londie is an American rock band founded in New York City in 1974 by singer-songwriter Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American new wave and punk scenes of the mid-70s, developing their sound in famous NYC clubs such as CBGBs. With hits such as “Atomic”, “Call Me”. “Heart of Glass”, and “Maria” as well as sales of over 40 million records worldwide, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Their original lineup consisted of Deborah Harry (vocals), Chris Stein (guitar, bass guitar), Clem Burke (drums, percussion), Jimmy Destri (keyboards), and Gary Valentine (bass guitar, guitar).
Band lore states that their name came from both a flippant reference to Adolf Hitler’s dog Blondie as well as vocalist Harry’s bright blond hair. Previously having been a Playboy Bunny, Harry fronted the early version of the band. initially known as “Angel and the Snakes”. They built up underground fame in NYC. Blondie released their first album, ‘Blondie’, in 1976. The album was mildly successful and spawned the Australian hit single “In the Flesh”. Gary Valentine left the band later that year, and they continued briefly as a foursome, recording ‘Plastic Letters’ and gaining more airplay with their track “Denis”. Still in touch with their punk roots, having played in clubs such as CBGBs and hung out with rock artists such as the Ramones, the band broke out into other, more diverse influences such as older dance and pop music, particularly interested in Phil Spector’s ‘wall of sound’ technique.
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