I was living Wimborne, England when PARALLEL LINES was released. New music was all around us, from Elvis Costello and Kraftwerk to Van Halen and Rush, Dire Straits and Talking Heads to The Jam and Kate Bush.
We would exchange cassettes of mixed tapes on the school bus, but my group of friends were more into Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath than any of the new bands. Saying that everyone on our bus instantly fell for Blondie who had created a winning formula of commercial punk/pop.
Debbie Harry was the new wave version of Marilyn Monroe, with killer looks and a vocal range that could both tease and terrify you. The band found their signature sound under the control of their pedantic producer/songwriter Mike Chapman. Chris Stein's hook-laden power pop guitar riffs, Clem Burke's disco drum beats and Debbie Harrys ability to make her voice stay in your head, made this album an instant classic.
PARALLEL LINES and its spin on teenage angst and attitude, won our hearts and shot to the top of the UK charts. The album spawned 6 singles including the international hit "Heart Of Glass".
SINGLES:
- "Picture This"
- "I'm Gonna Love You Too"
- "Hanging On The Telephone"
- "Heart Of Glass"
- "Sunday Girl"
- "One Way Or Another"