Live It Up

There are songs that seem made not to stay still. Live It Up by Blondie is one of them: a track that moves forward with a rhythm that doesn’t ask for permission, where Wah Wah Watson’s guitar and the backing vocals of The ‘B’ Girls give it a shine that never fades. Debbie Harry’s voice sounds as if she’s telling a story between laughs, yet with that rebellious edge that always defined her. What’s most curious is that behind that energetic sound lies lyrics paying homage to Johnny Thunders and the circle of the New York Dolls, something that isn’t immediately noticeable but adds extra weight to the song.

Recorded in 1980 for Autoamerican, Blondie’s fifth album, Live It Up was crafted by Chris Stein and emerged as a song blending rock with disco echoes. Producer Mike Chapman and engineers Lenise Bent, Gary Boatner, and Doug Schwartz captured that live energy already synonymous with Blondie. Interestingly, the song had alternate versions: a demo produced by Giorgio Moroder appeared on the compilation Against The Odds: 1974-1982, and even a disco version served as the B-side of the single Rapture, which was breaking records at the time. The track itself, clocking in at 4 minutes and 10 seconds, slipped into charts across several countries without much fanfare, yet it remained, a detail keen fans wouldn’t overlook.