Blondie
In contrast to the heroin-fueled, raw farage power offered by the Stooges, the stilettos-and-lipstick glam of the New York Dolls, and the turtlenecked, literary-minded experimentalism of the Talking Heads, Blondie were the embodiment of sweetly seductive, powder-puff pop wrapped in punk sandpaper. Built on a foundation of wistful '60s girl-group pop spiked with tough-chick lyricism, Blondie walked a fine line between innocent good girl/seductive bad girl imagery: in their songs, the dewy-eyed sex kitten may have been purring contentedly, but her claws were razor sharp. The formula worked well enough for the band to become a major mainstream force -- vocalist Debbie Harry's striking beauty was certainly no hindrance -producing new wave hits that appealed to types far beyond those who frequented CBGB's. The band continued to create new, inventive music by covering obscure artists (the Nerves, the Paragons) and delving into then-widely unexplored genres (ska, reggae, rap), cementing their reputation as founding punk figures and musical experimentalists.
Blondie Concert Films
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Blondie Live! The Farewell Concert 1982
Blondie
Year: 1981
Runtime: 56 min
As the most successful cross-over band ever, Blondie sold more than 15 million albums with a string of mega-hits. It is hard to understand why at the height of their worldwide success, Blondie abruptly called it quits. Before their break up, they performed one last spectacular concert and this is it! -
Live At CBGB 1977
Blondie
Year: 1977
Runtime: 48 min
This 47-minute concert captures an iconic band and front woman on the rise playing in their natural habitat: New York's legendary CBGB -
Live at The Enmore Theatre
Blondie
Year: 2010
Runtime: 1 hr 16 min
Blondie emerged from the late 70's New York punk scene and quickly became music, style and pop culture icons selling more than 40 million albums. They scored hits with reggae, rock/disco, hip hop and pop songs bursting with great hooks and brilliant, ironic lyrics. Here they are performing at The Enmore Theatre, in Sydney, Australia, on December 8, 2010. -
Live on Soundstage
Blondie
Year: 2006
Runtime: 56 min
Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, Blondie is still putting out new music and rocking out for fans everywhere! Debbie Harry and her band bring their mix of pop, rock and punk sounds to Soundstage, performing hits such as “The Tide is High”, “One Way or Another”, and “Heart of Glass” in an electrifying concert. -
Queens of Pop
Blondie
Year: 2011
Runtime: 28 min
In January 2011, ARTE viewers voted for the ‘Queens of Pop’. 8 pop queens were chosen from 50 proposals and these are presented in a 26-minute documentary: From the 1960s: Diana Ross. From the 1970s: Donna Summer and Debbie Harry. From the 1980s: Madonna. From the 1990s: Britney Spears and Mariah Carey. From 2000-2009: Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. The title of the programme, ‘Queens of Pop’, in itself shows where the emphasis lies – none of those simplistic chart rankings, but instead a documentary series that looks at our cultural history, dealing with the women who shaped popular music over the past fifty years.
Blondie Top Tracks
Related Artists
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Butch Devo and the Sundance Gig
Devo
Year: 1996
Runtime: 1 hr 6 min
In '96, Devo closed The Sundance Film Festival. They wore 20s style prison suits and dished out classic DEVO songs to an unsuspecting audience of Hollywood elite. -
Dream Of Life
Patti Smith
Year: 2017
Runtime: 1 hr 49 min
Eleven years in the making, Patti Smith: Dream of Life is a unique and intimate portrait of the renowned singer, songwriter, poet and activist. Patti Smith’s music, poetry, and politics are fearless, funny, raw, and original. A beautiful collage of images, memories and performances illuminate the complexities, and captures the essence, of this distinctive, legendary icon. The film follows Patti Smith’s punk-icon roots in the 70s through the trials of daily life and untimely deaths that have formed her life and art. Smith tells the story of her early days in New York City and the people that are dearest to her including her late husband Fred Sonic Smith, Allen Ginsburg, Robert Mapplethorpe, and others, her family, and the political causes for which she so deeply struggled. -
Detour Live At Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Elvis Costello
Year: 2017
Runtime: 1 hr 46 min
Elvis Costello brings his solo show Detour to the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Combining classic songs performed with guitar or at the piano with reminiscences of his family, life and career, it is by turns touching, humorous, thoughtful and uplifting. The set features recent songs such as “Church Underground” and “Jimmie Standing In The Rain” alongside much loved tracks from across his career including “Watching The Detectives, ” “A Good Year For The Roses, ” “Accidents Will Happen, ” “Shipbuilding” and “I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down” all given a new twist in their solo renditions. The show also features guest appearances by sister act Larkin Poe. -
Live in Chicago
Stevie Nicks
Year: 2008
Runtime: 1 hr 54 min
Soundstage captures a radiant Stevie Nicks in her first filmed solo performance since 1987. "Live In Chicago" includes all the timeless Nicks songs from her solo projects as well as songs written as a member of the legendary rockers Fleetwood Mac. Along with Stevie classics such as "Stand Back," "Rhiannon," "Dreams," "Gold Dust Woman," "Landslide" and "Edge Of Seventeen," the video also features stunning cover songs, including Dave Matthews' "Crash Into Me" and a tear-down-the-house finale of Led Zeppelin's "Rock And Roll." -
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
David Bowie
Year: 1972
Runtime: 1 hr 27 min
The digitally remastered glam-rock classic features David Bowie as his gender-bending alter-ego Ziggy Stardust, in his final performance given at London’s Hammersmith Odeon in 1973. -
Night at Sky Church
Heart
Year: 2010
Runtime: 1 hr 28 min
Ann and Nancy Wilson first showed the world that women can rock when their band Heart stormed the charts in the 1970s with songs like "Crazy On You," "Barracuda," and "Magic Man." They continued their string of huge hits in the decades that followed with songs like "Alone," "Never," "These Dreams,"and many more. HEART NIGHT AT SKY CHURCH, filmed live on March 5, 2010, takes Heart fans on what truly feels like the musical ride of a lifetime. HEART NIGHT AT SKY CHURCH showcases the band's biggest hits, introduces some of their newest songs, and features a guest appearance by multiple Grammy® award-winner, Alison Krauss. -
Certifiable
The Police
Year: 2008
Runtime: 1 hr 49 min
Filmed in Buenos Aires during the record-breaking 30th Anniversary World Tour, 'Certifiable' is the culmination of the phenomenal reunion of The Police. With a set list that reads like the ultimate Police greatest hits show, the legendary trio perform all their classic tracks including 'Roxanne', 'Every Breath You Take', 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' and 'Message In A Bottle'. -
Queens of Pop
Donna Summer
Year: 2011
Runtime: 27 min
In January 2011, ARTE viewers voted for the ‘Queens of Pop’. 8 pop queens were chosen from 50 proposals and these are presented in a 26-minute documentary: From the 1960s: Diana Ross. From the 1970s: Donna Summer and Debbie Harry. From the 1980s: Madonna. From the 1990s: Britney Spears and Mariah Carey. From 2000-2009: Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. The title of the programme, ‘Queens of Pop’, in itself shows where the emphasis lies – none of those simplistic chart rankings, but instead a documentary series that looks at our cultural history, dealing with the women who shaped popular music over the past fifty years. -
Live at Soundstage
Cyndi Lauper
Year: 2004
Runtime: 55 min
Cyndi Lauper, the punky New York princess who just wanted to have fun in the 80's, has matured into a woman who can add an organic honesty to classic standards, as featured on this Soundstage and in her most recent album At Last. From Edith Piaf's "La Vie En Rose" and "Hymn to Love," to the playful "Makin' Whoopee," to somber serenades like "Unchained Melody," "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and "Walk on By," Lauper elevates her adoring audience with a revealing candor, an impressive range and a pensive sense for interpretation.
But her performance is also a celebration with Lauper's innate sparkle shining through the fun flashbacks "Time After Time," "True Colors," "Money Changes Everything," "Shine" and, of course, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun." With the audience dancing on chairs, and the artist running up the aisles and delivering anecdotal asides, Grammy-winning Lauper reveals that she's a true performer - at ease with her identity as a modern pop powerhouse, but prepared to revel in her most recent reincarnation. -
Live at The Enmore Theatre
The Pretenders
Year: 2010
Runtime: 1 hr 7 min
The classic rockers The Pretenders treated Sydney’s Enmore Theatre to an evening of big hits, proving their status as music legends. -
With The Wild Crowd: Live in Athens, GA
The B52s
Year: 2012
Runtime: 1 hr 37 min
The B-52s performed their first ever gig in February 1977. 34 years later, on Valentine’s Day 2011, they returned to their home town of Athens, Georgia to celebrate with this brilliant live show. Wig-wearing, boa-draped, glitter-covered fans came to join in and saw the band deliver a sizzling 90 minute set that turned Athens’ Classic Center into a cosmic dancehall. A B-52s live show is always the best party in town, yet here in front of their home crowd they even managed to turn it up a notch further. Packed with all their fan’s favorites, this is high spirited good time rock ‘n’ roll packed with great tunes, wild romance, blood pumping grooves and a lot of fun! -
Stop Making Sense
Talking Heads
Year: 1983
Runtime: 1 hr 28 min
Stop Making Sense is director Jonathan Demme's remarkable concert film that captures the enormous energy and joyous highs of the Talking Heads live performance. Band members David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison are joined by Bernie Worrell, Alex Weir, Steve Scales, Lynn Mabry and Edna Holt in this groundbreaking concert film that is packed with the Talking Heads most memorable songs. Wall-to-wall music, beautiful cinematography and the legendary "Big Suit" make this "one of the greatest rock movies ever made" (Rolling Stone). -
Friday the Thirteenth
The Stranglers
Year: 1996
Runtime: 58 min
Probably the most enduring band of the UK punk/new wave era, the legendary Stranglers perform live at Londons spectacular Royal Albert Hall. Accompanied by The Electra Strings -
More Than This
Roxy Music
Year: 2005
Runtime: 52 min
Roxy Musics unique blend of avant-garde rock music and high style set the tone for the whole glam rock era. They were much imitated, but never equalled. This documentary tells the story of Roxy Music through new interviews with band members Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay, Paul Thompson, Brian Eno, and Eddie Jobson plus many of their contemporaries. The program covers their early years, the classic seventies albums, their re-emergence with a much smoother style in the early eighties, the bands break up and then their hugely successful reunion in the 21st century. The final 15 or so minutes is what fans will be looking forward to the most. From a London concert in 2006, Roxy Music are shown playing "Both Ends Burning," "Editions of You," and "Do The Strand." For anyone interested in the history of one of seventies most inscrutable bands, Roxy Music - More Than This is an excellent addition to your collection. -
Classic Albums: Rio
Duran Duran
Year: 1981
Runtime: 52 min
This latest addition to the acclaimed Classic Albums series takes us to the early eighties and the release of Duran Duran's second album "Rio". Released against a backdrop of riots, record unemployment, and the Falklands War, this optimistic and celebratory album would generate a string of hit singles and groundbreaking videos and catapult Duran Duran to global stardom. This documentary tells the story behind the writing, recording, and subsequent success of the album through newly filmed interviews, musical demonstrations, and both new and archive performances.
