Debbie Harry - and Blondie - return to London

When interviewing a superstar, it can be useful to repeat sentences like, “She may be the most successful artist ever, but she still brushes her teeth just like the rest of us; she walks her dog and watches TV and eats breakfast just like you or me.” This tactic completely fails me as I wait for Debbie Harry to call at the appointed hour for our phone interview. After all, she’s the ethereal, iconic and incredibly accomplished lead singer of Blondie.

Nevertheless, when she rings Debbie Harry in fact sounds like my best friend’s mum Sharon, who also hails from northern New Jersey. And at 65 years old, Debbie and Sharon are roughly the same age. Her easygoing drawl just about lures me into believing I’m talking to a normal person, before I glance back down at my notes and recall the unrivalled achievements of Miss Harry’s band.

Blondie – which has reunited to tour this summer – has sold more than 30 million albums. They had seven number-one hits here, and in so doing became the most successful American band ever in the UK.

“Yeah, that’s quite an accomplishment isn’t it?” she purrs down the phone. “We’ve had a great relationship with the Brits. When we started coming over here we all looked forward to it so much. We had a tremendous feeling of affection even though we had never been here. I don’t think at the time we had any audience to speak of. We came over quite early in our recording career. You know, we hadn’t had any hits or anything. But we had a fascination with the country and the music.”

Having formed in 1975, the band’s home base was Manhattan, where they regularly played and hung out at CBGB, the legendary punk club that became a home away from home for bands like the Ramones, the Misfits and the Talking Heads. In contrast, Blondie’s first UK appearance didn’t take place in quite such a musically seminal spot. “I think that it was in Bournemouth,” she remembers. “It was just a small gig. Everyone was pogoing – that was the big thing. There was a lot of leaping around. It was really fun, really exciting.”

The gigs and the hits got bigger and bigger over time of course. In 1978 the band performed Denis on Top of the Pops and the track made it to number two in the UK charts. But it was the release of their third album Parallel Lines later that year that made them international New Wave stars, thanks to hits like Hanging on the Telephone, One Way or the Other and Heart of Glass.

Although they come from what many consider the coolest city in the world, the singer insists that their affection for London runs deep. “For one thing, people forget how exquisite the architecture is and how beautiful the city is. New York has a certain beauty, but this is elegant. When you come here for the first time it just knocks you over.”

She’s getting a chance to admire its beauty as we speak, travelling by car from one appointment to another promoting Blondie’s first studio album in eight years Panic Of Girls, out on general CD release from July 4. In addition to speaking to The Green, her schedule for the week includes slots on Later with Jools Holland, Lauren Laverne’s Radio 6 show and “Desert Island Discs” on Radio 4. Her first job after university was working as a secretary for BBC radio in New York, so I comment that she must have made some impression to have maintained such a successful relationship with the corporation. “Actually my typing has improved since then,” she jokes, “they might not know that!”

She has said that her early career aspirations were to get noticed, but I wonder what line of work she might have pursued if she hadn’t landed a life in music. “I like the idea of discovery,” she answers. “I like to travel and I do like exploring – so perhaps something like that, an adventurer. Dream big, you know?”

An appetite for discovery is one aspect of the summer festival circuit she’s looking forward to in particular. “We always meet really interesting up-and-coming bands,” she reveals. “Recently we were in New Zealand and we played with a band called The Dukes. They were fantastic. It’s great at the festivals because there’s so much variety.”

The band’s spirit of adventure means they continue to love touring, and in fact the singer says she enjoys it now more than ever. “I think it’s better because of a lot of technology has improved. We have more control over the show. I just feel like I can walk out on stage and really know what’s going to happen. There was a time when anything could happen. And it usually did!” she laughs. “I really have a good time now. And of course, audiences know who we are, they know the songs and we get a good reception.”

She admits that on the road she does yearn for a few things from home in spite of possessing a “gypsy soul”. At this point in our conversation, I am reminded that when someone with my accent tries to communicate with someone with Debbie’s, misunderstandings can happen. I know this from my experience with that other Jersey girl I know, Sharon. “I miss my friends and family, I miss my little doggies,” she tells me. “Is it true you have pugs?” I ask, latching onto one of my favourite subjects. “Do I what?” the singer responds, utterly bewildered. “Your dogs, are they pugs?” I say loudly into my mobile. “Pugs? No, they’re punks!” she roars with laughter. Of course they are. This is Debbie Harry I’m talking to; I’d very nearly forgotten.

Debbie Harry - and Blondie - return to London

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