New wave icons Blondie have shared a rare demo recording ahead of the release of their definitive box set, Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982.
Slated for release on August 26 via Ume and the Numero Group, the project arrives after electric guitar player and co-founder Chris Stein unearthed a treasure trove of hidden gems from his Woodstock barn.
“The first couple of [Blondie] records were a little rough and punk edged,” said Stein. “We were kind of eclectic and all over the place.”
Speaking of Blondie’s breakthrough 1978 album Parallel Lines, Stein goes on to say that by that stage things were more polished and stylized.
“I don’t know if it was a conscious decision to find a specific sound,” he recalls. "We were just doing what we liked. And I give a lot of credit to [producer] Mike Chapman. He was like a film director.”
Featuring 124 tracks and 36 previously unissued recordings, this bumper pack of musical goodies is a Blondie fan’s dream.
Including dozens of alternate versions, outtakes and demos, Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982 charts the evolution of one of the most important bands to emerge in America during the 1970s.
In addition to a full five albums’ worth of outtakes and rarities mixed and resurrected by Tom Camuso (Lenny Kravitz, John Scofield, Steve Earle) and Steve Rosenthal (The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Woody Guthrie) Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982 contains all of the band's first six studio albums.
Remastered using the original analog tapes and cut at Abbey Road Studios, they include:
- Blondie (1976)
- Plastic Letters (1977)
- Parallel Lines (1978)
- Eat to the Beat (1979)
- Autoamerican (1980)
- The Hunter (1982)
The set also comes with extensive liner notes by journalist and author Erin Osmon and track-by-track commentary from all seven of the original band members, namely Stein, frontwoman Debbie Harry, drummer Clem Burke, keyboardist Jimmy Destri, bassist Gary Valentine, guitarist Frank Infante and bassist Nigel Harrison.
Also included are essays by producers Mike Chapman, Richard Gottehrer and Ken Shipley, a 120-page illustrated discography, and hundreds of period photographs.
This ultimate collection will be available as a Super Deluxe Collectors' Edition (comprising 10xLP, 1x7" and 1x10" in red, white and black vinyl formats), plus Deluxe 4LP, Deluxe 8CD and 3CD editions.
Pre-order Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982 here.
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