Some Songs Considered

“Call Me (Spanish Version)” – Blondie
(Words/music: Debbie Harry and Giorgio Moroder, available on Singles Box, EMI 2004) 

I don’t remember the exact circumstances of how I ended up with this version of “Call Me,” but I imagine it went something like this – while browsing someone’s shared music on Soulseek years back, I saw something labeled as “Call Me (Spanish Version)” and stopped in my tracks.  By my logic, this had to be mislabeled in one of two ways – either it wasn’t Blondie or it wasn’t truly in Spanish.  Nonetheless, I was still curious and downloaded it anyway.  It turns out I was wrong – this is most definitely Debbie Harry singing and it is most definitely in Spanish.

It’s been a decade since I studied Spanish, so I’m not sure how literally they translated the lyrics, nor am I really clear why Blondie recorded a version of the song with these alternate Spanish lyrics.  What I do know is that it’s odd to hear a familiar song sung in a familiar voice and not understand any of the words.  Unlike, say, Seu Jorge’s Portuguese David Bowie covers, this isn’t a different artist performing the song.  What started as a joke (this version definitely ended up at the end of a few mixes over the years) because an odd fascination – the rare example of something that sounds completely familiar yet entirely foreign at the same time. 

More on Blondie: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

“Dreaming” – Blondie
(Words/music: Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, available on Eat to the Beat, Chrysalis Records, 1979)

There’s a bar in New Haven called Rudy’s, and my friends and I used to go there semi-often.  We still love it and we still go every once in a while, but it’s generally out of the way, especially for friends who have since moved in the exact opposite direction.  It’s one of those delightful neighborhood dive bars flooded equally with punks and Yale students (although now, I guess they’re more “hipsters” than “punks”) known for (relatively) affordable beer, excellent Belgian frites, and a killer jukebox.  The jukebox is now one of those weird internet ones (and still very good), but a few years back it was this odd CD jukebox filled with mix CDs and albums ranging from The Misfits to Sam Cooke.  It became routine to go in, order beers, and then pump five dollars into the jukebox for (roughly) an hour’s worth of music.  The selections shifted based on mood, but we had our favorites that we always picked.  Over time, I developed three fairly solid “signature” songs – ones that friends of friends would know were my selections.  They are “Move on Up” by Curtis Mayfield, “Bastards of Young” by the Replacements, and “Dreaming” by Blondie (usually followed by whatever random Talking Heads song I felt like that night).  I have a lingering feeling that the combination of these songs says a lot about me.

Until I started reserving jukebox credits for “Dreaming,” I’m not sure it was my favorite Blondie song.  I’m not even sure how I ended up picking it – maybe it was an accident, maybe it was right around the time I found Eat to the Beat in a cheap used bin.  Regardless, I know why it stuck- it’s one of Blondie’s most carefree songs.  Debbie Harry turns some over-the-top lyrics into a cute and endearing performance, competing with the guitar and keyboards for possession of the primary melody.  The key to the song lies in the drumming.  Clem Burke, one of rock’s most overlooked drummers, fills the song to the brim with sixteenth note fills that reach the perfect blend of restraint and showing off.  While other drummers would take similar freedom and turn the song into a train wreck, Burke plays fills that preserve the song’s internal pulse.  As a result, his constant action makes the song sound giddy – appropriate for a song about a first date.  It’s the kind of song I want to hear when I’m out with my friends – one that makes me feel energized, fun, and happy to enjoy their company.

More on Blondie: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm