Song of the Day 9/21: Blondie, “One Way or Another”
Trump got his special master. Now will the special master get him? Donnie Two Scoops is more slippery than an eel — uglier, too. But one way or another…
Debbie Harry’s lyrics were inspired by an ex-boyfriend who turned stalker, causing her to move out of New Jersey. The music is by Nigel Harrison, Blondie’s bassist during its most successful period from 1978-82. He said it started out as “this psychedelic, Ventures-like futuristic surf song gone wrong.”
“One Way or Another,” the last of six singles from the 1978 LP “Parallel Lines,” reached only No. 27 on the Hot 100 in 1979, but quickly became one of the band’s signature tunes.
Did any of our old heads get to CBGB? I don’t tend to get nostalgic about having missed a scene, but that is one I would have like to catch.
I lived in NYC during the entire 80s which corresponded to my twenties. Punk wasn’t my thing, but I did end up at CBGBs on night for a friend’s birthday party sometime in the very early 80s. The band that day wasn’t memorable – which is probably why we were able to get in, and no epic mosh pits that day. It seemed like basically another lower East Side dive bar, which I mean in the best way. What I remember about the evening was pouring myself a beer from the shared pitcher and finding a roach (weed) in my glass.
I did see the Plasmatics uptown though. That was a rockin show.
Never got to CBGB but Baltimore’s Marble Bar was a great seedy venue of the late 70’s and early 80’s that catered to the punk, new wave crowd.
My sister Fran still lives on The Bowery right across from CBGBs. I was in there a few times.
My brother Frank had some Blondie and Sex Pistols in his collection which was as close as i got to punk music in the 70s. A friend schooled me in the 90s on what I missed.
Made it to CBGB’s (and OMFUG) once. It was a two-fer garage band night–The Lyres and the Del Fuegos. (Dan Zanes of the Del Fuegos is now considered one of rock’s premiere historians.)
Trust me–you didn’t go for the ambience, unless pee-trough ambience was your thing.
“Trust me–you didn’t go for the ambience, unless pee-trough ambience was your thing.”. Ah Yes! Reminds me of playing the Bottle & Cork, also in the eighties.