‘Ring of Fire’: The Blondie cover Debbie Harry likes most of all
Depending on who you ask, cover songs are either a fantastic method of paying tribute to one’s artistic inspirations or unimaginative cash-in singles devoid of any originality. Particularly within the realm of punk rock, where importance is often placed on songwriting originality, cover versions have proved particularly divisive. However, that never stopped one of CBGB’s regulars, Blondie, from recording their fair share of incredible cover songs.
Rising from the grassroots punk movement of New York’s East Side, Blondie established themselves among the most original and inventive groups of the era. Rather than sticking closely to the abrasive sounds of punk forever, the Debbie Harry-fronted group managed to diversify their sound drastically over the course of their discography. Taking on influences of disco, pop, and electronica, the new wave heroes even became early adopters of rap-rock.
Throughout that diverse and beloved discography, some of the band’s most notable tracks have been cover versions. For instance, ‘Hanging On The Telephone’, from Parallel Lines was originally recorded by Jack Lee and the Nerves in 1976, but Blondie’s version quickly eclipsed the original. Years later, Harry’s band would find a number-one hit with their version of the rocksteady anthem ‘Tide Is High’ by John Holt.
Fittingly, therefore, numerous groups have chosen to record their own versions of Blondie tracks over the years – speaking to the band’s lasting success and relevancy within pop rock. The ever-growing landscape of Blondie covers encapsulates an incredibly broad range of artists, ranging from Britpop heroes Sleeper to recent pop sensation Lizzo. Debbie Harry has never been one to shy away from discussing her musical taste, so it makes sense that the iconic vocalist has weighed in to highlight her favourite Blondie covers.
A particular favourite of Harry’s comes from fellow punk devotees Green Day, who covered ‘Dreaming’ back in 2020. Speaking to The Guardian two years later, the Blondie vocalist shared, “I like Green Day’s ‘Dreaming’, and another that was sent to me by an unknown group on a cassette, which was particularly haunting and really took it in a different direction.”
Continuing, Harry highlighted another cover which added new layers of artistry to Blondie’s work. “More recently, I liked what Miley Cyrus did with ‘Heart of Glass’,” Harry revealed. “She’s made it a bit herself, which is the art of a great cover.”
If anybody is qualified to give an account of what makes a good cover version, it is probably Debbie Harry. After all, she has been belting out groundbreaking covers with Blondie for around half a century now, and she shows very little signs of slowing down anytime soon.
So, Green Day and Miley Cyrus might have recorded some of Harry’s favourite Blondie covers, but what is the singer’s favourite cover song recorded by Blondie themselves? While the likes of ‘Hanging On The Telephone’, ‘Tide Is High’, or ‘Denise’ are worthy contestants, one song recorded for the 1980 film Roadie stands out among the rest. “When we did Johnny Cash’s ‘Ring of Fire’ […], nobody had done it as a rock song before, and we played it like we were on a fast trip to hell,” she said.
“I’m still really excited and happy about doing that,” Harry said of the cover. So, regardless of others’ thoughts on the artistic integrity behind recording cover songs, they remain close to the heart of Debbie Harry. The range of artists who have covered her work over the years, including Miley Cyrus and Green Day, only serves to bolster Debbie Harry’s reputation as a true musical icon with timeless, lasting appeal.
