A Heart of Class: Blondie inspire a new generation

PLAYING in Glasgow was a fair cop as far as Blondie guitarist Chris Stein is concerned.

The band made a rousing appearance at the city’s famous Apollo theatre on New Year’s Eve, 1979.

It brought the decade to a raucous end for millions, with the concert televised on the BBC.

“That was a great moment,” Chris told iN10.

“We had the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band come on and do Sunday Girl with us.

“I’ll always remember that gig very fondly. The crowd were great and the other thing I remember was that the stage was so high it felt like we were playing on the edge of a cliff.

“As it was televised, I’d have people tell me for years afterwards where they watched it and saw in the New Year.”

Debbie Harry, tartan scarf on top of her striking yellow and orange mini-dress, cut quite a dash at the gig. And it wasn’t the last time Blondie toasted the bells north of the Border.

They made a headline appearance in front of 100,000 at Edinburgh’s world famous celebrations in 2004.

And Chris has a take on our Hogmanay partying.

“I’m always impressed by the number of guys who wander round at night in freezing weather in short-sleeved shirts,” he smiles.

“I don’t know if it’s alcohol-related or not!”

Chris and Debbie were the founders of Blondie, who went from clubs in New York to being one of the biggest bands in the world.

Those formative early days could, he admits, be tough.

“It was a nice scene but it was pretty dirty and a bit of a struggle.

“It was just what you did, though, and we never thought about quitting. We were always determined.

“You’re always just in the moment and not thinking too much in the future. But everybody in a band, even just playing in a pub or whatever has dreams of being in front of thousands of people some day.

“When fame really did hit it was pretty abrupt. Looking back I wish we’d got better business advice and there was certainly money we could have made that we didn’t.”

A string of hits such as Denis, Picture This, Heart Of Glass, Dreaming, Call Me and The Tide Is High propelled Blondie to fame the world over.

They were mobbed everywhere they went.

“A few of the experiences we had in the UK in particular were crazy,” Chris admits.

“I remember doing an in-store appearance in Kensington High Street in London one time and 2000 kids showed up and blocked traffic.

“We needed a police escort to get us safely out on to a bus.

“And at a gig in Dunstable all these skinheads rushed the stage and I had to physically drag Debbie away.”

Chris and Debbie were a couple during the heady days and she very much stayed at his side when he was taken seriously ill with a rare autoimmune condition in the early 1980s.

“I’m always pretty optimistic and I think that mindset helped,” he confides.

“I did feel I was going to get better but there were tough times, especially when I was stuck in a hospital bed for three months.”

The band split up but reformed in 1997 and a host of big names have credited Blondie as a major influence on their careers.

That respect and recognition continues to the present day with the release this week of their 11th studio album, Pollinator, with current chart stars Charli XCX and Sia among the contributors.

“We usually always have our own material so this was a bit different,” says Chris, who still lives in New York with his wife Barbara and their daughters, Akira and Valentina.

“Having so many people talking about us was one of the reasons for putting the band back together and it’s nice people want to work with us.”

Chris and Debbie are still the heart of the band and he says their relationship has been strong throughout.

“I think we both know when the other wants something to be a certain way,” he adds. “There’s a moment where one of us will back down.

“She’s great – but I do think she’s still too nice sometimes!”

Pollinator will be released on May 5