BLONDIE – DENIS 12″ – Nr MINT A1/B1 UK 1978  PUNK NEW WAVE

Blondie – Denis
(Chrysalis Records  1978  CHS2204)
Matrix No’s: A1/B1 – UK Pressing

Sleeve in Nr MINT condition

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality)

Blondie is an American rock band founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s. Their first two albums contained strong elements of these genres, and although successful in the United Kingdom and Australia, Blondie was regarded as an underground band in the United States until the release of Parallel Lines in 1978. Over the next three years, the band achieved several hit singles including “Call Me”, “Atomic” and “Heart of Glass” and became noted for its eclectic mix of musical styles incorporating elements of disco, pop, rap, and reggae, while retaining a basic style as a New Wave band.

Blondie broke up after the release of their sixth studio album The Hunter in 1982. Deborah Harry continued to pursue a solo career with varied results after taking a few years off to care for partner Chris Stein, who was diagnosed with pemphigus, a rare autoimmune disease of the skin.

The band reformed in 1997, achieving renewed success and a number one single in the United Kingdom with “Maria” in 1999. The group toured and performed throughout the world during the following years, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Blondie has sold 40 million records worldwide and is still active today. Their ninth studio album, Panic of Girls, was released in 2011.

“Denise” is a 1963 hit by the American doo wop group Randy & the Rainbows, “Denis” was a 1977 gender-swapping cover of the song by the American new wave band Blondie. The cover of the song helped the band break into the international market. It featured on the band’s second studio album, Plastic Letters (1978), and was the second UK single release by Blondie on Chrysalis records.

Track listing

1978 Release

12″ (CHS 2204)

1. “Denis” (Levenson) – 2:18
2. “Contact in Red Square” (Destri) – 2:01
3. “Kung-Fu Girls” (Destri, Harry, Valentine) – 2:33

Personnel

• Deborah Harry – vocals
• Chris Stein – guitar, bass guitar, E-bow on “Youth Nabbed as Sniper”, vibraphone
• James Destri – grand piano, Farfisa organ, Polymoog synthesizer and strings, Roland synthesizer, background vocals
• Clem Burke – premier drums, background vocals
• Frank Infante – bass guitar, background vocals