"'I'm 36 now, and for the last 20 years, they've meant everything really,
the music, the culture, everything."--Unidentified male Blondie fan
on Blondie ("Blondie Makes a Comeback" [transcript] and "Fans Fanning....")
Throughout Part II of this web site, the observations of commentators
and critics have been cited to demonstrate the influence and legacy of
Blondie and Deborah Harry. The commentary in this concluding chapter continues
with observations touching upon and summing up their significance, influence,
and legacy--that is, the Blondie phenomenon.
"'I've interviewed a million female artists over the past eight years
and her name comes up the most as an influence.'"--Rolling Stone
magazine senior editor Jancee Dunn on Deborah Harry's influence (Che,
1999, 151)
"Blondie leapt indelibly onto the music landscape in 1976" and has had
a lasting impact since it is a group which has "'set so many musical and
cultural standards....The bottom line is Blondie is an icon.'" ("Blondie
Announces...")
"In its heyday, Blondie was one of the finest and most commercially
successful bands of the new wave/punk era, turning out one tantalizing
collection of infectious pop tunes after another." (Smith, Tierney)
"Before Madonna was the official 'Material Girl' of the '80s or Gwen
Stefani sang about being "Just a Girl" in the '90s, there was Deborah Harry,
the bottle-blonde 'Sunday Girl" of the '70s and the new-wave band Blondie."
(Fitzpatrick, "Calendar" section, p. 8)
Blondie is "a legend reborn." (Greer, 84)
Through the "concentrated power of the band's two-decade-old catalogue,"
Blondie "has what most of today's crop of one-hit-wonder alterna-losers
can only dream of attaining: deep impact." (Greer, 84)
"It would be hard to overestimate the influence of Blondie on the musical
climate. From the band's gritty origins in the nascent CBGB 'New Wave'
scene in mid-70s New York City...to their metamorphosis into disco-fueled
pop stars with the song 'Heart of Glass,' and on into multi-genre pop explorations
like the reggae-fied 'The Tide is High' and rap-homage 'Rapture' (many
suburban white kids' first exposure to rap), Blondie has forged a relentlessly
inventive musical path that still resonates. Its influence can be felt
on ska-pop bands like No Doubt, on the raft of female-led rock bands in
the early to mid-90s (Elastica, Hole, Breeders), on electronic-oriented
pop like Garbage, and on and on. The eclecticism of the Blondie approach
has always been one of its greatest strengths." (Greer, 86)
Deborah Harry's "sex-kitten-on-ice image" was projected "with great
elan by Harry's bottle-blond savoir faire." (Greer, 86, 88)
The "Marilyn Monroe of pop"; "one of pop's major pin-ups"; the "trashy
street Venus who fronted Blondie and loudly proclaimed to the world that
she was 'no debutante'"; a "star, a pop permutation of the luscious dumb
blonde blueprinted by Monroe and filtered through Jayne Mansfield and Mamie
Van Doren, though what she really resembled was an Eastern Bloc idea of
Dumb Blonde sexiness"; and the "queen of the pop shiksas."--On Deborah
Harry (Hoskyns, 1999 February, 64-76 passim)
The "quintessential New York pop band," the 'pop dream,'" "one of the
biggest pop acts in the world," having a "'fabulous sense of pop history'"
[the latter quote from Deborah Harry], and, from a British viewpoint, a
"knowing power pop antidote to the splenetic rage of punk--a retro dream
for the Phil Spector fan in all of us."--On Blondie (Hoskyns, 1999
February, 64-76 passim.)
Unlike their CBGB contemporaries, Blondie had great commercial success,
"helping to transform punk into the much more palatable New Wave music
of the late '70s and early '80s" and setting them "on their trashy peroxide-pop
course." (Hoskyns, 1999 February, 66)
As their sound came together, so did the group's "'60s thrift-store
Mod look....A key influence on the band's skinny-tie, narrow-collar image
was that of designer Stephen Sprouse, who...urged them to make bright colours
and monochrome simplicity a Blondie trademark."--On Blondie's influence
on fashion (Hoskyns, 1999 February, 70)
Blondie influenced, among many others, the Primitives, Transvision Vamp
and Kim Wilde. "Of course, there was that Madonna broad...."--On Blondie's
musical impact (Hoskyns, 1999 February, 75)
Deborah Harry and the rest of the band seemed prepared to "re-enter
the arena of Anglo-American pop culture as 'Blondie'"--On Blondie's
reunion (Hoskyns, 1999 February, 75)
"Blondie's success had been the high point of their public lives. At
the turn of the 1980s, the group sold more than 40 million copies of its
six studio albums. Songs like 'Heart of Glass' and 'Rapture' broke ground
by mixing rock with disco and rap, while the modernized girl-group style
Blondie also perfected became a blueprint for other female-fronted bands.
With her sweet-and-sour voice and comic sex bomb persona, Ms. Harry was
both an embodiment and a parody of mass-marketed desire." (Powers, section
2, p. 41)
"By making music that examined desire, instead of simply declaring it,
Blondie invented a particularly mature form of rock-and-roll. The group
modernized the innocent expressions of the girl groups and garage bands
by investing them with greater self-awareness. Each member added to the
formula: Burke brought an archivist's knowledge of classic rock; Destri's
Farfisa organ resurrected the street dreams of the Shangri-Las, and Stein,
a former art student and dedicated bohemian, connected these elements to
the Pop Art avant-gard."--On Blondie's musical legacy (Powers, section
2, p. 41)
"Even in a pop world that has been crowded with comebacks lately, the
return of Blondie has meant something special. For a handful of years two
decades ago, the group and its stunning singer, Deborah Harry, stood atop
the twin peaks of music and style....The group commanded New York's ultrahip
new-wave scene in the late '70s, blending the snarl of punk and the sheen
of disco at a time when fans of the two genres were at each other's throats.
It stayed ahead of the trends, with 1980's 'Rapture' being one of the first
hits by a white group to feature rap. And as the tattered street goddess
whose songs spilled pain and lust, the hot babe who could rock your socks
off, Harry foretold Madonna and Courtney Love."--On Blondie's significance
and accomplishments (Harden, E1)
"'There is a risk of dealing with a legacy....A legacy is a unique chemical
mixture. If you throw the wrong element in it, it can dissipate...So we
approached it with great care, but I think it came out all right.'"--Blondie
keyboardist Jimmy Destri on the band's legacy (Harden, E1)
Deborah Harry is the "blonde icon of her generation," Blondie's "blonde
deity," and "pop's greatest survivor." Madonna then "stole her act [and]
did it better." (Van Den Nieuwenhof, 6)
"With chart-toppers Heart of Glass, Sunday Girl, Atomic, Call Me and
The Tide is High, Blondie was credited with forging the new wave punk era.
But the group always refused to be categorized, preferring their work to
be seen as a fusion of new wave, funk, disco and art."--On Blondie's
achievements and significance (Van Den Nieuwenhof, 6)
Deborah Harry "'has been an icon for a lot of young women, always has
been and that has continued....'"--Blondie drummer Clem Burke on Deborah
Harry's influence (Van Den Nieuwenhof, 8)
"'...it all just flowed. I think that was one of the things about Blondie
and why our music endured. It's part of us, it's a force to be reckoned
with.'"--Deborah Harry on Blondie's enduring legacy, referring to the
musical synergy that builds up when the band is together (Van Den Nieuwenhof,
9)
Chapman represented the "'turning point'" for Blondie. Chapman "'became
instrumental in us achieving what we did. I think our recording career
would have ended had it not been for Mike.'"-- Deborah Harry on Australian
record producer Mike Chapman, who helped the group fine-tune its "radio
sound" with the most successful Blondie album, Parallel Lines (Van
Den Nieuwenhof, 9)
"Few bands in rock history have attained the kind of stardom that Blondie
did, matching commercial success (they sold more records than anyone else
in Chrysalis Records' history) with style and panache. No one looked better
or dressed hotter than vocalist Debbie Harry, guitarist Chris Stein, drummer
Clem Burke or keyboardist Jimmy Destri. Blondie always had an identifiable
fashion angle, especially Harry, who was forever associated with Stephen
Sprouse anti-couture. Their tasteful balance of art and pop was unrivaled;
they were purveyors of sticky-sweet music with a nasty, neurotic edge,
producing an endless list of Top 40 hits and
punk/new wave anthems, such as 'Heart of Glass,' 'One Way or Another,'
'Call Me,' 'Rapture'--the list goes on."--On Blondie's musical and fashion
influence (Blush, 62)
The whole band is "satisfied with its legacy" and proud of its accomplishments.
The group's "musical legacy is undeniable" and continues--On Blondie's
legacy (Blush, 62)
Blondie still has "'a lot of style. Rock'n'roll is so much about attitude
and stance and social application.'"--Drummer Clem Burke on Blondie
(Blush, 62)
"In many ways, they're still the quintessential New York rock band,
swagger, attitude, and all."--On Blondie (Blush, 62)
The "'only band as eclectic as us and (that incorporated) as many styles
is probably the Beatles.'"--
Chris Stein comparing Blondie to the Beatles
(Gardner, 5 March 1999, 9E)
"Blondie dominated Top 40 radio for half a decade, pumping out hits
that combined punk energy and pop savvy with a daring, canny eclecticism....Blondie
was also among a handful of pre-MTV bands to affect popular culture beyond
music, seducing Middle America with its decidedly hip, urban look--centered
on Harry's charismatic, at times campy blonde-bombshell persona--and sensibilities."--On
Blondie's musical and cultural significance (Gardner, 5 March 1999,
9E)
Deborah Harry is the "missing link between Marilyn Monroe and Madonna,
and it was impossible not to be touched by her presence." (Gardner, 5 March
1999, 9E)
"'I'd like to have something to attach to our legacy. Sometimes with
a comeback, you thin out your legacy. We'd like to make it thicker'"--Blondie
keyboardist Jimmy Destri on Blondie's legacy and reunion (Gardner,
5 March 1999, 9E).
The "staying power of a good hair-dye job," still knows "what it takes
to be modern," having been "arguably the coolest band in the world," and
remains the "influential band" that it is today--On Blondie (Dancis,
EN3)
The "prototype New Wave singer," the "pre-Madonna of modern pop music,"
having a "haunted, haunting voice [which] captures what the band taught
the world the first time around: that love's elusiveness is an intriguing
puzzle that never resolves, and that pop is an ideal way to enter into
it."--On Deborah Harry and Blondie (Dancis, EN3)
An "incredible return to the top."--On Blondie's reunion (Tuxen,
20)
The "mavericks in the CBGB cradle of punk...[who] conquered the world
of pop" fronted by the "mysterious sexbomb Debbie Harry" and "were way
ahead of their time."--On Blondie and Deborah Harry (Tuxen, 21)
"...a multi-artist to be."--On Chris Stein in the early 1970s
(Tuxen, 21)
"...the true pop star and entertainer of the group...."--On Clem
Burke (Tuxen, 21)
"'...[T]he songs are good, they still hold up. We were adventurous in
our combination of styles, in using different electronic styles and combining
different instruments. I guess it was just genius....'"--Deborah Harry
on Blondie's staying power, the fact that the "longevity of Blondie's music
has been quite astonishing," the band's consistent album sales--especially
in the 1990s, and factors accounting for "this apparently timeless success"
(Tuxen, 22)
"'It's pretty obvious that people are referring to Blondie as an inspiration
for their music, and then there are a lot of females and lady singers in
the business today, and I think that's very good.'"--
Deborah Harry
on the band's influence (Tuxen, 22)
"...[T]here's more to Blondie than the obvious hit quality. The band
sold 40 million albums and were known for their fashionable mod style,
with the magnetic blonde fashion model in front. And the music was innovative
and fresh...."--On Blondie's appeal (Tuxen, 25)
"'Blondie were way ahead of their time, not only musically but also
technologically. The technological level of today finally matches the way
that the band always wanted to record....In the '70s they defined the modern
way of working, and the modern sound--but without the modern technology.
As with Abba, it took a long time before people acknowledged how brilliant
their music was because it was pop. I think that Blondie will get that
recognition now musically, but also for their way of working in a studio.'"--Craig
Leon, who co-produced Blondie's first album and then produced its latest,
on Blondie (Tuxen, 25)
"...when on a roll, Blondie sound as timeless and intoxicating, and
Debbie's voice as seductive as ever."--On the Blondie phenomenon
("In the Box With Debbie," 26)
Blondie's "'was a [type of ] pop that was very aggressive, and with
a female front person...and an aggressive female front person had never
really been done in pop. It was very difficult to be in that position at
the time--it's hard to be a groundbreaker'"--Deborah Harry on her pioneering
role in music (Gaar, 259)
"During Blondie's downtime, a host of performers capitalized on the
stylistic and musical trails it blazed. The band, always savvy where visuals
were concerned, had to watch from the sidelines as MTV made stars of such
Harry-influenced performers as Madonna. 'It was a bit of a miscalculation,'
Harry deadpans regarding the band's unlucky timing." (Ross, Curtis, 31
August 1999, "Baylife" section, p. 1)
"As Gail O'Hara, music editor of Time Out New York says, 'Her
influence was just immense but a lot of the women who followed on Debbie
Harry's heels were really embarrassing, like Dale Bosio from Missing Persons
and Terri Nunn from Berlin.' But even more than women who looked like Harry
and who copied the Blondie formula of fronting all-male bands, Harry's
musical and style influences have been remarked upon in artists as diverse
as Annie Lennox, Tina Turner and Pat Benatar. Contemporary women in pop
such as Liz Phair, PJ Harvey, Justine Frischmann of Elastica and Saffron
of Republica have cited Harry's inspiration in interviews as well." (Che,
1999, 153)
People "'...want to relate to artists. They want to have a relationship
with them, so to speak, and to chart their lives according to the music
they produce.' Blondie did that to a large extent. It may do so still."
(1)--Deborah Harry on the importance of music to people's lives, reflecting
its cultural/societal impact (Van Den Nieuwenhof, 9)
"In their prime, Blondie mainstreamed punk, pioneered disco-rock, racked
up the first rap hit on the pop charts, made the first long-form music
video and changed forever the image of the female sex symbol in rock via
frontwoman Deborah Harry, who presaged the multimedia juggernaut of Madonna."--On
Blondie's legacy, influence, and significance (Farber, 10 January 1999,
"New York Now: Music" section, p. 19)
"Before Madonna, before No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, or before any of the
Spice Girls, there was the original pop diva: Deborah Harry...." (Tom)
"...a drop-dead diva"--On Deborah Harry (Tom)
"...the greatest pop band of the new wave era....[and] "legendary pop
stars"--On Blondie (Tom)
"'Credit should be labeled on her for what she did to bring about all
these other women from Madonna on down...'"--Jimmy Destri on Deborah
Harry (Tom)
"'I think there's a lot of curiosity about Blondie, especially since
our legacy continued on without us.'"--Deborah Harry on Blondie's legacy
(Tom)
"It's a legacy that defied all musical conventions by combining funk,
disco, punk and rap, and helped set the stage for future musicians."--On
Blondie's legacy (Tom)
"The impossibly beautiful image was married to a punk attitude that
was much less contrived than The Sex Pistols, the combination of grit,
guts and glamour proving to be the most potent of combinations."--On
Deborah Harry (Somerville, 16)
"...she remains the only woman in pop with the ability to sing and sneer
at the same time."--On Deborah Harry (Somerville, 16)
"'At one time pop and rock was the counter-culture, now it is totally
absorbed in the mainstream.'"--Deborah Harry (Somerville, 16)
"...the new Jerry Garcia."--On Deborah Harry, referring to her wish
for a return to the 1960s' tradition of more spontaneity in music, as only
the Grateful Dead continued to do (Somerville, 16)
"The elder queen of punk pop...."--On Deborah Harry (Donald,
18)
"...the woman universally hailed by everyone from Madonna to Shirley
Manson as a Force 10 inspirational factor...."--On Deborah Harry
(Donald, 18)
"Gratifyingly, Harry's pop art cartoon meets HR Giger tongue-in-cheek
humour with a band that bequeathed us classics like Heart of Glass, Sunday
Girl, and Union City Blue...."--On Blondie (Donald, 18)
"...the woman who combines goofiness with starlet appeal...."--On
Deborah Harry (Donald, 18)
"...the power pop/punk/new wave band that stole our hearts in the seventies
and early eighties...."--On Blondie (Donald, 18)
"...the peroxide blondie who would dominate the latter half of the seventies."--On
Deborah Harry (Donald, 18)
"...the Warholian-edged band Blondie." (Donald, 18)
"'...the joke band that no-one took seriously'"--Deborah Harry on
perceptions of Blondie by their contemporaries during the CBGB period
(Donald, 18)
"Debbie Harry's bleached blonde sassiness fitted the bill for hormonal
UK punks deprived of a pin-up girl in an age of scary Siouxsie Sioux or
Slits androgyny."--On Deborah Harry's early appeal in the UK (Donald,
18)
"The real fans know what our working lives are like, but I think the
general public still has very little idea of the effort it takes to be
successful as a pop or rock musician."--Deborah Harry on life on the
road (Jackson, "Features" section)
"Those...divas are certainly built to last!"--On Cher, Tina Turner,
Donna Summer, and, by implication, Deborah Harry (Jackson, "Features"
section)
"Towards the end of every decade, people look back and get nostalgic
for the music that they used to enjoy. Just don't ask me to predict who
among the new girls will still be here in 25 years' time. God forbid I
should condemn anyone else to longevity!"--Deborah Harry on nostalgia
and other female singers (Jackson, "Features" section)
"...Blondie's trademark songs about desire, romantic obsessions and
assertive women."--On the themes of Blondie's music (Zaslow, "WKP"
section, p. 6)
"...often plays the sexual predator as the singer in Blondie, says her
assertive anthems are 'a line of defense.'"--On Deborah Harry and the
role her Blondie character sometimes plays (Zaslow, "WKP" section,
p. 6)
"Boston played an important part in the band's history, singer Deborah
Harry said before she went onstage. It was the first place the band ever
played outside New York City."--On the significance of Boston, Massachusetts
in Blondie's history as acknowledged by Deborah Harry at the MixFest '99
concert held in Foxboro, Massachusetts on October 10, 1999 (Johnson,
Dean, "Arts & Life" section, p. 35)
"Unlike other successful bands of the late 70s/early 80s that broke
up but reunited in the 90s to cruise the touring circuit on the strength
of past glory, Blondie's return is not an act of nostalgia. From the high-energy,
attitude-driven performances they've been giving on their current tour,
it's evident none of the band members have particularly mellowed with age--which
is definitely a good thing."--On Blondie's reunion (McHugh, 60)
"As its No Exit tour t-shirts point out in a nod to Andy Warhol, no
one can say Blondie hasn't held out for its 15 minutes of fame."--Take
off on famous Andy Warhol "quote." (McHugh, 60). The exact wording for
the "15 minutes of fame" quote is: "In the future everybody will be world
famous for 15 minutes." (2)
"Blondie...took the music world by storm." ("Show: Deco Drive")
Blondie "brings generations together." ("Show: Deco Drive")
"If some of the recent and pointless pop reunions (like Eurythmics,
Culture Club) have sent you into apoplexy, fear not. 'Blondie Live' is
an exemplary concert recording....Blondie...has never 'sounded' better...."--On
the Blondie Live album (Cohen, Howard)
"...Harry defined New York's fanciful New Wave scene;...was muse to
Warhol and seductress of all Manhattan; [and]...the fortunes of the city's
nightclubs rose and fell on a mere appearance by her."--On Deborah Harry
at the height of fame with Blondie (Wilker, 1999)
"...the undisputed centerpiece of Blondie...."--On Deborah Harry
(Wilker, 1999)
"She makes it clear right off that Blondie did not reunite for the fame
and fortune, but doing well sure is fun."--Deborah Harry on Blondie's
reunion (Wilker, 1999)
"'Chris and I both always had that urge to be groundbreakers. We both
came from conceptual places...to want to do things that are startling.'"--Deborah
Harry on herself and Chris Stein (Wilker, 1999)
"'We created our own dilemma....In an age of specialization, we were
always taking things and mushing them together.'"--Deborah Harry on
"Blondie's penchant for dabbling in everything from rap to disco, reggae
to rock, punk to pop" (Wilker, 1999)
"'I can understand the tragedy of Kurt Cobain....I know it personally.
I look back and think 'My God.' I really admire kids today that have such
massive success and can hold on.'"--Deborah Harry on Kurt Cobain and
dealing with success (Wilker, 1999)
"'I am completely in awe of Madonna. She's able to take that success
and live with it and remain sane. I say that with a smile, you know.'"--Deborah
Harry on Madonna and success (Wilker, 1999)
"'....I'm very proud to be Blondie. And you know, I know that I AM Blondie.'"--Deborah
Harry on the Blondie character she plays (Wilker, 1999)
"'It took me a while to decide it was a good idea....I was sort of turned
off by the last bit of Blondie, and sort of didn't want to go back into
the past. But I was interested in working with Chris Stein..., who is one
of my best friends. I think he's a terrific person to work with, and he
really convinced me that it was a good idea.'"--Deborah Harry on the
reunion and Chris Stein (Varga, 27 May 1999, "Night & Day" section,
p. 9)
"'We're not trying to recapture anything. We're just trying to make the music we make without any expectations of recapturing the past, or of capturing the future. We're just making music for now....We'd be total, absolute liars if we said there wasn't any financial consideration....But we're not sacrificing any musical integrity for financial concerns.'"-- Jimmy Destri on the reunion (Varga, 27 May 1999, "Night & Day" section, p. 9)
"...drum dynamo...."--On Clem Burke (Varga, 27 May 1999, "Night
& Day" section, p. 9)
"'I don't really know if this...will be long-term....I'm more interested
in the creativity of it, and where it goes. I think as long as it's interesting,
and prolific, and profitable for us in every way not just momentarily it's
worthwhile.'"--Deborah Harry on the reunion (Varga, 27 May 1999,
"Night & Day" section, p. 9)
"After signing a record deal in 1976, the band began honing its mix
of punk attitude, pop-kitsch, disco sass and rock smarts."--On early
Blondie (Varga, 27 May 1999, "Night & Day" section, p. 9)
"...the first rap-inspired song to reach No. 1 on the national pop charts."--On
the song "Rapture" (Varga, 27 May 1999, "Night & Day" section,
p. 9)
"'Absolutely not!....I must have blond hair to do Blondie.'"--Deborah
Harry's response to a question if she would consider performing in her
natural brown hair (Varga, 27 May 1999, "Night & Day" section,
p. 9)
"...your face, your look was the visual stamp on the band. And it became
a pop icon. When you thought about whether or not to resurrect that character
or go in a completely different route[;] what were you thinking?"--On
the Blondie "character" and its place in the reunion (Matheson)
"'I don't think I really had to think about that very much. I think
it was pretty clear that 'Blondie' sort of had this female identity crisis
and that I'm it....'"--Deborah Harry on the Blondie "character"
(Matheson)
"'...we wanted to reintroduce our audience to the 'Blondie'...material,
the kind of songs that we do. And we wanted to just make a really tasteful
album that we would be proud of. I don't think there was much more than
that. We just really wanted to do great songs and put a collection of material
together with a nice sort of panorama and spread of styles. And that's
really what we've done.'"--Deborah Harry on the No Exit album
(Matheson)
"Two decades have passed since Blondie had their first No. 1 hit single
but the sweet voice and fine blonde hair which made Debbie Harry's band
so famous throughout the 1980s are still in great shape."--On the Blondie
reunion (Nicholls, "Showbiz: Music" section, p. 8)
"'...I was a big fan of Blondie in the 80s and I've got all the records.
Debbie Harry has lost none of her charm, or attitude.'"--Scottish Blondie
fan on the band and Deborah Harry (Nicholls, "Showbiz: Music" section,
p. 8)
"...New Wave heroes...."--On Blondie (Mullaney, 32)
"The band were all...LA music biz attitude."--On Blondie (Mullaney,
32)
"...the post-punk diva...."--On Deborah Harry (Mullaney, 32)
"Still acting every inch the star, she shows an admirable refusal to
bow to any rules about acting her age or any such nonsense."--On Deborah
Harry (Mullaney, 32)
"With the beautiful bone structure and the pout still intact, the legendary
Debbie Harry was still rockin'."--On the Fall 1999 Blondie reunion tour
in England (Johnston, Mary, "Features" section, p. 8)
"...iconic as ever...."--On Blondie and Deborah Harry (Barry,
"Showbiz: Music" section, p. 15)
"...a rock 'n' roll icon, something of a legend in her own lifetime..."--On
Deborah Harry (Barry, "Showbiz: Music" section, p. 15)
"...queen of the music industry...."--On Deborah Harry (Barry,
"Showbiz: Music" section, p. 15)
"In a business peopled by bimbos and wannabees, a real woman is something
of an oddity."--On Deborah Harry (Barry, "Showbiz: Music" section,
p. 15)
"While Debbie struggled to overcome prejudice and even discrimination,
none of it blunted her ambition to reach the top."--On Deborah Harry
(Barry, "Showbiz: Music" section, p. 15)
"It is almost impossible to think of a female-fronted or guitar-based
act that doesn't owe a little piece of themselves to Blondie--especially,
perhaps, the more recent Girl Power pop wonders."--
On Blondie and Deborah
Harry's continued musical influence (Barry, "Showbiz: Music" section,
p. 15)
"'In the Seventies, there was a lot of resistance to me as a woman.
Over the years, thankfully, that has changed. But, in the early days, I
was told constantly I should do my best to get out of music.'"--Deborah
Harry on her early experience in the music industry (Barry, "Showbiz:
Music" section, p. 15)
"...the female-led punk band."--On Blondie (Barry, "Showbiz:
Music" section, p. 15)
"Each song sounded as good as when first released as did the many newer
tunes such as Maria and Nothing Is Real But the Girl."--On a Blondie
concert in Newcastle, England, November 1999 (Blackburne, "Regional
News" section, p. 5)
"Debbie Harry is a true professional." (Blackburne, "Regional News"
section, p. 5)
"...promised much but, if anything, delivered more."--On the Blondie
reunion ("Pick of the Week," "News" section, p. 3)
"...displayed their ability to mix and match musical styles to great
effect while hit single Maria was as instantly catchy as anything in the
band's catalogue."--On the No Exit album ("Pick of the Week,
" "News" section, p. 3)
"...jiving with all the enthusiasm of a mad auntie at a school disco...."--On
Deborah Harry in concert ("Pick of the Week," "News" section, p. 3)
"A year ago I wrote that 'an audience of 30 and 40-somethings watched
a band of 40 and 50-somethings' perform a stack of classic records--and
to hear them live after a 20-year gap was fantastic."--On Blondie
(Grant, 13)
"...the pop icons"--On Blondie (Grant, 13)
"New wave, punk, pop, rock...nobody ever really knew how to describe
the music of Blondie." (McMullen, 16)
"They ruled the music charts in the late 70s and early 80s and have now been discovered by a new generation of fans."--On Blondie (McMullen, 16)
"And it was! A rock star she would become, and a pretty big one, too--thanks
to her group, Blondie, and its succession of chart-topping and ground-breaking
records released between 1976 and 1982."--On Deborah Harry (Balzano)
"...a band that became famous for groundbreaking and original music."--On
Blondie and its music (Balzano)
"That's much of what we love about the former New Wave sexpot: her detachment."--On
Deborah Harry (Vivinetto, 10 December 1999, "Weekend" section, p. 18)
"The original was a punky, perfect gem."--On the single "One Way
Or Another" (Vivinetto, 10 December 1999, "Weekend" section, p. 18)
"...the chart-toppers that made them a household name."--On Blondie
hit songs ("Blondie, Cardiff International Arena...," "Show Biz: Music"
section, p. 15)
"The trademark high-pitched voice and heavy drum sound were as good
as ever."--On Blondie's performance during 1999 reunion tour ("Blondie,
Cardiff International Arena...," "Show Biz: Music" section, p. 15)
"Blondie's...single Maria typifies what they do best--simple straightforward
pop with a catchy hook." (Gould, 9 November 1999, "Features" section, p.
15)
"Blondie...has always enjoyed an iconic status since the New York punk
pop outfit shot to fame [in Great Britain] with Denis back in 1978." (Gould,
10 November 1999, "Features" section, p. 7)
"....she...doesn't seem to have lost any of the 'it' factor which elevated
her above the average pop poppet of the time."--On Deborah Harry
(Gould, 10 November 1999, "Features" section, p. 7)
"'Well, in some ways it might. I think it's easier to apply it to a
solo artist like Cher, or someone like that. My identity is sort of this
group, as well as a diva identity. I'm not strictly a diva; I really enjoy
working in a ensemble tradition.'"--Deborah Harry in response to a question
of whether the term "diva" is applicable to her (Balzano)
"'There's something about this 'Blondie' thing that catches on....It
seems to endure.'"--Deborah Harry on the Blondie phenomenon (Balzano)
"The best new wave group in the world...."--On Blondie in its heyday
(Bitz, "Features" section, p. 4)
"Feisty and still ferociously good...."--On contemporary Blondie
(Bitz, "Features" section, p. 4)
"...the song that told the world Blondie still have what it takes."--On
the hit single "Maria" (Bitz, "Features" section, p. 4)
"...Jimmy's turntable rocks to everything from Blur and Radiohead to
hip-hop from New York's Everlast. 'And I must say, I love REM, even if
they are as old as us."--On Jimmy Destri's musical preferences circa
1999 (Bitz, "Features" section, p. 4)
"There can't be many bands who can come back fresh as ever after 17
years away and catapult a brand new single straight in at No. 1."--On
Blondie (Robinson, "Supplement: What's On" section, p. 35)
"But Blondie...are no ordinary band." (Robinson, "Supplement: What's
On" section, p. 35)
"They are the creators of some of the most classy, contagious and enduring
pop music of all time."--On Blondie's musical legacy (Robinson,
"Supplement: What's On" section, p. 35)
"Gorgeous Debbie Harry has also become an icon, inspiring every female
artist and female-fronted band from Madonna to the Cardigans."--On Deborah
Harry's influence (Robinson, "Supplement: What's On" section, p. 35)
"One of the most remarkable pop comebacks of the 90s...."--On Blondie's
return (Taylor, "News" section, p. 4)
"...the classic post-punk anthem..., which was only kept off the number
one spot by Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights--On the 1978 Blondie hit single
'Denis' (Taylor, "News" section, p. 4)
"...some of the most perfectly-formed singles in pop."--On Blondie
singles (Taylor, "News" section, p. 4)
"'It really felt like Beatlemania....'"--Chris Stein on recalling
Blondie's reception in England during its heyday (Taylor, "News" section,
p. 4)
"...New York's most successful export during the punk/New Wave years...."--On
Blondie ("Who's That Blonde?", p. 3)
"Throughout its career, Blondie has crossed musical boundaries with an ease that in many ways laid the groundwork for such modern genre-benders as Beck and the Beastie Boys."--On Blondie's musical legacy and influence (Kielty, "Calendar" section, p. 8)
"Blondie tears through its set in punk-straddling-new wave glory."--On
the band's 1978 appearance on the German television music show MusikLaden,
which is available on video (Webb, Jay, 17 December 1999, 11J)
"...the eternal ice queen..."--On Deborah Harry (Webb, Jay, 17
December1999, 11J)
"...songs which have stood the test of time."--On Blondie's music
(Dingwall, 27 November 1998, "Features" section, p. 67)
"...one of pop's greatest chart acts."--On Blondie (Garner, 14)
"Fewer than a dozen artists can claim to have had six number one hits
in Britain...."--On Blondie (Garner, 14)
"...the peroxide ice-queen of rock...."--On Deborah Harry (Johnston,
Emma, 28 August 1999, 47)
"...a woman with superhuman lungs...."--On Deborah Harry (Johnston,
Emma, 28 August 1999 47)
"...the perfect 'Sunday Girl' demonstrates why several generations wanted
to be her."--On Deborah Harry (Johnston, Emma, 28 August 1999, 47)
"Bridging the gap between old-young Blondie and new-old Blondie...."--On
the song "Maria" (Johnston, Emma, 28 August 1999, 47)
"Ironically, many female pop performers of less enlightened generations,
who had to fight much harder than today's performers to make their music,
made much bolder musical statements. Perhaps it was partly the result of
strength gained through struggle, but Billie Holiday, Etta James, Janis
Joplin, Patti Smith, Aretha Franklin, Joan Jett, Tina Turner and Debbie
Harry managed to get beyond gender concerns to create brilliant art, not
just brilliant art for women." (DeMarco, 25 February 2000, L17 and DeMarco,
7 May 2000, 10F)
"Blondie, the poppiest of the new-wave bands out of New York's mid-1970s
punk scene, could easily have become one of the biggest acts of the '80s."
(Pantsios, 14 August 1999, 5B)
"It launched a series of hits that included four number ones with 1979's
'Heart of Glass,' just as new wave was coming above ground."--On Blondie
(Pantsios, 14 August 1999, 5B)
"...inspirational reminder[s] of the good old new-wave days."--On
No
Exit album and single "Maria" (Brinn, 22 February 2000, 10)
"But who would of thought that the band could go out on the road and
not only recall its salad days but surpass them?"--On Blondie's reunion
(Brinn, 22 February 2000, 10)
"Amid all the disco hoopla of the band's latter-day hits like 'Call
Me' and 'Heart of Glass,' what was forgotten was that Blondie was at one
time a first-rate pop-oriented punk band." (Brinn, 22 February 2000, 10)
"...the band cooks up a skinny-tie storm, with the dual guitar blast and Farfisa organ runs leading a bristling attack"--On the Blondie Live album (Brinn, 22 February 2000, 10)
"...fans of Debbie Harry and Blondie were more than a bit disappointed
that the group's 'No Exit' disc wasn't Grammy-nominated. Aside from the
entire album being pure Blondie, as compelling as they were back in their
heyday, many feel Harry's rendition of 'Maria' was the top pop/rock vocal
of the year." (Smith, Liz, 31 January 2000, A13)
"They took punk out of the darkness of CBGBs and into the bright of
day of Middle America; fabulous, snide lyrics and Debbie Harry's pre-Madonna
bleached-blond attitude."--On Blondie and its classic quintessential
album, Parallel Lines (Fox and Schlechter, E1)
"Deborah Harry and her group were such pioneers that they not only notched
radio's first hit rap song ('Rapture,' in 1981), but also produced the
first video album made expressly for home VCR users ('Eat to the Beat,'
back in the days of Beta)." (Bianculli, 26 February 2000, 71).
"...the group's vacuous-faced vamp of a lead vocalist."--On Deborah
Harry (Van Matre, "Arts and Entertainment" section, p. 4)
"...without Harry, Blondie would be just another decent band. But never
mind. The fact is, Blondie turned into a big success a while back, the
first hard-rock band fronted by a female to do so in years." (Van Matre,
"Arts and Entertainment" section, p. 4)
"Nothing, you may have noticed, launches a musical bandwagon quicker
than commercial success, and the once-unique Blondie now has plenty of
company in the female-fronted rock band category." (Van Matre, "Arts and
Entertainment" section, p. 4)
"Sound: Blondie always treads the line between a do-it-yourself new
wave and a polished sound."--On the Blondie Live album (Kato,
D6)
"Special guests: They didn't need any. People are thrilled to have the
group recording and touring again."--On the Blondie Live album
(Kato, D6)
"...pioneers of the punk-meets-new-wave sound...."--On Blondie
(Tarradell, 5C)
"...the irresistable ice queen."--On Blondie (Tarradell, 5C)
"After years of fighting followed by silence, the group simply felt
it could set aside its differences and record together again. Let's hope
they can let sleeping dogs lie."--On the Blondie reunion (Clark,
Michael D., 2 January 2000, "Zest" section, p. 11)
"Unlike most reunion albums which are B-side quality at best, No Exit
may be the best album of Blondie's career and fits perfectly with its past
catalog." (Clark, Michael D., 2 January 2000, "Zest" section, p. 11)
"Deborah Harry remains the perfect pop star...." (Ellen, 2000, 42)
"When Blondie went on their No Exit tour at the end of 1998, in punk-pop
terms it was like witnessing Christ return from the dead, give or take
a pair of slingbacks and a bleached strand or two." (Ellen, 2000, 42)
Blondie has "...certainly turned out to be a hard act to follow. In
this country [England] at least, the phrase 'Not quite up there with Blondie,
but...' invariably cropped up in even the most favourable early reviews
for the likes of Elastica, Sleeper, Primitives and Catatonia." (Ellen,
2000, 42)
"Clearly, as well as being Andy Warhol's favourite pop star, Deborah
Harry remains everybody else's idea of a perfect pop star too." (Ellen,
2000, 42)
"...when you get songs as infectious as Heart of Glass, Sunday Girl,
Call Me and Dreaming they stop belonging to the band in question, and start
belonging to everybody." (Ellen, 2000, 42)
"...the original pop bomb-shell...."--On Deborah Harry (Keating,
10 November 1999)
"Today, Blondie's new-wave sound, with a tweak here, a tweak there,
sounds as fresh as it did in the late '70s and early 80s." (Keating, 10
November 1999 and Keating, 21 June 1999)
"The albums Parallel Lines and its follow-up Eat To The Beat were pinnacles
of pop art new wave." (Keating, 19 November 1999)
"With an updated Marilyn Monroe figure at the mike, Blondie were by far the most adventurous and commercially successful survivors of the New York punk scene." (Keating, 19 November 1999)
"...the progenitor of the seductive yet innocent virgin/whore paradox
that is now the prevailing formula among girlie pop singers around the
world."--One perspective on Deborah Harry and her contribution to "pop
music's mythos" (Raymaker, C2)
"Few female vocalists can match her for skill, range and subtlety, and
I'd put her up against Celine [Dion] and Shania [Twain] for emotional depth
any day--that pair couldn't carry Harry's peroxide bottles."--On Deborah
Harry (Raymaker, C2)
"...there's no denying that Blondie has packed away some pretty phenomenal
pop gems that stand up just as well today as they did 20 years ago." (Raymaker,
C2)
"...New York's reigning new wave-pop band of the mid-'70's and early
'80's...."--On Blondie (Stevenson, 17 May 1999, "Entertainment"
section, p. 52)
"In her prime, Harry was to me and my friends what the Spice Girls and
Britney Spears are to today's pre-teen set, only infinitely cooler." (Stevenson,
17 May 1999, "Entertainment" section, p. 52)
"The best American group of all time...return with...iridescent pop
perfection...."--On Blondie and the hit single "Maria" (Disco, Rin,
Steve, and Booth, 36)
"...the eternally untouchable Blondie." (Mathur, 23 January 1999, 38)
"What a repetoire these guys boast!"--On Blondie's concert at the
Madison Square Garden Theater, June 10, 1999 (Farber, 12 June 1999,"New
York Now: Music" section, p. 29)
"Their combined work made
this reunion ideal, a mix of memory and fresh effort that rendered the
separation between them seamless."--On Blondie's concert at the Madison
Square Garden Theater, June 10, 1999 (Farber, 12 June 1999, "New York
Now: Music" section, p. 29)
"This was a critical show
for the band--possibly the most important of its existence....Had the Town
Hall show gone sour, it would have been Blondie's last chapter. It didn't,
and it won't be."--On Blondie's Town Hall concert, New York City, February
23, 1999 (Aquilante, 25 February 1999, 54)
"...Blondie...plays a concert
as if it were 1979 and the New Wave were still new. Blondie on ice for
more than 17 years showed no signs of freezer burn in a terrific fans'
concert...."--On Blondie's Town Hall concert, New York City, February 23,
1999 (Aquilante, 25 February 1999, 54)
"...combined snappy pop with
downtown attitude."--On Blondie's Town Hall concert, New York City,
February 23, 1999 (Tayler, B9)
"...superbly anchored the
mix with unfailingly airtight pummeling."--On Clem Burke's drumming
at Blondie's Town Hall concert, New York City, February 23, 1999 (Tayler,
B9)
"...her new-wave [Marlena]
Dietrich shtick."--On Deborah Harry in Blondie's Town Hall concert,
New York City, February 23, 1999 (Tayler, B9)
"...look even more decadent
with age...."--On Blondie (Tayler, B9)
"...still a hoot, with plenty
of creative energy."--On Blondie (Tayler, B9)
"...the group again reminded
the crowd of its ability to anticipate trends, reprising its ska-pop chestnut
'The Tide Is High.'"--On Blondie in concert at the Guthrie Theater,
Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 16, 1999 (Robson, Britt, 4B)
"It was, appropriately enough,
existentially of the moment: Blondie working hard on its 16th minute."--On
the song, "No Exit," Blondie in concert at the Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis,
Minnesota, August 16, 1999 (Robson, Britt, 4B)
"...proves that the 'boys'
are, were, and always will be indispensable elements of the classic Blondie
sound."--On the No Exit album and the male members of Blondie
(Molenda, 59)
"...responsible for much
of what glorified--or damned, depending on your perspective--Blondie as
the most commercial act to bust out of the late-'70s new wave movement."--On
Chris Stein (Molenda, 59)
"Despite its punk roots and
studied New York artiness, the band became one of the last old-time singles
acts, releasing brilliant radio tracks such as 'Rip Her to Shreds,' 'In
the Flesh,' 'Denis,' 'Hanging on the Telephone,' 'Heart of Glass,' 'One
Way or Another,' 'Rapture,' 'The Tide is High,' 'Call Me,' and 'Island
of Lost Souls--as well as many album tracks that sounded like singles."
(Molenda, 59, 61)
"...it's unmistakenly Blondie."--On
the song "Nothing Is Real But The Girl" (Jones, Stone, and Hoyle, 39)
"What becomes a legend most?
At the height of their powers, Blondie were the ultimate pop group--the
perfect combination of rock 'n' roll cool, pop suss and the libidinous
pulse of disco...." (Benedict, 44)
"...a divine pop sense."--On
Blondie (Mathur, 31 July 1999, 34)
"...the golden post-punk
years [1978-1980] when Blondie were the best of a whole bunch of US bands
mixing wild, breathless guitar music with a sound that itself drew on the
classic legacy of the likes of Phil Spector's girl bands and obscure garage
classics that defined the notion of the 45." (Mathur, 31 July 1999, 34)
"...for a while at least,
Blondie were just about the most glamorous purveyors of pop on the planet."
(Mathur, 31 July 1999, 34)
"...they still sound like
they're worth starting a religion around."--On Blondie's catalog of
hit singles (Mathur, 31 July 1999, 34)
"...still a magnetic performer."--On
Deborah Harry (Talotta)
"'She's still got a voice
like ice-cream glazed with cyanide, glass and cherry sauce. This is entertainment--froth
that kicks like the Angel Falls--On Deborah Harry (Johnston, Emma,
3 July 1999, 26)
"...makes a good argument
for her continuing importance and her influence on many talented young
women and gay fashion stylists...."--On Deborah Harry from a review
of book Platinum Blonde (1999) by Cathay Che (Blackburn, 13)
"...she genuinely seems to
be too, well, nice, to live in this vile world."--On Deborah Harry
(Blackburn, 13)
"...the never dumb blonde."--On
Deborah Harry (Rodman, 17 May 1999, "Arts and Lifestyle" section, p.
37)
"...a solid rock band in
a time when listeners can really use one."--On Blondie (Perry, Claudia,
51)
"...the pop equivalent of
a designer donut, [which] showed off the band's knack for simple hits."--Onthe
single "Maria" (Perry, Claudia, 51)
"...chart regulars in the
late Seventies and early Eighties, welding an arch New York sensibility
to fantastic pop hooks on singles such as Heart of Glass and Hanging on
the Telephone."--On Blondie (Mabbott, 2)
"They opened the ears of
American top 40 listeners to rap and reggae with Rapture and The Tide is
High in the early Eighties...."--On Blondie (Mabbott, 2)
"...the key person to look
to if you want to trace the rise of confident female rockers."--On Deborah
Harry (Sullivan, Jim, 17 May 1999, C10)
"Blondie were one of the
last Great Pop Groups before pop began the long, painful decline into indie
cred, a band which could have Number Ones like peeling a banana, in love
with the idea of Big Hits, Massive Fame, Pin-up Glamour, mixing eclecticism
with populism, rampant with maximum shagability-a legacy that was most
effectively re-animated in the Nineties pre-prog bollocks Blur (and not
Sleeper, Echobelly, The Cardigans, etc)." (Booth, Daniel, 38)
"...the most dramatically
beautiful female voice in the history of pop...."--On Deborah Harry
(Booth, Daniel, 38)
"...a blur of blue and blonde."--On
Deborah Harry at Wembley Arena concert, July 1999 (Booth, Daniel, 38)
"Blondie...combined the group's
art-school background with a deft pop sensibility that brought them a string
of hits that included 'Denis Denis,' 'Sunday Girl,' 'Heart of Glass,' 'Rapture'
and 'Call Me'; with both 'Heart of Glass' and 'Call Me,' Blondie anticipated
the assimilation of dance rhythms in much the same way as Madonna would
later do."--Blondie as musical innovators and trend setters (Gregory,
180)
"...rock's most revered diva."--On
Deborah Harry (Roberts, 23 September 1989, 14)
"I think she's God."--Rock
journalist Chris Roberts on Deborah Harry (Roberts, 23 September 1989,
14)
"For me this experience is
akin to Warhol's 100 Marilyns all moving their lips at once and demanding
to know what I'm staring at."--Rock journalist Chris Roberts on interviewing
Deborah Harry (Roberts, 23 September 1989, 14)
"...the queen of the world.
A deer. A crystal. A satellite. Pretty much everything else."--On Deborah
Harry (Roberts, 23 September 1989, 14)
"Pop, as such, had three
golden ages. Motown, T Rex, and Blondie." (Roberts, 23 September 1989,
14)
"...the pop star."--On
Deborah Harry (Roberts, 23 September 1989, 14)
"...these records make you
tingle. I wouldn't say they teach you how to fly. They just sort of chuck
you through the window and tell you to get on with it."--On the Blondie
albums Plastic Letters, Parallel Lines, Eat to the Beat, and Autoamerican
(Roberts, 23 September 1989, 14)
"Debbie Harry, who denies
being a pioneer, was a pioneer. Her rap is that the element of satire in
Blondie was never properly appreciated."--Deborah Harry as a pioneer
(Roberts, 23 September 1989, 14)
"...Swift and Pope would
have given their arms and legs to have had the grace and implicit power
to have created something as intangibly triumphant as 'Picture This', 'Union
City Blue', 'Rapture', and so on and so on." (Roberts, 23 September 1989,
14)
"'...I've seen the first
two....What's interesting to me about it is that each person has captured
different vestiges of the Blondie 'performance.' But none of them has...done
it all. It's like this is the age of specialisation. Cos Blondie
was such an amalgam of pop styles."--Deborah Harry on Transvision Vamp,
The Primitives, and The Darling Buds, groups in the late 1980s similar
to Blondie (Roberts, 23 September 1989, 14)
"'One of them seems to be
more just sorta the pretty stuff and one of them more like the 'Rip Her
To Shreds' stuff....Not the whole deal. What's the other one--The
Darling Birds? Buds? Hmm, I actually liked the two I saw--I mean it's very
flattering, how can you hate that.'"--Deborah Harry on Transvision Vamp,
The Primitives, and The Darling Buds (Roberts, 23 September 1989, 14)
"...it was a funny thing
being a girl singer at that time, during the punk era. It was an odd position
to take....But since I was a front for a bunch of guys it was like some
of their perspective came through me, so I couldn't be 'real cute.' I was
cute, but I had to be tough too....'"--Deborah Harry reflecting her
pioneering role as a female lead singer of an otherwise male band (Roberts,
23 September 1989, 14)
"'I'm my favourite
pop star!'"--Deborah Harry reacting to the fact that Andy Warhol said
she was his favorite pop star (Roberts, 23 September 1989, 14)
"'Talking Heads-style Blondie
with an ear-opening production from Mike Chapman.'"--On the hit single
"Heart of Glass" (Frith, 1996, 55)
"...the Seventies Madonna,
the punk Bardot, and the world's most famous blonde since Monroe."--On
Deborah Harry (Mathur, 10 July 1993, 12)
"...Blondie influenced a
spate of power-poppers-with-a-pretty-singer (Darling Buds, Primitives,
Transvision Vamp)." (Mathur, 10 July 1993, 12)
"Basically, La Harry invented
Riot Grrrgeous!" (Mathur, 10 July 1993, 12)
"...the coolest woman in
pop."--On Deborah Harry (Mathur, 10 July 1993, 12)
"...Deborah Harry's music
has been a mark against which all other pop is judged." (Mathur, 10 July
1993, 12)
"...if there's anyone else with as enraptured and enticing a stage presence
then the world must have been looking away that week." (Mathur, 10 July
1993, 12)
"...pop's eternal synonym"--On
Deborah Harry (Mathur, 10 July 1993, 12)
"And her influence has been
awesome. Blondie's videos defined the genre, their 'Rapture' took hip hop
mainstream, 'Heart of Glass' tugged disco towards credibility, 'X Offender'...spawned
a spiritual progeny that washes up a decade and a half later as the sort
of thing Riot Grrrl keeps finding on the tip of their tongues. And then,
inevitably, there's The Blondie Thing: Madonna, Sharon Stone, Courtney....They
know."--On Deborah Harry and Blondie's influence (Mathur,
10 July 1993, 12)
"'I'm very proud of Blondie,
the things we did for music....'"--Deborah Harry on Blondie's contribution
to music (Bauder, 26 February)
"...transformed the ragged
new wavers into a slick hit machine."--On what the 1978 hit song "Heart
of Glass" did for Blondie (Molenda, 63)
"In the band's heyday, Blondie
was extremely adept at cross-pollinating white, new wave rock with rap,
reggae, and what's now called world beat." (Molenda, 64)
"Blondie were a group. And
a phenomenon. They were Sort Of Punk Rock, and then they weren't. They
reeked of New York, and...that meant: hip, cool, sassy, nihilistic.
It meant Andy Warhol and Dorothy Parker and Zelda Fitzgerald and Truman
Capote and all the greats all jumbled up in a Mondrian's Broadway Boogie-Oogie-Oogie
criss-cross of yellow cabs and 42nd St. and Travis Bickle and CBGBs and
Lou Reed and Patti Smith and Television and [Norman] Mailer and [Gore]
Vidal. It meant films, movies. Shades. It was the other side of the world
and the other side of the coin. It was somewhere we could never hope to
be." (Roberts, 1994, 101)
"Blondie were fronted by
a star and no mistake."--On Deborah Harry (Roberts, 1994, 101)
"She infused already great
records with...radiance? Panache? Aura? Beautiful baloney?"--On Deborah
Harry (Roberts, 1994, 101-102)
"...a tough snarling female
role model...."--On Deborah Harry (Roberts, 1994, 103)
"...a Blonde Movement....A
handful of buzzing bands with blonde singers are disputably fashionable.
You find them very entertaining indeed, not least because of their sonic/visual
resemblance to the unforgettable Blondie."--On Blondie's influence on
other bands (Roberts, 1994, 106)
"...the Diva Assoluta...."--On
Deborah Harry (Roberts, 1994, 117)
"...Queen Deborah...."--On
Deborah Harry (Roberts, 1994, 117)
"...The Queen of Pop...."--On
Deborah Harry (Roberts, 1994, 119)
"Her influence pervades half
the fashionable groups of the year."--On Deborah Harry (Roberts,
1994, 125)
"The big news at the [1997]
WHFS Festival, in Washington, D.C., was, indisputably, the resurrection
of Blondie." ("Random Notes," 18)
"M.P.: ...if you see the
bands that perform tonight, take Luscious Jackson, which was a band on
the bill, obviously they're...influenced by the Eat To The Beat and Autoamerican
period, then the Cardigans. There are a lot of bands today...[that]...owe
a lot of what they do to the earlier albums like Plastic Letter and Parallel
Lines. How does it feel to see how many young artists...over the years
that Blondie have been such big influences on?
DH: Well,...it's very interesting
and flattering and exciting. I love Luscious Jackson and I just met Nina
[Persson] for the first time, from the Cardigans, and it's terrific. I
don't know if I can claim sole credit for all that or Blondie in any case,
I mean there is so much music around, so much great music....
MP: Right, but you definitely
had....
DH: or rubs off...
MP: Absolutely, I mean you're
definitely influenced by all music in your environment but...
DH: [Indicates agreement
with this point].
MP: You definitely have your
place there...."-Excerpt from an MTV "120 Minutes" program from an unofficial
transcription of an interview between Matt Penfield (MP) and Deborah Harry
(DH) at the HFStival '97 in Washington D.C. held on May 31, 1997 (Schappert)
"Allan Metz: My question
for Leigh would be his assessment of the musical legacy of Blondie. In
other words, what impact/influence has the band had on rock/pop music (and
what are recent/contemporary examples of this legacy?) And what has been
Deborah Harry's influence on female musical artists who followed her (such
as Madonna onward)?
Leigh Foxx: When we
played
at RFK stadium we shared the bill with The Cardigans, Mighty Boss Tones,
Beck, etc...and when we were on stage, a lot of the band members were on
the side of the stage watching. It was then that I realized the influence
that the band has on younger artists not to mention the reception that
we got from the 70,000 + fans."--Evaluation by Leigh Foxx, bassist for
Blondie, of the band's legacy and influence (Bustamante)
"...some people are always
blonde on the inside."--On Deborah Harry (Mathur, 10 July 1993,
12)
Notes
1. On this theme in relation
to Deborah Harry, see Chris Roberts, "Tonight, Your Hair is Beautiful,"
in Idle Worship: How Pop Empowers the Weak, Rewards the Faithful and
Succours the Needy. Chris Roberts, ed. (Boston: Faber and Faber, 1995),
96-127.
2. The exact wording for
the "15 minutes of fame" quote is: "In the future everybody will be world
famous for 15 minutes."-Source: The Andy Warhol Museum: General Information:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): <http://www.einpgh.org/warhol/information/information03.
html>.