The 1977 album that warned Blondie off ever working with Phil Spector: “He was completely whacked”
Blondie avoided working with Phil Spector after an unsettling meeting in which he played them Leonard Cohen’s 1977 album *Death of a Ladies’ Man* at extreme volume. The encounter reinforced Debbie Harry and Chris Stein’s view that Spector’s theatrical production style and behaviour were a poor fit for the band as they considered producers for “Heart of Glass”.
Stein recalled that Spector seemed intoxicated and that his distorted playback made the music difficult to hear. Harry also later alleged that Spector waved a gun during the meeting and pushed it against her boot or legs. Spector produced and co-wrote Cohen’s album, known for its dense orchestration and reverb; he was later convicted in connection with Lana Clarkson’s death and sentenced to 19 years in prison, where he died in 2021.
In short
- Spector’s meeting with Blondie put the band off collaborating.
- He played Cohen’s 1977 album at extreme volume.
- Debbie Harry later alleged he handled a gun during the meeting.
Explained simply
Blondie were a New York band led by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. In the late 1970s, they were developing “Heart of Glass”, a song that would become one of their best-known recordings, and weighing up who should produce it.
Phil Spector was a record producer known for building dense, echoing arrangements, a style heard on Leonard Cohen’s 1977 album Death of a Ladies’ Man. Spector produced the album, which was a departure from Cohen’s earlier, more spare sound.
Spector’s reputation is also shaped by his criminal conviction over the death of actor Lana Clarkson; he was sentenced to prison and died there in 2021. The reported meeting with Blondie offers background to the band’s decision to seek a different production approach.