No. 1
13th December 1986
help!
BLONDIE: The complete works.
NOW that DEBBIE HARRY is back in the charts, as a fan of Blondie could you please list all their single releases and LP releases and their chart positions and also the time of their releases. Also could you please print a picture of Blondie for me. Karl – Blanch, Louth.
Easy. The singles were: ‘Rip Her To Shreds EP’ (Nov ’77), ‘Denis’ (#2, Feb ’78), ‘(I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear’ (#10, May ’78), ‘Picture This’ (#12, Aug ’78), ‘Hanging On The Telephone’ (#5, Nov ’78), ‘Heart Of Glass’ (#1, Jan ’79), ‘Sunday Girl’ (#1, May ’79), ‘Dreaming’ (#2, Sep ’79), ‘Union City Blue’ (#13, Nov ’79), ‘Atomic’ (#1, Feb ’80), ‘Call Me’ (#1, Apr ’80), ‘The Tide Is High’ (#1, Nov ’80), ‘Rapture’ (#5, Jan ’81), ‘Island Of Lost Souls’ (#11, May ’82), ‘War Child’ (#39, Jul ’82). The albums were: ‘Plastic Letters’ (#10, Mar ’78), ‘Parallel Lines’ (#1, Sep ’78), ‘Blondie’ (re-issue of their first LP, #75, Mar ’79), ‘Eat To The Beat’ (#1, Oct ’79), ‘AutoAmerican’ (#3, Nov ’80), ‘Best Of Blondie’ (#4, Oct ’81), and ‘The Hunter’ (#9, Jun ’82). As well as these there are, or were, a number of bootlegs of Blondie material available. So many in fact that we could fill this page just writing about them. And it’s illegal…
TWENTY RATHER NICE PICTURES OF DEBBIE HARRY
* Blondie’s first single ‘X Offender’ was banned in some countries, including Australia where it went straight to Number One.
* In the UK when the ‘Parallel Lines’ LP came out, one in every 50 people in the whole country had a copy. It stayed in the charts for two years.
* Debbie Harry’s first ambition was to be a Roller Derby Queen. Then it was the ballet or the circus.
* If you want to compare Debbie to anyone she’d prefer it to be Bowie not Madonna. “I feel chameleon-like,” she says. But she does admire Madonna: “She’s more prepared, more calculated than me – even now.”
* Debbie’s boyfriend/guitarist Chris Stein is heavily into ‘Space Music’ (of the sci-fi variety).
* Debbie Harry once stubbed a cigarette out on her breast. No, not for real! In the horror movie Videodrome.
* Debbie has a large wig collection for when she wants to nip out to M&S incognito. Her pink one’s a fave.
* Debbie once made a film with Meat Loaf called Roadie. It wasn’t very good and its not worth watching.
* Debbie’s first solo album ‘KooKoo’ had its sleeve designed by the guy who made the Aliens monsters, HR Giger.
* Debbie’s first band was an all-girl group Stilletos.
* Debbie Harry dyed her hair brown for Union City Blue.
* The title ‘KooKoo’ comes from the ‘cu’ in acupuncture which Debbie is very partial to.
* Debbie followed Toyah in the role of Trafford Tanzi a female wrestler. Unfortunately it closed in a week in NY.
* Blondie’s first British Number One ‘Heart Of Glass’ had the words ‘pain in the ass’ removed by Radio One.
* Debbie started work as a waitress in a trendy NY restaurant where Andy Warhol made films.
* Like Madonna, some naughty nudie pics of Debbie once appeared from some ‘previous’ work.
* Blondie were the first pop band to make a video to accompany every track of their album (‘Eat To The Beat’).
* Debbie is rather keen to work with Billy Idol (“well we’re both blondes”).
* ‘Rapture’ was the first rap record by a pop group to get played on prestigious black radio stations in America.
* Blondie gave Duran Duran their first big break in America when they were asked to support Blondie on their US tour.
* Blondie’s ex-drummer Clem Burke now plays with The Eurythmics.
* Debbie Harry has been going out with boyfriend Chris Stein for 13 years but still doesn’t want to marry: “I dislike the exchange of names,” she says.
* Debbie Harry, who is herself adopted, would quite like to adopt children.
