Hear The Evolution Of Blondie’s “Heart Of Glass”

Hear The Evolution Of Blondie’s “Heart Of Glass”

Blondie were a popular band in the New York punk underground for a few years before they released “Heart Of Glass,” but that song was a career-changer for them. In 1979, they rode the song all the way to #1 and never looked back, eventually landing three more chart-topping hits in the US. I’m looking forward to reading my colleague Tom Breihan’s thoughts on those songs when his Number Ones column rolls around to the late ’70s and early ’80s. But as of now Tom’s just kicking off 1968, so in the meantime how about this to hold us over?

The legendary punk / new wave / disco band has just released an EP charting the evolution of their breakthrough hit. It features six distinct iterations of “Heart Of Glass” from the original analog tapes, including two versions that were previously unreleased. Of particular interest is “Once I Had A Love,” a primitive draft that cast “Heart Of Glass” as more of a punchy, Talking Heads-style new wave track than a sparkling disco masterpiece. Or how about “The Disco Song,” which gives the song more of reggae rhythm? Or the basic track, which sounds like the foundation of an LCD Soundsystem banger?

Paired with new artwork by Shepard Fairey, all this and more is out today via Numero Group. Stream it below.

The Heart Of Glass EP is out now on Numero Group. Purchase it here.

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