Trivia / Blondie (Band)

• Breakaway Pop Hit: "Call Me" was the biggest hit of 1980 and an all-time classic for the band. Many listeners are likely unaware of the existence of the Richard Gere movie American Gigolo, for which it was written.
• Breakthrough Hit: Prior to 1979 and the release of Parallel Lines, the band had a cult following but not a mainstream one. Then they rang in 1979 with a daftly new sound: a mix of disco and a mix of new wave to serve as the perfect bridge between eras of prevailing styles, and it turned out to be a "Heart of Glass". The song was the band's big breakthrough and went to No. 1 on the charts, eventually becaming one of its signature songs.
• Creator Couple: Debbie Harry and Chris Stein were this in the band's heyday. They've since broken up, but are now Amicable Exes.
• He Also Did: Clem Burke had a long association with the Eurythmics, playing on several tours and numerous studio tracks. He was also a drummer for The Ramones for two performances on late August 1987 (as Elvis Ramone).
• Playing Against Type: The "Crabtree remix" of "Heart of Glass" pairs Harry's vocals with music by (ahem) Philip Glass, producing something very different from the band's usual peppy sound. It gained a Colbert Bump after being used in an important flashback scene in the TV-series version of The Handmaid's Tale.
• Referenced by...: Has its own page
• What Could Have Been:
  • They were originally comissioned to write the theme song for For Your Eyes Only. They actually completed the song, named after the film, but when it was rejected and the film's theme song was ultimately made by Sheena Easton, Blondie released their song on their album The Hunter.^note A similar thing would happen decades later to Radiohead and the song they made for Spectre.
  • XTC guitarist Dave Gregory nearly joined the band.

---