I want to give a shout out to Deborah Harry's vocal coach, Barbara Gustern. Debbie went to Barbara when some vocal issues started creeping in as time went along. With Barbara's help, Debbie, and thus Blondie, are still able to perform to this day. Barbara, at age 87, was shoved to the ground by a woman in her late 20's while hailing a cab to go watch one of her students perform. She died a few days later from the injuries she sustained. Rock singers, drag queens, Broadway stars, and just regular people who wanted to learn to sing went to Barbara. She was a light and a firecracker all the way to the end. She deserves to be remembered. Look her up! RIP Barbara.
Debbie Harry took some time off to care for a seriously ill friend which many people said it would kill her career. After the person was finally successfully diagnosed and recovered she came back to singing. Blondie had broken up but they reformed and started recording again. She is truly a hero in my book. Also, "One Way or Another" is one of my favorite Blondie songs. She was stalked by her ex, put his death threats to music and made them into a number one hit.
@mpotter9944 Chris Stein was the friend that she took care of when he was ill. That’s what @modernmedeamedia was referring to. Great info on the stalker incident, though!
At the dawn of punk Blondie was there - at the dawn of Rap Blondie was there - at the dawn of disco Blondie was there - at the dawn of New Wave Blondie was there... To say they are important in the history of modern music is an understatement.
I once saw it described in a Rolling Stone review as "dilettantish genre hopping" (not kidding). I always thought of it as the band saying "We want to try everything". Either way, they were always doing something new. Oh, and Debbie is one of the prettiest women ever.
I came here to say this. "Heart of Glass" was a punk band playing disco. "One Way Or Another" was far closer to their roots. Such an awesome song, and a great showcase for Debbie's vocals.
I knew Blondie, and i knew Debbie. She was one of the smartest and softest and hardest humans that iv ever met. Anyone who had any interaction with her loved her. I hope you're good D, this video got me thinking....
I got to spend a few minutes with Debbie after a concert in 1977. She was absolutely beautiful. If you've ever stayed away from a celeb because you thought they might be very pompous or rude, she was the opposite, sweet, talkative, and just a down to earth person. The story would take too long to explain how I got to spend some one on one time with her, needless to say I'll never forget it.
A friend of mine worked as Debbie Harry’s personal assistant for a day or two when she visited London about 18 years ago and she adored her, didn’t have a single bad word to say about the experience. Lovely person with a sense of humour and zero attitude.
I had a friend who lived in New York City in the early 1970s and ate lunch most days at his favorite restaurant. Debbie Harry was a struggling musician then and had a day job as a waitress at the restaurant. He said pretty much the same things you did. She was outgoing and funny and always had stories about things happening with the band. When I knew him, he was so happy to see her and Blondie having so much success. He was almost like a proud father.
She does come across as a decent, warm, genuine person--New York City version (you have to live or be from here to understand what that means). I.e. salty, down to earth, matter of fact, no BS, but at heart a mensch.
I love stories like this because I have zero chance of ever meeting her in person. Blondie makes me wish I had grown up in NYC instead of out in the western U.S.A. I love me some mountains and wide open spaces, but having been able to see Blondie (and other bands) in the 70s and 80s in NYC would have more than made up for it!
@@Johnny_Socko Elizabeth needs to do a series of originals and their covers. Like an A/B test. The obvious would be NIN vs Johnny Cash 'Hurt' although that's a no brainer where even Trent weighed in. In This Moment has a pretty good cover of Call Me - ruclips.net/video/97nvJo-u2IM/видео.html Corey Taylor did a version of Wicked Game. Hannah Boulton does too - ruclips.net/video/ZAc5Rscs80E/видео.html Hannah is someone E needs to listen to. She does an amazing cover of some British bubblegum pop song, but her bluesy version rips - ruclips.net/video/VM7p5B2z4T0/видео.html
Debbie was beautiful, great stage presence, and what a voice. She also wrote most of her own lyrics and was a fashion leader. Incredible woman. She's still rocking in 2024.
I've always said Blondie is that one band you'll hear on the rock station, the disco station, the alternative station, and the punk station. Wherever you set your "dial" Blondie will be there.
Heart of Glass was a true representation connecting the 70's to the 80's. The music, a combination of Carnivale and Disco, Debbie's gossamer voice, delivering a gritty story of how crushing love can be. Light and airy covering dark and grimy. A punk rock band courting the soft and fluffy, popular crowd. A perfect song to leave the 70's and set the stage for what was to come.
Blondie LITERALLY saw in the '80s for some of us! On 31st December 1979 they played a Hogmanay gig at the Glasgow Apollo, broadcast on the BBC (I watched on the telly and listened in STEREO on FM radio!). At the bells (midnight) the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band joined them on stage to play during Sunday Girl (bagpipes were always a big thing for New Year here in Scotland, where we do New Year bigger than anywhere else in the world - 1st *and* 2nd of January are both public holidays). You can probably still find this gig on DVD (or here). The first gig I ever went to was to see Blondie in 1978 in Edinburgh at age 15 (the set didn't even feature Heart of Glass yet, though it was the Parallel Lines tour, but before it was released as a single). (I did make it to the Glasgow Apollo in 1979 to see Gary Numan's first gig of his first tour, supported by OMD, then a two-man band accompanied by a reel-to-reel tape deck by the name of Winston, now in a museum.)
@@donniemoder1466 Heart of Glass was not their debut, it was their first hit. Their first record dropped in 1976, but punk rock was just getting off the ground. They wouldn't be the first group that hopped genres to get a hit single.
Thanks for doing Blondie!!! This is the fluffiest you'll hear her voice. Debbie is full of snark - "Call Me" or "One Way or Another" are less fluffy and should be next!
@@johnciampoli5311 Chrissy had all kinds of Class, just as Debbie did, and at about the same time. 1975-85 just blew the Doors off the hinges of the Music World.
I saw Blondie in the late 70's at the Santa Monica Auditorium in L.A I was wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses and I slid them across stage to Debbie and she put them on and finished the set wearing them. I'll never forget it.
Definitely one of those rare bands where it would be impossible to replace the lead singer. No way you could have the band Blondie without Debbie Harry.
I'm a crush musty too now if memory serves me correctly the L.A. Lakers girls were modeled after the " Solid Gold" dancers & that's where J-Lo got her start
Blondie got their name from catcalls Debra would get walking down the street,a fella would whistle & yell " Hey Blondie" close but not related to Eli Wallach's Tuko from the Good, the Bad,& the Ugly when he yelled " Hey Blonde" or address Clint's character
This intro and the intro to Eurythmics's "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" are the two iconic intros of the 80's. Everyone has heard them, whether or not they know where it came from.
Blondie, as a band, constantly experimented with music, and Debbie Harry constantly experimented with her vocals. She was always great at projecting her voice. Her draw was her ability to project expressions and emotions, both vocally and physically.
Saw Blondie live on the 19th of June, just a couple of weeks before her 79th birthday! Debbie was awesome, still sounding so good. I’m so thankful, I got to see her live 🫶
The way Blondie (which is a BAND) was seen when _Parallel Lines_ first came out was as a double-edged sword -- they sounded cool in their own right, but they were also clearly spoofing pop/disco. Blondie came out of CBGB, where you'd also hear the Ramones, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, etc. Debbie Harry was brilliant at walking that razor's edge, with a deadpan, emotionally subdued delivery, but also a gorgeous, floaty, ethereal sound. She could also lean into the more raw, rock 'n roll side, in songs like "Hanging on the Telephone" or "One Way or Another." As a band, Blondie wasn't quite as quirky-weird as Talking Heads, B52s, or Devo, but it was definitely holding itself apart from the manufactured, heavily commercial disco sound. It was its own thing. Add to that the fact that punk was starting to give women performers the opportunity to break out of the bubble gum pop image, and you really start to appreciate what Blondie and Debbie Harry were all about.
Thanks for the link to CBGB. It seems like it was an interesting place for music to cross pollinate. I do wonder of Elizabeth could do some musical archeology on the bands that played there and how they might have influenced each other. As if there isn't enough for her to do already.
@@kurthaubrich9829 i was fortunate enough, (and old enough) to where I was able to visit CBGB for multiple shows in the very early 90s through until the later 90s. I saw Patti Smith, Cro-Mag and Korn on different occasions. I saw The Ramones in '91 at Hammerjacks in Baltimore, who had Saigon Kick open for them. I saw Tesla at Hammerjacks, and then Cinderella in their blues phase at a little bar in Delaware called Arizona's, which is also a place where George Thoroughgood and the Delaware Destroyers placed every year during their heights. CBGB's was dank, dark and everything you could imagine, but the place was actually clean. I wish I could go back every once in a while to those years of visiting those music venues, and seeing these acts.
I was a little girl when this came out, I so wanted to be Debbie Harry when I grew up, the song was captivating. It was a massive hit in the UK that stood out from all the mundane music on the radio. Just that base sound takes me back to my childhood!
Back in 1979, the instruments sounded futuristic through the cheap speakers that I first heard it through, and her ethereal voice accentuate the illusion. A deserved hit.
Debbie was my first crush when I was 9 or 10. Blondie was incredibly diverse, starting out as a punk band at CBGB and having hits across rock/punk (Call Me, One Way or Another), Pop (Dreaming), Disco (Heart of Glass), Reggae (The Tide is High),and Rap (Rapture).
I sort of accepted disco Blondie ONLY because they already had me at X Offender. To hear Heart Of Glass on the radio sandwiched between Baker Street and We Will Rock You/ We Are The Champions was life in 1978.
It was a great time to be alive! I remember Heart of Glass well. I also remember buying Queen's latest album after hearing "We Will Rock You" and playing it for my girlfriend!
As a born-and-bred New York City boy, I have to point out some of the heart warming and heart wrenching images in the opening and closing of this video; most of which are of things that no longer exist: starting with the World Trade Center; a Zum Zum next to a Chock Full of Nuts; the Bottom Line; the Ed Sullivan Theatre; and finally moving into Studio 54. Interesting to recall that this song came out almost exactly 6 months before 'Disco Sucks' exploded.
One of my favorite t-shirts during high school was "Death Before Disco", with that old-school plastic decal that would eventually crack and peel after enough washes. It had a skull with a dagger through it in front of a disco mirror-ball. Classic. And I'm still a neighbor to NYC about a 40 min drive south. 🤘😎🎸
Fun Fact: The snare and kick drum flip during the chorus. Would always throw me off when dancing in clubs back in the day. Clem Burke is such an underrated drummer.
Huh. I don’t hear that at all. I hear the kick drum four on the floor throughout the entire song. I hear the snare being on the backbeat all the way through. The difference I hear is in the verses. It seems like mostly eighth notes on the high hat, opening and closing, but in the chorus, it’s 16th notes played with both hands on the high hats. I just very clearly hear the snare on 2 and 4 all the way through, and wonder why I’m not hearing this flip you do. Interesting.
Of the whole song length of 3:49, I hear what you’re talking about between 2:03 to 2:07. I didn’t check for any other instance of when it flips and flips back.
she is so beautiful, and her voice is so distinct and an almost aloof kind of ethereal. i tried to learn this song on the drums when i was 8, it was (and still is) one of my favorite songs of all time. i am 23 now and still listen to it all the time. "One Way or Another" and "Call Me" are classics too, of course. they make me feel like a dangerous, complicated and beautiful thing. ❤️
Elizabeth, if you want more fun with Debbie, check out her appearances on The Muppet Show. A couple of facts. Her real name is Angela Trimble and her name was changed when she was adopted at three months old. Before her musical career, Debbie worked as a secretary, a dancer and a Playboy Bunny. After the first Blondie break up, she began a solo career and ventured into acting, appearing in nearly fifty movies.
The best way to see artists is on The Muppet Show. Any episode featuring any musical guest were best episodes and most entertaining to see. The "punk merit badge" back stage antics let us see a new side of sweet Robin.
Blondie is the group. They got their name from the constant cat calls Debbie Harry would get walking the streets of NYC with her platinum blonde dyed hair. (She dyed it herself, which is why there is always a dark patch in the back!)
@rubenrosario-rodriguez6490 and, yet... Most people will call her Blondie. I am sure it was frustrating for her at times, but she never really created an ongoing row in the media about it. So I think she understands. It was her and the band's marketing idea after all.
Right. So boorish men on the street would call out "Hey Blondie" so she was Blondie but they decided to name the whole band Blondie, which is confusing but Blondie is the name of the band. Of course "Blondie" is also a famous comic strip.
She knows the name of the band, it's called engagement farming, giving people a reason to comment to drive the engagement analytics. It's very common that professional RUclipsrs do this.
I've always heard that they were named after the comic strip. Of course, there was a blonde female in the strip called Blondie. It wouldn't surprise me if it was a combo of things that caused them to take the name.
Your first Blondie Experience is gonna be worth it. Other good songs by them include "Dreaming", "One Way or Another", "Atomic", "Union City Blue"- and if your into something different- check out "Rapture". Glad you got around to Blondie. I hope you'll have your first Paul McCartney and Wings experience soon.
No-one can sing like they're lazily drawling their vocals without even trying, like Debbie does! What makes it all the more remarkable is that she is such a brilliant singer. Even at 78 Debbie doesn't use technology to enhance her voice live - nothing to hide. She may not have the vocal power she used to, but an icon can do whatever they want! Inspirational!
Up there with the VERY best. Most of their great hits can be found on "Eat to the Beat" [imo] where "Atomic" has good company with "Union City Blues," "Shayla," and "Living in the Real World."
I worked in a Record Store in the 80s and there was a flood of great music that I got to listen to first hand. The best part of my day was opening all the boxes of new records.
Debbie Harry was my everything in the 70s and 80s! She was my hairstyle icon. The first seconds of Heart of Glass...you know what's coming & the heart starts racing!! Love you, Debbie!❤
The word I would use to describe Deborah Harry’s voice and persona would be “mesmerizing” She is unique and her delivery is effortless I saw her a few times back in the day. Even today when I watch her I am amazed
Ms. Harry started life in rock/punk comparatively late in her life. Her previous professional musical experience was folk. She is into her 30's here. This performance is Atomic.
this song.... made me fall in love with a voice. I didn't know how Debbie Harry even looked, I just was IN LOVE with the sound of her voice.. and I didn't even speak English to know what she was singing about!
Debbie Harry is a force of nature. She has an ironic way of commanding attention. There is so much style, intensity and intelligence behind her beauty. She’s a musical magpie and a brilliant performance artist.
@4:25 That's a perfect description! Personality. I had never stopped to think about what it is about Harry's voice that I think makes it work so well with the lyrics and music. It's personality; she brings _something_ to every song, and it's not the same thing each time, she sings in different styles that are distinct from one another, but don't feel like they're effectations put on. Each song has its own attitude, but it's all the same personality. Fantastic, thanks for that.
@@BlackJackLopez and 80 year olds too and every male in between. Can you imagine we had Debbie Harry and Kate Bush. Both true beauties and talented. That was back in the sexist days!!
There's a documentary on the making of Heart of Glass. It was painstakingly difficult, pretty much taking analog to its limits. Blondie was always cutting edge, bridging the gap between punk, disco, and new wave. Debbie and Chris Stein were a great team. When Blondie first hit, most people thought they were a Euro band.
@@keithad6485 Thanks for saying that. I always imagined a bunch of 20-somethings piling out of some venue like CBGB or Max's Kansas City after a Blondie show and talking amongst themselves about how smoking hot Debbie Harry was (because I closed a lot of live music bars in my 20s, but not in NYC). To find out Debbie turned 35 in 1980 would just about blow a lot of people's minds. Clem is 10 years younger than her, Chris is 5 years younger. So in addition to great singing and songwriting skills, she had a lot of verve in fronting a young punk / new wave band while being much older than the band and much of the audience. To me, that just kicks ass. She didn't let the number of her age define her or hold her back in the least.
@@cxj3519 Did not bother me that she was older, she was not only easy on the eyes, she has a presence which was, I am who I am , take me as I am or take a hike, and had confidence, and of course several great songs. If memory serves, her last hit was French Kissin in the USA. Never been to her concerts but love lot of her songs, and dancing to them wearing my kilt!
Interesting shots of the Twin Towers and other iconic Big Apple locales at the beginning of the video. This video will always be a piece of late 70's musical history.
Aaah! The gorgeous talented Debbie Harry. We loved her... her delivery is stunning - the juxtaposition of high's and low's so very appropriate to the lyrics. She was so damn lovely.
Her voice could cut HARD through the mix when she wants. Listen to “Sunday Girl,” where she just cranks it for the third verse, (they actually STOP doubling her vocal, and it cuts harder,) or “Picture This.” Or her more punky stuff. She wasn’t always a feather pillow. And her vocals shocked people at the time, because she often approached subjects like sexuality in a casual or humorous way (listen to the aforementioned “Picture This”) that often conflicted with gender norms at the time, similar to what Chrissy Hynde of The Pretenders was doing at that time as well. And it never hurt that even when you pause the video at totally random parts of the song, she looks like a goddess. Blondie the band deserves way more props than most gave them at the time too. Thankfully, they eventually have gotten the props they deserved. The melodies and rhythms they came up with became timeless. Clem Burke was a total BEAST on the drums. His drums on “Dreaming,” (I am always) Touched By Your Presence, Dear,” etc went as hard as anybody in punk and New Wave at the time. My favs: “Dreaming,” “(I am always) Touched by your Presence, Dear),” “Sunday Girl” “Hanging by the Telephone,” “Denis.”
@@laurabrevitz3944 No dont stop - I want to remember them all! :) Early Blondie = best blondie. Kung Fu girls and Contact in Red Square are still in my playlists..
Youll never know how many hours i spent in high school behind the drumset playing the songs off this album. Also, since you talked about it, that side to side jaw thing she does is JUST SO ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ohhhh Elizabeth this is going to be great! You are tugging at the heart strings of my youth with Blondie aka Deborah Harry. I am an old school metal head and I have had a spot in my heart for Blondie since I was 9. Thank you for your effort and excellence.
I'm 64 years old. I've always thought of Blondie as the band and Debbie Harry as the singer. She was also a Playboy Bunny before Blondie formed. Remember, we were coming out of the disco era about this time. "Saturday Night Fever" was in 1977.
It's funny, she sings about unrequited love and puts forth this "party-girl" image, and has been in a serious relationship with the band's guitarist forever. One of those rare, long-lasting celebrity relationships. I turned 18 in '77, and she was definitely one of my major crushes... 😎
Debbie is absolutely stunning in this video. She does indeed sing with a snide sarcasm. Blondie survived many music genres. Originally NY punk they evolved and made music that made everyone happy. Dreaming has been my favorite Blondie song since the very first time I heard it.
So many striking vocals from Debbie: Heart of Glass-ethereal; Call Me-belter; One Way or Another-psycho stalker; Atomic-mean girl. This period or rock with the incomparable Ann Wilson of Heart and also Debbie’s unique style was a great time to be a radio listener.
I was thrilled to be able to see Debbie Harry solo at a movie theater, of all places. I drove from San Jose, CA to Santa Rosa to visit a friend. This was during the aftermath of the 1989 earthquake in the SF Bay Area. When we checked the Santa Rosa listings of what to do, to our surprise was Debbie Harry performing! She was supposed to play in San Francisco but due to the chaos of the earthquake, they came to this little movie theater place and played there.
This song is atypical of Blondie's output, originally called "The Disco Song" (as Disco was big at the time), songs by them which show off different sides to Debbie's voice (she now likes to be known as Deborah) are: "Fade Away and Radiate", "Union City Blues", "Picture This", "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear", "Atomic", "Call Me" from the film 'American Gigolo'. These aren't their best or most popular songs but I think that they give a good over all picture of Debbie's vocals. By the way she's originally a Brunette, a one-time model and previously a Bunny Girl too.
My favorite Blondie song is 11:59 especially the live version of the song. Compared to Heart of Glass almost sounds like a whole different band. Rip Her to Shreds also another great Blondie song.
This song was all over the radio in the summer of '79. It's nearly a perfect summarization of that year, the end of Disco and the beginning of New Wave all rolled into one song, w/a dash of reggae in the intro just for fun. What I think is amazing is people forget the very first ever Rap song to hit #1 on the Billboard pop & rock charts was Blondie's "Rapture". It was the song that introduced mainstream America to the style, and it would be at least another 5 years before it started gaining any traction even in the African-American sub-culture. They were a band of their time, but ahead of their time too.
Never realized that the radio version switched the album's "...pain the ass" for another reading of "heart of glass". Glad our presenter was surprised by the contrast that Blondie meant to occur there.
It was always Blondie the band, and Debbie Harry. Debbie Harry was an instant icon in her own right. especially for young men and boys ;-). The voice, the looks and the attitude were phenomenally impactful in their day.
@markperry222 1981-1996: Solo work and acting. In 1981, Harry issued a press release to clarify that her name was not "Debbie Blondie" or "Debbie Harry" but rather Deborah Harry, though Harry later described her character in the band as being named "Blondie", as in this quote from the No Exit tour book: Hi, it's Deb. You know, when I woke up this morning I had a realization about myself. I was always Blondie. People always called me Blondie, ever since I was a little kid. What I realized is that at some point I became Dirty Harry. I couldn't be Blondie anymore, so I became Dirty Harry.[35]
It was a great pleasure seeing Debbie Harry for the first time. A friend took me and I had absolutely no idea what to expect. That woman just blew me away. Wow.
Debbie had a noticeable "New Joisy" accent when she wanted to sing with it. Also, the deeper voice in the chorus was one of the bandmembers singing backup. Her natural hair was dark chestnut. The songs were written by several of the band members, including Debbie, though most by Debbie and her then Partner, Chris Stein.
Blondie started in 1974 as a punk/new wave band ("One Way or Another" is about an incident from that era), then began adding disco element. Then they made the first widely-played song containing rap - "Rapture". As for the name... it derived from comments made by truck drivers who catcalled "Hey, Blondie" to Harry as they drove past.
Wonderful band! I was in my early teens (in England) when this came out, and it's one of those "feels like home" songs for me. Definitely a comfort play that can transport me back to those days. The flavour of the times was rich: a big old soup made from rock, pop, disco, punk and various other ingredients - it felt as if music had grown and grown, and then suddenly blossomed in multiple colours. And this was long before the internet and streaming so the Gatekeepers were still in control, which makes it all the more amazing that we had so much choice...
Debbie put different emotions in different songs and her stage presence showed how she could act to go with a song's lyric. And the camera loved Debbie. Beautiful from any angle and in any lighting.
Brings me back to sneaking off to see Blondie, The Ramones, talking heads at CBGB's and getting whupped for taking the subway alone! Ahh Debbie she was worth it!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I watched her in interview about this song back in the 1990's. You'll be surprised that the original song was supposed to be recorded with a reggae beat, but the producer wanted a big radio hit, so they convinced them to record it under a disco beat, which was popular on commercial radios in the early 1980's, and it itsthe finished version. But I heard her humming the original reggae version that she did for the documentary she was in. Amazing last minute change.
"This is a good dance song!" Yeah ... spent many a nights at middle school dances dancing to this song. What I have always loved and respected about her is she always makes singing look so effortless. There is a power to this that is just amazing.
Same memories! The ease with which she delivered her words and lines was (and always will be) so appealing. As a teenage boy when they became famous, I speak for all of us when I say her voice alone - and not only the posters on our walls - did something to us. A great time to be young!
I grew up listening to her, and had the BIGGEST crush on her. I still do (yes, my wife knows), I searched for a woman like her for years. This particular song shaped how I perceived women for forever. Having you diagnose it put such clarity on why I became obsessed with her. Thank you so much!!
I remember seeing a reporter asking her how she felt about missing out on the party when playing new years (?) gigs, she said "what the hell you talking about, I AM the party !"
As a young boy, crushed hard on Debbie Harry and her voice. So feminine.😍. She was also a character/singer in one of my fav sci-fi animated movies back then, "Rock & Rule".
I want to give a shout out to Deborah Harry's vocal coach, Barbara Gustern. Debbie went to Barbara when some vocal issues started creeping in as time went along. With Barbara's help, Debbie, and thus Blondie, are still able to perform to this day. Barbara, at age 87, was shoved to the ground by a woman in her late 20's while hailing a cab to go watch one of her students perform. She died a few days later from the injuries she sustained. Rock singers, drag queens, Broadway stars, and just regular people who wanted to learn to sing went to Barbara. She was a light and a firecracker all the way to the end. She deserves to be remembered. Look her up! RIP Barbara.
I remember this happening, but I didn’t realize she had worked with Deborah Harry.
Thanks for sharing.
Oh wow, yeah I remember hearing this story just a few months ago. Sad.
RIP Barbara. Thank you for sharing her story.
Yup, there's no Debbie Harry... and no John Cameron Mitchell, Taylor Mac, Justin Vivian Bond, etc, without Barbara.
We boys of the seventies fell madly in love with Debbie.
I saw this video when I was 11 years old and knew 2 things right away -- I loved this band and I was 100% hetero! 😂
She was 33 when this song came out.
You have that right, brother.
She had the same effect on us boys from the 80s. Just plain sexy.
So did this 90s boy.
Funny thing is Blondie even had a shirt saying "Blondie is a Band" for all the people who aren't sure😅
Which confirms that people really wondered.
@@alexandreavon yeah that's what I meant. Because she also said that she wasnt sure till recently, seems like she wasn't alone with that😂
😂😂
I have one of those!
@@MFSeaMen oh cool!
The range on "call me" and the growl on "one way or another" are remarkable
But what she did on Rapture was actually groundbreaking.
their cover of "Tide Is High" features her with a sultry and confident sound, too.
I was just about to comment that I can't wait to see Elizabeth's shock when she hears Debbie's pipes on "Call Me". Not so memory foamish lol
The much later No Exit and the albums after also has some remarkable vocals... some of my favourite songs in those albums.
@@technomikelyons and contrasts so starkly with Fade away and radiate. There is so much variety across Blondie songs.
Debbie Harry took some time off to care for a seriously ill friend which many people said it would kill her career. After the person was finally successfully diagnosed and recovered she came back to singing. Blondie had broken up but they reformed and started recording again. She is truly a hero in my book.
Also, "One Way or Another" is one of my favorite Blondie songs. She was stalked by her ex, put his death threats to music and made them into a number one hit.
Actually it was her boyfriend Chris Stein, the guitarist and co founder of Blondie. He had pemphagus and was hospitalized for it.
.... and then came Rapture -> White Girl Rap at its finest.
Detroit 442 from the first Blondie album.
@@mpotter9944they weren't talking about who wrote it, they were talking about who was sick... 🤨🙄
@mpotter9944 Chris Stein was the friend that she took care of when he was ill. That’s what @modernmedeamedia was referring to. Great info on the stalker incident, though!
At the dawn of punk Blondie was there - at the dawn of Rap Blondie was there - at the dawn of disco Blondie was there - at the dawn of New Wave Blondie was there... To say they are important in the history of modern music is an understatement.
Hint, hint, nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
Blondie was one of a plethora of bands born out of CBGB’s. Such an iconic concert hall that gave a stage to bands that became the very best.
don’t leave out the caribbean too. Die young, stay pretty
@@deanmaynard8256 yeah, add reggae
I once saw it described in a Rolling Stone review as "dilettantish genre hopping" (not kidding). I always thought of it as the band saying "We want to try everything". Either way, they were always doing something new. Oh, and Debbie is one of the prettiest women ever.
If you enjoy the "snide" side if her voice, you'd love One Way or Another, a light hearted ditty about her stalker.
Not just the “snide” side of her voice, but she absolutely growls in that song! She has emotional range that most people don’t.
My band plays that and our lead singer loves that song. So much fun.
Rip Her To Shreds from their first album is probably the best example, imo.
Absolutely!
I came here to say this. "Heart of Glass" was a punk band playing disco. "One Way Or Another" was far closer to their roots. Such an awesome song, and a great showcase for Debbie's vocals.
I knew Blondie, and i knew Debbie. She was one of the smartest and softest and hardest humans that iv ever met. Anyone who had any interaction with her loved her. I hope you're good D, this video got me thinking....
Was?
One of the few singers I always wanted or would have loved to meet.
@@pregisteri thought she was still kicking
@@pregister Was at the time they met her. Seems like she still is from a very recent interview with her I just watched.
Was? You must not know her at all. Shes still kicking. Even doing shows.
I got to spend a few minutes with Debbie after a concert in 1977. She was absolutely beautiful. If you've ever stayed away from a celeb because you thought they might be very pompous or rude, she was the opposite, sweet, talkative, and just a down to earth person. The story would take too long to explain how I got to spend some one on one time with her, needless to say I'll never forget it.
❤❤❤🎉 thats awesome
A friend of mine worked as Debbie Harry’s personal assistant for a day or two when she visited London about 18 years ago and she adored her, didn’t have a single bad word to say about the experience. Lovely person with a sense of humour and zero attitude.
I had a friend who lived in New York City in the early 1970s and ate lunch most days at his favorite restaurant. Debbie Harry was a struggling musician then and had a day job as a waitress at the restaurant. He said pretty much the same things you did. She was outgoing and funny and always had stories about things happening with the band. When I knew him, he was so happy to see her and Blondie having so much success. He was almost like a proud father.
She does come across as a decent, warm, genuine person--New York City version (you have to live or be from here to understand what that means). I.e. salty, down to earth, matter of fact, no BS, but at heart a mensch.
@@plaidmoon5642 Max's Kansas City
I love stories like this because I have zero chance of ever meeting her in person. Blondie makes me wish I had grown up in NYC instead of out in the western U.S.A. I love me some mountains and wide open spaces, but having been able to see Blondie (and other bands) in the 70s and 80s in NYC would have more than made up for it!
Call Me (the long version) was iconic. Every time I hear it I flash to the movie American Gigolo...
Ever noticed how much Muse's Uprising and U2's Atomic city are incredibly similar to call me ?
Song was written specifically for the American Gigolo soundtrack. But it certainly became a signature song for Blondie.
I would definitely recommend that one for Elizabeth, as an example of a song where Debbie Harry puts a little more power into the vocals.
@@Johnny_Socko Elizabeth needs to do a series of originals and their covers. Like an A/B test. The obvious would be NIN vs Johnny Cash 'Hurt' although that's a no brainer where even Trent weighed in.
In This Moment has a pretty good cover of Call Me - ruclips.net/video/97nvJo-u2IM/видео.html
Corey Taylor did a version of Wicked Game. Hannah Boulton does too - ruclips.net/video/ZAc5Rscs80E/видео.html
Hannah is someone E needs to listen to. She does an amazing cover of some British bubblegum pop song, but her bluesy version rips - ruclips.net/video/VM7p5B2z4T0/видео.html
Giorgio Moroder's production at the time was absolutely Iconic. Once you know his sound, you can never unhear it. :)
Debbie was beautiful, great stage presence, and what a voice. She also wrote most of her own lyrics and was a fashion leader. Incredible woman. She's still rocking in 2024.
“Maria” showcases how substantial Debbie Harry’s voice is.
but does she say "Latina" or "Regina" or both?!
@@originalresqme Lyric sources say Latina. Which makes sense with Maria.
@@Scarywoodyregina is latin (the language), for "queen" which also makes sense, specially since it's followed by "ave Maria", also latin.
@@originalresqmeI hear Latina.
Totally agree. Unbelievable power in her voice. Brilliant song.
I've always said Blondie is that one band you'll hear on the rock station, the disco station, the alternative station, and the punk station. Wherever you set your "dial" Blondie will be there.
"disco station". lol.
@@culwin disco stu likes disco music
Don't forget Rap!
And reggae
just so.
Even now, it’s a total banger, and Debbie was a stunner. The way she smiles as she sings, is just so captivating.
Look her up now. She’s still performing, and she’s still a doll.
100%
I saw Blondie perform a few months ago, and she sounds just as great in her late 70s. Still fierce and still rockin’!
Heart of Glass was a true representation connecting the 70's to the 80's. The music, a combination of Carnivale and Disco, Debbie's gossamer voice, delivering a gritty story of how crushing love can be. Light and airy covering dark and grimy. A punk rock band courting the soft and fluffy, popular crowd. A perfect song to leave the 70's and set the stage for what was to come.
Blondie LITERALLY saw in the '80s for some of us! On 31st December 1979 they played a Hogmanay gig at the Glasgow Apollo, broadcast on the BBC (I watched on the telly and listened in STEREO on FM radio!).
At the bells (midnight) the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band joined them on stage to play during Sunday Girl (bagpipes were always a big thing for New Year here in Scotland, where we do New Year bigger than anywhere else in the world - 1st *and* 2nd of January are both public holidays). You can probably still find this gig on DVD (or here).
The first gig I ever went to was to see Blondie in 1978 in Edinburgh at age 15 (the set didn't even feature Heart of Glass yet, though it was the Parallel Lines tour, but before it was released as a single).
(I did make it to the Glasgow Apollo in 1979 to see Gary Numan's first gig of his first tour, supported by OMD, then a two-man band accompanied by a reel-to-reel tape deck by the name of Winston, now in a museum.)
They may have been a punk band having started in the later 70s in NYC, but their debut hit single was a disco disco disco dance record.
@@donniemoder1466 Heart of Glass was not their debut, it was their first hit. Their first record dropped in 1976, but punk rock was just getting off the ground. They wouldn't be the first group that hopped genres to get a hit single.
With a touch of "techno rock," but more "organic" than Devo or Kraftwerk.
@@Ironoclasty Like 70's rockers KISS having a genre jumping hit with their disco flavored song _Made For loving You._
Thanks for doing Blondie!!! This is the fluffiest you'll hear her voice. Debbie is full of snark - "Call Me" or "One Way or Another" are less fluffy and should be next!
Absolutely!
Those are 100% the songs that should be next.
She was a pioneer of the snark back in the day. She inspired many female singers to use that edge in their sound.
Ever seen Rock & Rule? Where Lou Reed chain's up Debbie Harry and makes her sing to summon Iggy Pop through a portal from Hell?
Definitely put my vote in for Call Me!
Blondie, Pat Benatar, Heart..3 classics that never get old imo
You forgot Chrissy Hynde and the Pretenders
@@johnciampoli5311 Chrissy had all kinds of Class, just as Debbie did, and at about the same time. 1975-85 just blew the Doors off the hinges of the Music World.
Exactly. I was thinking the exact same thing as I was bopping around my kitchen to this song, and the memories it brought to mind.
I saw Blondie in the late 70's at the Santa Monica Auditorium in L.A I was wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses and I slid them across stage to Debbie and she put them on and finished the set wearing them. I'll never forget it.
People like to steal mine, the idiots don't realize I have a heavy perscription.
omg, that would be so cool! I assume you never saw your sunglasses again?
Saw judas priest there breaking the law album
@@delg1211 Yes. As far as I was concerned it was a gift.
@@MineGoldDefi I saw JP there opening for Rainbow. Saw many great bands there.
Blondie is definitely the band. Debby Harry was a sensation right from the start. Everyone knew her name and really didn't confuse the two. 😊
Definitely one of those rare bands where it would be impossible to replace the lead singer. No way you could have the band Blondie without Debbie Harry.
@@EdHerzog1Yes, the two were synonymous, I agree. I just didn't really hear people refer to her as Blondie. It was always "Debby Harry".
Pardon my misspelling, please!!*DEBBIE Harry.*
@drummamma5250 never heard her called Debbie. Always heard her called Deborah, Deborah Harry
@@DetroitRockCityMusic I always heard both, right from the start.
If you want more then may I suggest
Blondie - "One Way Or Another
Add to that
Union City Blue
Presence Dear
Denis
Detroit 442
Add as well...
Dreaming
Hanging on the Telephone
Rapture
The Tide is High
The Hardest Part
Maria
Atomic
Kung Fu Girls is always sneaking onto my playlists.
And might I throw my two cents in, the demo version of Heart of Glass is such a different style but no less awesome.
And Sound Asleep.
Can't hear this song without seeing the "Solid Gold" dancers in my head. And if you remember them, you are just as ancient as I am.
I guess I'm also ancient
I resemble that remark
I'm a crush musty too now if memory serves me correctly the L.A. Lakers girls were modeled after the " Solid Gold" dancers & that's where J-Lo got her start
Blondie got their name from catcalls Debra would get walking down the street,a fella would whistle & yell " Hey Blondie" close but not related to Eli Wallach's Tuko from the Good, the Bad,& the Ugly when he yelled " Hey Blonde" or address Clint's character
@@AaronJoseph-t4b no, J-Lo started on "In Living Colour"
The UK made Blondie famous, Debbie Harry has said this. They kept getting invited back on Top of the Pops, over and over‼️🇬🇧❤
This intro and the intro to Eurythmics's "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" are the two iconic intros of the 80's. Everyone has heard them, whether or not they know where it came from.
Blondie, as a band, constantly experimented with music, and Debbie Harry constantly experimented with her vocals. She was always great at projecting her voice. Her draw was her ability to project expressions and emotions, both vocally and physically.
Saw Blondie live on the 19th of June, just a couple of weeks before her 79th birthday! Debbie was awesome, still sounding so good. I’m so thankful, I got to see her live 🫶
Im a child of the 70s and the song was one of the ones that takes me back to that tme, I recall her being my first crush. Her voice is heaven to me.
The way Blondie (which is a BAND) was seen when _Parallel Lines_ first came out was as a double-edged sword -- they sounded cool in their own right, but they were also clearly spoofing pop/disco. Blondie came out of CBGB, where you'd also hear the Ramones, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, etc. Debbie Harry was brilliant at walking that razor's edge, with a deadpan, emotionally subdued delivery, but also a gorgeous, floaty, ethereal sound. She could also lean into the more raw, rock 'n roll side, in songs like "Hanging on the Telephone" or "One Way or Another." As a band, Blondie wasn't quite as quirky-weird as Talking Heads, B52s, or Devo, but it was definitely holding itself apart from the manufactured, heavily commercial disco sound. It was its own thing. Add to that the fact that punk was starting to give women performers the opportunity to break out of the bubble gum pop image, and you really start to appreciate what Blondie and Debbie Harry were all about.
Thanks for the link to CBGB. It seems like it was an interesting place for music to cross pollinate. I do wonder of Elizabeth could do some musical archeology on the bands that played there and how they might have influenced each other. As if there isn't enough for her to do already.
@@kurthaubrich9829there's a great movie about CBGB. Called exactly that.
@@kurthaubrich9829 i was fortunate enough, (and old enough) to where I was able to visit CBGB for multiple shows in the very early 90s through until the later 90s. I saw Patti Smith, Cro-Mag and Korn on different occasions. I saw The Ramones in '91 at Hammerjacks in Baltimore, who had Saigon Kick open for them. I saw Tesla at Hammerjacks, and then Cinderella in their blues phase at a little bar in Delaware called Arizona's, which is also a place where George Thoroughgood and the Delaware Destroyers placed every year during their heights.
CBGB's was dank, dark and everything you could imagine, but the place was actually clean. I wish I could go back every once in a while to those years of visiting those music venues, and seeing these acts.
I'm a dyed-in-wool rocker. I still listen to Parallel Lines a couple times a month. Epic release. Timeless.
Blondie are definitely iconic , it still blows my mind that "Rapture" is the first song featuring hip hop to top the charts .
I know, right?
Would love to see a reaction to "Rapture". 👍❤
@@MiddleMalcolmSeconded!!
I was a little girl when this came out, I so wanted to be Debbie Harry when I grew up, the song was captivating. It was a massive hit in the UK that stood out from all the mundane music on the radio. Just that base sound takes me back to my childhood!
Back in 1979, the instruments sounded futuristic through the cheap speakers that I first heard it through, and her ethereal voice accentuate the illusion. A deserved hit.
61 years old. Still get goosebumps when she starts singing.
Same age. Same reaction.
That makes 3 of us 😅
@@kurtcostarica Four..............😍
Older...
62
One of the most perfect pop songs ever. Debbie Harry was just divine at this point.
Debbie was my first crush when I was 9 or 10. Blondie was incredibly diverse, starting out as a punk band at CBGB and having hits across rock/punk (Call Me, One Way or Another), Pop (Dreaming), Disco (Heart of Glass), Reggae (The Tide is High),and Rap (Rapture).
Elizabeth needs to listen to "Rapture". She also has a lot to learn about the disco era.
"Rip Her To Shreds" is another of her songs with definite punk sensibilities.
Union City Blues and Sunday Girl are good too. Picture this, Hangin on the telephone, Blondie were a catchy pop hit making machine,
I think Debbie Harry has a beautiful voice and is underrated. Glad to see her on your channel. And she has endured the test of time
I sort of accepted disco Blondie ONLY because they already had me at X Offender. To hear Heart Of Glass on the radio sandwiched between Baker Street and We Will Rock You/ We Are The Champions was life in 1978.
It was a great time to be alive! I remember Heart of Glass well. I also remember buying Queen's latest album after hearing "We Will Rock You" and playing it for my girlfriend!
As a born-and-bred New York City boy, I have to point out some of the heart warming and heart wrenching images in the opening and closing of this video; most of which are of things that no longer exist: starting with the World Trade Center; a Zum Zum next to a Chock Full of Nuts; the Bottom Line; the Ed Sullivan Theatre; and finally moving into Studio 54. Interesting to recall that this song came out almost exactly 6 months before 'Disco Sucks' exploded.
One of my favorite t-shirts during high school was "Death Before Disco", with that old-school plastic decal that would eventually crack and peel after enough washes. It had a skull with a dagger through it in front of a disco mirror-ball. Classic. And I'm still a neighbor to NYC about a 40 min drive south. 🤘😎🎸
Fun Fact: The snare and kick drum flip during the chorus. Would always throw me off when dancing in clubs back in the day. Clem Burke is such an underrated drummer.
Huh. I don’t hear that at all. I hear the kick drum four on the floor throughout the entire song. I hear the snare being on the backbeat all the way through. The difference I hear is in the verses. It seems like mostly eighth notes on the high hat, opening and closing, but in the chorus, it’s 16th notes played with both hands on the high hats. I just very clearly hear the snare on 2 and 4 all the way through, and wonder why I’m not hearing this flip you do. Interesting.
For sure
@@greermhyat 15:41, a bar of 3/4 happens and the 1 comes early. You can see Elizabeth react physically. They did that to throw off the squares.
Of the whole song length of 3:49, I hear what you’re talking about between 2:03 to 2:07. I didn’t check for any other instance of when it flips and flips back.
Dreaming has been described as the perfect track for a drummer, Clem absolutely aces it, amazingly hard working drummer, he was also a Ramone once....
she is so beautiful, and her voice is so distinct and an almost aloof kind of ethereal. i tried to learn this song on the drums when i was 8, it was (and still is) one of my favorite songs of all time. i am 23 now and still listen to it all the time. "One Way or Another" and "Call Me" are classics too, of course. they make me feel like a dangerous, complicated and beautiful thing. ❤️
Elizabeth, if you want more fun with Debbie, check out her appearances on The Muppet Show. A couple of facts. Her real name is Angela Trimble and her name was changed when she was adopted at three months old. Before her musical career, Debbie worked as a secretary, a dancer and a Playboy Bunny. After the first Blondie break up, she began a solo career and ventured into acting, appearing in nearly fifty movies.
Blondie did a cameo in the Meatloaf film "Roadie".
The best way to see artists is on The Muppet Show. Any episode featuring any musical guest were best episodes and most entertaining to see. The "punk merit badge" back stage antics let us see a new side of sweet Robin.
She's an awesome villain in the original Hairspray movie.
I remember first seeing her acting in "Videodrome" with James Woods ... deviant body horror and Debra Harry ...
@@KingKaiju1954 Check out ODD TV and his total breakdown of the Videodrome movie. Really interesting analysis.
Blondie is the group. They got their name from the constant cat calls Debbie Harry would get walking the streets of NYC with her platinum blonde dyed hair. (She dyed it herself, which is why there is always a dark patch in the back!)
Well said.
@rubenrosario-rodriguez6490 and, yet... Most people will call her Blondie. I am sure it was frustrating for her at times, but she never really created an ongoing row in the media about it. So I think she understands. It was her and the band's marketing idea after all.
Right. So boorish men on the street would call out "Hey Blondie" so she was Blondie but they decided to name the whole band Blondie, which is confusing but Blondie is the name of the band. Of course "Blondie" is also a famous comic strip.
She knows the name of the band, it's called engagement farming, giving people a reason to comment to drive the engagement analytics. It's very common that professional RUclipsrs do this.
I've always heard that they were named after the comic strip. Of course, there was a blonde female in the strip called Blondie. It wouldn't surprise me if it was a combo of things that caused them to take the name.
Your first Blondie Experience is gonna be worth it. Other good songs by them include "Dreaming", "One Way or Another", "Atomic", "Union City Blue"- and if your into something different- check out "Rapture". Glad you got around to Blondie. I hope you'll have your first Paul McCartney and Wings experience soon.
Never thought I’d hear a dio comparison to blondie but it makes a lot of sense actually. I’m so happy we’ve cultured you to this level 😭
No-one can sing like they're lazily drawling their vocals without even trying, like Debbie does! What makes it all the more remarkable is that she is such a brilliant singer. Even at 78 Debbie doesn't use technology to enhance her voice live - nothing to hide. She may not have the vocal power she used to, but an icon can do whatever they want! Inspirational!
“Atomic” accentuates her voice further.
Atomic is in my all time top 10 favourite songs !
Always quite liked "Shayla" Myself
My favourite!
Up there with the VERY best. Most of their great hits can be found on "Eat to the Beat" [imo] where "Atomic" has good company with "Union City Blues," "Shayla," and "Living in the Real World."
@@David-gh6vp And “Dreaming”.
I worked in a Record Store in the 80s and there was a flood of great music that I got to listen to first hand.
The best part of my day was opening all the boxes of new records.
My dad's then-girlfriend, and later my older sister both worked at record stores in the 80s. We got so much cool swag from that, lol.
Me too! I worked in a record shop in 87,88 and the music was awesome. Lots of Blondie played then too!
Debbie Harry was my everything in the 70s and 80s! She was my hairstyle icon.
The first seconds of Heart of Glass...you know what's coming & the heart starts racing!! Love you, Debbie!❤
She was so punk, part of the 1970s NYC punk scene. She's almost 80 and still performs. And can still kick your, my, or anyone else's ass.
Dang, she was 34 when this came out? Doesn't even look 25.
Blondie released a song called Maria in the 90's so you can hear her 20 yrs later still sounds great.
My recognition to the magnificent drummer Clem Burke. 👏👏🥁🥁🤟🤟
He's incredible on Dreaming. Hope Elizabeth reacts to that one!
When they played live Clem was the human metronome that kept the band locked in!
Much underrated but one of the best.
Elvis Ramone
Yeah, and he worked with other people as well. Check out Eurythmics' "When Tomorrow Comes".
The word I would use to describe Deborah Harry’s voice and persona would be “mesmerizing”
She is unique and her delivery is effortless
I saw her a few times back in the day. Even today when I watch her I am amazed
Ms. Harry started life in rock/punk comparatively late in her life. Her previous professional musical experience was folk. She is into her 30's here.
This performance is Atomic.
I see exactly what you did there!
this song.... made me fall in love with a voice. I didn't know how Debbie Harry even looked, I just was IN LOVE with the sound of her voice.. and I didn't even speak English to know what she was singing about!
Debbie Harry is a force of nature. She has an ironic way of commanding attention. There is so much style, intensity and intelligence behind her beauty. She’s a musical magpie and a brilliant performance artist.
@4:25
That's a perfect description! Personality.
I had never stopped to think about what it is about Harry's voice that I think makes it work so well with the lyrics and music. It's personality; she brings _something_ to every song, and it's not the same thing each time, she sings in different styles that are distinct from one another, but don't feel like they're effectations put on. Each song has its own attitude, but it's all the same personality.
Fantastic, thanks for that.
Every, and I mean every male teenager at the time had a crush on her. Probably even female ones too.
Some 8 year-olds, too... 😉
I know I did!! Just watching the beginning of this vid took me right back
I was a female six year old who had a crush on her (and Joan Jett and Lynda Carter and maybe a little bit Erik Estrada lol)
And every father of those kids watching Blondie videos also had a crush on her too! 😂
@@BlackJackLopez and 80 year olds too and every male in between. Can you imagine we had Debbie Harry and Kate Bush. Both true beauties and talented. That was back in the sexist days!!
There's a documentary on the making of Heart of Glass. It was painstakingly difficult, pretty much taking analog to its limits. Blondie was always cutting edge, bridging the gap between punk, disco, and new wave. Debbie and Chris Stein were a great team. When Blondie first hit, most people thought they were a Euro band.
"Fluffiness, with a sturdy core". Nailed it.
Blondie....every 80's boys crush, an iconic voice and music that defined several genres !
Yep. I was in my twenties and I thought she was gorgeous!
@@keithad6485 Thanks for saying that. I always imagined a bunch of 20-somethings piling out of some venue like CBGB or Max's Kansas City after a Blondie show and talking amongst themselves about how smoking hot Debbie Harry was (because I closed a lot of live music bars in my 20s, but not in NYC). To find out Debbie turned 35 in 1980 would just about blow a lot of people's minds. Clem is 10 years younger than her, Chris is 5 years younger. So in addition to great singing and songwriting skills, she had a lot of verve in fronting a young punk / new wave band while being much older than the band and much of the audience. To me, that just kicks ass. She didn't let the number of her age define her or hold her back in the least.
@@cxj3519 Did not bother me that she was older, she was not only easy on the eyes, she has a presence which was, I am who I am , take me as I am or take a hike, and had confidence, and of course several great songs. If memory serves, her last hit was French Kissin in the USA. Never been to her concerts but love lot of her songs, and dancing to them wearing my kilt!
Interesting shots of the Twin Towers and other iconic Big Apple locales at the beginning of the video. This video will always be a piece of late 70's musical history.
An underrated Blondie gem, "The Hardest Part."
That was what I was going to say!
union city blue
Debbie looks pretty good with darker hair too.
Revisit the song "Victor".
DEBBIE HARRY IS THE QUEEN of the 1980's PUNK, POP, ROCK and RAP scene!
Late 70s also.
No way. She was New Wave, a derivative of Punk.
@@michiel8600 Yep.
And don't forget the cross-over to disco.
And don't forget the cross-over to disco.
Aaah! The gorgeous talented Debbie Harry. We loved her... her delivery is stunning - the juxtaposition of high's and low's so very appropriate to the lyrics. She was so damn lovely.
Her voice could cut HARD through the mix when she wants. Listen to “Sunday Girl,” where she just cranks it for the third verse, (they actually STOP doubling her vocal, and it cuts harder,) or “Picture This.” Or her more punky stuff. She wasn’t always a feather pillow. And her vocals shocked people at the time, because she often approached subjects like sexuality in a casual or humorous way (listen to the aforementioned “Picture This”) that often conflicted with gender norms at the time, similar to what Chrissy Hynde of The Pretenders was doing at that time as well.
And it never hurt that even when you pause the video at totally random parts of the song, she looks like a goddess.
Blondie the band deserves way more props than most gave them at the time too. Thankfully, they eventually have gotten the props they deserved. The melodies and rhythms they came up with became timeless. Clem Burke was a total BEAST on the drums. His drums on “Dreaming,” (I am always) Touched By Your Presence, Dear,” etc went as hard as anybody in punk and New Wave at the time.
My favs:
“Dreaming,”
“(I am always) Touched by your Presence, Dear),”
“Sunday Girl”
“Hanging by the Telephone,”
“Denis.”
@PristineTX Still a fan of "Detroit 442" and "Attack of the Giant Ants" ... and "Rip Her to Shreads" ... and several more.
I'll stop. 😆
@@laurabrevitz3944 No dont stop - I want to remember them all! :) Early Blondie = best blondie. Kung Fu girls and Contact in Red Square are still in my playlists..
I think one of her best lines comes from Picture this. "I will give you my finest hour. The one spent watching you shower." That's frickin' gold!
Debbie is one of the most underrated singers! This entire album was such an incredibly good surprise!
Never watched her videos that closely. I absolutely LOVE her range of facial expressions and sass!
Youll never know how many hours i spent in high school behind the drumset playing the songs off this album. Also, since you talked about it, that side to side jaw thing she does is JUST SO ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ohhhh Elizabeth this is going to be great! You are tugging at the heart strings of my youth with Blondie aka Deborah Harry. I am an old school metal head and I have had a spot in my heart for Blondie since I was 9. Thank you for your effort and excellence.
I remember in 1979, once this song caught on, every radio station played Heart of Glass every half hour, whether you liked it or not.
Historical footnote: it didn’t catch on until 1979 because it wasn’t released as a single until 1979.
I'm 64 years old. I've always thought of Blondie as the band and Debbie Harry as the singer. She was also a Playboy Bunny before Blondie formed. Remember, we were coming out of the disco era about this time. "Saturday Night Fever" was in 1977.
The early demo version of this song is called "The Disco Song."
Blondie is the band and she is Debbie Harry, her life story is fascinating starting from when she was adopted as a baby
First time I heard Blondie was at a local roller rink as a child. And I have loved them ever since.
Thanks
It's funny, she sings about unrequited love and puts forth this "party-girl" image, and has been in a serious relationship with the band's guitarist forever. One of those rare, long-lasting celebrity relationships.
I turned 18 in '77, and she was definitely one of my major crushes... 😎
They broke up after decades together but remained friends ( at last report). She wrote a wonderful autobiography btw.
The guitarist, Chris Stein, also wrote an autobiography. I’m reading that now. So good. He’s a fantastic photographer as well.
Debbie is absolutely stunning in this video. She does indeed sing with a snide sarcasm. Blondie survived many music genres. Originally NY punk they evolved and made music that made everyone happy. Dreaming has been my favorite Blondie song since the very first time I heard it.
Blondie was the name of the band Debbie Harry was the lead singer. Blondie was named after Blondie in Dagwood comics
Debbie was even on the Muppet show! She still tours in her 70’s!
Didn't Animal attack her or something?
@@flyingardilla143 probably!
ruclips.net/video/h0Hd3uWKFKY/видео.html -- This is probably a much better video to critique her voice as it's just her (and Kermit), no processing
@@derrybryson great video. 1980!
@@derrybrysonI was looking for a comment about that video. She sounded great
My favorite Blondie song is "Maria" some 30 years after this song was released. Maria defiantly shows how good her vocals are.
I totally agree, Maria really showcases how her voice matured, and is still wonderful!
So many striking vocals from Debbie: Heart of Glass-ethereal; Call Me-belter; One Way or Another-psycho stalker; Atomic-mean girl. This period or rock with the incomparable Ann Wilson of Heart and also Debbie’s unique style was a great time to be a radio listener.
Union City Blue - romantic AF
I was thrilled to be able to see Debbie Harry solo at a movie theater, of all places. I drove from San Jose, CA to Santa Rosa to visit a friend. This was during the aftermath of the 1989 earthquake in the SF Bay Area. When we checked the Santa Rosa listings of what to do, to our surprise was Debbie Harry performing! She was supposed to play in San Francisco but due to the chaos of the earthquake, they came to this little movie theater place and played there.
This song is atypical of Blondie's output, originally called "The Disco Song" (as Disco was big at the time), songs by them which show off different sides to Debbie's voice (she now likes to be known as Deborah) are:
"Fade Away and Radiate",
"Union City Blues",
"Picture This",
"(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear",
"Atomic",
"Call Me" from the film 'American Gigolo'.
These aren't their best or most popular songs but I think that they give a good over all picture of Debbie's vocals.
By the way she's originally a Brunette, a one-time model and previously a Bunny Girl too.
To me "Call Me" is freaking iconic
My favorite Blondie song is 11:59 especially the live version of the song. Compared to Heart of Glass almost sounds like a whole different band. Rip Her to Shreds also another great Blondie song.
Union City Blue is criminally underrated. As a Power Pop aficionado, that song is pure Grade A Power Pop of the highest calibre. And hooks to die for.
@@atlasking6110 I totally agree, it's criminally underrated and it shows off Debbie's voice so well.
@@roffhessa Yes, it definitely is.
This song was all over the radio in the summer of '79. It's nearly a perfect summarization of that year, the end of Disco and the beginning of New Wave all rolled into one song, w/a dash of reggae in the intro just for fun. What I think is amazing is people forget the very first ever Rap song to hit #1 on the Billboard pop & rock charts was Blondie's "Rapture". It was the song that introduced mainstream America to the style, and it would be at least another 5 years before it started gaining any traction even in the African-American sub-culture. They were a band of their time, but ahead of their time too.
Never realized that the radio version switched the album's "...pain the ass" for another reading of "heart of glass". Glad our presenter was surprised by the contrast that Blondie meant to occur there.
Radio stations used to bleep the word when it came out.
Radio Stations now cut out that whole last verse & replace it with the 1st chorus then change the whole ending of the song. It's disrespectful!
I always loved this song, but I never knew how stunning she is! Also the bass and drums make this song 🔥
It was always Blondie the band, and Debbie Harry. Debbie Harry was an instant icon in her own right. especially for young men and boys ;-). The voice, the looks and the attitude were phenomenally impactful in their day.
@markperry222 1981-1996: Solo work and acting.
In 1981, Harry issued a press release to clarify that her name was not "Debbie Blondie" or "Debbie Harry" but rather Deborah Harry, though Harry later described her character in the band as being named "Blondie", as in this quote from the No Exit tour book:
Hi, it's Deb. You know, when I woke up this morning I had a realization about myself. I was always Blondie. People always called me Blondie, ever since I was a little kid. What I realized is that at some point I became Dirty Harry. I couldn't be Blondie anymore, so I became Dirty Harry.[35]
It was a great pleasure seeing Debbie Harry for the first time. A friend took me and I had absolutely no idea what to expect. That woman just blew me away. Wow.
So glad you started listening to them. There is so much material available.
Debbie had a noticeable "New Joisy" accent when she wanted to sing with it. Also, the deeper voice in the chorus was one of the bandmembers singing backup. Her natural hair was dark chestnut. The songs were written by several of the band members, including Debbie, though most by Debbie and her then Partner, Chris Stein.
Brings me back to the late 70's and early 80's. Check out One Way Or Another, Call Me,The Tide is High. They're a gas 😉
and ... "Rapture" :)
And Hanging on the Telephone. And She Came in Through the Bathroom Window. Oh, wait...scratch that last one.
'They're a gas' - T-Rex fan?
Make sure to check out the 12" version of Call Me.
@@diatonicdelirium1743 Once I had a love and it was a gas
Blondie started in 1974 as a punk/new wave band ("One Way or Another" is about an incident from that era), then began adding disco element.
Then they made the first widely-played song containing rap - "Rapture".
As for the name... it derived from comments made by truck drivers who catcalled "Hey, Blondie" to Harry as they drove past.
Wonderful band! I was in my early teens (in England) when this came out, and it's one of those "feels like home" songs for me. Definitely a comfort play that can transport me back to those days. The flavour of the times was rich: a big old soup made from rock, pop, disco, punk and various other ingredients - it felt as if music had grown and grown, and then suddenly blossomed in multiple colours. And this was long before the internet and streaming so the Gatekeepers were still in control, which makes it all the more amazing that we had so much choice...
Debbie put different emotions in different songs and her stage presence showed how she could act to go with a song's lyric. And the camera loved Debbie. Beautiful from any angle and in any lighting.
Brings me back to sneaking off to see Blondie, The Ramones, talking heads at CBGB's and getting whupped for taking the subway alone! Ahh Debbie she was worth it!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Damn man you were lucky to see them at the beginning! Cheers.
Blondie had many different sounds. Truly a innovative band.
That's so damn awesome!
Whodathunk she would have picked up a stalker?
That would have been amazing to see - Blondie and The Ramones” 🎉❤😮
I watched her in interview about this song back in the 1990's. You'll be surprised that the original song was supposed to be recorded with a reggae beat, but the producer wanted a big radio hit, so they convinced them to record it under a disco beat, which was popular on commercial radios in the early 1980's, and it itsthe finished version. But I heard her humming the original reggae version that she did for the documentary she was in. Amazing last minute change.
"This is a good dance song!" Yeah ... spent many a nights at middle school dances dancing to this song. What I have always loved and respected about her is she always makes singing look so effortless. There is a power to this that is just amazing.
Same memories! The ease with which she delivered her words and lines was (and always will be) so appealing. As a teenage boy when they became famous, I speak for all of us when I say her voice alone - and not only the posters on our walls - did something to us. A great time to be young!
I grew up listening to her, and had the BIGGEST crush on her. I still do (yes, my wife knows), I searched for a woman like her for years. This particular song shaped how I perceived women for forever. Having you diagnose it put such clarity on why I became obsessed with her. Thank you so much!!
I remember seeing a reporter asking her how she felt about missing out on the party when playing new years (?) gigs, she said "what the hell you talking about, I AM the party !"
I just love Elizabeth’s enthusiasm 👍🇬🇧
As a young boy, crushed hard on Debbie Harry and her voice. So feminine.😍. She was also a character/singer in one of my fav sci-fi animated movies back then, "Rock & Rule".
Angel's song/let love through is something i wish more people had heard.
Debbie's voice is only part of the package that made Blondie so popular. She was the "It" female rock singer back in the day.