Picture This: Debbie Harry and Blondie by Mick Rock (Hardcover)

~ Mick Rock (Photographer), Debbie Harry (Foreword) "Of course there was Blondie the cartoon strip, long before there was Blondie the band..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, David Bowie, Lou Reed (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Blondie's emergence at New York's CBGB's and other haunts with lead singer and front woman Debbie Harry brought an instant glamour to punk and made superstars of the band. Harry, an ex-Playboy bunny, also made rock star wannabes of many fans. In this large-format book, famed international rock photographer Mick Rock documents the beginnings, the highs, and the lows of the group - with particular emphasis on Harry - in 150 powerful never-before-published images of Blondie at work and play. Included is a DVD that features an exclusive interview with the photographer and the lead singer. A foreword by Debbie Harry gives an insider perspective on the images and the heady times they portray.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 238 pages
• Publisher: Sanctuary Publishing, Ltd.; Har/DVD edition (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860746004
• ISBN-13: 978-1860746000
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 10.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #373,504 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Could Be Better, But Who's Complaining!, May 25, 2004

By	Scott Coblio "kookoo guy" (West Hollywood, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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Debbie Harry is caught at the peak of her appeal by Brit photog Mick Rock in this portfolio of photographs ranging from 1976 to the present. The one session that yielded the most famous results was in late 1978 and features a long haired Debbie dressed in Steven Sprouse's single strapped mini's and op-art threads, against both red and blue backgrounds. From Penthouse magazine to Lester Bang's 1980 Blondie bio, to picture sleeves, magazine covers and posters, they went around the world and played a large part in establishing the iconography of Debbie Harry.

Of the five "vintage" photo sessions (excluding pix from two live shows in 1976 and 1978), two are Debbie solo (the aforementioned 1978 shoot and one a year later with short hair in 79), one is a candid at-home session with Debbie and Chris--again from 1979. The other two are full band sessions from '79. The full band sessions are a little weird. Debbbie looks too covered up in one, wearing a tweed jacket and leather cap with a mans' tie and vinyl pants. This is clearly from the "Eat to the Beat" era when she was downplaying her sexuality to prove that Blondie was a group. Lots of "whacky" outtake shots of the band goofing around here shed some light on the different personalities at work.

In the other full band session,Debbie appears almost hyper-feminine as the band poses amidst a pile of old transistor radios. Beautiful but homogenized into a very '70's look by the stylist, Debbie lacks her usual timelessness in these. It's as if someone has hammered the character out of her. Still, she is stunning, if not edgy, and this session enjoys the benefit of the highest quality reproduction in the whole book, boasting gorgeous color saturation and crystal clarity.

Of course, the centerpiece of the book is that 1978 photo session from which the cover picture was culled. Disapointingly, many photos from this session have been cropped and enlarged to the point of bluriness, and many of the very strong shots you may remember are not present here. What IS here appears to be mostly outtakes with only a few of the key shots represented, and of those-- only one or two are presented in high resolution. It's almost as if Mr Rock purposely held back the strongest images for some future use! Still, Debbie is so stunning from this era that even outtakes are amazing to behold.

Closing the collection are a few sessions of Debbie from the late nineties and one that is new. These sessions show an older, harder Debbie without the softness of the earlier collaborations, but--hey, it's still Debbie, so they offer some interest.

Interspersed throughout the book are various notes, captions, and comments from Mick Rock and a few from Debbie (who also wrote the forward). There is a short DVD showing footage from the most recent photo session in which Debbie--in a bizarre makeup that makes her look as if someone has kicked her in the eyes-- appears to be a very patient subject!

Despite its exasperating omissions and arguable editing choices, this volume will none the less be endlessly fascinating to fans of Debbie & Blondie, as well as giving the unenlightened a glimpse into Ms Harry's powerful appeal.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book and DVD from Mick Rock on the beautiful Ms. Harry!, May 24, 2004

By	K. Eisenberger "dance music freak!" (Defiance, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a book of classic rock photographer Mick Rock on this time his photos of God herself- Debbie Harry. It starts in the early part of Blondie's career- 1974 and goes up to 2003 with the main focus being 1978-1980 which were that main part of Debbie's career with Blondie the first time around. You get some never before shots and some that are famous. The cover of the Book was a shot taken for Bob Guccione's Viva but later was the cover of February 1980's Penthouse magazine. Awesome stuff. The newer pictures show Debbie looking as glamourous as ever. Check out the dvd- but be careful when taking the dvd out not to unglue the holder it comes with from the book. The dvd runs around 21 minutes and is basically an interview with Mick Rock about the pictures and some with the 2003 photo shoot with Debbie . Also fun to watch is the fact that Debbie curses on this dvd and when Mick curses all his stuff is bleeped out. A great book of photos and a fun dvd to go with it. A++++.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book, May 31, 2004

By	"music-books" (Springfield, MO USA) - See all my reviews

As the compiler of the book "Blondie, From Punk to the Present: A Pictorial History," I've viewed my share of photos and images of this band and its camera-friendly lead singer, Deborah Harry. The photographs in "Picture This" are striking and breathtakingly beautiful, and there's more textual commentary than I had anticipated (which is a plus). Mick Rock's Introduction is very insightful as he explains his craft, the realities of modern-day publishing, and the significance of Blondie and Deborah Harry all in one page, which is a feat in itself. And Deb's Foreword is a joy to read as she presents her perspective on being photographed and observations on Mr. Rock, including her appreciation that this photographer was "there for me."

The main text consists of an opening consideration of blondes and their universal appeal, beginning with Jean Harlow and later Marilyn Monroe having set the ultimate standard. And Deborah Harry certainly possesses that Monroe-like quality, according to the photographer. Mr. Rock then proceeds to relate his experiences in 1970s New York City which was characterized by a wide-open, almost wild West anything goes attitude, and places Blondie and Debbie in this larger context by relating the various photo shoots he conducted with her and the band in the late '70s.

And as if that wasn't enough, an added bonus is an accompanying DVD, "Picture This Behind the Scenes," which captures the photographer in action. The year 2000-"back to the future," as it were: "We can still do it, Deborah. Just like it was before," Mick Rock exclaims.

In the DVD, the photographer relates anecdotes from the book such as the first studio session with the band to the last session he had with Blondie before their breakup in 1981 to a more recent outdoors session with Deborah sporting a striking blue leather jacket (yes, she does look good in blue). Mick also describes a late '70s photo session he had with Chris Stein and Debbie at home. ("It was just me and them"). Mr. Rock concludes that Chris and Debbie were "first and foremost artists" and that "she's just a little lady, but a very neat package" indeed whose vulnerability made her such an inviting subject for the camera. And, in turn, Debbie describes Mick as "a brilliant photographer."

I'd like to include a personal note at this point, if I may. Two of Mick's photos grace the pages of the book I compiled on Blondie, and I had the good fortune of having several phone conversations with Mr. Rock as I worked with him on that book project. I was impressed by the time he took with me (considering his hectic schedule), and the care he exhibited in making this two-page photo spread happen. I'll always remember that.

In the DVD, the photographer made an observation something to the effect that you can't let on having too much fun practicing your craft since you can get in trouble for that. And he also noted, regarding the New York City '70s scene that: "I was in the thick of it." This book certainly serves as a testimony to that.