Greatest Hits (Blondie album)
Released September 19, 2002
Recorded 1976-1998
Genre Pop, new wave
Length 67:53
Label Capitol
Producer Mike Chapman
Richard Gottehrer
Craig Leon
Greatest Hits is a compilation album of recordings by the band Blondie released by EMI/Capitol Records in 2002.
Following the re-issue of the six original studio albums in 2001, this was the first Blondie “Best of” compilation to be digitally remastered, the first Blondie “Best of” to be officially sanctioned by the band for over 20 years, and also the first to include their comeback hit “Maria”, a UK #1 in February 1999.
Compiled by Capitol’s Kevin Flaherty and London-based music journalist Steve Pafford, who also wrote the album sleeve notes, Greatest Hits features all of the tracks from the band’s very first hits compilation, 1981’s The Best of Blondie, including all four long-deleted ‘special mixes’ by producer Mike Chapman. Author Pafford was in the early stages of working with Debbie Harry on a lavish illustrated coffee table book entitled BlondieStyle (the sequel to his acclaimed BowieStyle, published by Omnibus Press), though as of 2010 the project is still on hold.
The album charted at #38 on the UK’s Top 75 Album Chart and charted for 4 weeks. In New Zealand the album reached #15 and charted for 8 weeks.
The album was accompanied by a DVD release, Greatest Video Hits, which included the original 1981 Best of Blondie video album, however the songs “Call Me” and “Sunday Girl” were not listed on the cover. The 2002 version added the videos for “The Hardest Part” (1979), “Island of Lost Souls” (1982) and the uncensored version of “Maria” (1999).
Track listing
CD
No. Title Writer(s) Album Length
1. “Dreaming” Deborah Harry, Chris Stein Eat to the Beat 1979 3:06
2. “Call Me” Giorgio Moroder, Harry American Gigolo (soundtrack) 1980 3:32
3. “One Way or Another” Harry, Nigel Harrison Parallel Lines 1978 3:33
4. “Heart of Glass” (The Best of Blondie Special Mix) Harry, Stein Parallel Lines 4:33
5. “The Tide Is High” John Holt, Tyrone Evans, Howard Barrett Autoamerican 1980 4:41
6. “X Offender” Harry, Gary Valentine Blondie 1976 3:14
7. “Hanging on the Telephone” Jack Lee Parallel Lines 2:21
8. “Rip Her to Shreds” Harry, Stein Blondie 3:22
9. “Rapture” (The Best of Blondie Special Mix) Harry, Stein Autoamerican 5:36
10. “Atomic” Harry, Jimmy Destri Eat to the Beat 4:39
11. “Picture This” Harry, Stein, Destri Parallel Lines 2:54
12. “In the Flesh” (The Best of Blondie Special Mix) Harry, Stein Blondie 2:29
13. “Denis” Neil Levenson Plastic Letters 1978 2:16
14. “(I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear” Valentine Plastic Letters 2:42
15. “Union City Blue” Harry, Harrison Eat to the Beat 3:18
16. “The Hardest Part” Harry, Stein Eat to the Beat 3:37
17. “Island of Lost Souls” Harry, Stein The Hunter 1982 4:41
18. “Sunday Girl” (The Best of Blondie Special Mix) Stein Parallel Lines 3:03
19. “Maria” Destri No Exit 1999 4:10
DVD
The Best of Blondie
No. Title Writer(s) Album Length
1. “In the Flesh” Harry, Stein Blondie
2. “X Offender” Harry, Valentine Blondie
3. “Denis” Levenson Plastic Letters
4. “Detroit 422” Destri, Stein Plastic Letters
5. “(I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear” Valentine Plastic Letters
6. “Picture This” Harry, Stein, Destri Parallel Lines
7. “Hanging on the Telephone” Lee Parallel Lines
8. “Heart of Glass” Harry, Stein Parallel Lines
9. “Dreaming” Harry, Stein Eat to the Beat
10. “Union City Blue” Harry, Harrison Eat to the Beat
11. “Atomic” Harry, Destri Eat to the Beat
12. “The Tide Is High” Holt, Evans, Barrett Autoamerican
13. “Rapture” Harry, Stein Autoamerican