the stage in bangly bracelets and a pointy bra singing Like a Virgin?

What R2 said.

I remember begging my best friend in college to play "Sunday Girl" over and over till he regretted introducing me to Blondie. Every time I hear that song, I think of him.

O... M... G...

Debbie's face work looks natural. It was done by Dr. Sherrell Aston, one of the world's best plastic surgeons and husband of the socialite/Klingon Muffie Potter Aston.

R36 she BARELY sings Like a Virgin now, she performed it on her ladt tour as an opera/ballad. There was nothing sex kitteny about it

Not to mention she has tons of ballads and even showtunes in her back catalogue, that would be age appropriate for her to sing

And none of the songs on her Ray of Light, Music or American Life albums are even REMOTELY sex kittenish, they're almost asexual

Not to mention the Evita soundtrack and a lot of her big ballads from the 90s like This Used to be My Playground, I'll Remember, Take a Bow and You'll See.

Madonna would probably have to stop dancing and take voice lessons(like she did in the 90s) to do these songs justice, but they would all be age appropriate if sung by a 70 year old.

Did Blondie ever regret taking the last name Bumstead when she married Dagwood?

R40 - Those jokes weren't funny in 1978 and they're still not.

D B was into drugs. And group sex. Typical rock chick. Naughty girl. In NYC she was nearly murdered by serial killer Ted bundy,so she was a naughty girl as well as a sunday girl. Cheers.

No female artist today rocks like Debbie Harry did. No one.

They’ll all always be together in one another’s hearts, and most probably come together again and reunite someday. I just know it!

Stop bumping old threads, dear.

Blondie released an album just a few years ago. It’s on an independent label and not on Spotify. However there still going at it.

R2 Blondie is a band, not a person.

[quote]The thing is, Blondie is 100 percent a singles band. Blondie's albums are terrible.

No one buys or cares about whole record albums anymore. It's not 1980. In case you haven't noticed, people buy or rent per song for the past decade.

"Parallel Lines" is terrible? What a load of nonsense you type.

Debbie's 75 and still going. I saw Blondie live in concert in Mexico City just three years ago. Phenomenal.

I don't have a problem with bumping old threads. It can be fun continue a dormant conversation, but this is a weird one to bump, R43. Anyway, Debbie seems to be going strong well into her 70s. I guess that gives M some hope

I didn’t know she was still alive.

R48 I couldnt disagree with you more. The reason I don’t go to their live shows is because they play the singles only. T-Birds is a gorgeous song. My favorite songs of theirs aren’t singles: T-Birds, Angel on a Balconey, Danceway, Dig Up the Conjo, Pretty Baby, No Imagination, Kidnapper, 11:59, Dragonfly, The Background Melody, Prism...

Unlike many bands, Blondie had three strong songwriters: Stein/Harry and Jimmy Destri. The Destri songs are always really good.

You don't like "Shayla"? WTF?

They also had Gary Valentine early on ("Presence, Dear").

I’m going to bump 10 old threads today in honor of R45.

DIE 2013 TROLL.

[Quote] I’m going to bump 10 old threads today in honor of [R45].

Make interesting choices, sow.