Blondie - Debbie Harry

Chris Stein - the BBC does some cool programming... they have been doing a series of shows about major record producers and of course had to include Mike Chapman who produced four of the classic Blondie albums... in the show they actually got the 24 track master of Heart Of Glass and did a simple analysis of it... i think it should appeal to audiophiles who aren’t even rabid Blondie fans... for me H.O.G. was a digital track in an analog age... so here are Steve Levine (a pretty great producer in his own right) and Richard Allinson with a fairly in depth look at the song - listen at REDNIGHT.NET

On Thursday, June 11, four Jewish punk rock fathers - Ramones co-founder and original drummer Tommy Ramone, Blondie co-founder and guitarist Chris Stein, Dictators singer and radio personality Handsome Dick Manitoba, Patti Smith guitarist and journalist Lenny Kaye - will convene at YIVO to discuss the glorious heyday of New York punk, the arc of their individual careers, and the impact their Jewish experience had on their music. - Info / Tickets

Do you still get a big buzz from live performing?
I love being on stage and it’s just great. I’m at the point in my career where people are there because they want to be.

Lady Gaga has been compared to a modern day Debbie Harry – what are your thoughts? And have you seen her live?
Lady Gaga is wonderful. I love all that. I went to see her show in New York and it was a confusion on my part. I was either two hours too soon, or two hours too late. I didn’t really want to wait around so I will have to catch her another time.

Would you like to perform with Lady Gaga?
I’d love to perform with Lady Gaga. She’s wonderful and having a great time. She’s bringing a lot to what she does. As a fellow New Yorker I appreciate her punkness. I appreciate her tribute to style, being outrageous and playing around.

Is it true you are working on a brand new Blondie album?
We’re working on a new album – there’s new material and writing. Demoing things and hopefully within the next six months we’ll have something finished. We’re not at the point where we’re in the studio all together yet – it’s in the elementary stages. We’re composing and making tracks and stuff. It’s an on going process with me. I put on my solo album two years ago and then I’m straight back into another record. If you’re a Blondie fan then you’ll love it. - more at Dean Piper.com

For the first time ever, two pioneering rock legends, Blondie and Pat Benatar, will share the stage on the Call Me Invincible tour. They will be joined by special guests The Donnas. They will embark on a trek across the U.S., beginning in Saratoga, CA on July 21st and ending August 23rd in Houston, TX. The Blondie and Benatar ticket gives fans of all ages three decades of hits from the two female rock icons for the price of one!

Says Blondie front woman Deborah Harry, "Pat Benatar is not only a friend, but a fearless female rocker who has entertained me and her wealth of fans for so many years. This will be a reunion for us both and being able to bring our two shows to fans across the country is very exciting!"

Pat Benatar adds, "Deborah and I have been friends forever.  I'm thrilled that we're finally getting an opportunity to tour together, it should be a blast."

'Call Me Invicible' Tour

Blondie and Pat Benatar: Call Me Invincible Tour 2009 Dates

JULY
21 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery
22 Livermore, CA The Concerts at Wente Vineyards
25 Lemoore, CA Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino
26 Costa Mesa, CA Pacific Amphitheater
28 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theater
29 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Casino - The Lakes

AUGUST
1 Memphis, TN Mud Island Amphitheater
2 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amphitheater
4 Vienna, VA The Filene Center
5 Gilford, NH Meadowbrook - US Cellular Pavilion
7 Bethlehem, PA Bethlehem Musikfest
8 Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion
11 Canandaigua, NY Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center
13 Brooklyn, NY Asser Levy Park
15 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
17 Highland Park, IL Ravinia Pavilion
20 Austin, TX Austin Music Hall
21 Biloxi, MS Beau Rivage Resort
23 Houston, TX The Arena Theater

Blondie 2009 Tour Dates

JULY
19 Jacksonville, OR Britt Pavilion

31 Marksville, LA Paragon Casino Resort 

AUGUST
10 Morristown, NJ Community Theater at Mayo Center
18 Kansas City, MO The Crossroads
25 Colorado Springs, CO Pike's Peak
26 Aspen, CO Belly Up Aspen
28 Reno, NV Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
29 Wendover, NV Peppermill Wendover Casino
31 Winterhaven, CA Quechan Casino

SEPTEMBER
1 Tucson, AZ Desert Diamond Event Center

* For more information please visit Blondie and The Pat Benatar Fan Club

In an evening that promises to be memorable, Deborah Harry will perform live at Hotel Le Baron, Cannes on May 15 to mark the unveiling of the new Belvedere IX Vodka.

Deborah Harry will appear at the "Honoring with Pride 2009" fundraising event for amfAR on June 11th, 2009, honoring Lady Bunny, Patricia Field and Cleve Jones. Debbie will appear alongside a star studded cast including host Alan Cumming, Ari Gold, Colton Ford, DJ Billy Beyond, Flotilla DeBarge, Cheyenne Jackson and Christian Siriano. The party, featuring fabulous food and cocktails, includes an exclusive VIP lounge, a sparkling tribute to the evening’s honorees,silent and live auctions of luxury goods and unique experiences, and an invitation-only special performance, followed by a spectacular dance party. -  More info / Tickets

I’ve been listening to some of Blondie’s newer stuff like “The Curse of Blondie.” It’s a little different sound. How does it go in concert with the new stuff versus the classic hits?

As you can imagine people love the classic stuff and we also love playing it. But we need to play new material or we’ll shrivel up and die. We try to find a good balance between the two. Blondie fans are great because they want to hear new songs. They would riot if we didn’t play “Heart of Glass”, but they also expect new stuff.

How was it joining a band that had such a big rep? Were you a fan?

The whole mega star thing that Debbie has going was a little scary until I saw she was just a very normal, sweet person. I think it kind of helped that I wasn’t a Blondie fan as a kid. I could just approach it as being in another band and try to figure out how to do a decent job and try to fit in. - Read More

Check out Paul Carbonara.com

Chris Stein has announced his new personal website - check it out Rednight.net

Blondie perform 'Hanging On The Telephone' live at Movistar Arena, Santiago Chile - Pepsi Fest 2009.

Blondie’s Clem Burke returned to Austin for SXSW this year, the city where he made that movie ‘Roadie’ in 1980. Clem says he has always been a big fan of Austin, despite the fact that it is in Texas.

The good news for Blondie fans is that there is going to be another Blondie album and there will be another Blondie world tour.

He was at SXSW to perform with his other band The Magic Christian and took time out to talk about Austin, The Magic Christian and Blondie with Undercover.