NEW YORK, NY. (Capitol/EMI
Music Catalog Marketing & Ken
Sunshine Consultants, Inc.) -
Blondie defies definition. The legendary band is a little bit punk, a little bit reggae, a little bit rock, a little bit new wave, a little bit pop, a little bit hip-hop and a lot of downtown attitude. Already gold in Europe, Blondie: Greatest Hits - Sound & Vision will be released March 7 by Capitol/EMI
Music Catalog Marketing, one week before the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. The new CD/DVD package contains 20 audio tracks and 16 video clips, including the band's biggest hits and previously unreleased remixes. "Rapture Riders," a mash-up of the band's "
Rapture" with The Doors' "Riders on the Storm" and its accompanying UK music video make their release debut on the new collection.
"When I was starting out as a singer and songwriter, I was hugely influenced by Debbie Harry," Madonna told a U.K. reporter. "I thought she was the coolest chick in the universe."
Blondie's influence on today's artists is undeniable. Debbie Harry and Blondie have been a major influence on superstars like Madonna, Garbage's Shirley Manson and R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, among many others. They were one of the first groups to emerge from New York's new wave/punk renaissance with an album (1976's Blondie), the first to chart a No 1 single, a revolutionary blend of punk and disco ("Heart of Glass") and the first to top the charts with both a rap song (1981's "Rapture") and a reggae tune ("The Tide is High"). And now Blondie have added to their legacy by being selected for induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its 21st ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on March 13, 2006 along with Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Sex Pistols and Miles Davis, as one of two first-time nominees (Davis is the other).
"This is a tremendous honor for us," said the band's lead vocalist Deborah Harry, who is celebrating Blondie's 30th anniversary this year. "We're proud to take our place alongside some of our own idols."
Blondie: Greatest Hits - Sound & Vision:
* CD/DVD with 20 audio tracks and 16 videos, including Blondie classics: "Heart Of Glass," "Atomic," "Call Me," "Rapture," "Maria;" previously unreleased remixes of "In the Flesh" and "Good Boys;" and special Bonus Audio and Video Tracks: "Rapture Riders" - Blondie VS. The Doors (release debut of the new mash-up of the band's 1980 hit "Rapture" and The Doors' "Riders on the Storm").
* DVD includes 13 music videos spanning 1977 to 1982, including groundbreaking conceptual clips for "Denis" and "The Tide is High," as well as their most recent productions for "Maria" and "Good Boys," plus the new music video for the "Rapture Riders" mash-up.
"Ain't technology great! The Doors and Blondie get to do each other. I've always had salacious dreams about Debbie Harry, and now it's a reality. The Doors and Blondie in a deep passionate embrace." - Ray Manzarek, The Doors
About Blondie:
The original Blondie was formed in 1974 by art student/guitarist Chris Stein and ex-folkie and ex-Max's Kansas City waitress, vocalist/songwriter Deborah Harry. Drummer Clem Burke and keyboard player Jimmy Destri joined in 1975. The band played the fabled New York downtown circuit of CBGB's, Max's Kansas City and Mothers, amassing a major following before recording their first album Blondie in 1976 for the Private Stock label. It was released in 1977 and was well received as the band toured in support of Iggy Pop and David Bowie.
The band went on to become a worldwide attraction, combining rock and pop with salsa, funk, disco, reggae and rap. They went to No 2 on the U.K. singles chart with "Denis" in 1978 even before topping the U.S. singles chart with "Heart of Glass," from their 1979 Parallel Lines album. Deborah Harry's punk pin-up girl graced the cover of every major magazine, paving the way for blonde pop chanteuses from Madonna to Gwen Stefani. The band made a major comeback with the 1999 release of No Exit, which spawned the international hit, "Maria," which topped the charts in 14 different countries.
For additional information go to https://www.Blondie.net.
