Debbie Harry Rockbird

Free to Fall is my favorite song from this album.

A song that, astonishingly, was written by Chuck Lorre, who went on to write/create several TV shows (Roseanne, Grace Under Fire and Cybill among them) and is best known for creating Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men.

The receipts:

Andy Warhol designed the background art for the Rockbird cover. Stephen Sprouse did the art direction, which including the outfits Harry wore.

French Kissin was the stupidest song. Dreadful.

R4 Sprouse designed outfits exclusively for Harry during 1985/86, he even turned down Madonna because Debbie had nurtured him early on in his career. The writing art on the cover of the Rockbird came in four different dayglo colors which were the Sprouse trademark colors.

Katey Sagal is a background singer in the video for French Kissin', and I think she also sang some of the backing vocals along with Jocelyn Brown.

I love the single, and do like the album. Debbie was 42 at the time and was still beautiful but she had gained some weight so wore caftany things and linebacker jumpsuits.

Rockbird was released after a series of personal and professional setbacks for Harry, which included Chris Stein becoming seriously ill, her band breaking up, several failed projects, and the IRS possessing her home.

She had not resolved some of those very bad business dealings until the early 2000s, but things were clear enough for her to start recording again as a solo artist by mid-1985.

She started recording Rockbird on the same day as the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, which she saw as a bad omen that her career would not be as successful as before.

Debbie was not the first person to record this song. Carol Chapman had recorded it before Debbie.

Carol's version is good but it sounds like basic elevator music, the Debbie version has beautiful production.

In her book 'Face It' Debbie says Geffen gave her the song because they wanted a commercial pop song with some radio appeal. They did not want another experimental-sounding record. She loved the song but did not know it had been submitted in a demo tape by Carol Chapman, and then passed along to her.

It is no secret that Debbie was Andy Warhol's favorite artist. One of the last entries in his diary before he passed away was about Debbie and French Kissing:

"I finally saw Debbie Harry's video that was made in L.A, she's at the Beverly Hills pool and she didn't wear the camouflage dress that we made for her, the Stephen Sprouse thing. I guess the director didn't want her to wear it, and it would've been so good. My ambition if I were to really go and have a facelift and everything would be to come out like Debbie."

Rockbird (pretty boy)

Rockbird (pretty boy)

Fast as light.

Rockbird (pretty boy)

Rockbird (pretty boy)

Meteorite.

The French Kissing and Carol Chapman situation is like a reverse of Debbie's recording of Mind Over Matter, in which she put down the vocals in London with Pete Waterman in 1986, when she recorded the extra verse for In Love With Love. Mind Over Matter was held and back and then re-recorded by E.G Daily.

A badly degraded tape of Debbie's version sat in a shoebox for nearly two decades, but it was later restored, and even remixed.

Didn't knew she was already in her mid-late thirties when Blondie were a thing. Thought she was in her twenties.

Some of the blame for the reason Rockbird never really took off sits on Debbie Harry's shoulders. She got some excellent advice from Geffen on how to reignite her career, some of which she took, some of which she didn't.

She would go on interviews, especially in the UK for promotions where she had some frosty relations with the media and be a miserable bitch. Even though it was Sprouse designing her clothes her image was boring. She lost most of the weight she had gained in 1985, but gained some of it back while things were delayed with the record.

Geffen set her up with Jellybean to record the full album, instead, she went with Seth Justman.

R15 Yup, she was 33 when Blondie really broke through on the charts.

She's 75!

Debs still performs this song on occasion.

We know.

We already covered anything that needed to be said in the latest Blondie thread.

Really annoying with the Aspie Redundant Copycat OP repeating the same threads constantly.

I’m a lifelong Blondie/Debbie obsessive and after Rockbird resigned myself to enjoying Debbie’s 80’s/90’s solo career mostly just privately as a fan without the mainstream hoopla and success that surrounded Blondie (when I was very young gayling, and a big fan).

I’ve always had a soft spot for Rockbird and listen to it a lot. I think it’s probably my favorite, oddly, because much of it is awkward, and her vocal performance on it isn’t as consistent as DEF DUMB AND BLOND.

I like the mix of quirky, kind of jazzy numbers with a skronk-y saxophone and bratty “New-Yawk” back-up singers, mixed in with the smooth commercial sounding stuff that almost sounds mindless.

It’s an odd album that keeps me coming back for some reason.

I eat dog shit I pick up off the street.

DEF DUMB AND BLOND is technically her best solo record. Consistent, upbeat, great vocals and sharp production. But I agree with the above poster there’s something charming about the imperfect ROCKBIRD.

Debbie addresses the controversy about who wrote “French Kissing in the USA” in FACE IT. I can’t remember exactly what she said, but claimed the song was presented to her by the record company, amongst a bunch of others, and she flipped out when she heard it and wanted to use it right away. She claims it was presented to her as available, and she was just acting accordingly, so she’s innocent.

Seems like typical shifty music business dealings.

This happens with hit songs all the time. Similar situation with Madonna and “Justify My Love” (if you want to call that a song). Lenny Kravitz brought it to her and she loved it, as-is. The song and banned video became a huge sensation and the woman who created it made a stink in the press, claiming the whole thing happened behind her back. Madonna claimed she didn’t know and was, “completely innocent in that situation” in an MTV interview with Kurt Loader. Although I doubt that’s the whole truth.

I imagine in these situations it’s only when the song becomes a big hit that the unknown creator realizes they can go public and claim it was sort of stolen from them, to at least get some recognition on record in the media.

The only solo record I generally listen to is Koo Koo. Interesting record with Nile Rodgers. Wasn’t commercial though.

Agree! KOO KOO is loads of fun. Some of it is dated, but it wins on sheer groove. Plus that crazy ass cover puts it over the top.

KOO KOO works because those involved didn’t appear to care too much what anyone thought, they just did their own thing. Her later solo albums (while still great to good) definitely seemed to have a good amount of attention and fussiness over how consumers and fans would react to them.

Debbie Harry stared as a witch 'Sybil' on an episode of Tales From the Darkside in 1987.

[quote] Didn't knew she was already in her mid-late thirties when Blondie were a thing.

Debbie in her early 20s

Personally I prefer Def, Dumb & Blonde. It recalls Harry's best years of Blondie but in a late '80s sound. I Want That Man, Sweet and Low and Brite Side are terrific. Love the closer, End of the Run.

But I think Koo Koo, Rockbird and Debravation are all worthwhile.

Her solo career is inconsistent but not without its charms.

Here’s the original Debbie Harry version of mind over matter. R14’s remixed one sucks. I think Debbie could’ve made it a bit in America, though I like the EG Daly version. I’m surprised a sports team never used it.

R30 It sounds super-80’s. Although I think there’s too much happening in the production. It has a good groove and hook and doesn’t need all those bells and whistles. I just googled it and read all the stuff about the film and her label and E. g. Daily. Who knew? This could have been a great song on ROCKBIRD.

R29 Agree. DEF DUMB AND BLOND is her overall best solo record. It just works all the way through. I imagine it was her best seller?

Koo Koo was her best-selling solo record by far. US Gold/UK Platinum.

R33 Interesting. I wonder if it’s because it was released while Blondie were still together and popular?

Yes, she was still very hot in 1981, her debut solo record was highly anticipated. Koo Koo sold above 1 million copies globally. Rockbird about 650,000 copies, and Def Dumb and Blonde around 400,000 450,000 units. These are estimates based on the number of Deborah's global platinum, gold, and silver sales.

This is the sort of interview Debbie had to deal with at the time. Even though she is nice, there is a pensive, almost "why am I bothering?" feel about it.

And the part in the video where Debbie says "I live a very conservative life", I almost got a contact high from watching her speak.

I wonder if a different cover would have changed the commercial results of Koo Koo? Something more earthy and a bit more ambivalent would have suited the sound better, but they went all out with the somewhat horrific dystopian theme; at the link is the cover photo before the skewers were airbrushed in.

I don't think the cover is the issue. It's a groove record.

Brite Side is a pretty song but I've always thought the vocal arrangement is lacking. I actually think it would have suited Kirsty MacColl more, perhaps with MacColl's trademark "Wall of Kirstys" choral arrangement.

Then there's the whole "Debravation" kerfuffle where she had to do the whole album over.

And how about her wigs?

[Quote] Then there's the whole "Debravation" kerfuffle where she had to do the whole album over.

What's the story there? Was it due to a falling out with a producer?

R42 In 1994, Harry released independently a different version of the album, entitled Debravation (8½) Producer's (Director's) Cut.[5] According to her official website, this was the original version of the album, which was presented to Sire and rejected. When they opted for a different track listing and different mixes, Harry had a limited number of copies of Debravation (8½) Producer's (Director's) Cut pressed and sold them at her concerts and through her website. It contained two identical tracks to the official release, but also included alternate versions, as well as tracks that were used as B-sides, and some previously unreleased material.

The musicians for the Producer's Cut were Chris Stein (guitar and programming), Pete Min (guitar), Leigh Foxx (bass) and Geoff Dugmore (drums). On the live version of "Black Dog", the musicians were Steve Barnacle (bass); Carrie Boothe (keyboards); Geoff Dugmore (drums); Karl Hyde (guitar); and Melissa Poole-Stein (backing vocals). This version was engineered and mixed by Adam Yellin and produced by Chris Stein.

Oh, yes. I had heard that. Thanks.

I think Debbie would have done better to avoid tinny, programmed production of the 1980s. Something in the vein of Rickie Lee Jones' "Flying Cowboys" album would have suited Harry.

I bought Rockbird; French Kissin' was the only song I listened to more than once.

I recently re watched on Peacock or Tubi the old Wiseguy series. It went reasonably well until I got to the record industry act featuring Debbie. They hide that entire group of shows over music rights, mainly Debbie.

I had to track those several episodes down uncut on some pirate site.

I can see why the 8½ version of Debravation was rejected. It suffered from some of the same excess as Debbie's last solo record 'Necessary Evil' (demo tracks and bizarre instrumentals).

The official release of Debravation only sold about 60,000 copies in the UK, a big drop from her last record, and lead to her being released from her UK contract.

Debravation that was officially released is a smokey, strange record. Tinged with jazz, it has some great tracks like the funky single I Can See Clearly, the ballad Strike Me Pink, and the dance track Lip Service (co-written and produced by Jellybean protege Toni C) - where Deborah unexpectedly bursts into a Edgar Allen Poe poem in the middle of the song.

THE DATE which is only in the 8½ version, is a rap song that's reminiscent of Koo Koo.

She had to redo Debravation because it was a slapdash, lazy mess.

The label had her add I Can See Clearly and Strike Me Pink, the only songs with memorable hooks.

The original track listing was 8 1/2 Rhumba, Rain, Dog Star Girl, Stability, Standing In My Way, Dancing Down The Moon, Black Dog, Mood Ring, The Fugitive, The Date, On A Breath.

Just mediocre, unmemorable songs. When did she clean up from heroin, exactly? Because so much of Debravation just sounds like she didn't care, especially the "first submitted" version.

I read a Debbie biography from the early/mid 00s. It claimed that she kicked heroin in the 1970s. But a few years ago I read a quote from Mike Chapman how Debbie would go on a heroin binge while she cocooned herself in that Geiger throne. It makes me wonder how much drugs have figured in her life. Is she essentially the white Chaka Khan?

R48 She got clean before Rockbird. Her record label was going under in 1993.

[Quote] while she cocooned herself in that Geiger throne.

Which means 1981/1982.

[Quote] She got clean before Rockbird.

What does actually mean, though? No relapses? Elaine Stritch... Bobby Brown... addicts lie about their sobriety all the time.

At one stage in the early/mid 1990s - I guess post losing her record deal - Debbie was singing over her old tracks in club PAs.

*What does that actually mean

Chris Stein: "in the Eighties and Nineties, I was definitely doing too much cocaine and that was a bad time. I got too crazy. And I could see I was doing so much coke I was becoming paranoid and I was getting delusional."

They were both drugged-out well into the '90s, and it fucked up Debbie's solo career. I wish they'd talk about it more directly in terms of how it limited her momentum and opportunities. It's pretty obvious.

I question the account of the "Mind Over Matter" swap.

I think the real issue was that the movie studio wasn't willing to put chubby 42-year-old Debbie out in a music video to promote the film—absolutely compulsory at that point—when 25-year-old EG Daily was available.

Nonsense. EG Daily never had momentum in her career. She was a sixth lead type. Shit, they didn't even release Daily's version as a single in the UK - Stock Aitken Waterman's main market - until about two years after the Summer School movie came out.

But look at the video at R55, R56.

Can you see chubby Debbie heating up a classroom? She would have looked like one of the teachers.

They did release this in the US, and it played on MTV to promote the film.

SAW were not giving away a hit to EG Daily over Debbie Harry. Do you think EG Daily turned down "I Want That Man" and so it went to Debbie?

[quote]Do you think EG Daily turned down "I Want That Man" and so it went to Debbie?

That song was written by the Thompson Twins, and Debbie should have turned it down, because it was a piece of shit, too.

SAW wrote a song for a movie studio to include on their film's soundtrack. They got paid; they didn't care.

[Quote] SAW wrote a song for a movie studio to include on their film's soundtrack. They got paid; they didn't care.

That's very naive of you. Every producer weighs whether or not to give a song to artist X or artist Y. Their producer fee is just one part of the equation. They make more money in the long run from a hit. And a name artist has more chance of giving them a hit than an unknown hopeful.

[Quote] That song was written by the Thompson Twins, and Debbie should have turned it down, because it was a piece of shit, too.

Oh, yeah. And Def, Dumb and Blonde would have sold even less if she had.

R38 The cover the band originally wanted for The Hunter (before the airbrushed animal faces) was a more simple concept: A woman wearing stiletto heels and a mini-skirt, shown only from the waist down extending a lead with a panther attached by a studded collar. They had the art completed but it was voted down in favor of a group picture.

I saw Blondie perform on The Hunter tour. I was a kid. They were still great. They did the hits. I bought a T-shirt and a tour book. Blondie was a fun NYC band.

It's good you had fun, R63.

Debbie was fat, Chris was about to drop dead onstage, two members of the band were replaced by session players, and the stadiums were so empty HBO had to black out the upper level of the arena where they shot their concert special.

All you need to enjoy Blondie is Clem, Chris and Debbie.

One big factor in the strange, long outcome of her solo career was her previous success in Blondie.

She was very famous for many years in Blondie, at times fantastically so. There was also a natural arc to the band’s long climb to fame, and it was all new to the band members, and Debbie’s persona was fresh to the public.

The second go-round years later, at an older age and in a different world, things are going to be different. It’s less challenging. Little of it is a new surprise anymore. You’ll feel a little entitled. You might begin to artistically indulge because why not. You can get a little lazy.

Still sounds pretty good.

[Quote] All you need to enjoy Blondie is Clem, Chris and Debbie.

Disagree. Jimmy Destri was hugely important to Blondie.

I like a lot of Harry's solo stuff. It was inconsistent but some gems. Love her cover of Liar Liar for the Married to the Mob soundtrack. The single mix of I Can See Clearly is better than the original. I Want That Man is camp but a fun pop song. It's not shit. It was successful in the UK. Her collaboration with Iggy Pop, Well Did You Evah, was one of the standouts on Red Hot and Blue.

I've seen Harry live twice. Once in the mid-'90s with the Jazz Passengers. She was in great spirits, engaged and having a fun time. I saw her about 10 years later on the Cyndi Lauper True Colors festival. Harry was low energy, bored, and sang none of her hits, except I think she sang French Kissin'. The only other recognizable song was Rush Rush. The crowd was bored and clapped with little enthusiasm.

Harry didn't seem to put the same amount of energy or ambition into her solo career.

Blondie seems to have a busy few months ahead. Apart from recording new music with John Congleton,

In July - ‘Blondie: Vivir En La Habana’ a six-track live EP of their 2019 performance in Havana, Cuba. With a film to be released later this year.

Fall 2021 - 'Against the Odds'. A graphic novel chronicling the rise of Blondie. Overseen by Chris and Debbie, it will be released in a variety of formats that include soft, hardcover, and deluxe editions, the latter of which will contain exclusive Blondie music.

August - 'Blondie 1974-1982: Against the Odds'. The first Blondie archival box set including a complete discography, extensive liner notes and essays, a historical photographic history, hardcover books, plus rare unreleased bonus material.

A 10-date UK tour in November, also titled 'Against the Odds'.

Nobody needs or wants this new crapola from them.

I won't be buying the new box sets for $500 when the remastered in 2001 CD tracks with liner notes and extra bonus material is perfectly fine. But it will be interesting to see what they did manage to find in the archives. Recently, some early demos from their first records found their way online. Apparently, there is indeed more stuff out there.

Maybe the lost master recording of Curse of Blondie will turn up. That would be very cool.

My fav song of the album was "Secret Life" for obvious reasons.

It should've been the lead single =

There’s quite a few weird rare early songs on YouTube if you search “Blondie unreleased tracks.” Live and murky but interesting to hear.

Love this. Just posted on Debbie’s Twitter

R73 The original Craig Leon sessions recorded in 2000+2001 were not lost.

They were withheld as collateral by Craig Leon as he hadn't been paid royalties for his work on No Exit which was released on a boutique label, Beyond Records, set up by shady Allen Kovac.

The label folded, Craig Leon didn't get paid. He said it's highly unlikely they will ever get released.

The story of those tapes getting lost during 9/11 is BS.

Much like Jimmy leaving the band in 2003 due to a hand injury preventing him from playing, when we now know he was having a mid life crisis and doing all the coke, surrounded by badly bleached groupies and really annoying the fuck out of Debbie by acting like a tool.

Rockbird era Debbie talking about Marilyn Monroe and Madonna.

The Craig Leon story explains why "No Exit" isn't on streaming.

R80 It's in the works.

Harry’s solo work has been incredible, so many great songs: Brite Side, Two Times Blue, Paradise, Charm Alarm, Chrome, Fit Right In, The Only Way, I Can See Clearly, In Love With Love, Maybe For Sure, Sweet and Low, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, Rush Rush, Standing In My Way…love the Rockbird album. Secret Life is great.

R77 is that true about Jimmy? Big yikes! I’m totally wrecked. Love Jimmy’s songs - it’s not Blondie without him.

Some of the mid to late 80s solo work of Debbie has aged rather poorly.

There's unreleased Jellybean material from 1985. She completely avoided the whole debacle of getting this project going, in Face It.

Frankly, she was still a mess around this time, even the photoshoot for Rockbird took 16 hours to shoot, many hours on lighting and because she kept nodding out.

No Exit is my favorite Blondie album. I wish though, that they had included Gary Valentine and the song he wrote like this one.

Also, I would have been glad to have seen Nigel Harrison. He co- wrote with Harry one of my favorite Blondie songs, T-Birds. I think he also co-wrote Union City Blue, another favorite.

I understand that Frank Infante has drug issues, which is too bad.

Blondie were a great band, so many excellent songwriters. They never got the credit they deserved because of the focus on Harry’s looks.

I don't think it was simply Harry's looks or gender, so much as Blondie's embrace of music forms that Rock types turn their noses up at (disco, rap etc.).

There's some great unreleased performances from that era recently put on YouTube, Glastonbury 1999 etc. Including this ska track from No Exit.

R86 that’s true, too. Their best stuff sounds as good today.

I appreciated that they were experimental - for example AutoAmerican has terrible moments but some brilliant ones, too. They didn’t just make the same album over and over.

Same with the much-maligned The Hunter. It has some fantastic songs like Jimmy’s Danceway, Island of Lost Souls and Dragonfly, which has really grown on me. I also love Find the Right Words.

R88 by 1982 they sounded like dinosaurs, especially to a UK audience who were getting into 80s new romantic/sophistipop with bands like Duran Duran, Soft Cell, Yazoo, Depeche Mode, Spandau Ballet etc.

The Hunter isn't a bad record, it just wasn't in touch with what was happening.

I've always liked "War Child."

I think their best stuff holds up better than a lot of the “new wave” stuff that replaced them. …

R47 Do you think that "Fish" track was about one of Debbie's actual dates?

I love this picture of Debbie that is very Hurrell-like. Taken around the time of Videodrome.

R92 lol I hope not.

40 years!

R03 Maplethorpe also did a similar portrait of Debbie in '82, when she was trying to break into movies. In Andy Warhol's diary he wrote:

[quote]And Grace Jones came by with her Swedish boyfriend. And I gave her a speech about how she should look more normal or no one would hire her. It's the same speech I gave Debbie Harry after I saw Videodrome, that she should just be normal-looking, keep her hair red so she could get the Faye Dunaway parts.

So she couldn't act, there are worse crimes... As we all know.

Why did they leave off Teardrops and My Last Date on the mp3 version of Debravation? So annoying.

A thread about Rockbird and no posts about Debbie's honed by Stock, Aitken, Waterman No #1 dance track- In Love With Love?

I liked the single version better than the slower album version.

She looks so cute in the video, too, all dressed up in Stephen Sprouse.

Mind Over Matter was to be a split between Geffen, and Chrysalis, her former label who had the Soundtrack. David supposedly nixed it himself. Fucking her just like he did Donna (and Laura, Joni, etc.)

She also was offered Animotion's I Engineer.

What ever became of Arthur Baker's Liar Liar 12"?

SAW did not match their UK commercial success in the US so it's not surprising if Geffen wasn't enthused. Donna's SAW album gave her a hit single but the album didn't really reverse her fortunes. It wasn't a bad business decision for Geffen to cut her loose.

Omg Debbie looks like Catherine Deneuve at r18

‘ François c'est pas, Flash ain't no dude’

This is the vastly under appreciated ‘Long Time’, which should have been their big comeback hit in 2017:

A good remix to workout to

I was very familiar with "Def, Dumb, and Blonde" since it sort of coincided with the time we got MTV Europe as a satellite channel at home and all the singles from that album were in heavy rotation. Plus, it was around the time of "Red, Hot, and Blue" and her duet with Iggy Pop was lifted off that one as a single and got a lot of exposure. As familiar as I had been with her work with The Blondie, my knowledge of her solo career was limited to a couple of songs from "Rockbird" and "Def, Dumb, and Blonde". However, once I got "Most of All - The Best Of", I liked it so much that I explored the rest of her catalogue. Her albums tend to be a bit uneven but are very enjoyable nonetheless.

There was the most minimal promotion for Rockbird, other than some pre-taped interviews, or being in the UK for photos, but no singing. Debbie did perform on SNL and there was an embarrassing appearance on 12/31/86 at Club 4D, where she (barely) lip-synced French Kissing. Not sure that she was capable to do much more, though. Just off - or coming off - the drugs again and Chris in recovery didn't make for a bankable artist. It didn't help that in every interview she had to contend with "do you feel that you paved the way for Madonna?".

Deborah looked a bit like Anna Nicole Smith when she sang Strike Me Pink live with a pre-recorded backing tape at Wigstock '99.

Debravation had some nice moments,l. I wonder why they removed Joey Ramone from Standing In My Way?

Chrome is my favorite track from Koo Koo. I don’t think Chris Stein gets the credit he deserves. You always hear about Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford of Squeeze were the “new Lennon and McCartney” but while Squeeze has many good songs, they are all the same in terms of style and production. Stein’s songs cover a variety of different sounds and he was not afraid to experiment even if meant bad press by the likes of Rolling Stone, who never had anything good to say about Blondie.

Some great Stein-Harry songs:

Island of Lost Souls (not a fan favorite but I’ve always loved it)

Rip Her to Shreds

Rifle Range

Rapture

Heart of Glass

Sunday Girl

Dreaming

I’ve always wondered: who’s the male vocalist/rapper in ‘Backfired’? Is it Nile Rodgers? Can’t seem to find the info online.

I always assumed it was Nile R.

R112: thanks, I’ve always thought so too

I remember seeing Debbie perform "French Kissin" on SNL. It was good to see her again after so many years.

[Quote] while Squeeze has many good songs, they are all the same in terms of style and production.

Cool For Cats is the same as Tempted?

R115 yes. All pop songs. Their sound never changed. Not they they didn’t have good songs, they just weren’t experimental.

Those two songs sound completely different. They even have different vocalists.

In between her ups and downs, Debbie always found ways to keep herself amused.

It looks like the Blondie Archival boxset, promised since at least 2016 has been pushed back again to at least 2022 according to Clem Burke online.

This sounds like a rehash of their 2001 record which was delayed for 2 years. I am tempted to blame Blondie management, as Deborah's own recent projects (books and solo materials) have usually come out on time and without a lot of fuss. But no doubt there are many invested and interfering parties hoping to gain a bigger stake.

I feel like that box set will never happen r119. Isn't it just going to be vinyl-only?

If the delay is this long, then more likely it will see the light of day when Blondie are ready to release their 12th new record, which they have been recording in bits and pieces and remotely. Blondie was due to tour in the UK this year, that's highly unlikely now.

Stevie Nicks has just cancelled her UK tour, and Chris Stein likely will not be able to tour internationally anymore as his past health history makes it too hard for him to get insured.

If you mean like a trainwreck, R109, yes, you're right.

Is Jimmy involved with the new record?

There is no chance of Jimmy being involved. Debbie said he was abusive in her book and was very dismissive of his contributions. Maria had become the third most popular Blondie song on Youtube with over 150 million views (behind Heart of Glass and Call Me) before it was mysteriously deleted from the Blondie Vevo page a couple of years back.

Jimmy's magnum opus and farewell track was 'Rules for Living' from 2003. He wrote several new tracks for Panic of Girls in 2011 that were rejected. I think he did a couple of live shows that featured the new songs with a different singer and they were fantastic. He cleaned up his act and worked as a drug addiction counselor for several years.

I love Rules for Living. I wish he’d release those rejected songs with himself singing them. Heart on a Wall is a great album.

I was surprised when he seemed to get just one mention in Harry’s book and that he was abusive. It seemed strange - was he always abusive and they let him stay? I don’t see it.

Anybody know when this song was recorded?

I am a bit dubious about Harry's claims. She seems a bit of a piece of work herself.

In Love with Love was a much better song - also, I Feel the Spin from 2 years before was much better.

French Kissing in the USA was an embarrassment.

R128 it just feels like she was angry at him when she wrote the book and so tried to erase him or minnize his contribution. I don’t believe they would’ve let him stay since the kate 70s if he were absuive. Harry and Stein would’ve kicked him out.

I read interviews with Harry in the 80s where she seemed fond of him. There was one in Spin where she and Stein talked about what the other Blondie members were doing.

[quote]He wrote several new tracks for Panic of Girls in 2011 that were rejected.

There is a song on Panic called What I Heard that is not a Jimmy song, yet was obviously written to sound like one of his.

I don't think Jimmy has been an active member of Blondie since the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, he along with the other ex-members did not get to play that night. Deborah was ready to dissolve Blondie at this point so it must have been pretty bad.

Back in happier times.

I get the impression Harry wants Blondie's sole influence to be herself and Stein.

R132 It seems his last album was (unappreciated) Curse of Blondie and he was already out by the Hall of Fame appearance.

On side note, I never thought Frank Infante was hot but boy, he hasn’t changed much in looks in decades. And he and Nigel had a point - they should’ve have played that night. Frank was there from the second album one. He was an official member yet but he played on Plastic Letter, the second album and Nigel was there from Paralell Lines on. I would’ve been thrilled to see Gary play as well, they couldn’t done Presence, Dear. I don’t much about the issue between Frank/Nigel and Debbie/Chris/Clem, but if you watch the 1982 concert you notice Frank not there. Illness? Drugs? Arguments? Chris looks like death, I really hand it to him for being willing to play. How did Nigel fall out with them?

When they reformed in the late 90s, they had Gary playing with them. What happened there? Why weren’t Frank and Nigel asked back? I’d love to know the answers to all these questions!

I love that Clem still plays with Debbie and Chris and I really liked Pollonator, but it’s not Blondie without Jimmy. His songs and keyboard playing added a lot. Plus he was hot (sorry, but it is DL, after all).

I know most people see Blondie as Debbie but to me, the other band members were just as important.

Frank was NOT an official member yet on Plastic Letter, but played on it, is what I meant. ☝🏻

Trivia: That SNL performance ar R133 was on the highest-rated episode of all time. The fifth-season opener.

It got a 40 share — 40% of American TVs were tuned in. For a Saturday at 11:30pm, that was unheard of.

[quote]I read interviews with Harry in the 80s where she seemed fond of him. There was one in Spin where she and Stein talked about what the other Blondie members were doing.

This is the Spin article from Jan 1986. She talks about her work with Jellybean, having released Feel the Spin the month before.

There are some pics of Chris Stein, much heavier after his illness when he was still back on steroids.

* - at

That’s the one R138! She didn’t seem to have any animosity towards the others then. I wonder what happened just before the 1999 reunion?

No Exit is one the best Blondie albums, but how much better could it have been with Debbie writing with Nigel and/or Gary? And Frank’s playing?

I remember an interviewer pointing out to Debbie that Blondie songs had a lot of references to 'mom' in their lyrics. Almost every record. Debbie (being adopted), seemed genuinely taken aback to hear this. But the interviewer was right - Detroit 442, Youth Nabbed As Sniper, Hanging on the Telephone, Slow Motion, Dig Up the Conjo, Goldenrod, Mother In the Night, any more?

Blondie is holding back the full archive box set until August 2022. Presumably, because they want to tie it in with some new music.

Them digging up an old chestnut like Yuletide Throwdown for Christmas reminds me of how many old tracks they might still have in their archive.

Chris Stein mentions in this interview they recorded a studio version of The Doors' Moonlight Drive during Plastic Letters.

I would buy the Archive Set IF they included the remastered versions of all Debbie's solo records. Including the Polyester soundtrack. Lu-Lu's Theme - Be My Daddy Baby needs to be released! And Rock and Rule. Also, the unreleased Jellybean material and other outtakes from various sources would need to be included.

R142 I remember quite a few years ago, a 10-minute slow demo of the song that became Rapture and Yuletide Throwdown was put up on youtube for a couple of days, and then dissapered. No vocals, just a baseline, and percussion.

Debbie really needs to release the second part of her autobiography. We know about 50% of what was written was cut, and a lot of the missing parts were regarding stuff they encountered at the height of fame and was JUICY.

I think some of the juicy parts that Debbie implied were going to be in the book might have been her affairs with some old Hollywood types, male or female? I guess we'll never know.

I love Blondie. But by '83 they were dead.