Rookie Punk Band Made Fans LIVID When They Took A THROWAWAY Disco Song to #1!

Rookie Punk Band Made Fans LIVID When They Took A THROWAWAY Disco Song to #1! | Professor of Rock

Рет қаралды 413,538

Жыл бұрын

Coming up…. When punk rock band Blondie recorded a disco song they alienated their punk followers who accused them of selling out. Deborah Harry and Chris Stein loved disco but their fans didn’t. On the flip side, the disco faithful treated them like outsiders who were merely pandering for commercial success. But here’s the thing… It’s one of the coolest songs of its time… In the middle of this identity crisis, that same disco song Heart of Glass, surprisingly, became a huge international hit, and catapulted the band to superstardom… and the iconic title of the song came from the band trying to figure out how to replace a lyric that was a swear word for fear of getting censored on radio. You won’t believe this story next.
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Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you remember the good old days of Happy Meals at McDonalds just for the toy you’ll dig this channel of musical nostalgia. Make sure to, subscribe below right now. I promise that you are going to love this channel. Make sure to check out our Patreon for even more content. Full interviews and new stuff. And our merch, both of these help us keep the music alive, and the channel thrive.
The sextet named Blondie broke out of the punk rock scene in New York City’s east village. You had Jimmy Destri on - electronic keyboards Frank Infante - on lead guitar, Chris Stein - on rhythm guitar, 12-string, and E-bow there was also Nigel Harrison - on the bass the wonderful Clem Burke - on drums, and of course the legendary Deborah Harry -on lead vocals.
The band was labeled a “punk band,” but their attitude was more rebellious than the nature of their music. To be defiant, and “uncool” they would perform a disco song in their set, sometimes a song they had recorded on a demo titled “The Disco Song.” When they played “The Disco Song” at their club gigs, like the legendary CBGB, drummer Clem Burke recalled there were hand-cupped “boos” from the crowd.
The original version of “the disco song” was conceived between ’74 & ’75, then re-recorded in ’78 for their multi-platinum album Parallel Lines. The title was changed from “I Once Had a Love” to “Heart of Glass.” Guitarist Chris Stein & singer Deborah Harry were partners - romantically & professionally. As the driving force behind BLONDIE, the couple conspired on virtually all of the band’s music - Debbie writing the lyrics, and Chris inventing the music. Debbie sat down to come up with a song about a lost love and the emotional fragility that is the fallout.
Debbie drew from personal emotional experience to craft the song that was eventually recorded as “Heart of Glass.” She wanted to capture a feeling of having a love that was once powerful, and beautiful, but soon discovering that the relationship was not as lasting as it seemed. The song expresses a sense of disillusionment and the fear of being hurt by the inevitability of fallen love. She began the song by borrowing a remark she overheard from the mouth of a New York City cab driver that stuck with her. “I once had a love…and it was a gas,” The euphoria of Debbie’s narrative quickly shifted to frustration in her next line “soon turned out…to be a pain in the ass.”

Пікірлер: 1 800

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

Poll: What is your pick for the catchiest song of the 70s! A song you have to sing along to!

@scottjeune154 Жыл бұрын

Hallelujah- sweathog

@RBS_ Жыл бұрын

....What A Fool Belieeeeveeesss....it seeeeeeees.... I don't know the rest! ....ha-HAAA!! ....ha-HAA!! ...jus' kiddin'.... ; )

@jamalstephenson7140 Жыл бұрын

We Will Rock You

@killrmillr Жыл бұрын

The Boys Are Back In Town

@stephenbrown4211 Жыл бұрын

American Pie Rocking All Over The World We Will Rock You

@stephenriggs8177 Жыл бұрын

I always loved this song, but back then, I never really thought of it as disco. I was too mesmerized by Deborah Harry's voice to worry about such trivialities as genre.

@DianeLake-sw3ym Жыл бұрын

Like you I never thought of the song as disco.

@edzeljereza8234 Жыл бұрын

@@DianeLake-sw3ym Ditto.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

It’s a lot of things in my mind, including proto disco.

@carlcushmanhybels8159 Жыл бұрын

I recognized it was influenced by disco. But I never 'tagged' it as disco. I just enjoyed Blondie's mix of influences and enthralling energetic spirit.

@Willie_McBride Жыл бұрын

Exactly. I never thought of it as a Disco song… it was just Debbie Harry & Blondie giving us a mega hit with a fantastic addictive hook.

@cloudbudget Жыл бұрын

Never until this expose did I think of Heart of Glass as disco. To me it was a fusion rock tune, like so many songs are. I was ten when I heard this song on the radio and fell in love with its ethereal coolness. So catchy and whimsical with a rough edge. Perfection.

@rickmcdonald1557 Жыл бұрын

I think you have uttered the World's Greatest adjective=="Ethereal Coolness" and I shall not forget it anytime soon~!!

@jasonscottjenkins 10 ай бұрын

I consider this song New Wave

@theplanetruth 9 ай бұрын

Agreed

@grahamnash9794 Жыл бұрын

I love it when a band comes up with a song that doesn't fit in any genre, but is all alone and fantastic.

@zimmerlicker Жыл бұрын

when i was a little kid my mum used to listen to this song on tape in the car while we waited to pick my dad up from his workplace and ever since then whenever i hear this song it takes me right back to the good old days:-)

@Fakeaorta Жыл бұрын

Blondie is in my top 10 bands of all time! They had the true punk aesthetic because they played what they wanted and never cared what their fans thought. Debbie Harry is the true Punk Goddess!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

She is a true badass!

@alukuhito Жыл бұрын

Well... They recorded this song because the record copmany wanted something different, so...

@michaelmcdonald8452 Жыл бұрын

@@alukuhito Right? It tickles me when fans think they know what the band didn't "care about" and "wouldn't compromise over."

@vanessahenry7238 Жыл бұрын

Debbie Harry was at the last Coachella, and at 77 she was still kicking ass! You can see her set here on KZfaq! Still epic and iconic!

@littlecatfeet9064 Жыл бұрын

Fantastic!

@xerneasrising2412 Жыл бұрын

I was there and she’s still a badass!

@56postoffice Жыл бұрын

The record that turned Blondie into a bonafide band. Still have huge respect for Debbie Harry and the crew, doing her part for the hip hop fraternity with *"Rapture."*

@Majerly_Annoyed Жыл бұрын

My favourite Heart of Glass stories is how WKRP in Cincinnati is credited with helping the album Parallel Lines blow up and become so popular. In fact, the band and record label were so appreciative, they gave the show a gold record which they hung in the bullpen of the set. Awesome stuff.

@tonycowin Жыл бұрын

That's mentioned in the video. I never knew this story. Cheers.

@kellybarthel8060 Жыл бұрын

@tonycowin not cheer, WKRP. Lol. Bad joke I know.

@tonycowin Жыл бұрын

@@kellybarthel8060 It's nice being in a place where everybody knows your name. 🎼

@jasonscottjenkins 10 ай бұрын

WKRP in Cincinnati was groundbreaking in it's day for promoting pop rock in real time. Unfortunately, music royalty issues destroyed its ability to be successful in syndication and hence is nearly forgotten.

@madbrowniac7871 5 ай бұрын

That's how "Atomic Punk" ended up in the Episode which introduced "WKRP" viewers to the astonishing Talent of the late great Hamilton Camp, who Played the whacked Stereo Store Owner "Del Murdock." Hamilton Camp & his Musical Partner Bob Gibson (not the Cardinal Pitcher) going back to 1961 influenced a number of groups to come including Simon & Garfunkel.🤔😉🎤🎼🎵🎶🎸🎹🥁📻📺B.W.

@tedbecker4051 Жыл бұрын

Never thought of Blondie as a punk band or as being stuck in one genre of music. My favorite is their reggae sounding, "The Tide is High."

@pinkfreud62 Жыл бұрын

I always thought they leaned more new wave than punk or disco.

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

I love the Tide is High! It's a great song. Thanks Ted.

@BillGraper Жыл бұрын

Yeah, The Tide Is High is great!!!

@Fiona2254 Жыл бұрын

Good grief how could I forget The Tide is High!

@douglasmijangos3327 Жыл бұрын

Yeah it always trips me out when I hear that Blondie would have shows wit the Ramones back in the day .. 😂

@cdmdfmtube Жыл бұрын

Debra Harry is easily one of the biggest ground breaking women in music. I've heard of her as the Mother of rap, the bridge between punk and pop. Songs so unique yet so good.

@gibblespascack1418 Жыл бұрын

I have never heard of her as the mother of rap, but that is appropriate. Rap use to be an underground city thing like in NY or LA. Blondie was into Rap music and developed Rapture. Before Rapture, there was no money in the music, but with Rapture, it brought this style of music to the vast middle of the US, between NY's Hudson River and East LA. That song put a light rap song and Fab Five Freddy into every home with MTV in it. It brought actual rap music to MTV(Fab Five Freddy became the hose of a 1 hr show called MTV RAPs) and put rap into the hands of middle class kids with money across the country. Rapture made Rap Music profitable. Other developments like licensing of music(RUN DMC with Aerosmith) also brought in teenage rockers to the Rap Music buying public. After years of law suits for stealing music, Rap has developed its own stars who are creative and make their own hooks which created the stars of the 90s and today. All of this from a Punk band who liked the club music.

@tomdunn3914 Жыл бұрын

Joe Strummer always thought so too, and he's a fella who knows a thing or two about punk blending...

@P_RO_ 11 ай бұрын

She brought rap to the world, and was the first to chart a rap song in the top ten. "Rapper's Delight" was out earlier but had more limited distribution/airplay and a lower charting. Debra was at the now-famous birthday party for DJ Herk's little sister which is now hailed as the birthplace of hip-hop. Blondie took off from a CBGB start like so many other famous punk bands, this was a magical time we will never see again.

@bobbystclaire 8 ай бұрын

The expression Heart of Glass is a wonderful metaphor the point is she's making is she has a card that is fragile and easily broke like glass😮

@kareemanuel6931 Жыл бұрын

I was almost 16 when I first heard this song on the radio. I bought the single and later the album, Parallel Lines. It was a hit in our house…we played it over and over. I loved disco, punk and new wave (still do) so I was in heaven when I discovered Blondie. I enjoyed how The song gave the disco fans and the “disco sucks” crowd fits, lol! Still in my top 2 favorite bands of all time.

@SD9Driver Жыл бұрын

Loved the way Clem Burke played drums on "Dreaming" 👍.

@TheEricthefruitbat Жыл бұрын

Abso-freakin-lutely!

@johnstegmeier3758 Жыл бұрын

He overplayed on almost every track, and it was great!

@andrewfurst5711 Жыл бұрын

Clem is - to a great extent - the American Keith Moon. As to "Dreaming", when I first heard it I thought the drums were supported by a drum machine, because I didn't think any human could play like that. But it's all Clem on that track, he's just that good.

@carolgebert7833 Жыл бұрын

Clem Burke was equally important to Blondie as Debbie Harry. He made them sound epic.

@johnstegmeier3758 Жыл бұрын

@carolgebert7833 Clem was certainly a big factor in the sound, Jimmy too. The band in general, was very good at creating a sound to sell the story of the lyrics.

@thatonedude1003 Жыл бұрын

Heart of Glass is one of the greatest tunes from that era. It’s a perfect mix of “punk”, “pop”, and “disco”.

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

You got it! Thanks!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

I agree. Great song.

@josephhickman4759 Жыл бұрын

Cannot be catorised... it was late 70s early 80s just before MTV. Heart of glass actually on dance floor Jr high school got me near 3 rd base laid. On the dance floor. Haha thanks for the memory.

@thatonedude1003 Жыл бұрын

@@josephhickman4759 😂😂😂…another reason to love this song!!

@v2vroth Жыл бұрын

This is my favorite channel on you tube. Thanks professor...

@RBS_ Жыл бұрын

...we thank him , TOO.... ; )

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Vinny. Any requests?

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

Thanks my friend!

@dmpath Жыл бұрын

Heart Of Glass is on my lifetime eternal playlist. It's one of those songs I can listen to 1000 times and it never gets old.

@yukariandthewhisperers4042 Жыл бұрын

Great history lesson! I was 24 when this song came out and never thought of it as any particular style - just a kick-ass song. I was heavy into new wave at that time. Blondie was irresistible, in all her musical personas. ❤

@martineldritch Жыл бұрын

Loved this song when I was a kid. It wasn't "disco" enough for me to hate it. Great song to roller-skate to back then.

@Willie_McBride Жыл бұрын

Great way to explain it. The hook is addictive…. And my favorite part is the the altered time signature to the beat where every other measure it comes in with a 7 beat instead of the standard 8, for the rest of the song. To me that gives the entire song an unexpected punch. Love it. Even though Burke vowed to never play it live, eventually he obviously had to capitulate when the song just became. Worldwide smash hit.

@martineldritch Жыл бұрын

@@Willie_McBride Well, how'd you do Private William McBride ? (sorry for the reference to another great song from the 70's 😉

@Fiona2254 Жыл бұрын

Oh yeah great roller or ice ring song!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

Right, it is not JUST disco. It is much more than that.

@ellzedd4113 Жыл бұрын

Loved rollerskating to this song. ❤

@stephenbobic3226 Жыл бұрын

That was one of the first 80s songs I heard, having come out of the Contemporary Christian circles. I was enthralled with its beat and rhythm and with Debbie Harry's voice. It still holds a special place in my heart.

@JeffWilliams1965 Жыл бұрын

I first saw Blondie on july 16, 1979, at the Dome in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I then saw her and Chris Stein's band open up for Tears for Fears in January of 1990. The greatest thing about Debby Harry was how she stuck by Chris during his many years of sickness and nursed him back to health. When I saw them in 1990 he was better and they looked and sounded great! A real partnership, in music, and in life.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

A great success story.

@najibkhan7299 Жыл бұрын

Loved Blondie & 'Heart Of Glass'. Thanks for covering its creation. By the way - digging the ELO Tee!

@leighfoulkes7297 Жыл бұрын

"Parallel lines" is one of the best albums of all time.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

💯

@roli9091 Жыл бұрын

Throw away Disco song? Heart Of Glass? It's a freaking masterpiece and Blondie became the coolest pop group in the world with that song.:) You know how to pitch our interest, Professor, I'm excited to hear you telling the story .:) PS: And yes you set the record straight.:)

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

For sure! Thanks!

@Jims_Camera_at_dawn Жыл бұрын

Coworker and I would exchange records to sample new sounds. He loaned me Blondie for Foreigner. We both were excited over the new tunes. After we exchanged back, each of us hit the record store to buy our own copies. The best of musical times.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

It always shocks me the origins of some of these classics, what critics thought of them. Throwaway disco it is not!

@Jims_Camera_at_dawn Жыл бұрын

@@apj341 I would have said peak.

@Jims_Camera_at_dawn Жыл бұрын

@APJ definition---to attain a peak of activity, development, popularity, etc.

@missesmew Жыл бұрын

Debbies role in Spun is underrated and shows how multitalented she is. We used to say when Madonna came out that she wasn’t as cool or hot as Debbie.✊🏽

@galaxywolf969 Жыл бұрын

She still isn't and never will be in my humble opinion. Debbie is head and shoulders above Madonna (and I am an 80's kid).

@sspaay Жыл бұрын

@@galaxywolf969 Madonna was cool and hot. Debbie was the coolest and the hottest, and BTW, best female rock voice ever.

@galaxywolf969 Жыл бұрын

@@sspaay Absolutely!

@bobpurcell7175 Жыл бұрын

Still true!

@andyt6220 Жыл бұрын

At 14 years of age, I was in the car with my mother and father heading to the mall. The radio was on and Heart of Glass started playing. I had never heard or seen Blondie but that day I fell in love with this woman’s voice and still do to this day. My first ever album that I purchased was Eat to the Beat which was the follow up to Parallel Lines. I still have that album along with every other album they ever made. I was also fortunate enough to see her in concert during their heyday. It was at the Meadowlands Arena in NJ. She had 2 opening acts. A band no one ever heard of at that time, Duran Duran, opened the show and George Thorogood followed them before Blondie took the stage. This video brought back some very good memories. Well done.

@Stormbrise Жыл бұрын

I always loved Blondie and how they seemed to have a musical repertoire of so many different sounds. Call Me, One Way or Another (Little Darlings), Rapture, eat to the beat, among many others. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I was told by a friend not to try to sing the song because I did not have her vocal range.

@carlwalker7560 Жыл бұрын

Blondie is one of my favourite bands of all time! This song is just awesome, heck, the whole album is full of awesome songs.

@CraigS1124 Жыл бұрын

I was 15 and living in Australia when this came out. I had already purchased the Parallel Lines album, as I was a Blondie fan (as every teenage boy was). This is still one of my favorite songs. I recently saw an interview Debbie Harry did shortly after the song went #1. She said this song was to rebel against her punk crowd, as they were all making the same sounding music, so they went in a different direction, thank goodness.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

That’s an interesting point. This was a matter of discovery for them.

@David-rx5eo Жыл бұрын

That spirit of rebellion was the true punk spirit!

@specialkonacid6574 Жыл бұрын

The first time my girlfriend (grade 9) came to my house she said 'are you going to play those drums?' So I played Heart of Glass. It was a gas 😅 Thanks Professor ❤

@pinkfreud62 Жыл бұрын

I still have my 45. Then again, I have all my vinyl's. I never was one to get rid of my precious records, lol.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

You wanted to keep the music alive!

@edwardwood3622 Жыл бұрын

My favourite song when I was 13. I fell in love with Debbie when she appeared on TV wearing an aqua coloured jumper.

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

Yes!

@ettoretavilla3081 Жыл бұрын

@@ProfessorofRock GREAT song when I was 18

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

Isn’t she stunning?

@badgerpa9 Жыл бұрын

She did Top of the Pops "Heart of Glass" and had a short skirt with large stripes. She loved the camera. I finally realized it was not live because she had no mic.

@itsmebatman Жыл бұрын

I love it when talented artists make a great song, that instantly catches on with millions of people. Screw these people who complain about selling out.

@harrypalmer7169 Жыл бұрын

Blondie's music has stood the test of time. Great band and not afraid to let the drums drive tracks.

@duromusabc Жыл бұрын

Heart of Glass was my favorite song in 1979 -1980 as a little kid ! Great memories as an 8/9 year old boy back then !

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

What were some other favorites of 1979 for you Duane? I’d have to go with After the Love Has Gone by EWF, I Will Survive, the songs Donna Summer took to #1 that year, and Amii Stewart’s peculiar cover of Knock on Wood.

@duromusabc Жыл бұрын

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Donna summer songs

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

@@duromusabc Talkin’ bout BAD girls…

@djd2819 Жыл бұрын

I had been a fan of Blondie since their first album in '76 and had to admit that I was surprised by this album inclusion of a recording of their "disco song". Still, this album had so much to offer and I grew to appreciate "Heart of Glass". While Blondie's roots were in punk, their material had far greater range right from their debut album. Great song, great band, great story. Thanks @ProfessorofRock!

@lottesundstrom908 Жыл бұрын

I was 10 years old and on a family holiday at Christmas in New York City. My sister and I were in our hotel room watching Dick Clark’s Rocking New Years Eve, and I saw her singing Dreaming and knew I had to have that record. I thought she was the coolest on the planet, and being young and from Sweden, I spoke almost no English. My parents bought me Eat to the Beat and Parallel Lines before we left NYC. Blondie was the reason I would attend university in NYC eight years later. It was magic. Something just went off in my head during that holiday. Blondie is still one of my favourite bands, and every time I’m alone in my car and Blondie comes through the speakers, I turn it up loud and sing along. Deborah Harry is still the coolest woman on the planet. When my son was young, we used to sing One Way or Another in the car during the school run. He’s still a secret Blondie fan. When I’m dead and gone, I like to believe when he hears Blondie he’ll think of me. Their music will be heard for generations.

@purpleninja9359 Жыл бұрын

As a 13 year old boy growing up in a little country town in Australia 🇦🇺 walking around with a little cassette player playing it over and over again I absolutely feel in love with that song and blondie and still play them today she was my first ever crush 😻

@bpabustan Жыл бұрын

When Blondie used that drum machine for Heart Of Glass, it was very rarely done before, but because of this, having both real drums and drum machine in sync became common in the 80s. Tears For Fears were a perfect example!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

TFF perfected the method.

@paulwagner6439 Жыл бұрын

I’m so glad Blondie had this incredible Hit internationally. I liked them before and after this hit Song ❤. Great show I always watch it when I’m at home. Keep rolling out the Good ole Days and thanks Adam for your dedication for everything you do. 😊

@ChrystalMagic Жыл бұрын

My current favorite is Blondies punk inspired cover of Hanging on the Telephone. Took me 40 years to rediscover it!

@susanst-germain4028 Жыл бұрын

I remember watching Blondie on The Muppet show, I remember being told that the guest stars of The Muppet show add a creative hand in how they wanted their music displayed. I was in high school watching The Muppet show, but I had to see Blondie on the Muppet Show, and I'm glad I did

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

I used to watch the Muppet Show in elementary school 10 years ago while my parents would handle business at Great Clips, so I totally remember this.

@dennismetzger9287 Жыл бұрын

Love this channel, has introduced me to all kinds of new music and made me excited to hear the stories of the music i know and love. Thank you Adam! You and channels alike that are actively documenting history are doing gods work.

@mattdahl3631 11 ай бұрын

Adam, you are truly the spiritual successor to Casey Kasem. As if I did not already know... This episode somehow sealed it for me. Thanks for caring so much about the music. ...for crystallizing what so many of us felt back then but could not always articulate. Hope you get to 1M subs soon.

@5stardave Жыл бұрын

Without "Heart of Glass" there might not have been a "Call Me" for American Gigolo.

@llamasugar5478 Жыл бұрын

I remember the first time I heard this: I was in Algebra class (7th grade) and a classmate said, “Guys! Listen to this!” We were thunderstruck; everyone just froze, looking like “WTF?!” It never occurred to us to call this “disco.” It was something entirely new.

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

Same! Doesn't sound disco to me. Sound amazing.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

Haha, I had that same experience with Gary Numan’s Cars. Makes you forget that disco even existed for a moment.

@llamasugar5478 Жыл бұрын

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Oh, man-another good one!

@llamasugar5478 Жыл бұрын

And how about Talking Heads “Burning Down The House”? That was much later (‘83?), but that was another one that made go “Wait. What?!”

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

@@llamasugar5478 That one freaked me out for a while. But its charm is undeniable and wins me over every time.

@giltybugs Жыл бұрын

Professor, this is on a very short list of my very favorite KZfaq channels. What you are doing and how you are doing it is just absolutely fantastic. It’s a music lovers dream to come in here and listen you so eloquently and intelligently discuss these bands, artists and their songs. I love when you add the little “if you remember…” section at the beginning. And for me, seeing that ‘Eddie and the Cruisers’ soundtrack behind you (with the hype sticker) that is the surest sign I’m always going to love you and your channel! I have a VERY loved and worn copy on vinyl! Keep it up my man!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

The “If you remember” line from Adam’s intros gets me super curious as a Gen Zer as to what people’s memories of these past pop culture phenomena were. As for today, I used to really look forward to getting a Happy Meal because the toys would often be a certain series a month (e.g. books about certain animals, action figures) and whichever toy I got that week would be my theme for living my life. For example, one week would be Spider-Man and the next would be Wonder Woman.

@badgerpa9 Жыл бұрын

Punk, Rock and Rap Debbie sang it all. She may have been high maintenance but her singing is worth it. The band all had talent to play the variety of music they did.

@GrimmFLawless Жыл бұрын

I love Blondie. Their style is pretty hard to nail down but that’s part of why they are so great. Good song writing and great execution.

@chuckschillingvideos Жыл бұрын

I'd say their primary style was garage rock/power pop.

@J1W5M7 Жыл бұрын

Heart of Glass was one of my favorite songs as a 10yr old. I thought she was so beautiful and intriguing. After hearing more music from Blondie I realized Debbie was actually disco, punk, new wave, R&B ,techno and rap. She has no distinct genre. I like to call her punk because "Detroit 442" blew me away. I still have that same school boy crush on her.

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

For sure!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

Debbie can be a rapture of things.

@johnstegmeier3758 Жыл бұрын

Detroit 442 was a great one. I felt the Plastic Letters LP wasn't as consistent as Blondie or Parallel Lines, but it had some of their best songs too.

@AvoidsPikes- Жыл бұрын

I was 10 too. Welcome to 55!😅

@melanieshaw3210 Жыл бұрын

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980Rapture...😎

@32roho Жыл бұрын

Thanks for covering Blondie, great song, you put together a great video!

@jasonyount6036 Жыл бұрын

This is my favorite channel. Not even close. Thank you Professor!

@mournblade1066 Жыл бұрын

Debbie Harry was smoking hot back in the day. She's actually still a looker, to be honest.

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

She's awesome!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

I agree, in her late 70s still looks like a dream.

@johnstegmeier3758 Жыл бұрын

As a teenage boy, I didn't realize how old she was when she made it big. She was pretty. She was sexy. She had attitude. More importantly, she was fun! It didn't matter that she was old enough to be my mother!

@jillwklausen Жыл бұрын

I'm so glad they fought to get this song recorded. It's totally iconic. Love the origin story behind it too. I never really considered it disco. I'm with you on calling it dance rock. Thanks for another great episode, Adam. Have an excellent day.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

Or maybe even pop rock.

@jillwklausen Жыл бұрын

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980, I like that too. Either way, it certainly doesn't come off as disco to me.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

@@jillwklausen I agree. People dismiss it sometimes as “just another disco song.” It brings much more to the table.

@casparcoaster1936 Жыл бұрын

Dear Mr. REader,... in addition to the great pleasure of hearing these great stories, really enjoy your commentary & delivery. Much obliged.

@ksteiger Жыл бұрын

Worked with Debbie in the studio on her solo album Rockbird. I loved every second of that experience.

@Kdrive23 Жыл бұрын

My first memory of Blondie was "The Tide Is High". I think I was ~8 years old. I actually heard their earlier stuff, such as "One Way or Another", later. The 80s was such a great time for female rockers.

@crabbinmoose8583 Жыл бұрын

Those harmonizing mariachi horns and violin were one of the first things that ever made me conscious about actually "feeling" what music is. Everything from the maracas to the thumping bass drum is what made that song one of my first memories.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

I agree. Pat Benatar, Olivia Newton-John, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Annie Lennox, and more.

@Thomasmemoryscentral Жыл бұрын

One Way Or Another isnt a Joan Jett song?

@bluefalcon69 Жыл бұрын

Skate rink gold as a young man - Heart of Glass was in heavy rotation.

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

Skate Rink Gold! Love it.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

It is THE roller skating song.

@eaunan Жыл бұрын

Absolutely fantastic video and commentary / documentary!! Well done!! 👍💛💯

@musclecarmitch908 Жыл бұрын

Awesome band! Awesome song! Came out at a awesome time in my life! Great episode Professor! Thanks for keeping the music alive!

@Whisper_292 Жыл бұрын

There was no punk rock on Louisville radio in the late 70's. The first insight I ever got was from _Punk Rock_ magazine, which I picked up on a lark, and i fell in love. Parallel Lines was reviewed in that edition, and a month later, Blondie was on Amerucan Bandstand. Heart of Glass started playing on the radio and at the roller rink. It paved the way for other new wave and punk bands on Louisville radio. And thank God for MTV!

@RBS_ Жыл бұрын

....mine, was "Creem!" ...and. "Dynamite" Magazine....don't judge me, that was all I could snatch for the libraries!! ...ha-HAAA!!

@Whisper_292 Жыл бұрын

@@RBS_ actually had a subscription to _Dynamite._

@RBS_ Жыл бұрын

@@Whisper_292 ...I shoulda borrowed yours, so I didn't have to ste-al MINE! ...ha-HAAA!!

@Whisper_292 Жыл бұрын

@@RBS_Hey, you worked harder for yours. 😂

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

Parallel Lines is one of my favorite albums ever.

@christineml1476 Жыл бұрын

Funny how controversial one three-letter word was back then. Today, it'd be nothing to bat an eyelash over.

@BillGraper Жыл бұрын

Sometimes I don't know why they don't censor words that SOUND bad. I still don't know how Salt n Pepa got away with the whispering intro to "Push It." It sounds like they're saying something else. 😏

@WorgenGrrl Жыл бұрын

@BillGraper1 It DID sound like "BS". lol

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

Even I say it regularly.

@BillGraper Жыл бұрын

@@WorgenGrrl I still remember the very first time I heard "Push It" on the radio. My eyes went 😳as I thought "Are they really playing this on the radio???" 😂

@Electro0007 Жыл бұрын

Great show. Its so nice to hear you celebrating all forms of music that was the best parts of my life growing up in the 70s/80s !!!!

@tinaheadrick536 Жыл бұрын

Love it. Always have, always will! ❤Thanks, Adam!

@barrykeleher2659 Жыл бұрын

I was in my late teens when Heart of Glass came out, and firmly entrenched in the “disco sucks!” movement. This one song, however, proved to be the exception for me. It wasn’t a strict disco beat, and there was just something to it. It had an intangible quality that elevated it above and beyond anything else that was considered to be disco at the time.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

I just hope they didn’t burn records of this at the disco demolition night…

@melanieshaw3210 Жыл бұрын

Parallel Lines was one of the first albums I ever bought back in the late '70's. 8th grade! Lol

@PRSchilling1 Жыл бұрын

The way Blondie worked the Disco sound, while keeping the punk style that was popular at the time! Ultimately they almost single handed created the coming New Wave sound that came to the 80’s!

@autoamerican Жыл бұрын

I'm so excited you FINALLY did an episode on Blondie!!!!! Hope you find a way to do another vid on this massively underrated band

@Alexander_2525 Жыл бұрын

So true!

@D-Fens_1632 Жыл бұрын

I love that Midnight Special performance, which she self censored, drummer Clem Burke goes insane.

@michaelwalker8707 Жыл бұрын

As a drummer, I found that clean, tight pocket drumming to be smooth perfection. I'm 60 years old and still nail that outro drum roll on my dash board perfectly. Sometimes without my hands on the wheel.

@forakermm Жыл бұрын

Blondie was a staple in our house parties and in punk shows in abandoned buildings (some hade electricity). Also, Tide is High was what many Ska bands used as their opening song. Such a versatile band. Great choice!!

@jonathanirvin2201 Жыл бұрын

I was a Blondie fan from the beginning. And I can still remember when "Parallel Lines" released. I couldn't wait to grab my copy from the local Record Bar. When I got it home I threw it on my turntable, dropped the needle, and fell head over heels for the whole thing! Yes, I heard all the ""sell out" complaints but I couldn't turn away from the power and energy Blondie brought! Thank you, Professor, for your thoughtful and thorough exposition regarding the origins of an amazing song and album!

@danielleal1037 Жыл бұрын

Man, what a great story. It absolutely adds to the legendary status of NYC from those days, given to it especially by Blondie, Kiss and the Ramones. Thanks for sharing it here, Adam!

@spddiesel Жыл бұрын

To be fair, it IS the most punk disco song of all time. 🤘

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

Ha ha. For sure. Thanks Raymond! I've never seen you one here I don't think.... You new?

@spddiesel Жыл бұрын

@@ProfessorofRock lol, been watching for a minute, dude. I was born in '73 and have four older (10-17 years) brothers, so I was raised in the golden age of vinyl. One of my earliest memories is at age 5, helping my 15 year old brother Brian figure out the lyrics to "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," because the record he bought at a garage sale didn't have the sleeve with the lyrics 🤣. So TL;DR you cover the shit I grew up with and still listen to exclusively lol. Rock on 🤘🎶✌️

@thoughtquake7516 Жыл бұрын

Or the most disco punk song of all time. 😄

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

I can get behind that.

@RC32Smiths01 Жыл бұрын

At the end of the day, punk song or disco song, it's just a really great song! Iconic for decades to come for sure. Quite an interesting time when a band steps out of their roots! Cheers

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

It is a great song. No question. One of the best to that year!

@RC32Smiths01 Жыл бұрын

@@ProfessorofRock Yeah!

@scottjeune154 Жыл бұрын

To me Blondie was the first pure "CLUB" band. Every subset of clublife back then had a blondie song for it- punk, new wave, no wave, rap, disco.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

The only important thing is it’s a classic song.

@80sHairNation Жыл бұрын

Another killer backstory, to a classic 70’s hit. Outstanding information. Thank you Professor !

@pxrays547 Жыл бұрын

Blondie is one of those groups, like the Cars for instance, that takes me back to those days instantly. It is part nostalgia, and part that I was having a LOT more fun in those days. It is really nice to have this information from THE Professor of Rock channel, thank you for the hard work. You point about cross-genre songs/ music is right on target, having gone to several shows where an artist explores in new directions, experimenting, growing, spreading the experience, and a segment of the audience boos because they are not playing the same old songs that the artists have been playing thousands of times over the years always confounded me. David Byrne, Neil Young, etc., etc. you would have thought it was different band/ artist and it was glorious and enjoyable to me every time (except when Dylan went all Jesusie), even though the perpetrators of correctness to a particular genre, the taste merchants, hated it and told us to hate it too. Sure, some of it was cynical unimaginative commercialism, jingle writing, but most was put out there for people to enjoy, to feel, and to put with your memories of time and place.... but I digress.

@vfrebel6166 Жыл бұрын

One of my all-time favorite songs. I heard it as a kid when it first hit the charts in '79. Even though disco was hot at that time and dominated radio, Heart of Glass sounded like it was it's own style, at least to me. It wasn't until I got older and developed a more seasoned ear for music that I realize it was built on a disco rhythm.

@cosmicyeti6804 Жыл бұрын

E. fricking L.O! One of my FAVORITE bands of all time.

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

Love the shirt. Died when I saw it at the record store! Any favorite songs by them?

@bobdavis4848 Жыл бұрын

Same here; the first concert I went to was Electric Light Orchestra. I love all stages of their career. About fifty songs are tied for my favorite of them, but the first that comes to mind is "One Summer Dream."

@MuzixMaker Жыл бұрын

@@ProfessorofRockTurn to Stone. Love the bass line.

@rgkavendek Жыл бұрын

VERY cool story…you were right, Professor!!! Always loved this song and group!!

@Jagangela Жыл бұрын

Great song...great episode! Well done Professor!

@Camcodrummer Жыл бұрын

Being a drummer and 11 when it came out. Clem's style and approach to this song is what caught me. Its aggressive , it has feel and grooves like a mofo.. Some of the best bands with great great drummers came from this era. Clem Burke, Stewart Copeland, David Robinson, Bruce Gary.. great bands with great drummers and musicians over all.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

The beat is rhythmic and steady. All the drummers you mentioned should be inducted into the Neil Peart Drummers’ Hall of Fame.

@Camcodrummer Жыл бұрын

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 I forgot to mention Neil..though not part of the pop rock style music he and others are huge influnces from other genres!!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

@@Camcodrummer Sure enough. Also John Bonham.

@Camcodrummer Жыл бұрын

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 goes with out saying... to me Bonham is the pivot point drummer.. he took from drummers before him, Krupa, Rich , Appice, Elvin, Williams, Baker, Cobham..and fed the drummer of his era and past with influence. He is number 1 in my book..

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

@@Camcodrummer No doubt!

@jeffcolumbia3151 Жыл бұрын

I never thought of this song as disco. I hated disco growing up. This sounded like what people were calling "New Wave". I loved Blondie. They were just so different from what other bands were playing in my opinion. Thanks for covering the story of this song. I'm sure glad it was a hit for them. Otherwise, I'm not sure I would have been introduced to them.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

It IS new wave, with that eerie synth backing.

@jeffcolumbia3151 Жыл бұрын

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 That's a very accurate way of describing it. Thanks for your input.

@galaxywolf969 Жыл бұрын

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Absolutely. It's the synth that makes it American New Wave.....like so many of you I absolutely hated disco growing up in the late 70's/80s. I was much more into Joy Division and Post Punk/New Wave bands. This song, like so many of Blondie's songs was great.

@ronharlan665 Жыл бұрын

As usual, great storytelling. You nail it every time. And you never disappoint with song and band choices.

@splaws-fk8sw Жыл бұрын

Great episode. Love your show. I'm Gen X. The Best of Blondie Album was a CD I listened to on "repeat". Slipping it into the desktop computer's CD-ROM listening with my phone plug over the ears headphones (not to be cool, they were what I could afford & the only jack my office computer had), while coding instruction orders for commercial insertion at a Seattle cable company, 2000-01. I have that album memorized. I'll never get tired of it. The opening to Heart of Glass sends me to another universe. My personal anthem, however, is "Dreaming".

@paulhill8245 Жыл бұрын

Parallel Lines was one of the first albums I ever bought. Debbie, Pat and Joan, my 3 favorite rock chicks.

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

Awesome!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

You do love rock and roll, Paul.

@rogerdeahl9629 Жыл бұрын

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 Love Blondie! One Way Or Another. Rapture. Tide Is High. Thanks for this Professor. Have a great soggy Monday.

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

You too! Thanks Roger!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

Great songs.

@MartinMCade Жыл бұрын

There is a deep lesson here to be learned from the stories of many albums and releases. Record company executives don't know what they're doing. Bands, fans, and producers do.

@christopherriley15 Жыл бұрын

By far favorite channel on KZfaq! Great story!

@jonjonr6 Жыл бұрын

"maximum boogie power", well now, you're gonna wanna have that. I mean, I can't imagine anything less. 😂

@bobdavis4848 Жыл бұрын

You just reminded me of Foghat's "Boogie Motel." A different kind of boogie, haha. Add a "woogie" after "boogie," and different again, haha. In all cases, "four beats per minute" would be pretty darn slow, though. I'd choose four beats per measure.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

Boogie was everywhere back then!

@bobdavis4848 Жыл бұрын

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 "One night I was layin' down, I heard mama 'n papa talkin', I heard papa tell mama 'Let that boy boogie-woogie... It's in him, and it got to come out...' And I felt so good... And I went on boogie'n just the same" (from "Boogie Chillun" by John Lee Hooker, covered by George Thorogood.) But as you probably know by now, I love disco kind of boogie, too, the kind that seemed everywhere while Blondie's popularity was gradually rising with the first few albums. :-)

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

@@bobdavis4848 The disco songs with “boogie” in their title are clear enough for you so you won’t be asking people what it’s about. It says it in the title, easily!

@bobdavis4848 Жыл бұрын

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 "Boogie Fever," "Boogie Nights," "Boogie Wonderland," "Boogie Oogie Oogie," "Get Up & Boogie" and so on from the late 70s left no doubt what kind of music it was from just the title, right. If the cover art had platform shoes, gold spandex or a disco ball, people could know what to expect before purchase, too. Or before leaving it in the rack, haha. But when I bought the "Weird Al" Yankovic 45 of "Another One Rides The Bus" with "Gotta Boogie" on the back, I just knew the B side would not be what I might guess.

@nadinerogers5653 Жыл бұрын

I am so glad you mentioned the unusual rhythm! That is why I have always loved this song - because they drop a beat on the measures if the instrumental section. It makes it so much more interesting!

@kevinshockey1836 Жыл бұрын

Always love to change of pace with your videos man thanks man keep up the

@NarbonneGauchoBoingo Жыл бұрын

Great job, great story, one of my favorites as a kid, had the 45, just a beautiful song.

@saraforhan6442 Жыл бұрын

I was familiar with all Blondie's major hits but when I bought The Best of Blondie I discovered Atomic and Dreaming. Love the drums, Debbie's low tones and beautiful phrasing.

@C2C. Жыл бұрын

Atomic is underrated! The guitar...the bass...and her vocal dynamics... Love Dreaming, too. Really features her vocal power.

@albertaaardvark966 Жыл бұрын

Parallel Lines is a fantastic album. Fantastic. In my case I bought it when Heart of Glass was on it's way to becoming a monster and fell in love with almost every track on the album on first listen. To borrow a phrase, this album is gonna getcha getcha getcha.

@Leftfield71 Жыл бұрын

I was around 7-8 years old when I first heard Blondie and they have remained my favourite band for 45 years, and while Heart of Glass is not my favourite Blondie song (that is Fade Away and Radiate) it is such a classic that I can't help but smile and think back to the good old days every time it comes on. Thanks Adam, it's great to see my favourite band on your channel.

@sharonlee2005 Жыл бұрын

I am enjoying your content so very much. I agree that the group Blondie broke musical barriers. I just remember playing this music at our many summer parties where everyone danced on the lawn and had so much fun. Thanks for reminding me about a fun time in my life.

@likeitornotwithmichaellane4896 Жыл бұрын

Some bands made Rock music. Some made R&B music. Some made Pop (Top 40) music. Some made Country music. Some made Jazz music. Some even made Disco music. Blondie on the other hand, made music! ❤

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Жыл бұрын

I can say the same for Ray Charles. These folks don’t need genres. They ARE music.

@likeitornotwithmichaellane4896 Жыл бұрын

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 So true, my fellow music lover. So true.

@stacyflood4319 Жыл бұрын

I absolutely LOVE Heart of Glass and Blondie. People are so anal. I've always felt, if it's a great song and done right.... what's the problem? I've been around 52 years and I appreciate great music....period. Just like how they treated Billy Squire for the video for Rock Me Tonight..... unbelievable 🙄 Thank you for all you do Adam, love your channel 🥰

@bobdavis4848 Жыл бұрын

Hi Stacy, I agree with all you wrote. Nothing was wrong with the Billy Squier (note last name spelling) video "Rock Me Tonite" (note last word spelling). Have a nice day.

@tizviz3921 Жыл бұрын

As a music lover and really appreciate the background information you are able to find or research on artists and songs!!! This again proves that a great decade the 70s were are is....my favourite decade for music... punk rock funk disco new wave rap WHAT A DECADE!! Thank you from central europe... who lived in Canada for 55 years and am amazed with your podcasts!

@bradley-eblesisor Жыл бұрын

I was born in 1970, and the first time that I remember staying up until midnight on New Years Eve, I remember Blondie playing on Dick Clark's show. As a 9 or 10 y.o. boy, I thought WOW! I still can feel that same emotion. Thanks, Professor of Rock!

@catherine6653 Жыл бұрын

I have a ticket to see Blondie in August. My Mother loved Blondie. I grew up listening to a lot of Blondie because of my Mom. Debra Harry was on the Muppet Show too. 😊

@ProfessorofRock Жыл бұрын

I love that episode of the muppets. Seeing Ringo's All Star band tomorrow night. Meeting an actual Beatle! So pumped. Have fun at Blondie!

@catherine6653 Жыл бұрын

@@ProfessorofRock That is great! Collin Hayes and Steve Lukather are playing with Ringo this year.

@JoyfullOne Жыл бұрын

Enjoy rockin' with your mom. My older daughter surprised me and asked if I wanted to see Korn and AIC with her. She told me she liked them, from listening to them in the backseat. Didn't know they paid attention to it.😅 We've recently seen STP, Bush, Robert Plant, etc., SP soon. I miss my "little girls" but my time with "adult girls" is different but meaningful, too. I'm bet your mom feels the same. I know where my missing cds and yes- tapes are now 😅

@catherine6653 Жыл бұрын

@@JoyfullOne Very nice. I am grateful my Mom was a music fan. My sister and mom, we always shared are albums with each other. My graduation gift was going to see Billy Joel. My sister wanted to see Janet Jackson in 1990, and I took her to the show because she didn't want to go alone.

@catherine6653 Жыл бұрын

@Anna Trail My neighbor saw Ringo Star last week.