Smash Hits

27th December 1979 – 9th January 1980

Page 9

EXTRA
BLONDIE
SHOWS

BLONDIE HAVE announced two additional dates for the January part of their British tour. They play an extra date at Deeside Leisure Centre on January 19th and another extra at Hammersmith Odeon on the 20th. For the Hammersmith gig the band are keeping aside 1000 tickets for the exclusive use of fan club members. These tickets are available from the fan club (maximum two per members) on receipt of a cheque or postal order for £4.75 per ticket made out to the fan club. You must, however, quote your fan club number on the ticket application.

Page 15

Blondes Make
More Films

David Hepworth, our man with the fading torch and the tray of melted ice creams, ushers you into the back row for a sneak preview of Blondie’s forthcoming flicks.
Projectionist: Adrian Boot.

EVERYBODY GOT popcorn? O.K., it’s Film Fun Time! So settle down in your seats and quit eyeing the person next to you for a minute while we fill you in on progress made so far on Blondie’s World-Domination-By-The-Eighties Plan (Silver Screen Division).
The pix (below and over the page) were all snapped in Austin, Texas, deep in the heart of cowboy country where men are men and mules are mules and never is heard a discouraging word. This is where the band have been filming “Roadie” with weightwatchers’ favourite rock and roll star, Meat Loaf.
Blondie play (surprise, surprise) a band whose van breaks down on a lonely highway while on the way to a gig. Assistance arrives in the, er, substantial shape of young Mr Meat Loaf who just happens to turn out to be a very gifted car mechanic.
With a twist here, a tap there and a wrench somewhere else he gets them back on the road. So grateful are the band for his wizardry that they offer him a job as a roadie. (Some reward.) Meat Loaf accept. (Some twerp.)
Anyways, after various adventures (as they say in Hollywood), Blondie fetch up at The Ramada Inn in Austin (renamed The Sawtooth Inn for the movie), playing at the annual convention of the Tyremakers Of America. For various strange reasons they fall out with the support group, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, and the climax of the film is a bizarre punch-up between the bands.
It’s not yet known whether there will be a proper soundtrack album, but the film does feature heavily the band playing live. A couple of concerts were specially recorded for inclusion.
“Roadie” is unlikely to reach your local flea pit until the middle of next year, but another Debbie Harry movie project, “Union City”, is already completed and could be on the circuit sometime in February.
Debbie had her hair dyed brown for her part as a New Jersey housewife in this murder mystery and, although none of the other members of the band are involved, the incidental music was written by Chris Stein.
The much touted remake of “Alphaville”, which was to have starred Debbie playing opposite Robert Fripp, seems to have been put on ice for the moment as the band simply don’t have enough time. As soon as their British jaunt is through they’ll be touring America.
The band have also already written most of the songs for their fifth album which, all being well, will be ready for release in the spring.
Now back to Austin…