4.52am Issue: 027 30th March 2017 - The Blondie Issue

Harry was never likely to be appreciated for
long by the rest of the band, and as the band
moved into the 1980s the cracks began to
show as they decided to take a break and do
their own thing.
Debbie’s solo album ‘Kookoo’ did well, if
taking a slightly more obscure path than the
increasingly pop focussed Blondie, and
Harry along with Stein worked with John
Walters on a soundtrack for his monumental
‘Polyester’ as Harry diversified, taking a
number of film roles for which she again
gained much credit and attention.
This, continual pressure was beginning to
tell and with Chrysalis keen to cash in with
the band’s first ‘Best of’ album, and the
attendant round of publicity, things began to
spill over.
The band limped on, but the writing was on
the wall as drugs and money became a
problem and an untimely dip in ticket sales
saw the band begin to cancel tour dates.
Stein being diagnosed with a serious and
possibly deadly illness was the final straw and
the band was as good as over for a number
of years.
But they were never forgotten, and through
both a selection of Harry’s solo albums and
Blondie reunions the flame has continued to
flicker if not roar.
Of course what has never waned is the
impact they have continued to have on music
generally, and any number of bands still cite
Blondie as a major influence.
May sees the launch of their new album
Pollinator and they are currently touring with
Harry, now 71, still getting all the attention.
To summarise just how big Blondie were and
how important they continue to be is difficult
without going down the rabbit hole of
hyperbole, but the truth is they were one of
the most important and influential bands ever
and probably won’t be appreciated until they
are finally gone.