by Randy Duckworth

Created on: January 26, 2010

Taking its name from the catcalls often heard by their bleach-blond singer as she walked down the streets of New York, Blondie was the brain-child of guitarist Chris Stein, and vocalist Deborah Harry. Harry and Stein formed the group in 1974, after leaving their previous band, The Stilettos. During their original run, the band recorded six albums between 1977 and 1982. In the process, they became one of the most successful recording acts of all time, with three consecutive multi-platinum albums to their credit, as well as a slew of other accolades too numerous to mention!

Their story begins in late 1973. Founding members Harry and Stein had been performing in the aforementioned Stilettos, but were unhappy within the group, so they left, with the intention of starting a new group. Their first act upon their departure from The Stilettos was to invite the group's bassist Gary Valentine to join them in their new venture. From there, the trio set themselves to the task of finding new musicians to complete the band, and were quickly joined by drummer Clement Burke, and keyboardist Jimmy Destri. With the new lineup firmly in place, they began playing the New York club circuit, where they quickly gained a massive following among fans of the Punk/New Wave movement, who frequented clubs like Max's Kansas City, Mothers, and the famed CBGB's.

In late 1976, they were signed to Private Stock Records, who released their first album early the following year. The self-titled debut failed to chart in The States, but was well received abroad. The band scored a number one hit in Australia with a tune called "In The Flesh."

Spurred on by this success, they entered the studio in the summer of 1977 to record their sophomore disc, Plastic Letters. The first single from the album, "Denis," a remake of the 60's classic "Denise" by Randy & The Rainbows, made it to number 2 on the UK chart. As a result, their contract with Private Stock was bought out by Chrysalis Records, and the first two albums were re-released on the new label. An extensive tour of Europe and Asia followed.

Despite their international success, Blondie had yet to break in their home country. Determined to remedy this, they enlisted the services of well-known British producer Mike Chapman to help them create their third album, Parallel Lines. As producers go, Chapman had a reputation for being a stern taskmaster, demanding flawless tempo, and pitch-perfect tuning. Although no one in the band was very happy with

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