For those who want to see how the band’s music was in the past and see how songs such as “Heart of Glass” and “The Tide is High” evolved earlier on, or those who want to hear those different takes of songs from their first six albums, definitely give Blondie’s “Blondie Against the Odds 1974-1982 (2022)” a chance!
Purchase Blondie’s “Blondie Against the Odds 1974-1982” from Amazon
BAND: Blondie
ALBUM: Blondie Against the Odds 1974-1982 (2022)
DURATION: 52 Songs (2 Hours, 53 Minutes)
RELEASE: August 26, 2022
Disc 1
1. Out In The Streets (1974)
2. The Disco Song
3. Sexy Ida
4. Platinum Blonde
5. The Thin Line
6. Puerto Rico
7. Once I Had A Love (1975)
8. Out In The Streets (1975)
9. X Offender (Intro)
10. X Offender (Private Stock Single)
11. In The Sun (Private Stock Single)
12. Little Girl Lies (Private Stock Mix)
13. In The Flesh (Extended Intro)
14. A Shark In Jets Clothing (Take 2)
15. Kung Fu Girl (Take 8)
16. Scenery
Disc 2
1. Denis (Terry Ellis Mix)
2. Moonlight Drive
3. Bermuda Triangle Blues – Flight 45 (Take 1)
4. I Didn’t Have The Nerve To Say No (Take 1)
5. I’m On E (Take 2)
6. Kidnapper (Take 2)
7. Detroit 442 (Take 2)
8. Poets Problem
9. Once I Had A Love (Mike Chapman Demo)
10. Sunday Girl (French Version)
11. I’ll Never Break Away From This Heart Of Mine (Pretty Baby)
12. Hanging On The Telephone (Mike Chapman Demo)
13. Will Anything Happen (Instrumental)
14. Call Me
15. Spaghetti Song (Atomic Part 2)
16. Die Young Stay Pretty (Take 1)
17. Underground Girl
18. Union City Blue (Instrumental)
19. Llámame
Disc 3
1. I Love You Honey, Give Me A Beer (Go Through It)
2. Live It Up (Giorgio Moroder Demo)
3. Angels on the Balcony (Giorgio Moroder Demo)
4. Tide Is High (Demo)
5. Susie & Jeffrey
6. Rapture (Disco Version)
7. AutoAmerican Ad
8. Yuletide Throwdown
9. War Child (Chris Stein Mix)
10. Call Me (Chris Stein Mix)
11. Heart of Glass (Chris Stein Mix)
12. Nameless (Home Tape)
13. Mr. Sightseer
14. Sunday Girl (Home Tape)
15. Theme From Topkapi (Home Tape)
16. The Hardest Part (Home Tape)
17. Ring Of Fire (Home Tape)
Considered as one of the pioneers of the American new wave scene, Blondie has no doubt become a legendary band for music listeners with numerous chart topping hits and in terms of historically, their song “Rapture” was the first rap song to top the charts and the first major rap song to use original music and not sampled beats.
Formed in 1974 by former waitress/Playboy Bunny Debbie Harry and Stilletoes guitarist Chris Stein. The two formed a band with ex-Stilletoes drummer Billy O’Connor and bassist, Fred Smith. Originally known as Angel and the Snake, the group would change their names a few months later to Blondie after truck drivers catcalled Debby saying “Hey, Blondie” and Blondie was born.
While the group would go through changes in 1975 with Ivan Krall on guitar, bassist Clem Burke, bass player Gary Lachman (Valentine) and keyboardist Jimmy Destri. The band would have Frank Infante and Nigel Harrison on bass as well, after Valentine’s departure.
The band would be regulars at New York’s popular music club CBGB and at Max’s Kansas City (also in New York City). And while the band were primarily underground, they were invited by David Bowie and Iggy Pop to open for them during their tour in 1977. But the popularity of the band would be in the UK and Australia.
But their big break would come in 1978 with their third album “Parallel Lines” which debuted at No. 1 in the UK Charts and No. 6 in the US thanks to their hit single “Heart of Glass”, followed by another hit “One Way or Another”.
And by 1980, Blondie was the hottest band on the planet with “Call Me” produced and composed by Giorgio Moroder and debuted No. 1 for six consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, also No. 1 on the UK and Canadian charts. And it was also the theme for the popular Richard Gere film “American Gigolo”.
More No. 1 hits followed with “The Tide is High”, a cover of the song by John Holt of the Paragons and the rap song “Rapture” collaborating with graffiti artist, Fab Five Freddy (for the music video) from their fifth studio album “Autoamerican” in 1980 selling over a million copies and then the band would take a break and to return in 1982.
Unfortunately, with the commercial decline of their 1982 album “The Hunter” and singles, tensions started to grow within the band bundled with financial pressures and media focusing on Debby Harry and not the band members. In addition to drug use, Chris Stein’s life-threatening illness – pemphigus, financial mismanagement and slowing ticket sales, Blondie would disband.
But the band, was not done with making hit music. In 1996, Stein and Harry contacted original members Clem Burke, Jimmy Destri and Gary Valentine and while Valentine would participate shortly, the four members would go on to release the album “No Exit” in February 1999 and their first single “Maria” would debut at No.1 on the UK Charts.
The band continues to make music today and as many generations are discovering their classic music from the ’70s and early ’80s, Blondie is celebrating their 45th year anniversary and so we have the 2022 release of “Blondie Against the Odds 1974-1982”.
As we are in an era where many clamor for the release of Deluxe or Super Deluxe editions of albums, “Blondie Against the Odds 1974-1982” would feature their first six albums from 1976’s “Blondie” up to their 1982 album “The Hunter” on vinyl. And in addition, B-sides, demos, alternative versions and outtakes, some featured in their CD reissues (or the 1994 “The Platinum Collection”) were released in the Super Deluxe release.
But for those who were wanting those B-sides, demos, alternative versions and outtakes and didn’t want to purchase the vinyl version, a 3-disc CD and digital version was released in August 2022.
These feature alternate takes of songs from their first six albums. Such as private stock versions of “X Offender”, “In the Sun”, “Little Girl Lies” and take 2 of “A Shark in Jets Clothing” and take 8 of “Kung Fu Girls”. These songs from their debut album, “Blondie”.
One of the things you will notice is that their hit song “Heart of Glass” was being planned earlier on as on disc 1 “The Disco Song” from 1974 is an early incarnation of “Heart of Glass” and another version in 1975 which would be titled as “Once I Had a Love”.
You have to love “X Offender (Intro)” hearing Debby Harry doing her opening and then missing up, cussing and laughing and redoing it again and hearing the band rock out.
From those rarities from their second album, “Plastic Letters”, I also like the “Denis (Terry Ellis Mix)”, no doubt crafting that single for the UK market. Ellis is the co-founder of Chrysallis Records and would be instrumental for launching the careers of Pat Benatar, Billy Idol, Huey Lewis and the News and more.
You get first takes of “Bermuda Triangle Blues – Flight 45”, “I Didn’t Have the Never to Say No”, second takes of “I’m on E”, “Kidnapper”, “Detroit 442”.
From their third album “Parallel Lines”, you get a French version of “Sunday Girl”, Mike Chapman demos of “Once I Had a Love”, “Hanging on the Telephone”. Also, Infante’s “Underground Girl” is featured on this album.
Because “Call Me” was on the “American Gigolo” soundtrack (and their best/greatest hit albums), it’s included on this album. As well as their Spanish version of “Call Me” titled “Llamame”.
You also get “Spaghetti Song (Atomic Pt. 2) and “Die Young Stay Pretty”, “Union City Blue” (instrumental) from their fourth album “Eat to the Beat”.
From “Autoamerican”, you get the Giorgio Moroder demo of “Live It Up” and “Angels on the Balcony”. A demo version of “The Tide is High” and the B-side of the original single of that song, “Suzy & Jeffrey”. A ten minute disco version of “Rapture” is included. You also, get the ad for “Autoamerican”.
You get the “Yuletide Throwdown” with Fab 5 Freddy that was released as a flexi disc in the “Flexipop” magazine back in 1981, which was a cool addition to this album.
You also get a few unreleased tracks such as “I Love You Honey, Give Me a Beer (Go Through It)” and “Mr. Sightseer”.
Possibly the only tracks I didn’t care in this whole entire release are the Chris Stein’s mixes of “War Child”, “Call Me” and “Heart of Glass” which are more like experimentation with a synthesizer and trying the sampler keys.
The final tracks on the album are home tapes of “Nameless”, “Sunday Girl”, “Theme from Topkapi”, “The Hardest Part” and “Ring of Fire”.
Interesting is the lack of demos from “The Hunter”, but considering their 1982 album was a sour moment of the band’s musical oeuvre, I’m not surprised. But they would have still been better for inclusion than Chris Stein’s mixes on this album to make things more consistent.
Overall, “Blondie Against the Odds 1974-1982” (three disc, digital version) is no doubt an interesting yet cool release for Blondie fans who wanted to listen and purchase these alternate versions, home tapes, sessions and a few B-sides and hard-to-get releases. It is important to note that this is not a greatest hits release. It was an accompaniment to the six album collection of the Super Deluxe Edition and you are not going to get the original tracks of their hit songs (considering the band already has numerous greatest hits albums).
As I didn’t purchase the Super Deluxe Edition on vinyl (while I grew up listening to my father’s original Blondie vinyl collection), I’m perfectly fine with this three disc release for what it’s meant to be as a standalone release. For digital release owners or those who are curious, you can purchase this album alongside their “Greatest Hits” and get an idea of how certain songs went into development before its final release and hear the differences.
But for those who want to see how the band’s music was in the past and see how songs such as “Heart of Glass” and “The Tide is High” evolved earlier on, or those who want to hear those different takes of songs from their first six albums, definitely give Blondie’s “Blondie Against the Odds 1974-1982 (2022)” a chance!
Purchase Blondie’s “Blondie Against the Odds 1974-1982” from Amazon
