Dancing on the Edge: How Blondie's "Heart of Glass" helped to change the trajectory of dance music.

The Twelve Inch 126 : "Heart Of Glass" (Blondie)

Welcome, I’m Pe Dupre and this is “The Twelve Inch”, a newsletter that tells the history of dance music between 1975 and 1995, one twelve inch at a time.

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Introduction: The Unexpected Fusion

What happens when you blend the raw energy of punk, the cool detachment of New Wave & Electro, and the irresistible pulse of disco? For Blondie in 1979, the answer was the groundbreaking track "Heart of Glass." This song became a global sensation, bridging musical worlds that, on the surface, seemed miles apart. But why did a band rooted in punk's gritty underground dive into the glitzy world of disco? Was it an accident, opportunism, or a bold conviction?

Blondie’s Early Days: Punk Beginnings and European Success

Blondie emerged in 1974, quickly establishing themselves as pioneers of New York’s New Wave scene. They became regulars at iconic venues like CBGB’s, captivating audiences with their blend of punk, pop, and style. Their first two albums found success overseas, particularly in Australia, the UK, and Europe. The single "Denis" became a massive hit in the Benelux, reaching No. 1, and achieving top 10 status in various European territories. However, mainstream success in the U.S. remained elusive.

The Making of "Parallel Lines"

By June 1978, Blondie entered the studio to record their third album, Parallel Lines, this time with hitmaker Mike Chapman at the helm. Known for his polished and commercial productions with artists like Mud, Smokie, The Sweet and Suzi Quatro, Chapman was a perfect fit to help Blondie refine their sound for a broader audience.

By the late 1970s, New York City was a melting pot of musical styles, but it was also a city in crisis. The Big Apple was bankrupt, crime rates were soaring, and the infrastructure was crumbling. (read more on this in my episode 114 on “The Magnificent Seven” by The Clash) Yet, amidst this decay, the city was a hotbed for artistic experimentation. From the gritty clubs of the Bowery to the underground discos of Manhattan, musicians were pushing boundaries, blurring lines between genres, and redefining what popular music could be.

The Birth of "Heart of Glass"

Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, the duo behind Blondie, were deeply in tune with the pulse of their hometown. One of their first creative sparks came with “Once I Had A Love,” a track laced with disco vibes, drawing inspiration from The Hues Corporation’s 1974 hit “Rock The Boat.” But in the gritty mid-70s, when punk and (later) New Wave were clawing their way to the forefront, putting out a disco track was far from ideal for a band trying to make its mark in those scenes. So, the song was shelved, left incomplete, waiting for its moment.

Debbie Harry recalls : In 1974, we were living in a loft in New York’s then notorious Bowery area, rehearsing at night in rooms so cold we had to wear gloves. Heart of Glass was one of the first songs Blondie wrote, but it was years before we recorded it properly. We’d tried it as a ballad, as reggae, but it never quite worked. At that point, it had no title. We just called it “the disco song”.

From “Disco Song” to Global Hit: Chapman’s Influence

It all changed when they met their new producer : “Then, in 1978, we got this producer, Mike Chapman, who asked us to play all the songs we had. At the end, he said: “Have you got anything else?” We sheepishly said: “Well, there is this old one.” He liked it – he thought it was very pretty and started to pull it into focus. The boys in the band had got their hands on a new toy: this little Roland drum machine. One day, we were fiddling around with it and Chapman said: “That’s a great sound.” So we used it.” That “disco song” became “Heart Of Glass”. Released as the third single from Parallel Lines, "Heart of Glass" became Blondie’s first American hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1979.

Disco Backlash and Punk Credibility

By 1979, disco was still dominant in the charts, driven by the success of Saturday Night Fever. Nearly every number one hit in the first half of the year was drenched in disco beats. But the genre's golden era was on borrowed time, with a backlash looming just around the corner. For many artists who hopped on the "disco train" too late, it spelled disaster. (as I explained in episode 113 about Dan Hartman) Even those who rode the wave at its peak weren't spared the criticism, often branded as "sell-outs." Blondie and Debbie Harry were no exception—they too felt the sting of being caught in the crossfire of disco's rise and fall.

Debbie Harry recalls : Back then, it was very unusual for a guitar band to be using computerised sound. People got nervous and angry about us bringing different influences into rock. Although we’d covered Lady Marmalade and I Feel Love at gigs, lots of people were mad at us for “going disco” with Heart of Glass. There was the Disco Sucks! movement, and there had even been a riot in Chicago, with people burning disco records. Clem Burke, our drummer, refused to play the song live at first. When it became a hit, he said: “I guess I’ll have to.”

A Hit Amidst Controversy

The origins of the song’s disco flair remain a bit of a mystery, with varying accounts adding to its intrigue. Some say it was producer Mike Chapman who persuaded Debbie Harry and Chris Stein to infuse the track with a disco groove. Other times, Chapman credits Harry herself with the idea. Regardless of who had the final say, one thing is certain: Harry has often said that “Heart of Glass,” alongside “Rapture,” is the song she’s most proud of having written.

Even after 45 years since its release, Debbie Harry still faces questions about it. (see the “Further Reading” section) According to 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 rebeling against. Chris Stein was unrepentant about the song's disco sound, saying, "As far as I was concerned, disco was part of R&B, which I'd always liked."

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 they always experimented with different styles of music and that "Heart of Glass" was their take on disco. So was it “opportunism” or the “conviction” (they convey in their later interviews) ? It was probably a bit of both.

The End Justifies The Means

One of the toughest challenges at the start of a promising career is knowing when to play it safe and when to take a bold leap. As I dove into the story of this song and Blondie’s rise, it became clear that they embraced the philosophy of “the ends justify the means.” With their early successes in Australia, the UK, and Europe, they recognized their potential, but they also knew that no band from their scene had yet cracked the American market. They just needed that one breakthrough hit to kick the door open. The three additional chart-toppers that followed proved they were spot on.

But it was also a matter of “conviction”. Though Blondie was labeled as a punk/New Wave band, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein were always in tune with the pulse of their hometown’s evolving soundscape. Their curiosity and openness to new influences led them to explore beyond genre boundaries, resulting in Blondie’s continued foray into dance music.

The Evolution of New Wave: Danceability and Experimentation

The term "New Wave" is notoriously difficult to define, partly because it encompasses a wide range of styles. The reason it became a genre was that the record industry needed a name to sell the new artists they were signing at that moment. Initially used to describe punk bands in 1976-1977, New Wave evolved into something more stylish, less dangerous, and more accessible by 1978. The genre’s unifying elements were its modernity and its willingness to break from rock’s conventions.

The label of New Wave could be thrown around a wide swath of quite disparate musical styles & practices. A great example of this is the 1985 discography “Who’s New Wave In Music” by David Bianco. He finds, no less than, 130 separate categories to classify all the new wave artists. One of which was called “percussion-oriented new wave disco”. One of New Wave’s most radical maneuvers was also its most simple : to bring back danceability to rock music. The dance beat became integral to new wave. It is only logical that “experiments” like “Heart Of Glass” would eventually make it into the charts. It is this sense that makes the song so important for the evolution of dance.

The influence of Kraftwerk

Interestingly, Chris Stein has mentioned that while recording “Heart of Glass,” they were more influenced by German electronic pioneers like Kraftwerk than by disco. You only have to look to the song’s production to see what he means. It was innovative for its time. They employed one of the earliest versions of the newly released Roland CR-78 drum machine, pushing the boundaries of their sound. Blondie’s drummer, Clem Burke, then layered the kick drum separately—a challenging and "unnatural" approach for even a seasoned drummer. The process demanded mathematical precision, and it took hours of painstaking effort to get it just right. Any slip-ups had to be meticulously corrected before moving on to record the rest of the drums on separate tracks. This meticulous separation of drum sounds and the drum machine, allowed them to achieve a remarkably clear and powerful mix, especially for the twelve-inch version.

Adding to the innovative mix, Blondie introduced a pulsing synthesized bassline triggered by the drum machine—another first for its time. The additional synths were layered separately, while multiple guitar tracks, each with unique effects, contributed to the song’s distinctive rock-disco fusion. The result was a sound unlike anything heard before. Interestingly, “Heart of Glass” even benefited from a happy “accident” during production. Chris Stein revealed that a beat was accidentally removed in the first break, likely due to Chapman’s slip while splicing the 24-track tape. This unintentional glitch became one of the song’s signature features.

A “word” about the Lyrics

Apart from the musical backlash the song’s lyrics created also some problems as Debbie explains : The lyrics weren’t about anyone. They were just a plaintive moan about lost love. At first, the song kept saying: “Once I had a love, it was a gas. Soon turned out, it was a pain in the ass.” We couldn’t keep saying that, so we came up with: “Soon turned out, had a heart of glass.” We kept one “pain in the ass” in – and they bleeped it out for radio.

Debbie Harry recals the moment when they where told they hit the n°1 spot on the Hot 100 : It was No 1 around the world. We’d had a lot of hits, but this was our first at home. Chapman was in Milan with us and said: “Join me in the bar.” I thought: “Oh God, I just wanna go to bed.” But we dragged our asses down and he told us it was No 1 in America. We drank a lot.

The Legacy of "Heart of Glass": Enduring Influence and Modern Reinterpretations

“Heart Of Glass” was not only in the US but also internationally a big hit. But, strangely enough, it wasn’t that well received in the US clubs, only getting to n°58 in the dance charts. They had to wait until the nineties when a remix made it into the top 10.

The original version of the song dropped on a twelve-inch single in 1979, remixed by Mike Chapman, who amplified the double-tracked bass drum for even greater impact. Meanwhile, the Italian record label took things a step further, enlisting an unknown producer, Roland Thorpe, to create an extended nine-minute version. This rendition blended the vocal and instrumental tracks from the classic twelve-inch release. To the best of my knowledge, no extra overdubs or additional mixing were involved—just a seamless fusion of the existing elements.

The song has been reimagined by various artists over the years. The Associates delivered their take in 1988, while more recent versions include covers by Miley Cyrus and Bob Sinclar. However, the most striking reinterpretation is the Crabtree mix, which blends the song’s acapella vocals with the second movement of Philip Glass's violin concerto. This haunting mash-up gained prominence when it was featured in The Handmaid’s Tale, after Elisabeth Moss discovered it while preparing for her role. Interestingly, this version also inspired the iconic headgear worn by the characters in the series.

The Call to Action: What’s Your "Heart of Glass"?

"Heart of Glass" is more than just a song—it’s a piece of music history that tells the story of a city, a band, and a moment in time. But it’s also a reminder that great music often comes from stepping outside of your comfort zone and embracing the new and the different.

So, what’s your "Heart of Glass"? What’s the track that surprised you, that made you see music in a new light? Share your thoughts and memories in the comments below—I’d love to hear your stories.

Further reading (or should I say watching)

There are a number of interesting video’s/links :

1. The official video

2. And how did this song sound live in 1979 ?

3. Even today Debbie Harry is still questioned about disco vs punk/New wave

4. The Crabtree mix

5. If you don’t know exactly how to dance on this song, we are happy to help 😃🕺💃

So You Wanna Hear More ?

I thought you would !

It’s fun to write about music but let’s be honest. Music is made to listen to.

Every week, together with this newsletter, I release a 1 hour beatmix on Mixcloud and Soundcloud. I start with the discussed twelve inch and follow up with 10/15 songs from the same timeframe/genre. The ideal soundtrack for…. Well whatever you like to do when you listen to dance music.

The MIXCLOUD Mix Of The Week

So what’s in this week’s mix ?

“Heart of Glass” marks the beginning of an exciting journey through the evolving dance music landscape of 1979. It’s a dive into disco, but with a twist—funk-infused grooves that paved the way for the synth-funk explosion that followed in the years ahead.

This mix features legends like Chic, Shalamar, Stanley Clarke, Cheryl Lynn, Instant Funk, and Ashford & Simpson, capturing the essence of an era where funk and disco intertwined. I wrap it all up with one of my all-time favorite tracks from Rick James: "You & I." Prepare to groove!

Enjoy !

Next week, we’re diving into a quintessential European tradition. Every summer, people from Western and Northern Europe flock to the sunny shores of Southern Europe for a few weeks of beach bliss. They return not only with tans but also with a song that dominated their holiday—a track that often goes on to become a massive hit across Europe post-summer. In episode 127, I’ll share the story of one such unforgettable summer anthem.

But you won’t have to wait until Friday! On Tuesday, I’ll be joining Brad Kyle on his new Tune Tag. I had a blast putting together my picks for that, and I can’t wait for you to hear it!