Blondie At The BBC

This gig at the Glasgow Apollo took place on New Years Eve 1979, this really is a historical document, the atmosphere sounded electric, the Scots love their New Tear, and it's really something to hear Blondie live in concert in such a setting. Everything about Blondie's music defines both the punk or more specifically "new wave" sound and so much of the great 80's pop music is down to Blondie, a host of great 80s stars would not have come about had it not been for Debbie Harry and Blondie, Kim Wilde and Madonna to name but two. The recording is generally great quality, Debbie's vocals are so crystal clear and higher in the mix than anything else, she was and in fact still is a superb vocalist, a true Queen of pop music, fantastic voice. The only slight downside is that drums are a little subdued sounding, which is normal for 70's live recordings, Clem Burke was/is such a phenomenal drummer, it's a shame the drums sound a little distant, but nonetheless this is not a bootleg quality, it's a great quality live recording arguably Blondie at their peak. The DVD is great too, as others have pointed out it's a bit of a disappointment that is in NTSC despite it all being filmed by pal facilities, whilst the picture and sound quality are not 100% the actual content is, can not bring myself to give this 4 stars because of some minor defects, there are much worse quality live recordings out there, and for 9 quid this is a great package, a must for any fan of Blodnie, especially of what is arguably their golden era

Well, going back to 1979 I was a tad too young to be bitten by the Blondie bug, but, in 1980 when I heard Call Me on the wireless and rushed out to bye the 7" single from Our Price my life changed, and since then I've been hooked!Oh how the years have flown by, but still the music of Blondie and the stage presence of Deborah Ann are still as captivating and as crisp as it has ever been, and this collection captures that magnificently.I missed out on Blondie live the first time around but I have been lucky enough to have seen the (newer) band twice within the last 5 years. Having the chance to compare the "now" and "then" Blondie (thanks to this amazing footage) the only thing that seems to have changed is a couple of dress sizes.The live CD & DVD is amazing; Debbie belts out the original classics like she has been waiting to sing them live for years, and with the classic Parallel Lines line up behind her she shyly fills the stage with innocence and lust.As for the OGWT performances, the only thing I noticed that was missing was an incredibly rare performance of Rip Her to Shreds which the BBC found deep in the vaults many years ago and broadcast on BBC2 apologising for the poor quality of the recording due to deterioration of the master tape. All that aside, first class!This, along with all of my original vinyl 7" & 12" singles, albums, video cassettes, tee-shirts, badges, photos, posters, concert ticket stubs, Debbie doll (and that's not adult), CDs, DVDs, and (breath in) Clems drum stick, will one day become a shrine to my youth, and oh how that shrine deserves to be to the original rock Goddess to whom all the following and future Platinum Blondes strive to equal.....sit back, relax, and.....ENJOY!

Brilliant cd/dvd combo from one of the best Banda from my youth.Takes me back to a time when all bands were very good love and Blondie were among the best.The cd is the full Radio One broadcast Glasgow Apollo gig from New Year's Eve 1979 and the dvd contains highlights from that gig along with an appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1978 and a few Tops of The Pops appearances including the 1979 Christmas Day TOTP appearance.This captures Blondie in their prime and if you are a fan like me then go out and buy it

Audio quality is good considering how long ago when it was recorded. Picture quality was reasonable especially during close up views of the band, maybe that was due to stage lighting that was available. However the video element gave the viewer / listener a good idea how Glasgow Apollo was like as venue for major acts that played there before it was sadly demolished. I personally only attended I gig there before it shut and there was a great atmosphere when I saw Phil Collins playing there. The only minus point is that whole concert is made available on DVD.

Absolutely Brilliant cd...great concert..all her hits...Fabulous clear quality and a concert that keeps going and going with hits galore. I loved it...just let it play as I relaxed and felt like I was there. Super buy

Back on New years eve 1979 I sat in front of the tele with my trusty cassette player in hand recording the old grey whistle test on beeb2(sorry bbc for late breach of copywrite fess up) my eyes glued,my mouth open in awe at the spectacle on the tv the beauty of D H and the sound the boys were producing, ok frankie had a prob with the amp on atomic but that added to the liveness of it all! for years that cassette got played and played in my car cassette player and amazingly to today it still survives! but now it will get a well earned rest And I can be 16 again in glorious dvd and cd quality, If you want to see the lady that paved the way for all the ga ga's that followed then this is the perfect pressie for yourself and to think next year Blondies Panic of Girls studio cd will be out you realise true class never fades away!! it just radiates!!

I remember seeing Blondie’s new year’s eve concert back in 1979/80 and had a dodgy audio recording on cassette for a few years after. The broadcast version was a shorter version, coming in several songs into the concert so it is great to now be able to hear the whole concert as well as seeing the TV broadcast in much better quality than was available at the time.Although the whole concert is great, what really impressed me at the time was the sheer energy of Clem Burke’s drumming. He hardly stopped going straight from one song to the next. It’s good to know that Clem is still present in the current incarnation of Blondie.

Great memories of a great band