Tomorrow Belongs to You [Import]

Gary Valentine, Gary Valentine | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 10, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Overground Records
• ASIN: B00007KKOI
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #445,628 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The First One

2. Tomorrow Belongs To You

3. Roadrunner

4. Scenery

5. You Dont Know Me

6. In The Know

7. Infatuated

8. Amor Fati

9. (Im Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear

10. You (Wanted Me To Hang Around You)

11. I Like Girls

12. Dreams (Out Of Reach)

13. Heroin

14. The Ballad Of Nathaniel West

15. Aint That Something

16. Jump Back Baby

17. Whos The Leader

18. Somewhere Nowhere

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Gary Valentine was a founding member of Blondie, the most successful group to emerge from the New York Punk scene of the 1970s. Bassist and guitarist (1975-1977), Gary was there at the beginning, and wrote some of Blondie’s early hits, like "X-Offender", their first release, and "(I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear," their second Top Ten hit. Leaving Blondie in 1977, Gary released a solo single, "The First One," a New Wave hit in 1978, and later, "I Like Girls", with his own group, the Know. Now, for the first time, Overground Records brings together all of Gary Valentine’s recordings, starting with "The First One," and continuing to his most recent work with his group Fire Escape, recorded in London in 2000. With 9 previously unreleased tracks, including live performances from NYC’s legendary Max’s Kansas City and LA’s Whiskey A Go Go, this is a true collector’s item for anyone interested in the late 70s/early 80s New Wave/ Power Pop scene. Along with "The First One" /"Tomorrow Belongs to You" and "I Like Girls"/"Dreams"—long unavailable in any format—this CD includes Gary’s own version of the Blondie hit "Presence, Dear", as well as another Blondie tune "Scenery". With "Amor Fati," "You Wanted Me to Hang Around You," "Infatuated" and others, including live performances of Jonathan Richman’s "Roadrunner" and Lou Reed’s "Heroin", these tracks have never been released. After disbanding the Know in 1980, Gary toured with Iggy Pop. Then, in 1996, he joined in the early stages of the Blondie reunion, recording and performing with them in 96-97. He then formed a new group, Fire Escape, whose CD, "First Step," MOJO called "an hypnotic synthesis of Neil Young and early Velvet Underground." Initially released in a limited edition, the original 5 track EP—now out-of-print—is included here, and makes this the most representative collection of Gary Valentine’s music available. Gary Valentine’s book New York Rocker: My Life in Blank Generation with Blondie, Iggy Pop and Others 1974-1981 (Sidgwick & Jackson 2002) received rave reviews from Q, Uncut, The Guardian, MOJO, Rolling Stone and other journals. He is also the author of Turn Off Your Mind: The Mystic Sixties and the Dark Side of the Age of Aquarius (Sidgwick & Jackson 2001), a history of the occult counterculture of the 1960s. A regular contributor to Fortean Times, Gary has written for Independent on Sunday, Guardian, MOJO¸ Bizarre, and TLS, lectures regularly in London and other cities and is a frequent speaker on the BBC.

Product Description

Compilation by Blondie founder-member, ranging from his 1977 solo single 'The First One', to his more recent London recordings with The Fire Escape. Includes unreleased live tracks from Max's Kansas City & Whiskey A Go Go. 12 page booklet with detailed notes. Overground Records. 2003.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blondie Fans Rejoice, June 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Tomorrow Belongs to You (Audio CD)

Don't buy this thinking of it as a proper album. It's a hodge podge, and isn't crafted like a proper LP. It would be better to take the approach that you spent [money] and got a stack of singles. It is worth the money just for Gary's killer versions of "Scenery" and "Presence Dear". It's just too bad that the Know never recorded an album, because it would have been every bit as good as the Romantics, Paul Collin's Beat, or the Knacks' first records.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catapulted from oblivion to obscurity, February 10, 2003

By 

James B (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tomorrow Belongs to You (Audio CD)

I just listened to this CD and was completely blown away. This is seriously the most incredible undiscovered treasure from the slough of New Wave/New York Punk scene re-rereleases that I've heard. What makes this collection stand out is its rarity - most of this stuff is impossible to find - this album seems to mark its rescue from total oblivion. The forth track, Scenery, is a demo of a song intended for Blondie's debut release and is easily as good as any track on that album. Except for a few tracks at the end of the album (which are still good and sound a bit like Modern Lovers meet Camper Van Beethoven) I would consider this a must-have for any music junkie and an absolute essential for Jonathan Richman, Television, or Blondie fans.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars GRUNGEY POP FROM BLONDIE BLACK SHEEP, October 1, 2003

By 

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

This review is from: Tomorrow Belongs to You (Audio CD)

I always thought it was a shame that Gary Valentine left Blondie, as his eccentric and esoteric lyrics added an interesting dimension to the group's sound and image.But alas, the hyperactive Valentine pogo'd his way right off the stage and stayed there, putting the stage focus back on Debbie where it belonged but also robbing the group of a very interesting narrative voice.

Debbie always sounded especially inspired when doing a Valentine-penned piece. So I couldn't wait to hear the songs he wrote for the band that they never recorded, as well as a general curiosity about his vocal abilities. We know he had the ego of a superstar, but did he have the pipes to match? Well, no. Valentine as a vocalist is servicable on some cuts, almost bad on others, and is generally not a very memorable singer. His poetic songwriting on the other hand, is most impressive. It's a shame Blondie didn't do the other songs he penned for the first two albums. His "Scenery' was THE highlight of 1994's Blondie retrospective CD "Blonde and Beyond". Some think Blondie's version is half baked but I love it. Valentine's version has slightly different chord changes and is grittier but just as enjoyable. There's something in Valentine's delivery that suggests a humor about himself and his mad philosophic searching that doesn't come across in the Blondie version.

All of the songs are listenable and interesting in a way that still sounds modern and refreshing. It's cute without being cutesy, smart without being pretentious. I'm surprised more artists don't cover his material.