Blondie – The Tide Is High

“The Tide Is High” – Single by Blondie from the album Autoamerican
B-side: “Susie and Jeffrey”
Released: 31 October 1980
Studio: United Western, Hollywood, California
Label: Chrysalis
Songwriter: John Holt
Producer: Mike Chapman
Charted No.1 in US and No.1 in UK

Lead singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein wrote most of Blondie’s songs, but not this one. “The Tide Is High” is a cover song, originally recorded by a Jamaican vocal group called The Paragons in 1967. Harry and Stein heard the song on a compilation tape they picked up in London; they thought it was too good not to record. Their version was a huge hit, going to #1 in both the US and UK.

“The Tide Is High” was covered by Blondie in 1980, in a reggae style that included horns and strings. It was released as the lead single from the band’s fifth studio album, Autoamerican (1980), giving Blondie their third number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and their fifth in the UK (where it became Blondie’s last British number one for 18 years, until “Maria” in February 1999).