I've always like this group. I made a very bad mistake a year or so ago that I wish I never had. I bought a 2CD greatest hits of theirs with some songs I hadn't heard in ages and really liked. Well, it came in a doublesized jewel case but the raised middle part that fits inside the inner space on the CD was broken on one side and instead of switching it with another similar case I just returned it, hoping I could find another one but as yet I haven't. I also returned a remastered Gary Numan CD, the one with "Cars" on it, cuz of the same thing. I was so majorly and doubly bummed and mad at myself for that.

Anyway, songs I like are:

Heart of Glass (the unedited version that says "Pain in the ass")
Atomic
Call Me
One Way Or Another
Dreaming
Eat To The Beat
Fade Away and Radiate
Hanging on the Telephone
(I'm Always Touched) By Your Presence Dear
Union City Blues

I may like Shayla (it sounds vaguely familiar) but I'm not sure. I'd have to hear it again. Most of these songs I couldn't remember right offhand cuz I'm listening to "Greatest KISS" so I looked them up here.

Two songs I absolutely hate are Rapture (pretty much the first rap song ever heard by most white folks) and The Tide Is High.

I like "Rapture" and "The Tide Is High".

|Looks down at the shirt he's wearing, and laughs|

Funny you should set this up Marko. I'm wearing my Blondie No Exit t-shirt. I saw them on their reunion tour a couple of years ago. I've got some really good pictures from the show.

That's a pretty good list of Blondie songs. I like all of them. I also like "Shayla", "Susie and Jeffrey", "Rip Her to Shreds", "11:59", "Just Go Away", "Slow Motion", "Die Young, Stay Pretty", and "'Heroes' (live)".

Debbie's best solo album was Def, Dumb and Blonde. The other three are generally so-so.

"Marko"? Criminy, haven't heard that one in awhile. About the only one who ever called me that was a woman supervisor I used to have in Tahoe. And then there was the 40-something dishwater who used to call me Marcus Aurelius in Room Service at the same place.

Heart of Glass (the unedited version that says "Pain in the ass")
Atomic
Call Me
One Way Or Another

Your first four are some of my favorite Blondie songs, Mark, but I would change the order somewhat (assuming you put them in order of preference) and add "Rapture" to make my top five.

Call Me
Atomic / One Way or Another (tie)
Rapture
Heart of Glass

I liked "The Tide Is High" for a while, and I sing along to it when it's on the radio, but I don't love it. Nice melody, but it doesn't have the "edge" that their other songs have.

I'm going to have to try and find Def, Dumb and Blonde, Benn. I don't have any Debbie Harry solo albums for some reason.

I used to like "Shayla" a lot, too, but I haven't heard it for about 20 years. All I can remember is "Shayla, worked in a factory..." and "Whoawhooooaawhao." I think it was kind of a sad song.

Oh, as long as I have you two "alone," I haven't been posting much lately because, well, Mark has been around for a while and he knows that I take periodic "troll breaks" in order to preserve my sanity. I was interested in the Music board, but I had the idea that we would just hang out and discuss whatever music-related topic popped into our heads. All the topics just overwhelmed me into paralysis!

I've started posting on a more Trek-oriented site, but I will drop in here once in a while. I'm curious about the direction Religious Musings will take with the new moderator, and of course I like to hang out with you guys!

(Sorry everyone for the off-topic post.)

Peace!

Yeah, I'm just glad I got in on the groundfloor, so to speak. The mass of topics and postings here on the Music board since its inception would be overwhelming if I hadn't been here since near the begininng. What's been really nice is there's been practically no trolling here so far, and what trolling has been attempted has been completely ignored.

Yeah, I'm curious about what direction RM will take under Sax's tenure. I don't know if I'll participate in it too much. It just all depends.

"I had the idea that we would just hang out and discuss whatever
music-related topic popped into our heads." - Juli K

I've been tempted to set up, or ask the moderators for a general discussion board myself. Y'know a board where we can discuss, say the rumor that Britney Spears was killed in a car wreck, that may the rounds last week, the death of John Lee Hooker, or any other musician, just a board to make whatever oddball comments on music that doesn't need its own thread.

Good to hear from you though, Juli. Drop by any time!

Best Blondie album (heck, best album of 1980) was "Autoamerican", with Debbie's marvelous interpretation of "Follow Me." Also, check out "T-Birds." Highly recommended.
I got so tired of the overplayed "Follow Me," from the pic "American Gigolo". I bear a grudge against this pic as its release knocked "Star Trek The Motion Picture" out of most of the theaters it was playing in at the time (February 1980.)
Pop Quiz: What actor was originally cast in the lead of "American Gigolo" but bailed, giving Richard Gere his big break?

Brain Dead Time: Song from "Gigolo" was "Call Me."

By the time American Gigolo hit the theaters, Star Trek - The Motion Picture had been out for two months. I suspect that had a lot to do with your complaint, A. Bomb.

"Call Me" is not on AutoAmerican. Other than compilation discs, it's not on any Blondie album.

My personal choice for best Blondie album is Parallel Lines. I've got AutoAmerican. Actually I have all of Blondie's albums except The Hunter, The Platinum Collection and the recent live album. Eventually, I'll probably get 'em all.

Pop Quiz: What actor was originally cast in the lead of "American Gigolo" but bailed, giving Richard Gere his big break?

John Travolta

Your first four are some of my favorite Blondie songs, Mark, but I would change the order somewhat (assuming you put them in order of preference)
Nah. I'd just found a fan page that listed most or all of their songs so I just wrote down the ones I could remember in the order they were listed on the site, which was alphabetically. I'm not sure I have any particular order of preference.

Oh, as long as I have you two "alone," I haven't been posting much lately because, for a while and he knows that I take periodic "troll breaks" in order to preserve my sanity.
Just curious, but which Mark do you mean? There have been so many here. I won't presume to think it's me cuz I was totally unaware that you take "troll breaks" at all. As for having me alone (whether or not with anyone else), well you are married and living in Japan, you know. (No, Mark, she doesn't know. She's totally unaware of those facts.)

What's been really nice is there's been practically no trolling here so far, and what trolling has been attempted has been completely ignored.
Oh, gee, thanks, Benn. Now you've gone and jinxed it! We'll get tons of flames from now on. Not from me, of course. Nor you, I'm sure. Nor Julie. Nor... well we can whittle it down, can't we?

He's tried three or four times Mark, and failed. Slugbug made an attempt, and it failed. So far, so good. I suppose eventually we'll have trolls, but let's enjoy the peace while it lasts, eh?

Amen, brother!

......

Damnit! I've gotta remember to stop saying that!

Why? I'm a non-believer, too, and I use it. To me, it's just a word, nothing more. It no longer has any real religious meaning to me.

Call me greedy, I wanted "Star Trek-The Motion Picture" to stay in theaters longer. It actually was in second run theaters here until the middle of April, 1980.
I never said "Call Me" was on "Autoamerican." Debbie's superb take on "Follow Me", by (I believe) Lerner and Loewe has some of her best and most haunting vocals. It is the song that closes "Autoamerican"
The Showcase goes to Brian for guessing Travolta. Now can someone tell me why he bailed?

Didn't he turn around and do Moment By Moment or whatever the name of the movie was he did with Lily Tomlin?

"Call me greedy, I wanted "Star Trek-The Motion Picture" to stay in
theaters longer. It actually was in second run theaters here until the
middle of April, 1980." - Adam Bomb

Okay, you're "Greedy". Bad, bad joke. Couldn't resist. Yeah, I can understand that impulse, though. Personally, I don't think it's that great of a movie, but it was the only new Trek around at the time (excluding novels). At least it ran long enough to spawn sequels. I was living in Blytheville, Arkansas at the time it was released. Blah-ville had no second-run theater.

"I never said "Call Me" was on "Autoamerican." Debbie's superb take on
"Follow Me", by (I believe) Lerner and Loewe has some of her best and
most haunting vocals. It is the song that closes "Autoamerican" " - Greedy ()

Sorry, bro. It sounded like that's what you were saying. My bad. I'll have to give AutoAmerican another listen to. Seems like "T-Birds" was the only other cut to impress me.

What's been really nice is there's been practically no •••• -ing here so far, and what •••• -ing has been attempted has been completely ignored.

Ssssshhhhhhhh, Benn. Please don't wake up the tee-ahr-oh-double-ell-essssssss!

Just curious, but which Mark do you mean?
Um......you? Mark N??? The only Mark who has been posting on this thread????

I won't presume to think it's me cuz I was totally unaware that you take "troll breaks" at all.
I periodically disappear for a couple of months and then come back saying that I had to take a "troll break." You mean you never noticed I was gone? I'm crushed. :p Actually, maybe I never made public my reasons for disappearing. I have a lot of trouble lately remembering if I actually said something I meant to say or if I only meant to say it and never actually said it. If you know what I mean. Aw, never mind.

So what ever did happen with that Britney Spears car wreck rumor? I heard a little about it on the radio here, but no details. Is she suing the guy?

Kramer and Twitch are DJs out of San Jose who were, until last week, also broadcast on a Dallas radio station, KEGL (The Eagle). Originally they were going to announce that members of Metallica had been killed/injured in a car wreck. However, given that the Eagle, and whatever San Jose station they operated out of, are hard rock stations, they felt it would hit their audience too hard. So they changed the story to Britney Spears and her boy toy, Justin Timberlake of *N Backstreet Degree, or whatever boy band he's in, were in a car wreck. They "killed" Britney, and left Justin in the hospital. Kramer and Twitch claim they cleared the bit with their bosses. (Management deny this, of course.) They've apparently have done numerous other pranks. This was the last straw. They are no longer on the Eagle. Whether they still broadcast in San Jose, I've no idea. My guess is probably not. I imagine they were fired to keep Britney from suing.

The Eagle has also stirred up negative reaction from Dallasites with a billboard they've erected. I've seen a picture of it in Sunday's paper. It shows Timothy McVeigh with Satan behind him. Lucifer has a lethal injection syringe in hand. Off to the left of them are the title to an AC/DC song: "Highway To Hell." A number of people, of course, are calling it tasteless.

What this has to do with Debbie Harry and Blondie, I dunno. I'm on vacation from work 'til next Thursday and I don't care!

But we really do need a general music discussion board. We really do.

That we do. Thanks for the summary on the Britney story, anyway.

Okay, I'll bring the topic back to Blondie. Debbie was basically a heroin addict, right? Did she ever kick the drug habit? What does she look like these days? Has she aged a lot, or is she still the same?

I think she's sober these days. Like I said, I took pictures when I saw Blondie in concert in `99. She has gained weight. She doesn't look as bad as Linda Ronstadt, or Ann Wilson of Heart. And she has aged a bit unfortunately.

You're welcome for the summary. My pleasure, ma'am.

Debbie is now 54 (or so) years old. She disappeared from music for years to nurse Chris Stein back to health. As far as heroin goes, I don't know.
Is "Autoamerican" on CD? I couldn't find it in my local store today. Very few Blondie albums at all were there.
I also was disappointed in the past few weeks to find out that "The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1," was out of print. Nothing to do with Blondie, but I wanted to say it.

Benn: Maybe you are right about "Moment By Moment." That was Travolta's third pic in a three-pic contract he had with Robert Stigwood, so maybe he was stuck. The pic bombed so bad it bummed Travolta out.

Adam, except Parallel Lines, No Exit, and Blonde and Beyond, all the other Blondie discs I have are imports. As for which ones do I have? Blondie, Plastic Letters, Eat to the Beat and Autoamerican. Plastic Letters has an alternate version of "Denis" on it, as a bonus. Autoamerican has "special disco" mixes of "Rapture" and "Live It Up". The Hunter is also available as an import. There's a store here in Dallas that has it. I just haven't bought it yet.

I have all three Wilburys discs (Vol 2 is the Nobody's Child - Romanian Angel Appeal benefit album.) None of them are in print any longer. I got lucky. I bought 'em used and didn't pay more than $10 for any one of the three. As a matter of fact, Nobody's Child cost only $.69, while Vol 3 was priced at $5.99. At this Wherehouse Music in Carrollton, TX, they've got Vol 1. They want $32 for it. I blame e-bay.

"The pic bombed so bad it bummed Travolta out." - A. Bomb

That's an understatement. Considering it ruined his career for the next, what? 13, 15 years. I'd be bummed out, too.

Happy birthday to Miss Debbie Harry! She turned 56 today. (You were close Adam.)

I can't believe Debbie is 56. She's two years older than my mother! That means she was 34 when "Call Me" came out. She sure didn't look it.

Adam, if you're still here, what was wrong with Chris Stein?

Sorry to ask so many dumb questions. Living in Japan, I miss all the good gossip. I feel so out of it.

Sorry, I forgot the name of the disease Chris Stein was afflicted with, I think it was a neurological disorder. I just remember Debbie spent years nursing him back to health, which accounts for their disappearence from music.

Keep an eye out for VH-1's "Storytellers." Blondie did one in 1999 in conjunction with the release of "No Exit". Of late, there have been "Storytellers" with ELO and a Doors tribute, with different vocalists subbing for Jim Morrison.

Chris Stein had a rare genetic disease called "pemphigus".

Adam, I listened to Autoamerican again yesterday. It's not bad. I don't think it's prime Blondie, but it's not as bad as I remember The Hunter being. "Angels On the Balcony" was pretty good. "Follow Me" wasn't bad either. I dunno. Maybe if I play this several more times I might like it better.

I had a friend of mine record the Electric Lynne Orchestra Storyteller. Was "Evil Woman" the first song they did? I know I didn't get all of it recorded. For the record, keyboardist Richard Tandy is the only other person from the original (real) ELO on the stage with Jeff Lynne. Tandy had joined ELO on their second album, Electric Light Orchestra II. He's been on every album since.

Blondie's "Autoamerican" was just re-released on CD, with bonus tracks (an extended "Rapture"; also with an extended version of "Call Me", a song not on the original 1980 release.) One of the best albums ever. Just listen to Debbie Harry's mesmerizing vocals on Lerner and Loewe's "Follow Me." Combined with Mike Chapman's production, a masterpiece.

Deborrah Harry can be described in one word: HOT!

Next time we get together John, I'll have to show you the pictures I took from Blondie's 1999 tour. They're not too bad.

np - Bloodletting - Concrete Blonde

"Music is a world within itself and a language we all understand." - Stevie Wonder

Or, in one other word... "wicked".

Just for the record, Blondie has a new album out - The Curse of Blondie. It's not too bad. I got a month or so ago. It's similiar to their last studio album, No Exit. This is definitely a band that is not content to repeat their past successes. The CD I have is an ECD (Enhanced Compact Disc). On it is the video for the song, "Good Boys". Not too shabby.

np - Candy-O - the Cars

"Music is a world within itself and a language we all understand."

I've only listened to The Curse of Blondie once since I got it in March. I was sooo disappointed. In fact, I thought it was godawful. I thought No Exit was far better. I even thought the much maligned 1982 release The Hunter was better.
They did a live outdoor show and autograph session at J&R last March to promote the release of The Curse.. One of the few J&R sessions I've missed, and now I'm sorry I did.

I've played Curse about three times myself. It has its moments, but it is not the strongest Blondie by far.

Too bad you missed the show Adam. Debbie and the band do put on a good show.

"Music is a world within itself and a language we all understand."

My favorite Blondie songs:

Call Me
Atomic
One Way or Another
Rapture
Heart of Glass
The Tide Is High

Too bad you missed the show Adam. Debbie and the band do put on a good show.
Actually, Benn, I saw them in Asbury Park in 1979. They did put on a good show, but we had other problems that night. Like a run-in with the Asbury Park police.

Blondie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last night, but not without some acrimony, as some former members were not allowed to perform with them. More here.

Also, Blondie's "One Way Or Another," or at least part of it, is now used in a commercial for Swiffer dusters. A song which was cutting edge almost 30 years ago is now "commercial" (in more ways than one.)

"One Way or Another" is also used in TNT's promoes for it's new (if kind of derivative) cop series Rizzoli & Isles. Talk about "commercial"!