Today’s classic song of the day is “The Tide is High” by Blondie. Released in October of 1980, the single went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and around the world; it hit the top spot in Canada, New Zealand, and the UK, and was a Top 10 hit in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, and Switzerland.
Unlike most Blondie tracks, “The Tide is High” was not written by members of the group. The song was written by John Hall, a member of a Jamaican rocksteady trio called the Paragons. That group had a minor hit in Jamaica and the UK with the song way back in 1967. It was Blondie’s cover more than a decade later, however, that hit the public’s sweet spot.
Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Chris Stein heard “The Tide is High” on a compilation tape and thought the tune was too good not to record. It was the first single released from their 1980 album, Autoamerican and their third single to top the U.S. charts. (Their previous number ones were “Call Me” and “Heart of Glass.”)
While primarily known as a punk or new wave group, Blondie made it a habit to record songs of all different genres. “Heart of Glass” was a new wave tune, “Rapture” was rap, “Call Me” was electro-pop, and “The Tide is High” is very much in the reggae groove. I tend to think that their versatility enhanced their success and longevity.
“The Time is High” is one catchy tune with a beat you can dance to. I’m particularly fond of Debbie Harry’s vocals on this one, especially on the out chorus. I also like the way she defiantly sings “I’m not the kind of girl,” slightly altering it on each pass. She was somewhat underrated as a singer, IMHO.
Blondie only had one more big hit after “The Tide is High,” 1981’s “Rapture.” They’d made their mark by then, however, and justifiably so. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
