Parallel Lines
- For lines that are parallel, see parallel (geometry).
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Parallel Lines is the third studio album by American New Wave band Blondie, released in 1978 on Chrysalis records. Their most popular and best selling effort, Parallel Lines was the first Blondie album to be produced by Mike Chapman. The album reached number one in the United Kingdom in February 1979. It contains several of the best-known Blondie hits, including "Heart of Glass," "Hanging on the Telephone", "Sunday Girl" and "One Way or Another"—six of the twelve tracks were issued as singles, either in the U.S. or the UK. Parallel Lines is ranked at number 140 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[1]
History
In Euclidian geometry, parallel lines are unique in that they don't connect: most, if not all, of the songs in this album are about two people who can't connect in some fashion, usually romantically. Although the inner sleeve for the record features what appears to be lyrics for a song called "Parallel Lines", and even though it is the album title, no such song exists. "Parallel Lines" was a poem written by Deborah Harry, but it was never set to music.
After the worldwide success of the single "Heart of Glass", Chrysalis Records re-issued the album with the extended 12" disco version of the song (5:50) replacing the original (3:52). Subsequent re-issues in the 80s, 90s and 2000s of the Parallel Lines album usually contain the 12" mix while the original album version has become something of a rarity.
The U.S. DCC Compact Classics Gold CD re-issue of "Parallel Lines" in 1994 [GSZ 1062] included both the original version as well as the extended version as a bonus track. This issue—probably the best packaged with full album lyrics and all original album cover/label artwork—is quite hard to find and has recently commanded a $100/£50 tag on eBay.
Parallel Lines was ranked 94th in a 2005 survey held by British television's Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time. Template:RS500
Robert Fripp played guitar on "Fade Away and Radiate." Fripp would also appear as a special guest as the band played London's Hammersmith Odeon in early 1980. One of the tracks performed was David Bowie's "Heroes" and the recording was issued as the B-side to the UK 12" single "Atomic" the same year.
The album was digitally remastered and re-issued with four bonus tracks by EMI-Capitol in 2001.
In June 2008, [Europe/US] EMI reissued the album as a special 30th Anniversary edition featuring full album photo session booklet and a DVD featuring 'Sunday Girl' from BBCtv archive. Also in June 2008, Blondie embarked on a summer tour in which the band performs the album in its entirety.
Track listing
Side one
- "Hanging on the Telephone" (Jack Lee) – 2:17
- "One Way or Another" (Nigel Harrison, Deborah Harry) – 3:31
- "Picture This" (Jimmy Destri, Harry, Chris Stein) – 2:53
- "Fade Away and Radiate" (Stein) – 3:57
- "Pretty Baby" (Harry, Stein) – 3:16
- "I Know But I Don't Know" (Frank Infante) – 3:53
Side two
- "11:59" (Destri) – 3:19
- "Will Anything Happen" (Lee) – 2:55
- "Sunday Girl" (Stein) – 3:01
- "Heart of Glass" (Harry, Stein) – 3:52 (later editions 12" Disco Mix - 5:50)
- "I'm Gonna Love You Too" (Joe B. Mauldin, Norman Petty, Niki Sullivan) – 2:03
- "Just Go Away" (Harry) – 3:21
- 2001 reissue bonus tracks
- "Once I Had a Love (a.k.a. The Disco Song)" (1978 demo) (Harry, Stein) – 3:18
- "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" (live) (Marc Bolan) – 5:30
- "I Know But I Don't Know" (live) (Infante) – 4:35
- "Hanging on the Telephone" (live) (Lee) – 2:21
Personnel
- Deborah Harry – vocals
- Chris Stein – guitar, 12-string guitar, E-bow
- Frank Infante – guitar
- Jimmy Destri – keyboards
- Nigel Harrison – bass guitar
- Clem Burke – drums
- Robert Fripp – guitar on "Fade Away and Radiate"
- Mike Chapman – record producer
- Kevin Flaherty – 2002 reissue producer
Chart positions
- UK: 1
- USA: 6
- Australia: 2
- Sweden: 9
- Austria: 24