Blondie are set to release a huge collection of their work in a 124-track archival box set titled Against the Odds 1974 – 1982.
Out August 26, the curated collection will include remastered versions of their first six studio albums (from 1976’s Blondie through 1982’s The Hunter) as well as three dozen previously unreleased demos.
“It really is a treat to see how far we have come when I listen to these early attempts to capture our ideas on relatively primitive equipment,” Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry said in a statement. “Fortunately the essence of being in a band in the early Seventies held some of the anti-social, counter culture energies of the groups that were the influencers of the Sixties. I am excited about this special collection. When I listen to these old tracks, it puts me there like I am a time traveler. As bad as it was sometimes, it was also equally as good. No regrets. More music.”
Among the unreleased material are demos, alternate recordings, and studio outtakes – some of which are from their first-ever recording session. The material was pulled from Blondie’s audio archive, which has been housed for nearly two decades in guitarist Chris Stein’s barn in Woodstock, New York.
On the box set, Stein added, “I am hopeful that this project will provide a glimpse into the ‘process’ and some of the journey that the songs took from idea to final form. Some of this stuff is like early sketches; the old tape machines are like primitive notebooks. The trickiest thing for me was always about getting the melodies out of my head into reality and the changes that would happen along the way.”
Against the Odds 1974 – 1982 will be available in four different variations: a Super Deluxe Collectors edition, Deluxe 4LP edition, 8CD edition, and 3CD edition. The sets also include liner notes by Erin Osmon, track-by-track commentary from the band, essays by producers Mike Chapman, Richard Gottehrer, and Ken Shipley, an illustrated discography, and many photographs from the period.
You can pre-order Against the Odds 1974 – 1982 here. In other news, the band have extended their Against the Odds tour, and last year, partnered with Z2 Comics to make a graphic novel of the same name.
Listen to Blondie's cover of The Doors' "Moonlight Drive" – a previously unreleased song included in the box set – below.
Check out our selection of free stations streaming Blondie music at Live365.com.
Ready to start your own station? Contact one of our Product Consultants or visit our website today. Keep up with the latest news by following us on Facebook (Live365 (Official) and Live365 Broadcasting) and Twitter (@Live365 and @Broadcast365)!
Article Image: A close-up of Blondie frontwoman Debby Harry as she sings in 2017. (Raph_PH [CC BY 2.0] via Wikimedia Commons.)
