During the later years of his life, John Lennon stopped following contemporary musical trends and became isolated within his own creative bubble in New York City. His music taste largely stayed in the past and hadn’t changed with the times. However, according to his son Sean Ono Lennon, there was one song by Blondie that he couldn’t get enough of. /Farout
Sean was only a child when his father was tragically murdered, but thankfully, he still holds precious memories of the times they shared together. When he thinks of his father, it’s difficult not to recollect Lennon’s record collection. During an interview with Rolling Stone in 2006, Sean recalled: “My father had an old Wurlitzer in the game room of our house on Long Island,” he said. “It was filled with 45s, mostly Elvis and the Everly Brothers.”
“The one modern song I remember him listening to was ‘The Tide Is High’ by Blondie, which he played constantly. When I hear that song, I see my father, unshaven, his hair pulled back into a ponytail, dancing to and fro in a worn-out pair of denim shorts, with me at his feet, trying my best to coordinate tiny limbs.”
‘The Tide Is High’ wasn’t originally by the New Yorkers. Initially, it was recorded by the Jamaican band, The Paragons – fronted by John Holt, who had penned the song, but Blondie made it their own. The Paragons’ version could only muster life as an underground hit in Jamaica and the UK, but Blondie brought the track to a mainstream audience, including Lennon.
The track is also Chris Stein’s favourite Blondie song.
Blondie Releases Rare, Never-Released Demo “Mr. Sightseer”Blondie have announced their first ever authorised and in depth archive in their history, ‘Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982’.
Against the Odds features remastered versions of Blondie’s first six albums — Blondie, Plastic Letters, Parallel Lines, Eat to the Beat, Autoamerican, and The Hunter — as well as their first studio session, alternate versions, outtakes, and demos. What’s more, the box set offers track by track commentary by all seven of the original band members in a huge set of liner notes that also includes unpublished photos of the band and a 120-page illustrated discography.
