Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Def, Dumb and Blonde

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Released
  
October 16, 1989

Length
  
63:55 (CD)

Release date
  
16 October 1989

Genres
  
Pop music, New wave

Recorded
  
1989

Artist
  
Debbie Harry

Label
  
Sire Records

Def, Dumb & Blonde (1989)
  
The Complete Picture The Very Best of Deborah Harry and Blondie (1991)

Producers
  
Mike Chapman, Chris Stein, Debbie Harry, Tom Bailey, Arthur Baker, Ben Grosse

Similar
  
Debbie Harry albums, New wave albums

Def, Dumb & Blonde is the third solo album by the American singer Deborah Harry. Released in October 1989 on Sire Records in the US and Chrysalis Records in the UK, the album saw Harry reverting from "Debbie" to "Deborah" as her professional name. Harry worked with a variety of producers on the album, including Mike Chapman who had previously produced the last four Blondie albums. "I wanted," she remarked, "to do certain things that were reminiscent of Blondie."

Contents

It was also revealed that the original title of the album was "Dream Season" but it was changed due to a similarly titled Pat Benatar album – presumably the previous year's Wide Awake in Dreamland.

Due to lack of record company promotion the album was not a commercial success in Harry's native United States peaking at #123 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. However, the album peaked at #10 in Australia and #12 in the UK and has been certified "Silver" by the BPI.

In late 1989, Harry toured for the first time as a solo artist extensively in Europe and the United States to support the album.

Singles

This album contained the hit single "I Want That Man" which was written by Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie of the Thompson Twins. Bailey also co-produced the track and played keyboards on it. The single made the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart, and was her biggest solo chart success in Australia, where it reached #2. Other singles released from the album included "Kiss It Better", "Brite Side", "Sweet and Low" and "Maybe For Sure".

CD

§ = Bonus tracks on both Cassette & CD versions; ‡ = Bonus tracks on CD version only.

Vinyl album

All tracks written by Deborah Harry and Chris Stein, unless otherwise noted.

Side A
  1. "I Want That Man" (Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie) – 3:43
  2. "Lovelight" (Stein) – 3:56
  3. "Kiss It Better" (Bailey, Currie, Harry) – 4:19
  4. "Maybe For Sure" – 4:30
  5. "Calmarie" (Toledo, Vasconcelos) – 4:42
  6. "Get Your Way" – 6:13
Side B
  1. "Sweet and Low" (Toni C., Harry) – 4:49
  2. "He Is So" – 5:10
  3. "Brite Side" – 4:34
  4. "Bugeye" – 4:06
  5. "End Of The Run" – 7:04

Cassette

Side A
  1. "I Want That Man" (Bailey, Currie) – 3:43
  2. "Lovelight" (Stein) – 3:56
  3. "Kiss It Better" (Bailey, Currie, Harry) – 4:19
  4. "Bike Boy" – 2:47
  5. "Get Your Way" – 6:13
  6. "Maybe For Sure" – 4:30
  7. "Calmarie" (Toledo, Vasconcelos) – 4:42
Side B
  1. "Sweet and Low" (Toni C., Harry) – 4:49
  2. "He Is So" – 5:10
  3. "Bugeye" – 4:06
  4. "Comic Books" (Mick Zone, Paul Zone, Armand Zone) – 2:34
  5. "Brite Side" – 4:34
  6. "End Of The Run" – 7:04

Cassette (Other Version)

Side A
  1. "I Want That Man" (Bailey, Currie) – 3:43
  2. "Lovelight" (Stein) – 3:56
  3. "Kiss It Better" (Bailey, Currie, Harry) – 4:19
  4. "Comic Books" (Mick Zone, Paul Zone, Armand Zone) – 2:34
  5. "Maybe For Sure" – 4:30
  6. "Calmarie" (Toledo, Vasconcelos) – 4:42
Side B
  1. "Sweet and Low" (Toni C., Harry) – 4:49
  2. "He Is So" – 5:10
  3. "Bugeye" – 4:06
  4. "Brite Side" – 4:34
  5. "Get Your Way" – 6:13
  6. "Bike Boy" – 2:47
  7. "End Of The Run" – 7:04

Reception

"The crucial returns which left this set far above her two previous (and disappointing) solo LPs are those of Chris Stein and producer Mike Chapman," observed Hi-Fi News & Record Review, awarding the album an "A:1" rating. "[Stein] adds songwriting and instrumental punch to the songs, while Chapman's production sends the material flying from the speakers."

Personnel

  • Deborah Harry – vocals, producer
    • Additional personnel
  • Chris Stein – guitars, backing vocals, producing assistance, musical arrangements, producer
  • Lee Foxx – bass guitar
  • Phil Astley – synthesizer programming, keyboards
  • Steve Goldstein – keyboards
  • Tommy Price – drums
  • Terry Bozzio – drums
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion
  • Keith Primi – backing vocals
  • Dennis Christopher – backing vocals
  • Ian Astbury – backing vocals
  • Gary Valentine – backing vocals
  • Mike Chapman – backing vocals, producer
  • Bobby Khozouri – keyboards
  • Mac Quayle – keyboards
  • Arthur Baker – drums, additional production, remixing
  • David Bravo – keyboards, programming
  • Toni C. (Antoinette Colandero) – keyboards, programming, producer
  • Johann Brundquist – keyboards (overdubs)
  • Arif St. Michael – backing vocals
  • Adele Bertei – backing vocals
  • Biti Strauchn – backing vocals
  • Tom Bailey – Fairlight, producer
  • Geoff Dugmore – drums
  • Eric "E.T." Thorngren – producer, arranger
  • Ben Grosse – additional production, remixing
  • George Tutko – sound engineer
  • James "Doc" Dougherty – engineer
  • Bob Paustian – mix engineer
  • Paul McKenna – mix engineer
  • Steve Peck – engineer
  • Arthur Elgort – photography
  • Deborah Norcross – art direction, design
  • Jeri Helden – art direction, design

    • Songs

    1I Want That Man3:40
    2Lovelight3:56
    3Kiss It Better4:19

    References

    Def, Dumb & Blonde Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA