Eat to the Beat

Eat to the Beat is the fourth studio album by American band Blondie. It was released on September 28, 1979 by Chrysalis Records. The album was certified Platinum in the US, where it spent a year on the Billboard album chart. Peaking at No. 17, it was one of Billboard's top 10 albums of 1980.[1] It also reached No. 1 on the UK album chart in October 1979[2] and was certified Platinum by the BPI.

"Die Young, Stay Pretty" redirects here. For the Short Stack song, see This is Bat Country.
Eat to the Beat
Studio album by
Blondie
ReleasedSeptember 28, 1979
RecordedMay–June 1979
StudioThe Power Station, Electric Lady, New York City
Length43:01
LabelChrysalis
ProducerMike Chapman
Blondie chronology
Parallel Lines
(1978)		 Eat to the Beat
(1979)		 Autoamerican
(1980)
Singles from Eat to the Beat
  1. "Dreaming"
    Released: September 1979
  2. "Union City Blue"
    Released: November 1979 (UK)
  3. "The Hardest Part"
    Released: January 1980 (US)
  4. "Atomic"
    Released: February 1980 (UK),
    April 1980 (US)

History

The album includes a diverse range of styles: pop, punk, reggae, and funk, as well as a lullaby. Three singles were released in the UK from this album ("Dreaming", "Union City Blue" and "Atomic"). "The Hardest Part" was released as the second single from the album in the US instead of "Union City Blue" (though a remix of "Union..." would be released in the US in 1995). According to the liner notes of the 1994 compilation The Platinum Collection, the song "Slow Motion" was originally planned to be the fourth single release from the album, and producer Mike Chapman even made a remix of the track, but following the unexpected success of "Call Me", the theme song to the movie American Gigolo, these plans were shelved and the single mix of "Slow Motion" remains unreleased. An alternate mix of the track entitled The Stripped Down Motown Mix did, however, turn up on one of the many remix singles issued by Chrysalis/EMI in the mid-1990s.

Blondie's first video album was produced in conjunction with this record, featuring a music video for each of the album's twelve songs. It was the first such project in rock music.[3] Most of the songs were filmed in and around New York. One of the exceptions was the "Union City Blue" music video, which was filmed at Union Dry Dock, Weehawken, New Jersey. Each video was directed by David Mallet and produced by Paul Flattery. The video was initially available as a promotional VHS in 1979 and subsequently released on videocassette and videodisc in October 1980.[4]

Unlike the rest of Blondie's original albums, Eat to the Beat was not remastered in 1994. It was later digitally remastered and reissued by EMI-Capitol in 2001, with four bonus tracks and candid sleeve notes by Mike Chapman:

They wanted to try anything. And I was right there with them. We also had a title for the album at a very early point, so we had a concept of sorts: Eat to the Beat. I tried to have Debbie explain exactly what it meant to her, but in her normal fashion she simply confused me and I was forced to give it my own interpretation. ... [Drugs] found their way to the studio and presented us with yet another obstacle. The more drugs, the more fights. It was becoming a real mess. ... The music was good but the group was showing signs of wear and tear. The meetings, the drugs, the partying and the arguments had beaten us all up, and it was hard to have a positive attitude when the project was finally finished. ... Was this the record that the public was waiting for, or was it just the waste of seven sick minds? I had never experienced this kind of emotional rollercoaster before, and I have never forgotten the sounds, smells and tastes that came with it. I guess that was what they meant: Eat to the Beat.[5]

The 2001 remaster was again reissued in 2007 (June 26 in the US; July 2 in the UK) without the four bonus tracks. Included instead was a DVD of the long-since deleted Eat to the Beat video album, marking the first time it had been made available on the DVD format.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Entertainment WeeklyB[7]
Q[8]
Rolling Stone[9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[10]
Spin Alternative Record Guide7/10[11]
Uncut[12]
The Village VoiceA−[13]

Reviewing Eat to the Beat in 1979, Village Voice critic Robert Christgau felt that the record was not "a tour de force" like Blondie's previous album Parallel Lines and expressed reservations about "the overarching fatalism" of its lyrics, but noted that he liked "the way the lyrics depart from pop bohemia to speak directly to the mass audience they're reaching. And Debbie just keeps getting better."[13] Debra Rae Cohen of Rolling Stone found the album "not only ambitious in its range of styles, but also unexpectedly and vibrantly compelling without sacrificing any of the group's urbane, modish humor."[14] A review in People observed that the band sounded "less raw but still fresh."[15] David Hepworth, writing in Smash Hits, praised it as a "brasher, more rocking follow-up... as hard and shiny as glass and I love it."[16] Eat to the Beat was voted the 17th best album of 1979 in The Village Voice's year-end Pazz & Jop critics' poll.[17]

In a retrospective review, William Ruhlmann of AllMusic viewed Eat to the Beat as a "secondhand" version of Parallel Lines, finding that its similar attempts at "rock/disco fusion" were less effective, while "elsewhere, the band just tried to cover too many stylistic bases."[6] In contrast, BBC Music writer Chris Jones opined that Blondie had successfully expanded on the sound of Parallel Lines on Eat to the Beat, which he said "still sounds box fresh today", praising Mike Chapman's production expertise and the album's musical diversity.[18]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dreaming"Debbie Harry, Chris Stein3:08
2."The Hardest Part"Harry, Stein3:43
3."Union City Blue"Harry, Nigel Harrison3:22
4."Shayla"Stein3:58
5."Eat to the Beat"Harry, Harrison2:40
6."Accidents Never Happen"Jimmy Destri4:15
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Die Young Stay Pretty"Harry, Stein3:34
2."Slow Motion"Laura Davis, Destri3:29
3."Atomic"Harry, Destri4:40
4."Sound-A-Sleep"Harry, Stein4:18
5."Victor"Harry, Frank Infante3:19
6."Living in the Real World"Destri2:54
Bonus tracks on 2001 CD re-issue
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Die Young Stay Pretty" (Live BBC 12/31/79, recorded live New Year's Eve '79 at The Apollo Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland)Harry, Stein3:27
14."Seven Rooms of Gloom" (Live BBC 12/31/79, recorded live New Year's Eve '79 at The Apollo Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland)Holland–Dozier–Holland2:48
15."Heroes" (B-side to "Atomic" single, recorded live 1/12/80 at The Hammersmith Odeon, UK)David Bowie, Brian Eno6:19
16."Ring of Fire" (Live, from the original motion picture soundtrack Roadie)June Carter Cash, Merle Kilgore3:30

Video album
  1. "Eat to the Beat"
  2. "The Hardest Part"
  3. "Union City Blue"
  4. "Slow Motion"
  5. "Shayla"
  6. "Die Young, Stay Pretty"
  7. "Accidents Never Happen"
  8. "Atomic"
  9. "Living in the Real World"
  10. "Sound-A-Sleep"
  11. "Victor"
  12. "Dreaming"

Bonus videos – on side two of Videodisc release

  1. "Heart of Glass"
  2. "Picture This"
  3. "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence Dear"
  4. "Hanging on the Telephone"

Personnel

Blondie

Additional personnel
  • Mike Chapman – background vocals on "Die Young, Stay Pretty" and "Victor"
  • Donna Destri – background vocals on "Living in the Real World"
  • Robert Fripp – guitar on "Heroes" bonus live track
  • Ellie Greenwich – background vocals on "Dreaming" and "Atomic"
  • Lorna Luft – background vocals on "Accidents Never Happen" and "Slow Motion"
  • Randy Singer (Hennes) – harmonica on "Eat to the Beat"

Production

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[35] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[36] Gold 50,000^
France — 173,300[37]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[38] Gold 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] Platinum 500,000[40]
United States (RIAA)[41] Platinum 1,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
  1. "Talent in Action Year End Charts" Billboard December 20, 1980: TIA-12
  2. UK Official Charts Company
  3. "Once More (Into The Bleach): Blondie Returns For Its Fifteenth Round". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  4. McCullaugh, Jim. "SelectaVision Catalog Adds 'Eat To Beat'" Billboard October 11, 1980: 10
  5. discogs.com/Blondie-Eat-To-The-Beat/release/927584
  6. Ruhlmann, William. "Eat to the Beat – Blondie". AllMusic. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  7. Weingarten, Marc (September 21, 2001). "Blondie: Blondie / Plastic Letters / Parallel Lines / Eat to the Beat / Autoamerican / The Hunter". Entertainment Weekly. New York. p. 85.
  8. "Blondie: Eat to the Beat". Q. No. 182. London. October 2001. p. 143.
  9. Berger, Arion (June 8, 2000). "Further Listening". Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on April 1, 2007. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  10. Coleman, Mark; Berger, Arion (2004). "Blondie". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 85–86. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  11. Sheffield, Rob (1995). "Blondie". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 49–50. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  12. "Blondie: Eat to the Beat". Uncut. London. p. 90. [A] consistent thrill-ride of imaginative, hyperactive pop.
  13. Christgau, Robert (October 29, 1979). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  14. Cohen, Debra Rae (November 29, 1979). "Eat To The Beat". Rolling Stone. No. 305. New York. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  15. "Picks and Pans Review: Eat to the Beat". People. Vol. 12 no. 22. New York. November 26, 1979. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  16. Hepworth, David (October 4–17, 1979). "Albums". Smash Hits. Vol. 1 no. 22. London. p. 29.
  17. "The 1979 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. New York. January 28, 1980. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  18. Jones, Chris (July 11, 2008). "Blondie Eat To The Beat Review". BBC Music. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  19. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. pp. 37–38. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  20. "Austriancharts.at – Blondie – Eat to the Beat" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  21. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6858a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  22. "Dutchcharts.nl – Blondie – Eat to the Beat" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  23. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  24. "Offiziellecharts.de – Blondie – Eat to the Beat" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  25. "Charts.nz – Blondie – Eat to the Beat". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  26. "Norwegiancharts.com – Blondie – Eat to the Beat". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  27. "Swedishcharts.com – Blondie – Eat to the Beat". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  28. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  29. "Blondie Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  30. "1979 Top 100 Albums". RPM. Vol. 32 no. 13. December 22, 1979. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved February 21, 2020 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  31. "Top Albums 1979". Music Week. London. 22 December 1979. p. 30. ISSN 0265-1548.
  32. "Top 100 Albums". RPM. Vol. 34 no. 6. December 20, 1980. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved February 21, 2020 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  33. "Chart File". Record Mirror. London. 4 April 1981. ISSN 0144-5804.
  34. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1980". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 21, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  35. "Canadian album certifications – Blondie – Eat to the beat". Music Canada. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  36. "Blondie "Eat To The Beat" 1980 Danish Gold Record Award". Honor Music Awards. November 1, 1980. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  37. "Les Meilleures Ventes de CD / Albums "Tout Temps"". Info Disc. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  38. "New Zealand album certifications – Blondie – Eat to the beat". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  39. "British album certifications – Blondie – Eat to the beat". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Eat to the beat in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  40. Murrells, Joseph. Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s : an illustrated directory. Arco Pub. p. 470. ISBN 0668064595. Blondie's second big-selling album, again produced by Mike Chapman. It was No 1 i Britain on the first week of release, and sold over half million, in addition to a million or more in the U.S.A.
  41. "American album certifications – Blondie – Eat to the beat". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 1, 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 


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