Andy has this story about Debbie Harry "accusing" Madonna of borrowing her look in the mid-'80s: "I came right up against the Madonna thing. Maybe it’s my paranoia but she had a lot of my looks. If you look closely, sometimes there’s pictures of her and me that completely overlap. She [Madonna] was getting such a huge push from Warners, I was definitely on the B-list. It was a hard period for me. I don’t think anybody knew how to market me or what to do with me. I was like a fish out of water."
The remarks are undoubtedly taken out of context as Debbie was likely being asked pointblank about Madonna because her music -- not Madonna's -- is being used in the London stage version of "Desperately Seeking Susan." That said, Madonna is famous for co-opting the best of the best -- and she's openly credited Debbie's inspiration many, many times, so there's really no story here. If anything, I think Debbie has sour grapes against her record label for not knowing what to do with her after her self-imposed post-Blondie hiatus during which she cared for her ailing then-lover, Chris Stein. When "Feel the Spin" finally came out as a 12-inch single in '85 (off the "Krush Groove" soundtrack), she was an out-of-shape 40-year-old woman in a youth-obsessed industry and Madonna was 15 years younger and full of new ideas, so perhaps Deb's being a little unfair to Warner Brothers. (DailyExpress)
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Blonde on Blonde
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It's ASTONISHING that we said EXACTLY the same thing...down to the 15 years. I don't blame Debbie for feeling or offhandedly saying this, like I don't blame Madonna for saying the same re Gwen Stefani goodnaturedly (but Kylie Minogue belongs in jail). It's all just overhyped catfighting and I doubt Debbie would really "rip her to shreds" given the chance. Aeons ago, Debbie was asked if she felt honored that Madonna acknowledged her as an influence and replied, "A check would be nice." But I have to say that Debbie's post-Blondie work, while I personally love a lot of it, has been extremely eclectic...artistically that could be a good thing, but commercially (and sometimes artistically!) it has been a drag because people can't get a handle on her and don't sense a cohesive continuity that you get from the biggest and greatest acts. Love them both. Copycatfighting must stop now! :0)
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