Blondie to release first boxset of unheard recordings, remasters and more
'Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982' is out later this summer
nme.com – 8th June 2022
By Charlotte Krol
Blondie have announced their first ever authorised and in depth archive in their history, ‘Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982’.
The boxset arrives on August 26 via UMC and The Numero Group (pre-order here) and boasts 124 tracks (36 of which were previously unissued) alongside remasters of original analog tapes that were cut to vinyl at London’s famous Abbey Road Studios.
The Super Deluxe Collectors’ Edition contains Blondie’s first six albums – ‘Blondie’ (1976), ‘Plastic Letters’ (1977), ‘Parallel Lines’ (1978), ‘Eat To The Beat’ (1979), ‘Autoamerican’ (1980) and ‘The Hunter’ (1982) – as well as bonus tracks including a previously unheard recording of ‘Moonlight Drive’.
Remastered from the original analog tapes, the expansive boxset is available on four formats: Super Deluxe Collectors’ Edition; Deluxe 4LP; Deluxe 8CD, and 3CD editions.
The release includes: extensive liner notes by Erin Osmon; track-by-track commentary from frontwoman Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, Jimmy Destri, Nigel Harrison, Frank Infante and Gary Valentine; essays by producers Mike Chapman, Richard Gottehrer and Ken Shipley; a 120-page illustrated discography, and hundreds of period photographs.
For nearly two decades the bulk of Blondie’s audio and visual archive sat inside Blondie guitarist Stein’s barn outside Woodstock, New York. Now, the work has been collated into the band’s first official box set in their 50-year career.
Harry said in a statement: “It really is a treat to see how far we have come when I listen to these early attempts to capture our ideas on relatively primitive equipment. Fortunately the essence of being in a band in the early ’70s held some of the anti-social, counter culture energies of the groups that were the influencers of the ’60s. I am excited about this special collection. When I listen to these old tracks, it puts me there like I am a time traveler. As bad as it was sometimes, it was also equally as good. No regrets. More music.
“I am hopeful that this project will provide a glimpse into the ‘process’ and some of the journey that the songs took from idea to final form,” guitarist Chris Stein said. “Some of this stuff is like early sketches; the old tape machines are like primitive notebooks. The trickiest thing for me was always about getting the melodies out of my head into reality and the changes that would happen along the way.”
Drummer Burke added: “It is amazing that after all this time, and against the odds, our Blondie archival box set will finally be released. It’s been a long time coming and we are all very happy and excited with the final results.
“From the moment I walked into Chris Stein’s barn and saw a wall of tapes I knew we were on the precipice of something extraordinary,” producer Ken Shipley said. “’Against The Odds’ is a treasure chest disguised as a box set.”
Super Deluxe Collectors’ Edition of ‘Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982’ tracklist:
Studio albums:
‘Blondie’
Side A
01. ‘X Offender’
02. ‘Little Girl Lies’
03. ‘In The Flesh’
04. ‘Look Good In Blue’
05. ‘In The Sun’
06. ‘A Shark In Jets Clothing’
Side B
01. ‘Man Overboard’
02. ‘Rip Her To Shreds’
03. ‘Rifle Range’
04. ‘Kung Fu Girl’
05. ‘The Attack Of The Giant Ants’
‘Plastic Letters’
Side A
01. ‘Fan Mail’
02. ‘Denis’
03. ‘Bermuda Triangle Blues (Flight 45)’
04. ‘Youth Nabbed As Sniper’
05. ‘Contact In Red Square’
06. ‘(I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear’
07. ‘I’m On E’
Side B
01. ‘I Didn’t Have The Nerve To Say No’
02. ‘Love At The Pier’
03. ‘No Imagination’
04. ‘Kidnapper’
05. ‘Detroit 442’
06. ‘Cautious Lip’
‘Parallel Lines’
Side A
01. ‘Hanging On The Telephone’
02. ‘One Way Or Another’
03. ‘Picture This’
04. ‘Fade Away And Radiate’
05. ‘Pretty Baby’
06. ‘I Know But I Don’t Know’
Side B
01. ’11:59′
02. ‘Will Anything Happen’
03. ‘Sunday Girl’
04. ‘Heart Of Glass’
05. ‘I’m Gonna Love You Too’
06. ‘Just Go Away’
‘Eat To The Beat’
Side A
01. ‘Dreaming’
02. ‘The Hardest Part’
03. ‘Union City Blue’
04. ‘Shayla’
05. ‘Eat To The Beat’
06. ‘Accidents Never Happen’
Side B
01. ‘Die Young Stay Pretty’
02. ‘Slow Motion’
03. ‘Atomic’
04. ‘Sound-A-Sleep’
05. ‘Victor’
06. ‘Living In The Real World’
‘Autoamerican’
Side A
01. ‘Europa’
02. ‘Live It Up’
03. ‘Here’s Looking At You’
04. ‘The Tide Is High’
05. ‘Angels On The Balcony’
06. ‘Go Through It’
Side B
01. ‘Do The Dark’
02. ‘Rapture’
03. ‘Faces’
04. ‘T-Birds’
05. ‘Walk Like Me’
06. ‘Follow Me’
‘The Hunter’
Side A
01. ‘Orchid Club’
02. ‘Island Of Lost Souls’
03. ‘Dragonfly’
04. ‘For Your Eyes Only’
05. ‘The Beast’
Side B
01. ‘War Child’
02. ‘Little Caesar’
03. ‘Danceway’
04. ‘(Can I) Find The Right Words (To Say)’
05. ‘English Boys’
06. ‘The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game’
Bonus tracks:
7″ 45 rpm
01. ‘Moonlight Drive’
02. ‘Mr. Sightseer’
10″ LP Out-takes & rarities (‘Out In The Streets’):
Side A (1974 Session)
01. ‘Out In The Streets’ (1974)
02. ‘The Disco Song’
03. ‘Sexy Ida’
Side B (Betrock Demo)
01. ‘Platinum Blonde’
02. ‘The Thin Line’
03. ‘Puerto Rico’
04. ‘Once I Had A Love’ (1975)
05. ‘Out In The Streets’ (1975)
LP 1 Out-takes & rarities (‘Plaza Sound’):
Side A
01. ‘X Offender’ (Intro)
02. ‘X Offender’ (Private Stock Single)
03. ‘In The Sun’ (Private Stock Single)
04. ‘Little Girl Lies’ (Private Stock Mix)
05. ‘In The Flesh’ (Extended Intro)
06. ‘A Shark In Jets Clothing’ (Take 2)
07. ‘Kung Fu Girls’ (Take 8)
08. ‘Scenery’
Side B
01. ‘Denis’ (Terry Ellis Mix)
02. ‘Bermuda Triangle Blues – Flight 45’ (Take 1)
03. ‘I Didn’t Have The Nerve To Say No’ (Take 1)
04. ‘I’m On E’ (Take 2)
05. ‘Kidnapper ‘(Take 2)
06. ‘Detroit 442’ (Take 2)
07. ‘Poets Problem’
LP 2 Out-takes & rarities (‘Parallel Beats’):
Side A
01. ‘Once I Had A Love’ (Mike Chapman Demo)
02. ‘Sunday Girl’ (French Version)
03. ‘I’ll Never Break Away From This Heart Of Mine’ (Pretty Baby)
04. ‘Hanging On The Telephone’ (Mike Chapman Demo)
05. ‘Will Anything Happen’ (Instrumental)
06. ‘Underground Girl’
Side B
01. ‘Call Me’
02. ‘Spaghetti Song’ (Atomic Part 2)
03. ‘Die Young Stay Pretty’ (Take 1)
04. ‘Union City Blue’ (Instrumental)
05. ‘Llámame’
LP 3 Out-takes & rarities (‘Coca Cola’):
Side A
01. ‘I Love You Honey, Give Me A Beer (Go Through It)’
02. ‘Live It Up’ (Giorgio Moroder Demo)
03. ‘Angels On The Balcony’ (Giorgio Moroder Demo)
04. ‘Tide Is High’ (Demo)
05. ‘Susie & Jeffrey’
Side B
01. ‘Rapture’ (Disco Version)
02. ‘Autoamerican Ad’
03. ‘Yuletide Throwdown’
LP 4 Out-takes & rarities (‘Home Tapes’):
Side A
01. ‘Nameless’ (Home Tape)
02. ‘Sunday Girl’ (Home Tape)
03. ‘Theme From Topkapi’ (Home Tape)
04. ‘The Hardest Part’ (Home Tape)
05. ‘Ring Of Fire’ (Home Tape)
Side B
01. ‘War Child’ (Chris Stein Mix)
02. ‘Call Me’ (Chris Stein Mix)
03. ‘Heart Of Glass’ (Chris Stein Mix)
