Blondie will mark the 26th anniversary of their 1999 comeback album No Exit with a newly remastered and expanded edition, out 31 October on digital, CD and vinyl formats for the first time. The release includes the previously unheard No Exit (Urban Version Main Mix), a striking blend of gothic hip hop, punk, and orchestral energy that reunites Debbie Harry with the late Coolio in a fierce lyrical exchange recalling the band’s trailblazing 1981 hit Rapture.
When No Exit first arrived in February 1999, it wasn’t just another record-it was a resurrection. After 17 years apart, Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, and Jimmy Destri reconvened in New York determined to prove Blondie’s creative fire hadn’t faded. Their sessions began in Stein’s basement studio in Tribeca before moving to Electric Lady and Chung King, two studios steeped in New York’s musical history. Joining them were bassist Leigh Foxx and guitarist Paul Carbonara, both long-time collaborators who became official members as Blondie entered its next chapter.
The album was produced by Craig Leon, a familiar face from the band’s earliest days. Leon, who helped record Blondie’s 1976 debut single X Offender and had previously worked with punk pioneers the Ramones, Suicide, and Talking Heads, brought a rough-edged authenticity to the project. He even resurrected vintage analog gear salvaged from the defunct Blank Tape Studios to help the band recapture the raw essence of their 1970s sound.
Debbie Harry said the goal was to evolve without losing the unpredictable spark that defined them. “We made an effort not to do anything that was predictable while also including a few of those little pop ditties that Blondie became known for,” she explained.
The title No Exit came about spontaneously. While rehearsing, Clem Burke began shouting the phrase repeatedly, inspired by Jean-Paul Sartre’s existential play where three people are trapped together forever. Chris Stein recalled, “Clem just kept yelling ‘No Exit, No Exit, No Exit.’ We couldn’t shut him up. But it was a clever concept and it stuck.”
That sense of creative entrapment became symbolic for Blondie, who, even after decades, remained bound together by the chemistry that first sparked in New York’s CBGB scene.
The resulting album was a bold and eclectic statement. Maria, the first single, became Blondie’s sixth UK number one, 20 years after Heart Of Glass first topped the charts, proving their cross-generational appeal. Other standouts include the reflective Nothing Is Real But The Girl, the pulsating Under The Gun (For Jeffrey Lee Pierce), and Boom Boom In The Zoom Zoom Room, Clem Burke’s first songwriting credit with the band.
The title track No Exit, featuring Coolio and the Loud Allstars, cemented Blondie’s link to hip hop-a connection first made when Rapture became one of the earliest rap-influenced pop hits in 1981.
The No Exit era also delivered Blondie’s longest world tour, lasting 13 months and reaffirming their place as one of rock’s most dynamic live acts.
This new Deluxe Edition of No Exit arrives with a bittersweet edge following the recent passing of Clem Burke. As a founding member and the rhythmic heart of Blondie for more than four decades, his drumming defined the band’s pulse from Parallel Lines through to Pollinator. His performances across No Exit stand as a lasting reminder of his energy, precision, and unshakable presence.
Blondie’s influence spans far beyond their chart success. Emerging from the rough-and-tumble New York punk scene of the mid-70s, the group fused styles that others wouldn’t dare-punk, pop, disco, reggae, and hip hop-and turned that fearless experimentation into global hits. Heart Of Glass, One Way Or Another, Call Me, and The Tide Is High not only reshaped mainstream radio but defined an era of boundary-breaking music.
Their 2006 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame confirmed what fans already knew: Blondie weren’t just survivors, they were innovators. With over 40 million albums sold worldwide, the band continues to inspire new generations who see in Debbie Harry’s defiance and Chris Stein’s creativity a template for artistic independence.
No Exit (Remastered & Expanded) is both a reminder and a celebration of that spirit. It’s a rediscovery of an album that proved Blondie could evolve without compromise-and a tribute to the enduring chemistry that has kept them relevant for nearly half a century.
Tracklisting:
Disc 1
Screaming Skin (2025 Remaster)
Forgive And Forget (Pull Down The Night) (2025 Remaster)
Maria (2025 Remaster)
No Exit (Feat. Coolio & Loud Allstars) (2025 Remaster)
Double Take (Feat. Candy Dulfer) (2025 Remaster)
Nothing Is Real But The Girl (2025 Remaster)
Boom Boom In The Zoom Zoom Room (2025 Remaster)
Night Wind Sent (2025 Remaster)
Under The Gun (For Jeffrey Lee Pierce) (2025 Remaster)
Out In The Streets (2025 Remaster)
Happy Dog (For Caggie) (2025 Remaster)
The Dream’s Lost On Me (2025 Remaster)
Divine (2025 Remaster)
Dig Up The Conjo (2025 Remaster)
Disc 2
Hot Shot (David Wrench 2025 Remix)
Maria (Ether Dub Mix)
Nothing Is Real But The Girl (Boilerhouse Lounge Mix)
No Exit (Urban Version Main Mix)
Maria (Talvin Singh Rhythmic Remix Edit)
Nothing Is Real But The Girl (Danny Tenaglia Heart Of Trance)
Forgive And Forget (Pull Down The Night) (Ben’s Mix)
Maria (White Trash Mix)
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