Many figures in the music industry and companies originally disliked Parallel Lines because they felt Blondie had no place trying to change their sound. Already carving themselves out in the punk scene, Blondie’s transition to New Wave was seen as impractical and ambitious. Specifically, Chrysalis Records originally rejected the album as well as the single for “Heart of Glass” believing it was not appropriate for their audience (Porter, 85).
At the same time, a change in genres was an indicator for many rock groups that they were on their way out, whether facing an eventual loss in popularity, or a decision to sell out to corporate interests. A previous example of this was seen with the Rolling Stones when they decided to delve into the world of disco with their song “Miss You” in 1978. They were heavily criticized for the change, and at that point, were no longer as popular as they were at their peak. The decision for Blondie to change course, especially with disco influences, was worrying for both fans and the record label alike. However, Blondie’s producer Mike Chapman had the foresight to see the potential and fought strongly on behalf of the group. Rather than seeing it as a masterpiece all together, he viewed the album as a series of hits, which he correctly predicted.
Originally, Blondie was given six months of studio time to release a new album. This was a time that they could use to write, record, and finalize their upcoming album. Chapman recalled working with Blondie for the first time during the recording of Parallel Lines.
“The Blondies were tough in the studio, real tough. None of them liked each other, except Chris and Debbie, and there was so much animosity. They were really, really juvenile in their approach to life—a classic New York underground rock band—and they didn’t give a fuck about anything. They just wanted to have fun and didn’t want to work too hard getting it.” (Buskin)
1975, Blondie and producer Mike Chapman, Photo Credit: GEMS/Redferns
Chapman continued to discuss the difficulty of working with a band that did not like each other. He described having to go into the recording studio and work on some tracks with members separately, due to issues that existed between the group. Chapman recalled having to work on the editing of their music in the studio for hours on end on his own because the band could not be in the same room to record multiple takes or sing parts of a song again. However, even after all the difficulty, the group had in its recording and group dynamics, they managed to complete the work on Parallel Lines in a breakneck six weeks.
After the finalizing of the album Peter Leeds, the manager of the band, decided to use a photo that the band contested, the now-iconic image where Debbie Harry is dressed in a white dress, hands on her hips, with the rest of the band behind her in suits. It is likely that the influence for the album cover came from older bands, such as the Beatles, who would often wear suits during their performances. Released on September 23, 1978, the album entered the Billboard charts at No. 186, its success boosted by the singles that had been released earlier in the year. Critics universally praised the album, seeing it as a vast improvement over earlier albums like Plastic Letters. Multiple critics gave credit to Mike Chapman’s direction as one of the main reasons for the album’s success. This was also the point where Blondie was fully defined as a new wave and power pop band, who could break into the mainstream and play on the radio.
Album cover from Parallel Lines by Blondie, published: Chrysalis Records, 1978