American photographer Bob Gruen recently said that Debbie Harry is “the Marilyn Monroe of her generation”, or, in other words, “iconic”. Blondie’s 1978 Parallel Lines is arguably the band’s best-known record, and I first heard it as a child on my mum’s record player. For some reason listening to it as an LP rather than an mp3 or CD seemed more apt. In a band that embodies rock and roll, the medium that spurred its popularity perfectly works with their classic, undated, sound.
Blondie, and Harry in particular as the band’s front-person and vocalist, became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter on May 21st 2011 through Harold Camping’s claim that the world would end on that day. Two of the band’s songs became, on that sensational Saturday, iconic: the new single ‘Mother’, released on the that date, and their 1981 single ‘Rapture’. These songs were both apt for the day in question, the latter for obvious reasons given Camping’s prediction, the former for its music video, in which zombies take over the club in which the band are performing, turning all inside – the band included – into undead monsters.
On May 30th, Blondie are set to release their ninth studio album Panic of Girls. The band first started out in the music scene in 1974, and that they are still active and popular to this day – almost forty years after their initial emergence – is definitely an achievement. The band did briefly split in 1982, after which Harry pursued a solo career; they then reformed in 1997 and have stayed together since, despite being absent on the new releases front since 2003.
Harry may be the Marilyn Monroe of her generation through her legendary status – a musician many admire, and aspire to be more like – but that she is a living legend, despite living up to the rock-and-roll lifestyle, separates her from the prematurely departed Hollywood sex symbol. Harry never conformed to the notion that for a woman to make a mark in this industry she must be a sex symbol, wearing skimpy clothes, full make-up, and play the flirtatious part. Instead Harry always had a tough edge, looking feminine, without looking overly girly.
Her blonde undone hair has become a trademark. Harry sees herself as more of a cult figure rather than an icon or legend, yet she has paved the way for music today. Gwen Stefani, leading lady of No Doubt, Madonna and even Lady Gaga have Harry to thank for their place in the music market, from the music they make down to the image that they portray.
While other artists reinvent with the times, Blondie prove that they have staying power all on their own. Despite trying to make their new material current to appeal to the modern market, it is essentially pitched towards an existing fan base. As they have no record label, the album will be released with Classic Rock magazine, then on digital download, before a physical CD release in July. The sound is reported to be recognisably Blondie, keeping in with the classic tracks that gained them fame, such as ‘Maria’ and ‘Heart of Glass’, while using 21st century advancements, such as electronic textures, to subtly differentiate between their classic hits and newer tracks.
The band epitomises what music should be – writing their own songs and lyrics, providing their fans with original creativity, rather than generic factory-produced club hits. They prove that true creativity and talent are enough to achieve survival and popularity in an industry where everyone receives an expiration date. In charts dominated by auto-tuned music, and electronic backgrounds, the new Blondie release will definitely be a breath of fresh air – ironic given that the band did not want to deviate too much from their classic sound. That kind of classic music, with Harry’s haunting and un-aging voice, is just what the industry and music-lovers need.
The world did not end on May 21st 2011, and Blondie proved that they were far from over with their single release on the same day, taking the social media world by storm through Twitter. Just as Marilyn Monroe had an enigmatic screen presence, and upped the game for screen goddesses everywhere, Debbie Harry has the same kind of stage presence. Despite being 65 years old, she is still a show-stopping performer, proving that clothes resembling underwear and writhing dance moves are not a necessary prerequisite for popularity and success. The rapture may not have come, but just as zombies take over the underground club in ‘Mother’, Blondie appears ready to redominate the charts. After nearly forty years, Blondie are still at the top of their game, and by the looks of things we haven’t seen the last of them yet.
they’re playing York Racecourse on 22nd July!