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Barron's Modern 80's Dance Mega-Mashup - Volume 2 (Various Artists) Please note Barron Mixes are made for the Love of the Music and to Honour the Original Artists for their Great Work. Please support them and their Channels.I...

Bad Boys Blue - You Take Me To The Light

🌟 WHICH BLONDIE SONG ALWAYS PUTS YOU IN A GOOD MOOD? 🌟

On this date in 1978, Blondie released the single "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear," a track that stands apart not just for its sparkling pop craftsmanship, but for its peculiar origins. Written by former bassist Gary Valentine, the song drew inspiration from what he described as the telepathic connection he shared with his then-girlfriend, journalist and actress Lisa Jane Persky. Despite Valentine’s departure from the group prior to the recording of Plastic Letters, drummer Clem Burke championed the track’s inclusion on the album, a decision that would result in one of Blondie's most endearing early singles.

"Presence, Dear" arrived as the second single from Plastic Letters, following the UK success of "Denis," and proved itself no mere afterthought. Reaching number ten on the UK Singles Chart in May 1978, it also found success in the Netherlands and Belgium but, notably, was not released as a single in the United States. As with many Blondie tracks from this period, its simplicity belied a more intricate background: the lyrics riffed on kismet, theosophy, R.E.M. sleep and astral levitation, stitched together from Valentine’s journal reflections during a tour with Iggy Pop.

Valentine later elaborated, "That was about these paranormal experiences I was having with my girlfriend at the time. We were in telepathic contact with each other when I was on tour. We would discover we’d be having the same dreams and we always seemed to know what the other was doing, which sometimes proved uncomfortable!" (New York Rocker).

Debbie Harry’s crisp delivery elevates the eccentric subject matter into something breezy and oddly universal, while Burke’s galloping drum fills bring an exuberant edge. Chris Stein and Jimmy Destri, meanwhile, keep the arrangement taut and uncluttered, letting the song's buoyant energy do the heavy lifting. A sharp, jangled riff rides through the track, producing what Stewart Mason of AllMusic described as "a brilliantly starry-eyed lyric set to an addictive jangly guitar riff," linking it between Big Star's #1 Record and the dB's Stands for Decibels.

Gary Valentine had already made his mark before "Presence, Dear." His earlier contribution "X Offender" (initially titled "S*x Offender" before label intervention) had been pivotal in attracting attention from Private Stock Records. Valentine’s songwriting and aesthetic instincts helped to push Blondie beyond the New York dive bars into a wider consciousness, even if at that time the likes of Patti Smith and Television were viewed as the darlings of the CBGB set.

His significance wasn't just musical. As early photos reveal, Valentine’s skinny-tie, sharp-shirted look helped shape Blondie’s sixties-meets-modern visual identity. "Debbie later said she had planned the sixties retro look right from the start," Valentine wrote in New York Rocker. "But if you look at the early photos, I’m the one with short hair and a skinny tie."

The recording of "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear" was somewhat bittersweet for Valentine, who didn’t play on the track he had conceived. Nevertheless, its inclusion on Plastic Letters secured his legacy within the band’s catalogue. Released in multiple formats, the single was backed by "Detroit 442" and "Poets Problem," the latter not appearing on the original LP but later included in compilations such as Blonde and Beyond.

The track was performed on the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test in 1978, a clear indication of Blondie's growing influence in Britain, where their particular fusion of pop classicism and punk energy resonated faster than it had back home in the States.

Critical reception over the years has been notably kind. The Rolling Stone Album Guide called it a "catchy single" that "taps into Harry’s emotional reserves," while GQ ranked it as Blondie’s second-best song, highlighting the lyric: "We could navigate together, psychic frequencies / Coming into contact with outer entities." The Daily Telegraph similarly praised Harry's "glacial" vocal delivery and labelled the melody "so insistent, you might need an exorcist to get it out of your head."

In retrospect, "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear" offers a glimpse into what Blondie could do when pop sensibility, off-kilter subject matter and sharp musicianship collided. Gary Valentine’s quirky lyrical inspiration and songwriting verve remain central to its appeal. Even Paul Morley, writing in The Guardian, acknowledged the song as Valentine’s "lovely gift to the pop world," a track that still holds a treasured spot in Blondie's early canon without leaning on overworn nostalgia.

Valentine’s broader influence stretches beyond his tenure with Blondie. Post-New York, he played guitar with Iggy Pop, formed the new wave trio The Know, and, after relocating to London in the mid-90s, became a respected writer under his real name, Gary Lachman. His philosophical writings, delving into consciousness, mysticism, and the esoteric, reflect the same fascination with the unseen forces that first inspired "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear."

Far more than just an early footnote in Blondie's success, Valentine’s impact is woven into the fabric of their music, their look, and even the wry humour that runs through their finest work.

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Bad Boys Blue - Till The End Of Time ( 1988 ) Great Eurodisco New Video By Jack Li

Happy 66th birthday to Sheena Shirley Easton (née Orr; born 27 April 1959). She is a Scottish singer and actress who achieved recognition in an episode of the reality television series The Big Time: Pop Singer, which recorded her attempts to gain a record deal and her eventual signing with the EMI label. Her first two singles, "Modern Girl" and "9 to 5", both entered the top ten of the UK singles chart simultaneously. She became one of the most successful British female recording artists of the 1980s.

Easton became the first and only recording artist in Billboard history to have a top-five hit on each of Billboard's primary singles charts: "9 to 5" (Pop and Adult Contemporary), "We've Got Tonight" with Kenny Rogers (Country and Adult Contemporary) and "Sugar Walls" (R&B and Dance). Her discography includes fifteen studio albums, fifty-five singles and twenty consecutive US singles, including fifteen top forty hits, seven top tens and one number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 and has combined records sales of over 20 million records worldwide. In 1981, Easton recorded "For Your Eyes Only" as the theme song for the James Bond film.

A six-time Grammy Award nominee, Easton is a two-time Grammy Award winner – Best New Artist for 1981 and Best Mexican-American Performance in 1985 for her duet with Mexican singer Luis Miguel on the 1984 single "Me Gustas Tal Como Eres".

MODERN TALKING Ready For The Victory (Instrumental) Taken from MODERN TALKING Ready For The Victory Maxi-CD • Germany • 74321 92038 2 • 2002 • Hansa • BMG Written by Dieter Bohlen. Produced by Dieter Bohlen. C...

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