Big news for Blondie fans: The legendary new wavers have announced their first-ever box set, Blondie: Against the Odds 1974-1982. Out on August 26th via UMe and The Numero Group, the package compiles 124 tracks from the band’s storied career, including 36 previously unreleased songs.
Against the Odds features remastered versions of Blondie’s first six albums — Blondie, Plastic Letters, Parallel Lines, Eat to the Beat, Autoamerican, and The Hunter — as well as their first studio session, alternate versions, outtakes, and demos. What’s more, the box set offers track by track commentary by all seven of the original band members in a huge set of liner notes that also includes unpublished photos of the band and a 120-page illustrated discography.
Blondie: Against the Odds 1974-1982 is available as 10xLP and 8xCD super deluxe collectors’ edition or 4xLP or 3xCD deluxe. Pre-orders are ongoing.
“It really is a treat to see how far we have come when I listen to these early attempts to capture our ideas on relatively primitive equipment,” said Debbie Harry in a statement. “Fortunately the essence of being in a band in the early 70’s held some of the anti-social, counter culture energies of the groups that were the influencers of the 60’s. I am excited about this special collection. When I listen to these old tracks, it puts me there like I am a time traveler. As bad as it was sometimes, it was also equally as good. No regrets. More music.”
As a preview of the box set, Blondie shared a previously unreleased cover of The Doors’ 1967 single “Moonlight Drive.” Stream it below.
Last year, Blondie gifted their artsier fans with the similarly titled Against the Odds graphic novel, and Harry and Chris Stein went deep on the proto-hip-hop classic “Rapture.” This August, the duo and the rest of Blondie will hit the road with The Damned for a US tour. Tickets to those shows are on sale now via Ticketmaster.
Blondie: Against the Odds 1974-1982 Super Deluxe Collectors’ Edition Tracklist:
Blondie
Side A
01. X Offender
02. Little Girl Lies
03. In the Flesh
04. Look Good in Blue
05. In the Sun
06. A Shark in Jets Clothing
Side B
01. Man Overboard
02. Rip Her to Shreds
03. Rifle Range
04. Kung Fu Girl
05. The Attack of the Giant Ants
Plastic Letters
Side A
01. Fan Mail
02. Denis
03. Bermuda Triangle Blues (Flight 45)
04. Youth Nabbed as Sniper
05. Contact in Red Square
06. (I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear
07. I’m on E
Side B
01. I Didn’t Have the Nerve to Say No
02. Love at the Pier
03. No Imagination
04. Kidnapper
05. Detroit 442
06. Cautious Lip
Parallel Lines
Side A
01. Hanging on the Telephone
02. One Way or Another
03. Picture This
04. Fade Away and Radiate
05. Pretty Baby
06. I Know But I Don’t Know
Side B
01. 11:59
02. Will Anything Happen
03. Sunday Girl
04. Heart of Glass
05. I’m Gonna Love You Too
06. Just Go Away
Eat to The Beat
Side A
01. Dreaming
02. The Hardest Part
03. Union City Blue
04. Shayla
05. Eat to the Beat
06. Accidents Never Happen
Side B
01. Die Young Stay Pretty
02. Slow Motion
03. Atomic
04. Sound-A-Sleep
05. Victor
06. Living in the Real World
Autoamerican
Side A
01. Europa
02. Live It Up
03. Here’s Looking at You
04. The Tide Is High
05. Angels on the Balcony
06. Go Through It
Side B
01. Do the Dark
02. Rapture
03. Faces
04. T-Birds
05. Walk Like Me
06. Follow Me
The Hunter
Side A
01. Orchid Club
02. Island of Lost Souls
03. Dragonfly
04. For Your Eyes Only
05. The Beast
Side B
01. War Child
02. Little Caesar
03. Danceway
04. (Can I) Find the Right Words (To Say)
05. English Boys
06. The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game
Bonus Tracks
7-inch 45 rpm
01. Moonlight Drive
02. Mr. Sightseer
10-inch LP Outtakes & Rarities – Out in the Streets
Side A (1974 Session)
01. Out in the Streets (1974)
02. The Disco Song
03. Sexy Ida
Side B (Betrock Demo)
01. Platinum Blonde
02. The Thin Line
03. Puerto Rico
04. Once I Had a Love (1975)
05. Out in the Streets (1975)
LP 1 Outtakes & Rarities – Plaza Sound
Side A
01. X Offender (Intro)
02. X Offender (Private Stock Single)
03. In the Sun (Private Stock Single)
04. Little Girl Lies (Private Stock Mix)
05. In the Flesh (Extended Intro)
06. A Shark in Jets Clothing (Take 2)
07. Kung Fu Girls (Take 8)
08. Scenery
Side B
01. Denis (Terry Ellis Mix)
02. Bermuda Triangle Blues – Flight 45 (Take 1)
03. I Didn’t Have the Nerve to Say No (Take 1)
04. I’m on E (Take 2)
05. Kidnapper (Take 2)
06. Detroit 442 (Take 2)
07. Poets Problem
LP 2 Outtakes & Rarities – Parallel Beats
Side A
01. Once I Had a Love (Mike Chapman Demo)
02. Sunday Girl (French Version)
03. I’ll Never Break Away from This Heart of Mine (Pretty Baby)
04. Hanging on the Telephone (Mike Chapman Demo)
05. Will Anything Happen (Instrumental)
06. Underground Girl
Side B
01. Call Me
02. Spaghetti Song (Atomic Part 2)
03. Die Young Stay Pretty (Take 1)
04. Union City Blue (Instrumental)
05. Llámame
LP 3 Out-takes & Rarities – Coca Cola
Side A
01. I Love You Honey, Give Me a Beer (Go Through It)
02. Live It Up (Giorgio Moroder Demo)
03. Angels on the Balcony (Giorgio Moroder Demo)
04. Tide Is High (Demo)
05. Susie & Jeffrey
Side B
01. Rapture (Disco Version)
02. Autoamerican Ad
03. Yuletide Throwdown
LP 4 Outtakes & Rarities – Home Tapes
Side A
01. Nameless (Home Tape)
02. Sunday Girl (Home Tape)
03. Theme From Topkapi (Home Tape)
04. The Hardest Part (Home Tape)
05. Ring of Fire (Home Tape)
Side B
01. War Child (Chris Stein Mix)
02. Call Me (Chris Stein Mix)
03. Heart of Glass (Chris Stein Mix)