Hanging on the Telephone
"Hanging on the Telephone" | ||||
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Single by Blondie | ||||
from the album Parallel Lines | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 1978 | |||
Format | 7" vinyl | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:17 | |||
Label | Chrysalis | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jack Lee | |||
Producer(s) | Mike Chapman | |||
Blondie singles chronology | ||||
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Audio sample | ||||
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US picture sleeve | ||||
Music video | ||||
"Hanging on the Telephone" on YouTube |
"Hanging on the Telephone" is a song written by Jack Lee. It was first performed by his short-lived US West Coast power pop band The Nerves; later in 1978, it was recorded and released as a single by the American rock band Blondie.
Background
The song was the lead-off track on the Nerves's 1976 EP, the group's only release. It was later popularized by new wave band Blondie when they released a cover of the song as the second single from their 1978 album Parallel Lines in both the US and UK. It eventually reached number 5 in the UK in November 1978.
Like one of Blondie's subsequent singles, "Sunday Girl", "Hanging on the Telephone" employs a double backbeat rhythm in its drumming pattern. This percussion style also appeared on other power pop singles from the period, like the Romantics' 1978 release "Tell It to Carrie".[3]
Track listing
- UK 7" (CHS 2266)
- "Hanging on the Telephone" (Jack Lee) – 2:17
- "Will Anything Happen" (Lee) – 2:55
- US 7" (CHS 2271)
- "Hanging on the Telephone" (Lee) – 2:17
- "Fade Away and Radiate" (Chris Stein) – 3:57
Charts
Chart (1978) | Peak position |
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Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 39 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] | 19 |
Ireland (IRMA)[6] | 16 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[7] | 21 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] | 20 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] | 43 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[10] | 5 |
Cover versions and appearances in other media
In 2009, Jimmy Somerville covered the song on his acoustic album Suddenly Last Summer.[11] In 2017, Melissa Rauch covered the song as Harley Quinn in the animated film Batman and Harley Quinn.[12]
References
- Cateforis, Theo (2011). Are We Not New Wave? : Modern Pop at the Turn of the 1980s. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-03470-7.
- ↑ Cateforis 2011, p. 139.
- ↑ "The goddess still rocks". The Advocate. No. 780. March 2, 1999. p. 57. ISSN 0001-8996.
- ↑ Cateforis 2011, pp. 140–41.
- ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Blondie – Hanging On The Telephone" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
- ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Hangin' on the Telephone". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
- ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Blondie - Hanging On The Telephone" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Blondie – Hanging On The Telephone" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
- ↑ "Charts.nz – Blondie – Hanging On The Telephone". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
- ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
- ↑ O'Brien, Jon. "Jimmy Somerville Suddenly – Last Summer". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
- ↑ Patterson, Michael (August 15, 2017). "Every Single Bat-Tastic Easter Egg In 'Batman And Harley Quinn'". Moviepilot. Retrieved October 7, 2017.