The Best of Blondie by Blondie

The Best of Blondie

by Blondie

Released: October 31, 1981

New wave

musicOnOff editorial

Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Reissue.

01

The Album

"The Best of Blondie", released in October 1981 by Chrysalis Records, is the first greatest hits album by the American rock band Blondie. The album was issued in various versions with different track listings and running orders, reflecting the popularity of certain songs in different countries. The remix of "Heart of Glass" combines elements from both the original album version and the instrumental version.

02

Inside the Recording

This video album was re-released on DVD in 2002, coinciding with the release of Greatest Hits, and included three bonus tracks not on the original release: "The Hardest Part," "Island of Lost Souls," and "Maria." All tracks are produced by Mike Chapman, except for a few produced by Richard Gottehrer and Giorgio Moroder, with all special mixes also produced by Chapman. The US and Canadian editions included "One Way or Another," which was not released as a single in Europe, while the international version featured three tracks not found on the North American release: "Denis," "Picture This," and "Union City Blue." Blondie's producer Mike Chapman remixed three tracks specifically for this album.

Stories and details

Interesting Facts

"In the Flesh" received a Phil Spector-esque mixโ€ฆ

"In the Flesh" received a Phil Spector-esque mix with significant echo, while the remix of "Sunday Girl" blends vocals from the French-language version with the original English version.

Additionally, "Rapture" appears in an edited version ofโ€ฆ

Additionally, "Rapture" appears in an edited version of the 12โ€ณ Disco Mix that includes an extra verse not present on the original album Autoamerican.

The album cover was photographed in June 1978โ€ฆ

The album cover was photographed in June 1978 by Martyn Goddard on a rooftop in Midtown Manhattan.

A video version of the album was alsoโ€ฆ

A video version of the album was also released on VHS, featuring the band's music videos interspersed with footage of a New York City taxi driver seeing Blondie videos on television screens throughout the city.

The video featured "Call Me" during the introโ€ฆ

The video featured "Call Me" during the intro and an incomplete version of "Sunday Girl" in the end credits.

Start listening here

Essential Tracks

01

Heart Of Glass

The remix of "Heart of Glass" combines elements from both the original album version and the instrumental version.

02

Sunday Girl

"In the Flesh" received a Phil Spector-esque mix with significant echo, while the remix of "Sunday Girl" blends vocals from the French-language version with the original English version.

03

One Way Or Another

The US and Canadian editions included "One Way or Another," which was not released as a single in Europe, while the international version featured three tracks not found on the North American release: "Denis," "Picture This," and "Union City Blue." Blondie's producer Mike Chapman remixed three tracks specifically for this album.

04

Call me

The video featured "Call Me" during the intro and an incomplete version of "Sunday Girl" in the end credits.

Then

Reception

It peaked at number four in the UK, number 30 in the US, and became the band's only number-one album in Australia.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"The Best of Blondie", released in October 1981 by Chrysalis Records, is the first greatest hits album by the American rock band Blondie. It peaked at number four in the UK, number 30 in the US, and became the band's only number-one album in Australia. The album was issued in various versions with different track listings and running orders, reflecting the popularity of certain songs in different countries. The US and Canadian editions included "One Way or Another," which was not released as a single in Europe, while the international version featured three tracks not found on the North American release: "Denis," "Picture This," and "Union City Blue."

Blondie's producer Mike Chapman remixed three tracks specifically for this album. The remix of "Heart of Glass" combines elements from both the original album version and the instrumental version. "In the Flesh" received a Phil Spector-esque mix with significant echo, while the remix of "Sunday Girl" blends vocals from the French-language version with the original English version. Additionally, "Rapture" appears in an edited version of the 12โ€ณ Disco Mix that includes an extra verse not present on the original album Autoamerican.

The album cover was photographed in June 1978 by Martyn Goddard on a rooftop in Midtown Manhattan. A video version of the album was also released on VHS, featuring the band's music videos interspersed with footage of a New York City taxi driver seeing Blondie videos on television screens throughout the city. The video featured "Call Me" during the intro and an incomplete version of "Sunday Girl" in the end credits. This video album was re-released on DVD in 2002, coinciding with the release of Greatest Hits, and included three bonus tracks not on the original release: "The Hardest Part," "Island of Lost Souls," and "Maria." All tracks are produced by Mike Chapman, except for a few produced by Richard Gottehrer and Giorgio Moroder, with all special mixes also produced by Chapman.

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