Autoamerican – USA Press Kit

BLONDIE – AUTOAMERICAN – USA Press Kit – 1980

PRODUCT: BLONDIE

MODEL: AUTOAMERICAN

BACKGROUND: SIGNED IN AUGUST OF 1976 BY RECORD PRODUCER RICHARD GOTTEHRER, WHO PRODUCED THEIR DEBUT SINGLE, “X OFFENDER”. RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER OF THE SAME YEAR. IN OCTOBER THEY SIGNED WITH PRIVATE STOCK RECORDS AND RELEASED THEIR DEBUT SELF-TITLED LP IN DECEMBER. AFTER A BRIEF STINT WITH PRIVATE STOCK, THEY SIGNED WITH CHRYSALIS RECORDS, WHO RE-RELEASED THEIR FIRST ALBUM AND RELEASED THEIR SECOND ALBUM, “PLASTIC LETTERS” SHORTLY THEREAFTER.

INSTRUMENTATION:
DEBORAH HARRY – VOCALS
CHRIS STEIN – GUITAR, VOCALS
JAMES DESTRI – KEYBOARDS
CLEMENT BURKE – DRUMS
NIGEL HARRISON – BASS
FRANK INFANTE – GUITAR

PIT CREW: HELPING IN THE PIT STOP WERE THE B-GIRLS, TOM SCOTT, HOWARD KAYLAN, MARK VOLMAN, OLLIE BROWN, WA WA WATSON, STEVE GOLDSTEIN, ALEX ACUNA, RAY BROWN, SCOTT LESSER, EMIL RICHARDS, JIMMY HASKELL.

PREVIOUS RECORDS:

BLONDIE – PRODUCERS: RICHARD GOTTEHRER
PLASTIC LETTERS – PRODUCERS: RICHARD GOTTEHRER
PARALLEL LINES – PRODUCERS: MICHAEL CHAPMAN
EAT TO THE BEAT – PRODUCERS: MICHAEL CHAPMAN

PREVIOUS ENTRYS:

BLONDIE – X OFFENDER, LITTLE GIRL LIES, IN THE FLESH, LOOK GOOD IN BLUE, IN THE SUN, A SHARK IN JETS CLOTHING, MAN OVERBOARD, RIP HER TO SHREDS, RIFLE RANGE, KUNG FU GIRLS, THE ATTACK OF THE GIANT ANTS.

PLASTIC LETTERS – FAN MAIL, DENIS, BERMUDA TRIANGLE BLUES (FLIGHT 45), YOUTH NABBED AS SNIPER, CONTACT IN RED SQUARE, (I’M ALWAYS TOUCHED BY YOUR) PRESENCE DEAR, I DIDN’T HAVE THE NERVE TO SAY NO, LOVE AT THE PIER, NO IMAGINATION, KIDNAPPER, DETROIT 442, CAUTIOUS LIP.

PARALLEL LINES – HANGING ON THE TELEPHONE, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, PICTURE THIS, FADE AWAY AND RADIATE, PRETTY BABY, I KNOW BUT I DON’T KNOW, 11:59, WILL ANYTHING HAPPEN, SUNDAY GIRL, HEART OF GLASS, I’M GONNA LOVE YOU TOO, JUST GO AWAY.

EAT TO THE BEAT – DREAMING, THE HARDEST PART, UNION CITY BLUE, SHAYLA, EAT TO THE BEAT, ACCIDENTS NEVER HAPPEN, DIE YOUNG STAY PRETTY, SLOW MOTION, ATOMIC, SOUND-A-SLEEP, VICTOR, LIVING IN THE REAL WORLD.

SPECIAL ENTRY:

AMERICAN GIGOLO – CALL ME

CURRENT ENTRY:

AUTOAMERICAN – THE MOST VERSATILE ENTRY; HANDLES WELL ON ALL TRACKS, ON R&B SURFACES AS WELL AS SUCCESS ON A REGGAE TRACK. THE ENTRY HANDLES REALLY WELL ON THESE NEW MODERN TURNPIKES, WHICH ARE A MUST FOR MAXIMUM ENJOYMENT, APPRECIATION AND SATISFACTION.

AUTOAMERICAN LINE UP:

PROGRAM “A”

EUROPA
LIVE IT UP
HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU
THE TIDE IS HIGH
ANGELS ON THE BALCONY
GO THROUGH IT

PROGRAM “B”

DO THE DARK
RAPTURE
FACES
T-BIRDS
WALK LIKE ME
FOLLOW ME

STATISTICS:

GOLD RECORDS SINGLES:

HEART OF GLASS
CALL ME

GOLD RECORDS ALBUMS:

PARALLEL LINES
EAT TO THE BEAT

PLATINUM RECORDS ALBUMS:

PARALLEL LINES
EAT TO THE BEAT

RELEVANT DATA:

THE AUTOAMERICAN COVER WAS TAKEN FROM AN ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING BY NOTED NEW YORK ARTIST MARTIN HOFFMAN, WHO WAS COMMISSIONED BY BLONDIE MEMBERS CHRIS STEIN AND DEBORAH HARRY.

DURING THE RECORDING OF AUTOAMERICAN, THE B-GIRLS WHO WERE IN TOWN TO PLAY AT THE WHISKEY, DROPPED BY THE STUDIO TO HELP ON BACKGROUND VOCALS.

NOTE: DEBORAH HARRY HAS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN PRODUCING THE BAND.

ON THE WEST COAST, NIGEL HARRISON CONTRIBUTING WRITING AND PLAYING ON THE NEW MICHAEL DES BARRES ALBUM, “I’M ONLY HUMAN” ON DREAMLAND.
NOTE: MICHAEL AND NIGEL PLAYED TOGETHER IN THE BAND SILVERHEAD.

JIMMY DESTRI PRODUCED A CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED NEW YORK COMPILATION ALBUM ENTITLED 2X5, AND “GOING UP”, A DEBUT RELEASE BY JOEY WILSON ON ATCO. DESTRI HAS RECENTLY FORMED A NEW PRODUCTION COMPANY WITH HURRAH VIDEO MUSIC INC., AND IS HEADING BACK INTO THE STUDIO WITH TWO MAJOR N.Y. BANDS.

DID YOU KNOW? CHRIS STEIN DESIGNED THE COVER TO THE NEW ROBERT FRIPP LP, AS WELL AS HIS FIRST ALBUM, “EXPOSURE”.

CLEM BURKE IS MANAGING AND PRODUCING TEEN SENSATIONS “THE COLORS” IN NEW YORK. IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS HE HAS DEVELOPED A TERRIBLE HABIT OF WEARING WHITE SOCKS EVERYWHERE.

CHRIS STEIN HAS JUST SCORED THE FILM “UNION CITY BLUE”, WHICH FEATURES DEBORAH HARRY AS A JERSEY HOUSEWIFE, THIS WILL BE THE SECOND FILM THAT THE BLONDIE’S HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH, AS THEY STARRED IN “ROADIE” WITH ART CARNEY, MEAT LOAF AND ALICE COOPER.