Blondie: the story of the Comeback Album “No Exit”

“No Exit” of the Blondie, the historic Comeback Album of 1999 which marked the return of the band after a 17 -year break, will be republished In a new edition of the remastered and expanded deluxe, to be released on October 31 on BMG. Available for the first time also in vinyl, the album celebrates the extraordinary “second life” of the blondie and retraces its creative rebirth and the return to the international scene. The re -edition is produced by Tommy Manzi and Steve Rosenthal, with Mastering and audio restoration by Jessica Thompson. The updated design gives a new visual dimension to the project: Rob Roth, original photographer and creative director of the disc, returns to deal with the entire packaging. Long date of Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, Roth, today a prominent figure in visual and performative art, had taken the original photos within the legendary New York nightclub Mother, inspired by the obsessions of the late 90s for surveillance, sexuality and entertainment.

“No Exit” was born as an almost unattainable idea, matured after years of distance, individual successes, economic pressures and the determination to return to make music together. And he quickly transformed into one of the most celebrated Comebacks of his time. The album brought Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke and Jimmy Destriwho began to write and record in the basement of Stein in Tribeca, and then continue to the Electric Lady Studios and the Chung King. With them, bassist Leigh Foxx and guitarist Paul Carbonaralong -term collaborators who officially entered into training while the band redefined its identity for a new era. This new alchemy pushed the creativity behind the project, with which the blondie reaffirming that energy, instinct and originality had refined over time. Craig Leon, veteran of the New York punk scene of the 70s, is noticed for his works with Ramones, Suicide, Talking Heads and Richard Hell & The Voidoids. “We did everything to do nothing predictable, but also including those small pop gems that made the famous blondie,” said Debbie Harry. The album title is a reference to Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialist work in which three people are trapped in a room for eternity. “We were working in my basement and Clem continued to scream ‘no exit, no exit, no exit’. We couldn’t stop it – explained Chris Stein – but it was a brilliant concept. We like it immediately”.

Originally published in February 1999, “No Exit” restored the global presence of the blondie. “Maria” became their sixth number one in the UK, twenty years after the triumph of “Heart of Glass”, and made a new generation known the characteristic fusion of melody and energy of the group. Among the other passages of prominent are the intense “Nothing is real but the girl” And the title track, with a coodio featuring that underlined the historical ties of the band with the hip hop. “Under the Gun”tribute to Jeffrey Lee Pierce, e “Boom boom in the zoom zoom room”Autoral Debut of Clem Burke for the group, testify to the expressive breadth of the disc. The album also gave life to the longest tour of the blondie career: thirteen months around the world that reaffirmed live power and cultural impact. This Deluxe Edition comes with a further meaning: it was completed before the disappearance, which took place this year, by Clem Burke. Founding member and rhythmic column of the band for over four decades, Clem’s energy and precision are deeply felt in “No Exit”.