Maps of Music

The Curse of Blondie (2003)

Where the lyrics of The Curse of Blondie take you, and where it was really made.

The album was made twice: its only demo tapes vanished from luggage at a UK airport, so the material had to be re-recorded.

Key places

Chung King Studios, New York City (2003)

Recording site Chung King Studios — Recording credits list Chung King Studios in New York City as a place where the album was recorded. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Clinton Recording Studios, New York City (2003)

Recording site Clinton Recording — Recording credits list Clinton Recording Studios in New York City as a place where the album was recorded. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Long View Farm Studios, North Brookfield (2003)

Recording site Long View Farm Studios — Long View Farm Studios in North Brookfield is linked to the album as a recording place, and the release credits also mention mixing there. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Power Station at BerkleeNYC, New York City (2003)

Recording site Power Station Studio — Recording credits list Power Station at BerkleeNYC in New York City as a place where the album was recorded. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Glenwood Place Studios, Burbank (2003)

Recording site The Enterprise (Burbank) — Recording credits list Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank; the pin is set at city-center level, not at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• The Curse of Blondie: eighth studio album by the American rock band Blondie
• Released October 2003 (13 October 2003 per the Spanish-language article)
• Peaked at number 36 on the UK Albums Chart
• Working title Phasm 8, which was also the name of the tour the band did before the release
• US release by Sanctuary Records and UK release by Epic Records, per the Spanish-language article
• Some territories got bonus tracks; the US edition included the music video for the single Good Boys
• Re-released in 2004 in the US on DualDisc format, with the CD side holding the album and the DVD side holding the full album in 5.1 surround and stereo, the Good Boys video, a photo gallery and ROM content

Background

• Late 2002: Beyond Music abruptly closed after a dispute
• Blondie then signed with Sony Music
• Craig Leon, who had produced the previous hit album No Exit, started work on this album
• Work took four years: the only demo tapes disappeared from luggage at a UK airport and had to be re-recorded
• Leon ultimately did not produce the album; Steve Thompson largely helmed it, and Jeff Bova produced one track, Good Boys

Recording

• Credited mixer: Steve Thompson on most tracks
• Credited engineers: Danny Bernini, John Goodmanson, Paul Logus, Roy Hendrickson, Tom Weir; assistant engineer Ross Peterson
• Mastering: George Marino
• Arrangements draw on rock, closer to Blondie's earliest recordings
• Rock tracks sit beside dance-pop tracks
• Other styles appear in the record: Japanese traditional music, reggae, jazz and rap
• Hello Joe is an homage to Joey Ramone and references Blitzkrieg Bop

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Formed in New York City in 1974 by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein.
• Originally billed as Angel and the Snake, then Blondie and the Banzai Babies, shortened to Blondie by October 1974.
• The name came from truck drivers who catcalled "Hey, Blondie" to Harry.
• Became regular performers at Max's Kansas City and CBGB, part of the mid-1970s new wave scene.
• Debut album Blondie (1976) was not a commercial success; the band signed with Chrysalis Records in 1977.

Members

• Core members: Debbie Harry (vocals), Chris Stein (guitar), Clem Burke (drums), Jimmy Destri (keyboards).
• Other former members included Gary Valentine, Frank Infante, Nigel Harrison, and Fred Smith.
• Clem Burke died of cancer on April 6, 2025.

Career

• Breakthrough came in Australia and the UK with Plastic Letters (1978) and the hit single "Denis".
• Parallel Lines (1978) became their most successful album, selling about 20 million copies worldwide; "Heart of Glass" topped the UK and US charts.
• Further hits included "Call Me", "The Tide Is High", and "Rapture", the first rap-featuring song to reach US number one.
• The band disbanded in 1982 after The Hunter, reformed in 1997, and had their sixth UK number one with "Maria" in 1999.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006; has sold over 40 million records worldwide.
• Pollinator (2017) peaked at number four in the UK; a new album, High Noon, is scheduled for February 26, 2027.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Mixed reviews: some critics called it a good or very good album, others said it marked a downfall for the band
• Uncut praised the songwriting and soundcrafting, calling the record a pop masterclass
• Blender noted the maturity with which the band experimented with different genres
• Following the release, the band went on a two-year world tour with more than 160 gigs in Europe, Asia, the three Americas and Oceania
• TV performances included The Today Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, Good Day Live, Top of the Pops, and the specials Women Rock! and VH1 Divas Live
• The band performed on Live by Request, and that performance was later released as a CD/DVD

Reappraisal

• Metacritic score of 63 out of 100 (French-language article)
• Despite the single's success, the album itself performed poorly on the charts

Records

• UK Albums Chart: number 36
• US (Billboard 200): number 160
• Good Boys peaked at number 12 in the UK and was a dance hit in the USA
• Promo singles of Undone were sent to radio, with no official release
• Sales: 34,000 copies in the United States as of 9 August 2005

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The working title Phasm 8 was also the name of the tour the band ran before the album came out.
• The only demo tapes were lost in luggage at a UK airport, so the material had to be recorded again.
• Hello Joe is a homage to Joey Ramone and swaps the Blitzkrieg Bop line hey ho, let's go! for hey ho, hola Joe!
• Good Boys was the only official single; it was a dance hit in the USA.
• Promo singles of Undone went to radio without an official release.
• The US edition came with the Good Boys music video, and a 2004 DualDisc edition added a DVD side.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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