Blondie (album)

Blondie
Studio album by Blondie
Released December 1976
Recorded August–September 1976
Studio Plaza Sound Studios, New York City
Genre
Length 33:25
Label Private Stock
Producer Richard Gottehrer
Blondie chronology
Blondie
(1976)		 Plastic Letters
(1978)
Singles from Blondie
  1. "X Offender"
    Released: June 17, 1976
  2. "In the Flesh"
    Released: October 1976
  3. "Rip Her to Shreds"
    Released: November 1977
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[2]
Q[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]
Spin Alternative Record Guide7/10[5]
The Village VoiceB+[6]

Blondie is the eponymous debut studio album by American rock band Blondie, released in December 1976 by Private Stock Records.

Overview

The first single "X Offender" was originally entitled "Sex Offender" but since radio stations would not play a song with such a provocative title, the band renamed the song. After disappointing sales and poor publicity, the band ended their contract with Private Stock and signed with Chrysalis Records in 1977. Chrysalis re-released the album in September 1977, along with the single "In the Flesh". The album reached #14 in Australia,[7] where the band had already had a Top 3 hit with "In the Flesh". The album also charted at #75 in the UK in early 1979, where the band had become immensely popular.

The album was first digitally remastered by Chrysalis Records UK in 1994. In 2001, the album was again remastered and reissued, this time along with five bonus tracks. "Out in the Streets" (The Shangri-Las cover), "The Thin Line" and "Platinum Blonde" are three of five tracks from a 1975 demo recorded by Alan Betrock; all five were first issued on the 1994 compilation The Platinum Collection. Bonus track "Platinum Blonde" was the first song that Debbie Harry wrote.[8] Original single versions of "X Offender" and "In the Sun" are both sides of Blondie's first single, issued on Private Stock, and are different mixes from the album versions. The two Private Stock versions are both remastered from vinyl.

Track listing

Side One
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."X Offender"Deborah Harry, Gary Valentine3:14
2."Little Girl Lies"Harry2:07
3."In the Flesh"Harry, Chris Stein2:33
4."Look Good in Blue"Jimmy Destri2:55
5."In the Sun"Stein2:39
6."A Shark in Jets Clothing"Destri3:39
Side Two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Man Overboard"Harry, Stein3:22
8."Rip Her to Shreds"Harry, Stein3:22
9."Rifle Range"Stein, Ronnie Toast3:41
10."Kung Fu Girls"Harry, Valentine, Destri2:33
11."The Attack of the Giant Ants"Stein3:34

Personnel

Blondie

Additional personnel

  • Ellie Greenwich – backing vocals on "In the Flesh" and "Man Overboard"
  • Micki Harris – backing vocals on "In the Flesh" and "Man Overboard"
  • Hilda Harris – backing vocals on "In the Flesh" and "Man Overboard"

Production

  • Richard Gottehrer – producer
  • Craig Leon – producer ("X Offender", "In the Sun"), remix engineer
  • Rob Freeman - engineer
  • Don Hunerberg - assistant engineer
  • Greg Calbi - mastering
  • David Perl - art direction, design
  • Shig Ikeida – photography
  • Originally recorded at Plaza Sound Studios NY, August - September 1976 and released on Private Stock (2023) in December 1976, reissued on Chrysalis (1165) in October 1977.
  • Kevin Flaherty - 2001 re-issue producer
  • Alan Betrock - original producer of "Out in the Streets", "The Thin Line" and "Platinum Blonde"

Charts

Year Country Position
1977 Australia #14
1979 United Kingdom #75

Certifications and sales

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[9] Gold 100,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "Blondie – Blondie". AllMusic. Retrieved December 14, 2005.
  2. ↑ "Blondie: Blondie". Entertainment Weekly. New York: 85. September 21, 2001.
  3. ↑ "Blondie: Blondie". Q. London (97): 135. October 1994.
  4. ↑ Coleman, Mark; Berger, Arion (2004). "Blondie". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 85–86. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  5. ↑ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Blondie". Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  6. ↑ Christgau, Robert (February 14, 1977). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Blondie Day on Green Adelaide 5 technologyauthority.net. Archived August 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ Che, Cathy (1999), 'Deborah Harry: Platinum Blonde', MPG Books Ltd, Cornwall, p.81
  9. ↑ "British album certifications – Blondie – Blondie". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Enter Blondie in the search field and then press Enter.
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