FEATURE:
Female Icons
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
Part Nineteen: Debbie Harry
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THERE is only one installment to go…
IN THIS PHOTO: Debbie Harry with Andy Warhol/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
in my Female Icons feature but, before concentrating on that, I want to talk about a remarkable artist: the iconic lead of Blondie, Debbie Harry. In terms of artists who have inspired others, you have to mention Harry. Born on 1st July, 1945 in Florida, Harry was adopted at the age of three months by gift shop owners in Hawthorne, New Jersey – she was born Angela Tremble but renamed Deborah Ann Harry. Prior to getting into music, Harry worked a variety of jobs – including as a secretary, a waitress and go-go dancer. One could not accuse the young Harry of lacking ambition. I do wonder whether Harry’s life will be put to the big screen as she is long-overdue a cinematic outing. There was division when Kirsten Dunst was rumoured to be playing Harry in a biopic:
“The singer Debbie Harry has leapt to the defence of the actress Kirsten Dunst after fans of the singer accused the Hollywood star of not having "the edge, quirkiness or charisma" to play Harry in a planned biopic.
Dunst received a torrent of abuse from fans of Harry, lead singer of the group Blondie, who claimed that she lacked both the necessary acting and singing ability to play the 1970s icon.
Dunst was forced to declare publicly that she had received the singer's blessing for the role following campaigns to revoke the casting on internet message boards. "Debbie chose me for this role so anyone who disputes this can take it up with her," said Dunst, who recently starred in Spider-Man 3. She added: "I'll work hard on this character because she is the coolest women of all time."
Harry moved to quell the controversy by speaking out for the first time about the casting. "[Kirsten] is a really sweet person," she said. "I've met her a couple of times and hung out with her socially”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
That was over a decade ago and, with the music landscape crying out for someone like Debbie Harry, I think it would be great to at least have a documentary that explores her early life and pre-Blondie days. I guess one has some of the younger Harry alive in bands of the moment but, to be fair, none touch the command and cool of the Blondie icon. By the late-1960s – after working in a variety of jobs – Harry started working as a backing singer. After doing backing for The Wind in the Willows, Harry began working with the future Blondie member, Chris Stein (guitar). They were part of The Stilettoes and then Angel and the Snake. Whilst these incarnations were good experience, it was not overly-fruitful. Stein and Harry then formed Blondie – so named because that is the cat-call Harry received after dying her hair blonde –, and they started to gather a reputation around New York. This was a time of liberation, rebelliousness and Punk. Whilst a lot of the bands prominent in the Punk era were all-male/fronted by men, Blondie’s female lead added new dimensions and possibilities. Whilst there were other female-fronted Punk acts, Debbie Harry is a pioneer and someone who was as tough, accomplished and stunning as any male artist of the time. With her inimitable style and captivating voice, Harry soon became a Punk icon. In terms of her style and looks, there are many iconic examples.
Her thrift-store look was, in a way, re-adapted and adopted by 1980s artists like Madonna but, back when Blondie started, Harry was striking out and catching the eye. This article looks at Harry’s various looks; casting a special eye on her T-shirts:
“Debbie Harry has always been known for her effortless thrift-store style t-shirts, and this “Andy Warhol’s Bad” tee is easily one of her most iconic. Although Harry and Warhol’s connection to each other extended far beyond the swirling letters of t-shirt. “I bumped into Andy on Broadway and 13th street and said hello and we chatted about everything. I suppose this is how we met and our friendship grew from there,” Harry has since said. “He was very softly spoken and used a funny Polaroid portrait camera. Andy was part of our legacy and our future.” An early pop art image of Harry by Warhol from 1980 has recently been sold for a cool $5.9 million”.
I will talk more about Blondie’s albums but, in terms of attention and popularity, the band found themselves on the cover of Rolling Stone in 1979. Harry provided an irresistible lead: her cool persona and sexuality, mixed with a street-sassy look, meant the band sky-rocketed. There was a difference between Harry the band leader (‘Blondie’) and Harry the woman – something the band were keen to point out. In a year when albums by Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell; Eagles and Steely Dan were collecting huge kudos, Blondie arrived on the scene.
Maybe there was a sense of foresight regarding Punk’s explosion; maybe the band struck a chord at the right time but, in 1976, their debut seemed to capture a spirit and common thread. Critics were keen to laud the eponymous debut. Maybe the grittier sound would come on later albums but, on their debut, there was a definite energy and momentum, tied with a New Wave sound that would be popularised and augmented by groups such as the Go-Go’s. Producer Richard Gottehrer had worked with artists of the 1950s and 1960s, so it is no surprise there is an element of that in Blondie’s debut – melted and mixed together with Punk shades and effortless cool. The reviews for Blondie’s debut were positive. I want to quote AllMusic, who reviewed the album retrospectively:
“If new wave was about reconfiguring and recontextualizing simple pop/rock forms of the '50s and '60s in new, ironic, and aggressive ways, then Blondie, which took the girl group style of the early and mid-'60s and added a '70s archness, fit right in. True punksters may have deplored the group early on (they never had the hip cachet of Talking Heads or even the Ramones), but Blondie's secret weapon, which was deployed increasingly over their career, was a canny pop straddle -- they sent the music up and celebrated it at the same time.
So, for instance, songs like "X Offender" (their first single) and "In the Flesh" (their first hit, in Australia) had the tough-girl-with-a-tender-heart tone of the Shangri-Las (the disc was produced by Richard Gottehrer, who had handled the Angels ["My Boyfriend's Back"] among others, and Brill Building songwriter Ellie Greenwich even sang backup on "In the Flesh"), while going one step too far into hard-edged decadence -- that is, if you chose to see that. (The tag line of "Look Good in Blue," for example, went, "I could give you some head and shoulders to lie on.") The whole point was that you could take Blondie either way, and lead singer Deborah Harry's vocals, which combined rock fervor with a kiss-off quality, reinforced that, as did the band's energetic, trashy sound. This album, released on independent label Private Sound, was not a major hit, but it provided a template for the future”.
If some bands need to transition and get into their stride a little down the line, they need to take tips from Blondie. I know Chris Stein, Gary Valentine (bass guitar); Jimmy Destri (organ, piano and various instruments) and Clem Burke (drums) were responsible for a lot of the magic but, in my mind, Harry is the combustible element that makes the music pop. X Offender and In the Flesh are thrilling, original tracks that showcases all of Debbie Harry’s personality sides and elements in one.
Maybe it was a case of bringing out a ‘difficult second album’ but, before Parallel Lines, there came Plastic Letters. For the most part, individual members of Blondie wrote songs – mainly Stein and Destri –, and there seems to be less of Harry’s voice in the mix, in terms of songwriting. In vocal terms, one can hear strides and developments, but I feel the band would hit their first peak later in 1978. It is amazing to think that the band released two albums in 1978 (Kate Bush-style!); at a time when Punk was very much in-vogue, Blondie released Parallel Lines. Plastic Letters was a bit of transition: it was the last produced by Gottehrer and Blondie met producer Mike Chapman whilst playing in Australia. Chapman was encouraged to produce Blondie’s next record because there was a feeling that his eclectic nature and experience would take the band in a new direction. Harry, ever the leader and strong figure, was against the appointment of Chapman as producer. Blondie were very New York in terms of sound and personality; Chapman was Los Angeles and West Coast. Maybe it was a feeling that these two camps would clash or Chapman would lack the strength and passion the music required – perhaps setting them off in a Yacht-Rock direction?! After he played them back Heart of Glass and Sunday Girl – two of the band’s biggest hits in embryonic form –, Harry’s caution subsided.
I will bring in a review of Parallel Lines because, as we know, 1978 was a pretty damned cool year for music! The likes of Elvis Costello and The Attractions, Bruce Springsteen and The Jam were owning the charts…and Blondie blew them all away! I think 1978 is a year that gets associated by Punk, but it was Blondie who made the biggest impact. The band chemistry is incredible but, again, it is the personality and beauty from Debbie Harry that makes each and every song essential. Despite the brilliant music, the working relationship between producer Chapman and the band was not always cordial. The band, apparently, were difficult to work with and, although he praised Harry and was in love with her voice, there was this feeling she was very emotional and moody. Maybe this is an impression that lasts to this day: a very cool human being but someone who is a little distant or harder to crack. Maybe there was a lack of work ethic at times; maybe personalities did clash but, as a body of work, Parallel Lines is one of the defining albums of the 1970s. There is debate as to which Blondie album is best. In terms of the impact, brilliance of Harry’s lead and the feeling one gets, Parallel Lines is their defining moment. This is how Pitchfork assessed the album:
“The swift move from the fringes to the top of the charts tagged Blondie as a singles group-- no shame, and they did have one of the best runs of singles in pop history-- but it's helped Parallel Lines weirdly qualify as an undiscovered gem, a sparkling record half-full of recognized classics that, nevertheless, is hiding in plain sight. Landing a few years before MTV and the second British Invasion codified and popularized the look and sound of 1980s new wave, Parallel Lines' ringing guitar pop has entered our collective consciousness through compilations (built around "Heart" plus later #1s "Call Me", "Rapture", and "The Tide Is High"), ads, film trailers, and TV shows rather than the album's ubiquity.
Time has been kind, however, to the record's top tier-- along with "Heart of Glass", Parallel boasts "Sunday Girl" and the incredible opening four-track run of "Picture This", "Hanging on the Telephone", "One Way or Another", and "Fade Away and Radiate". The songs that fill out the record ("11:59", "Will Anything Happen?", "I'm Gonna Love You Too", "Just Go Away", "Pretty Baby") are weak only by comparison, and could have been singles for many of Blondie's contemporaries, making this one of the most accomplished pop albums of its time”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Warhol
Blondie would go on to create other genius albums, but I think Parallel Lines tied together all their promise and genius into one record. This article explains how Harry shone and the band managed to quiet those who doubted their worth:
“Widely regarded as Debbie Harry and company’s signature disc, Parallel Lines also succeeded in silencing the harshest of critics, with notoriously cranky Village Voice writer Robert Christgau even proclaiming it to be “as close to God as pop-rock albums ever get”. However, while the record has long since earned its stripes as one of the high-water marks of the post-punk era, its stellar success was by no means a given when the band embarked on the sessions with producer Mike Chapman in June 1978.
Housed in an iconic – and instantly recognisable – sleeve shot by photographer Edo Bertoglio, Parallel Lines was first released on 23 September 1978, receiving almost uniformly good reviews. Blondie’s adoring public were also in no doubt the band’s time was at hand: after singles ‘Picture This’ and ‘Hanging On The Telephone’ ripped up the UK Top 20 and, in February 1979, Parallel Lines shot straight to the top of the UK charts, Harry and co played a sell-out UK tour which descended into Beatlemania-esque chaos when the band were mobbed by thousands of fans at a signing session at Our Price Records on London’s Kensington High Street.
Fittingly, it was the genre-defying ‘Heart Of Glass’ which provided Blondie with their first UK No.1 in January 1979, but this time round the band’s success in the UK, Europe and Australia was mirrored by their commercial performance in the US. Indeed, with a further push from Stanley Dorfman’s iconic promotional film of the band performing the song at chic NYC nightspot New York New York, the timeless ‘Heart Of Glass’ soon became Blondie’s first Billboard 100 chart-topper and the record responsible for turning the band into bona fide superstars”.
Relentlessly hard-working and riding the crest of a wave, Blondie marched on and released Eat to the Beat in 1979. At the time, there was nobody cooler and more alluring than Debbie Harry. She was this alluring and edgy lead; a style icon and a voice that instantly inspired the senses. Eat to the Beat contains some of Blondie’s best work: singles Union City Blue and Atomic are instant classics! Harry, again, shines on the album but there was a sense that the pace and demands were affecting the band.
Drugs were making their way into the studio and relationships were strained. Even though Eat to the Beat is a magnificent work, Blondie were unable to keep the momentum going with 1980’s Autoamerican. Barely taking breath between released and touring, there is a radical sense of change on their 1980 album. Aside from Rapture, there are few songs that stand out - it is clear that the band were in need of some time to breathe and recharge. 1982’s Hunter was another lacklustre affair…it would be another seventeen years until they recorded another album. I always have a lot of admiration for bands who can split and then come back together. I recall listening to Blondie as a child and being struck by the power of Debbie Harry and the quality of the songwriting. Maybe it took a few years to really get into the band but, when I did, I was hooked and absorbed as much as I can.
At the age of sixteen, I got to witness Blondie’s return. Led by the terrific single, Maria, No Exit is a fantastic album that is as eclectic as their earlier work. In terms of critical acclaim, reviews have been mixed since Blondie came back with No Exit. 2017’s Pollinator is their most successful and complete post-hiatus/break-up album. In this review from The Guardian, it is clear that the band had lost none of their golden touch
“It doesn’t bode well when formerly prolific bands reach for outside songwriters, but a cast stretching from Johnny Marr to Sia to Charli XCX and the Strokes’ Nick Valensi have helped recreate Blondie’s classic late-1970s band sound, albeit with a modern sheen. Clem Burke’s trademark machine-gun drumming propels songs with teasingly familiar big hooks and earworm choruses.
Four writers – including TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek – collaborate on Fun’s Chic-style disco-funk. However, the old Chris Stein/Debbie Harry partnership contributes excellent opener Doom Or Destiny, sung with Joan Jett. Love Level has a glorious pop brass riff. Already Naked and When I Gave Up on You find Harry at her most warm and emotional.
One or two songs drop the ball, but the Dev Hynes/Harry-penned electro shimmer Long Time shares the DNA of Sunday Girl and Heart of Glass. The 71-year-old singer’s tales of youthful “racing down the Bowery” are wonderfully evocative, as Blondie rediscover their Midas touch”.
I am not sure whether there is any more Blondie material planned in the coming years. I hope we have not seen the last album from them. When it comes to inspiration and enduring icons, there are few like Debbie Harry. Artists like Madonna, Shirley Manson (Garbage) and Cyndi Lauper cite Harry as an influence. Listen to music now and you can feel and hear Harry’s D.N.A. in some many places! Debbie Harry’s much-anticipated biography, Face It, arrives on 1st October and you can pre-order it here. I cannot wait to read the book and, as Harry turns seventy-five next year, we are still learning so much about her. From the timeless songs to Debbie Harry’s incredible cool and fashion, there is still nobody like her. Before finishing up, I just want to bring in a final feature:
“Debbie Harry went on to pursue a solo career as singer and actress, encountering another distinctive artist in the form of H. R Giger, the Austrian master of biomechanics and designer of the creatures in Ridley Scott’s movie Alien. Giger’s grotesque Gothic art graced the cover of Harry’s debut solo album KooKoo in 1981—he worked with an airbrush to enhance Harry’s photograph and clothed her in a bodysuit painted head-to-foot in the video for her single Backfired.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
Blondie eventually reformed and toured, and Debbie Harry, now aged 74, continues with a solo career. The first 368-page volume of her biography, Face It, is published by HarperCollins in October, featuring a cover photo taken by her bandmate and boyfriend Chris Stein in New York in 1979, overlaid by punk-inspired black and gold hieroglyphics drawn by graffiti artist Jody Morlock.
In many ways a Day-Glo shadow of Marilyn Monroe, connected through Warhol to the glorious past of Hollywood, Debbie Harry’s image remains iconic of the ‘80s, and of an art world fascinated by celebrity, surface appearance and the fleeting nature of fame”.
Maybe we will get more Blondie music in the future but, regardless…Debbie Harry’s legacy and reputation is sealed. Since this exciting and fresh band came along in the 1970s, Debbie Harry has been in the critical gaze and under the microscope. She remains so engaging, fascinating and unique. As a woman, a fashion icon and an artist, the sublime Debbie Harry is…
IN THIS PHOTO: Debbie Harry in New York in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: David Michael Kennedy
SUCH a force of nature.