| Parallel Lines | |||||
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| Studio album by Blondie | |||||
| Released | 23 September, 1978 | ||||
| Recorded | 1978 | ||||
| Genre | New Wave | ||||
| Length | 38:11 | ||||
| Label | Chrysalis Records | ||||
| Producer | Mike Chapman | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| Blondie chronology | |||||
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Parallel Lines, released in 1978, was the third album from the band Blondie, and also their most popular and best selling. It was the first album to be produced by Mike Chapman, who continued producing the band's albums until The Hunter in 1982. The album reached number 1 in the United Kingdom in September 1978. Left to right on the cover are Infante, Stein, Destri, Harry, Burke, Harrison. It contains several of the best-known Blondie hits, including "Heart of Glass," "Hanging on the Telephone", "Sunday Girl" and "One Way or Another." - no fewer than six of the twelve tracks were in fact issued as singles, either in the U.S. or the UK. On Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time Parallel Lines is rated as #140. [1]
Contents |
History
Chrysalis Records CHR 1192 In Euclidian geometry, parallel lines are unique in that they don't connect: most, if not all, of the songs in this album are about two people who can't connect in some fashion, usually romantically. Although the inner sleeve for the record features what appears to be lyrics for a song called "Parallel Lines", and even though it is the album title, no such song exists. "Parallel Lines" was a poem written by Deborah Harry, but it was never set to music. After the worldwide success of the single "Heart of Glass", Chrysalis Records re-issued the album with the extended 12" disco version of the song (5:50) replacing the original (3:52). Subsequent re-issues in the 80s, 90s and 2000s of the Parallel Lines album usually contain the 12" mix while the original album version has become something of a rarity. The U.S. DCC Compact Classics Gold CD re-issue of "Parallel Lines" in 1994 [GSZ 1062] included both the original version as well as the extended version as a bonus track. This issue - probably the best packaged with full album lyrics and all original album cover/label artwork - is quite hard to find and has recently commanded a $100/£50 tag on e-bay. Parallel Lines was ranked 94th in a 2005 survey held by British television's Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 140 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Robert Fripp played guitar on "Fade Away and Radiate." Fripp would also appear as a special guest as the band played London's Hammersmith Odeon in early 1980. One of the tracks performed was David Bowie's "Heroes" and the recording was issued as the B-side to the UK 12" single "Atomic" the same year. The album was digitally remastered and re-issued with four bonus tracks by EMI-Capitol in 2001.
Track listing
- Side one
- "Hanging on the Telephone" (Jack Lee) – 2:17
- "One Way or Another" (Nigel Harrison, Debbie Harry) – 3:31
- "Picture This" (Jimmy Destri, Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) – 2:53
- "Fade Away and Radiate" (Chris Stein) – 3:57
- "Pretty Baby" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) – 3:16
- "I Know But I Don't Know" (Frank Infante) – 3:53
- Side two
- "11:59" (Jimmy Destri) – 3:19
- "Will Anything Happen" (Jack Lee) – 2:55
- "Sunday Girl" (Chris Stein) – 3:01
- "Heart of Glass" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) – 3:52 (later editions 12" Disco Mix - 5:50)
- "I'm Gonna Love You Too" (Joe B. Mauldin, Norman Petty, Niki Sullivan) – 2:03
- "Just Go Away" (Deborah Harry) – 3:21
- 2001 reissue bonus tracks
- "Once I Had a Love (a.k.a. The Disco Song)" (1978 Demo Version) (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein)– 3:18
- "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" (Recorded Live 11/4/78 at The Paradise in Boston, MA) (Marc Bolan) – 5:30
- "I Know But I Don't Know" (Recorded Live 11/6/78 at the Walnut Theatre in Philadelphia, PA) (Frank Infante) – 4:35
- "Hanging on the Telephone" (Recorded Live 1980 in Dallas, TX) (Jack Lee) – 2:21
Personnel
- Deborah Harry - vocals
- Chris Stein - guitar, 12-string guitar, E-bow
- Frank Infante - guitar
- Jimmy Destri - keyboards
- Nigel Harrison - bass guitar
- Clem Burke - drums
- Robert Fripp - guitar on "Fade Away and Radiate"
- Production
- Mike Chapman - record producer
- Recorded at The Record Plant, New York, New York in June & July, 1978. Originally released on Chrysalis (1192).
- Kevin Flaherty - 2002 reissue producer.
Chart positions
UK: 1
USA: 6
Australia: 2
Sweden: 9
Austria: 24
References
