This Band Defined 1979-1981 with 7 MASSIVE SONGS…Then They NEVER Had Another HIT!- Professor of Rock

Coming up, we’re featuring a classic 1980 record from one of the most diverse bands of the era. The Tide is High By Blondie. Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Jimmy Destri, Frank Infante, and Clem Burke were masters of their craft. True masters of hook-laden pop-ditties who had a knack for always hitting pay-dirt… and they did it with a fistful of rock and new wave… unfortunately, this time they had a hitless album on their hands. Or at least that’s what their label Chrysalis told them after listening to it. The record called Auto-American was just too different from anything they had ever done. This unusual collection got no love from the music industry. until it scored two chart-toppers including Rapture the first rap hit and The Tide is High. These 80s #1 hits helped the record reach Platinum status in the US. And really It was kicked off perfectly with today’s featured A track, a cover of an obscure song by the Paragons that became a personal favorite of one of the Fab Four in fact… it ended up replacing John Lennon at #1… Sadly, this record was the end of an era for Blondie. Worn down by a never-ending workload and label pressure to stay on top, these guys bottomed out and never had another hit after having 7 big ones in just 2 years. But was it really the end? We’ll find out… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

Thank you to this episode’s sponsor, Zenni

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Brandon Fugal

Honorary Producers
Holly Hammet, Remnarc, Kevin riley, Paul Moore II, CharleyAnne, Jaimee Hammack

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So After teaming up with powerhouse producer Mike Chapman in the late seventies, the iconic and eclectic band Blondie released a number of commercial hits… gaining a strong following in the UK with 8 Top 15 singles, including #1 hits Heart of Glass and Sunday Girl. Picking up steam in the States, Heart of Glass also took #1, and hits like One Way or Another and Dreaming both cracked the Top 30.

With the classic lineup of Debbie Harry on lead vocals, Chris Stein and Franke Infante on guitar, Jimi Destri on keyboards, Nigel Harrison on bass, and Clem Burke on drums, Blondie scored two US Platinum albums with Parallel Lines and Eat to the Beat. Shifting into the 80s, the band teamed up with disco godfather Giorgio Moroder for the American Gigolo smash hit ‘Call Me’. It was a wild ride for the band, who in the space of just a couple years had risen to the peak of the industry… Enter today’s featured track: The Tide is High from Blondie’s fifth studio album, Autoamerican.

The band would re-enlisted the expertise of producer Mike Chapman for the record. And as Blondie’s label Chrysalis Records looked ahead to the project, they no doubt had dollar signs in their eyes. Over the past couple of years, Blondie had become a cash cow. However, they were in Debbie’s words, “nonplussed” when they discovered Blondie was making a concept album.

Explaining the idea behind Autoamerican, Harry said, “We very much wanted to create a work that went beyond … what Blondie was known for… We wanted to make music that would cross over these boundaries, bring people together. Autoamerican’s theme was diversity—musical,

[ProfessorofRock]

Poll: Straight up! Who is your pick for the GREATEST BAND of the 80s?

[christineml]

"The Tide is High" takes me back to the early 80s when my friends and I packed a car, drove to the roller rink, where we spent every weekend skating, learning to skate, making new friends. Good times. 🙂

[JaySmith-pvmw]

I'm 57 and I still listen to Blondie and will always have a crush on Debbie Harry. "Hanging on the Telephone" and "Sunday Girl" are power pop gems.

[josephalexander]

Professor! I do not know how you produce such great shows so frequently. Writing, researching, and creating the great narratives that not only take me back but help me better understand these songs that have been such a part of my soul all my life. Thank you! Your work, like these songs, will stand the test of time.

[JWM]

Blondie was a Pop, Disco, Punk, Reggae, New Wave, Rock Band. As innovative as they get. I've loved this band for fifty years.

[MyName-plzn]

Say what you will but Blonde and Debbie Harry were never afraid to take chances and change their music, not to just follow trends but to set them. More often hitting than swinging and missing. Amazing catalog of great music with many different styles, I sure everyone wishes they would have stuck together. Cool you introduced your dad to Blonde!! Great episode professor!

[sellingpeck]

Many things in life you never forget. I had just gotten my drivers license. I asked my parents if I could take the station wagon down to the convenience store for my first solo drive.they said I could. I get on the road and flipped on the am radio and pushed the button to a local top 40 station and “Call Me” was playing. I cranked it up, rolled down the window and will never forget that moment.

[tedbecker]

Love that Blondie was able to escape from the genre trap. I never cared about music genres, only great music. I have raised my children the same way. "The Tide is High" is my favorite Blondie song. Thanks for the episode, Professor.

[marcboxerman]

I can think of no other band that so deftly embraced different pop genres, from 50’s rock, to 60s girl-group, to New Wave, to rap.

[mr]

Maria is one of the best "comeback" singles of all time. Just a great tune.

[nathanielbarry]

I had every album from 1976-1981.
This band was one of the main catalysts for changing the musical landscape.

[GrumpyGrandma]

I'm so thankful I got to live through the 70's and all the chnges in music and the 80's which was wonderful.

[brandolph]

Prof, thanks for doing this feature on one of my favorite bands! I have become more of a Blondie fan the past few years than I was in High School when One Way Or Another came out, and made me take notice.
A few notes:
Blondie's "Hunter" tour was extravagant, booking stadiums for the shows. While they were on tour, they learned that Hunter had only sold 12, 000 copies in its release week. They also learned that they were losing money on the tour; they were not making enough to pay for the venues.
And, to top that off, they found out they were broke! Their accountant had screwed them, and not paid taxes during their most prosperous years. This was a huge blow. Finally, Chris Stein collapsed on stage during the tour due to his illness you spoke about, and they had to call the tour quits.
Chris says that when they broke up, he was a million dollars in debt. Debbie talks about watching the IRS remove her clothing & furniture form her house.
They seriously went through hard times. That's one reason I'm so enamored with their story.
Finally, when they decided to reform the band in the mid 90s, they couldn't find a label to sign them! Unbelievable. So they made their own label, and forged ahead. I remember when Maria came out, our heads spun; "That sounds like Blondie!" It's #1 status had to have been a major statement to the industry. Amazing story.
Love your channel, sir.

[toonswap]

Probably the first reggae song I ever heard before I even knew what reggae was. Never fails to cheer me up, bring a smile and get me dancing.

[frankhallahan]

I loved Tide is High so much I bought the album for this one song. I ended up loving almost every song on the album.

[indiedavecomix]

As a young child, I remember "The Tide is High" being my favorite song on the radio. I was probably 4 or 5 but whenever I heard that song on the radio I was absolutely in a toddler crush on the singer. 😂

[eclecticexplorer]

Hits are usually defined by reaching the top 40. By that standard, Blondie had 8 hits -- in the US. ("Island of Lost Souls" reached #37 in 1982, 2 positions higher than "Atomic" in 1980.) But we should never pretend that having hits in other countries doesn't count. Their 1999 release "Maria" achieved top 40 in the Netherlands and New Zealand, top 10 in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, and Sweden, and #1 in the UK. I think it is fair to call that a hit song, even if it peaked at #89 in the US.

[stinkypinkeee]

Clem Burke is a badass drummer...he was in Ramones for a cup of coffee, but he was too refined of a drummer for them, and left after, I believe two gigs...(I may be off a date or two) Blondie is hot lava! Love their stuff!

[barrysmith]

Casey Kasem cannot hold a candle to you, Professor.
Your passion, work ethic and articulate delivery has no rival.

[georgemathie]

Blondie had a fantastic streak of albums from 1978 to 1980 parallel lines, eat to the beat and autoamerican and with those albums created some of the most innovative and fantastic music of the era