Heart of Glass (song)
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| “Heart of Glass” | |||||
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| Single by Blondie from the album Parallel Lines |
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| Released | January 28, 1979 | ||||
| Format | 7", 12" Vinyl | ||||
| Recorded | September 23, 1978 | ||||
| Genre | Disco | ||||
| Length | 3:22 (US single version) 3:54 (LP, UK single versions) |
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| Label | Chrysalis | ||||
| Writer(s) | Deborah Harry Chris Stein |
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| Producer | Mike Chapman | ||||
| Certification | Platinum (UK), Platinum (NZ), Gold (US), Gold (Germany) | ||||
| Blondie singles chronology | |||||
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| Audio sample | |||||
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| Alternate cover | |||||
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| US edition of the "Heart Of Glass" single with alternate cover art. | |||||
"Heart of Glass" is a song by American New Wave band Blondie. Featured on the band's 1978 album, Parallel Lines, "Heart of Glass" was very popular when released as a single, topping the charts in several countries, including the US and UK. The song ranked #79 on VH1's 100 Greatest Dance Songs in Rock and Roll in 2000.
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[edit] History
"Heart of Glass" was originally recorded in 1975 under the name "Once I Had a Love," and was much slower with a blues/reggae vibe to it. The song was frequently performed on tours, then was re-recorded with the same title in 1978, when the song was made a bit more rock-oriented. When Blondie recorded the album Parallel Lines, disco was big on the music scene, and producer Mike Chapman decided to give the song the disco twist that made the song what it is today, and one of the best-known Blondie recordings. For the single release the track was remixed by Chapman with the double-tracked bass drum even more accentuated.
The song was released in January 1979, and reached number one in both the US and the UK. The UK B-side was "Rifle Range", from Blondie's self titled debut album while the US single used the Parallel Lines track "11:59". The accompanying music video for "Heart of Glass" was filmed at Studio 54 in New York City.
The versions appearing on the 7" single issued in early 1979 varied from country to country, some used the regular album version (UK, 3:54), others an edited album version (US, 3:22) and others an edited version of the 12" Disco Mix (4:10), which is the one usually found on current hits compilations like the 1994 anthology The Platinum Collection, Greatest Hits: Sight + Sound (2005) and Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision (2006). For the band's very first hits compilation, 1981's The Best of Blondie, producer Mike Chapman created a special mix including elements from both the 12" Disco Version and the 12" Instrumental (4:33). The 1981 version appears on 2002's Greatest Hits.
[edit] Controversy
Almost immediately after its release, "Heart of Glass" became the subject of controversy because of its disco sound. At the time, Blondie was one of the bands at the forefront of New York's growing New Wave musical scene. Suddenly they found themselves accused of "selling out" for releasing a disco song. According to Blondie frontwoman Deborah Harry, "Heart of Glass" made the band pariahs in the eyes of many of their fellow musicians in the New York music scene. The band was accused of pandering to the mainstream that many punk/new wave bands at the time were actively rebelling against.
There was also the issue of the use of the expression "pain in the ass" within the lyrics which, at the time, did not sit easily with the BBC. The radio version changed it to "heart of glass." In Australia, the song was banned from radio for its "strong language."
Despite the controversy, the song was a huge hit and helped propel Blondie from cult group to mainstream icons. The band itself has acknowledged the success of the song in helping their careers and has downplayed criticism of the song, pointing out that Blondie always experimented with different styles of music and that "Heart of Glass" was their take on disco. The band itself has jokingly taken to referring to the song as "The Disco Song" in interviews.
[edit] Track listing
- UK 7" (CHS 2276)
- "Heart of Glass" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) – 3:54
- "Rifle Range" (Stein, R. Toast) – 3:41
- UK 12" (CHS 12 2276)
- "Heart of Glass" (12" Disco Version) (Harry, Stein) – 5:50
- "Heart of Glass" (12" Instrumental) (Harry, Stein) – 5:14
- "Rifle Range" (Stein, R. Toast) – 3:41
- US 7" (CHS 2295)
- "Heart of Glass" (Harry, Stein) – 3:22
- "11:59" (Jimmy Destri) – 3:19
- US 12" (CDS 2295)
- "Heart of Glass" (12" Disco Version) (Harry, Stein) – 5:50
- "Heart of Glass" (12" Instrumental) (Harry, Stein) – 5:14
[edit] Remixes and samplings
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"Heart of Glass" intro (1978) the "Heart of Glass" beatbox intro, sampled by among others Missy Elliott - Problems playing the files? See media help.
The first official remix of "Heart of Glass", by Shep Pettibone, appeared on the Blondie/Debbie Harry remix compilation Once More into the Bleach in 1988 and was also issued as a single in certain territories. The song was remixed by Diddy and re-released again in July 1995, reaching number 15 in the UK Singles Chart and was included on the 1995 remix compilation Beautiful - The Remix Album. In 2007, Positiva Records released a seven-track EP consisting of the original radio and album versions of the song, plus five new remixes by DJ Edison. Missy Elliott's 2003 hit "Work It" sampled the famous Roland CR-78 drum machine intro from the track.
[edit] Chart peaks
| Chart (1979) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| US | 1 |
| UK | 1 |
| Australia | 1 |
| Austria | 1 |
| New Zealand | 1 |
| Germany | 1 |
| Switzerland | 1 |
| Ireland | 2 |
| Sweden | 3 |
| Norway | 5 |
| Italy | 33 |
[edit] References
- Debbie Harry, Victor Bockris, Chris Stein (1982): Making Tracks: The Rise Of Blondie. Horizon Book Promotions. ISBN 0 440 55150 1.
- Fred Bronson (1988): "Heart of Glass". The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. Billboard.
- Cathay Che (1999): Deborah Harry: Platinum Blonde. André Deutsch Publications. ISBN 0 223 99957 4.
- Tom Maginnis: "'Heart of Glass': Song Review". All Music Guide.
- Douglas Wolk (March 2006): "The Greatest Songs Ever! 'Heart of Glass'". Blender magazine.
| Preceded by "Le Freak" by Chic |
Australian Kent Music Report number one single April 2, 1979 - April 30, 1979 |
Succeeded by "Lay Your Love on Me" by Racey |
| Preceded by "Knock on Wood" by Amii Stewart |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single April 28, 1979 |
Succeeded by "Reunited" by Peaches & Herb |
| Preceded by "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" by Ian Dury & The Blockheads |
UK number one single January 28, 1979 |
Succeeded by "Tragedy" by Bee Gees |
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