Blondie's Second Act: How No Exit Defined the Band's Modern Legacy
17 Years Later, Debbie Harry and Co. Didn't Just Reunite—They Reinvented Pop. A Look Back at the Album That Hit No. 1 and Marked the Halfway Point of a Rock & Roll Reign.
Today marks a crucial historical marker for one of music’s most enduring forces, as Blondie unleashes the No Exit Deluxe Edition, a newly remastered and expanded reissue of their landmark 1999 comeback album. Available via BMG in various formats—including digital, 2CD, and handsome crystal glass clear and black 2LP vinyl pressings—this definitive edition celebrates a monumental chapter: the moment Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, and Jimmy Destri stepped back onto the global stage after a punishing 17-year hiatus. The reunion was not fueled by nostalgia, but by a pure creative urge. As Harry herself reflects, “It was important to us that this album remain, above all else, a creative pursuit... our focus was entirely on creating new work.” Drummer Jimmy Destri vividly recalls the essential, almost punk rock nature of those initial Ludlow Street sessions: “It just clicked. It still sounded like the four of us,” even with a minimal setup of a guitar, a feedbacking microphone, an old kit, and a cheap electric piano. It was a fearless reinvention, a bold and brilliant move that married their iconic punk roots with the late-’90s pop zeitgeist.
The result, No Exit, became an instant global triumph, spearheaded by the single “Maria,” which sensationally hit No. 1 in the UK exactly two decades after the immortal “Heart of Glass.” Guitarist Chris Stein, offering a wry perspective, notes the album’s unexpected place in the band’s timeline: “I was just surprised to realize that No Exit marked the (thus far) halfway point of the Blondie 50+ year arc. Cool record.” For the first time ever, the album’s full sweep of songs—including fan favorites like “Nothing Is Real But the Girl” and “Under the Gun”—is pressed on vinyl, complete with expanded tracks like the Japanese-exclusive rarity “Hot Shot,” now freshly mixed by David Wrench, and remixes including the Coolio-featuring “No Exit” (Loud Allstars remix).
The deluxe treatment, produced by Tommy Manzi and Steve Rosenthal with mastering by Jessica Thompson, also revives the album’s visual identity; longtime creative director Rob Roth, who captured the original art inside the legendary NYC nightclub Mother, has provided fresh imagery that revisits that late-’90s voyeurism and glamour. The new release is accompanied by Roth’s tongue-in-cheek short film, The No Exit Interrogation Tapes, which captures the enduring, caustic chemistry and wry humor between Harry and Stein.
Yet, this celebratory reissue lands with a profound and heavy poignancy following the recent passing of drummer Clem Burke earlier this year. His powerhouse energy and precise, inimitable style are felt throughout every groove of No Exit, a performance that was instrumental in making the comeback click. As the definitive edition of this pivotal album arrives today, it stands not just as a document of a miraculous reunion, but as an undeniable testament to Burke’s vital role in shaping the half-century, ever-evolving sonic spirit of Blondie.