Blondie: Plastic Letters

Blondie is a rock band from New York that has enjoyed enduring popularity since its inception by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein in 1974. With Debbie as lead vocals and Chris on guitar and bass, the band exuded a unique punk/new wave vibe.

The band quickly took on new members, including Billy O'Connor on drums and Fred Smith on bass, although their stays were short-lived, as they were replaced by Clem Burke on drums, percussion and backing vocals, Jimmy Destri on keyboards and backing vocals and Gary Valentine on bass and guitar.

After signing to Private Stock Records, Blondie's first (self-titled) album was released in 1976. Although it never became a big success, it was well received in Australia.

The band then signed to Chrysalis Records, releasing a second album in February 1978, entitled Plastic Letters. Although the album again failed to make an impression on the American charts, it enjoyed success in Europe and Australia, peaking at number 10 in the UK charts.

Only two singles were released from Plastic Letters, and the album's subsequent success was largely due to the popularity of these singles alone. The first single release, Denis, was a cover of the 1963 hit Denise by Randy & The Rainbows. With Debbie Harry putting her own twist to the song, even singing some of it in French, the single got the thumbs up from music fans, and it reached number two in the UK.

Gary Valentine was accredited for writing the second single released from Plastic Letters, although he was no longer in the band by the time the single hit the charts. Entitled (I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear, the song made it to number 10 in the British charts and did well throughout Europe, although it was never released in the band's native America.

Plastic Letters demonstrates the versatility and eclectic nature of Blondie, with Debbie Harry successfully assuming a variety of playful roles in an assortment of singing styles. With a mixture of fast, slow and mid-tempo beats, most of the songs on the album are less than three minutes long. Exuding a sense of fun, energy and creativity, the album covers themes such as a one night stand, a plane crash, a sniper victim, finding love at a pier and the kidnapping of a teenage girl.

Plastic Letters was re-issued in 1994 and 2001, featuring bonus tracks including the band's most popular single to date, Heart of Glass. Heart of Glass was taken from Blondie's third album, Parallel Lines. Released in 1979, the single was a number one hit in the UK and other countries, including America, where the band had previously had limited success.



With 40 million records sold worldwide, Blondie is still going strong today, having released their 11th album in 2017, entitled Pollinator. Original founders Debbie Harry and Chris Stein are now joined by Clem Burke, Leigh Foxx, Matt Katz-Bohen and Tommy Kessler in the group.

Whether you own a copy of Plastic Letters, or other albums by Blondie or other artists, you can keep all of your CDs tidily stored away in the wide range of storage boxes and containers available from Solent Plastics.