Blondie Christmas - Debbie and Fab 5 Freddy

This year we’ll be dreaming of a Blonde Christmas, as Blondie release a new festive EP.

Yuletide Throwdown dropped digitally on 8 October, but those who have been holding out for a physical copy need wait no longer – the band are releasing a 12” limited edition vinyl in both magenta and black on 5 November (via UMe-Capitol/Numero Group).

The EP features the 80s Christmas-inspired track Yuletide Throwdown, co-written and performed with Fab 5 Freddy, along with a new, exclusive remix of the song by Cut Chemist.

The ultra-rare 1981 holiday flexi-disc, now being reissued for the first time on 180g vinyl, was originally given away by the magazine Flexipop and then rediscovered as the band was researching and reviewing material from their personal archive for their forthcoming boxset, to be released in August 2022.

If it sounds familiar, it’s because the track was actually the original recording for what would later become one of Blondie’s biggest hits, Rapture.

“It has been an impossible amount of time since I believed in Santa Claus, but I could very well believe again if he was Freddy Brathwaite! Some of my best times have been making music with Chris Stein and Freddy B,” says Debbie Harry, with Chris Stein adding: “Freddy has done as much as any multi-platinum selling Hip-Hop star to promote rap culture.”

Fab 5 Freddy says: “In the beginning of my journey into pop culture, Chris and Debbie were among the first to take me and my ideas about hip hop culture seriously and were like mentors to me shining a light along the road and assisting my quest. I’m happy after all this time the world can now hear this fun holiday tune we did way back then!”

Flash forward 40 years – as the band sought to re-release the original recording, they engaged DJ and producer Cut Chemist to put his spin on the track.

Cut Chemist (Lucas MacFadden) explains: “Blondie and Fab 5 Freddy are two giants in their respective cultures. Yuletide Throwdown is a perfect example of those worlds coming together. Chris Stein’s music and Debbie trading raps with Fab created something entirely new sounding. It was an honour to work on this project as I have been a fan of their work for my entire life.”

The new 2021 mix of the original track was produced by 4x Grammy winner Steve Rosenthal and mixed from the original analogue tapes by Grammy winner Tom Camuso on his vintage Neve console at Studio E in Brooklyn.

The limited edition vinyl, available in both magenta and black versions, will come packaged in a die-cut bespoke ‘disco-bag’ style sleeve with exclusive artwork by New York graffiti artist ‘Hugogyrl.’

Blondie’s Christmas EP, Yuletide Throwdown is available to pre-order and stream at: https://blondie.lnk.to/YuletideThrowdown.

Buy Classic Pop’s Blondie special here

Read more: Making Blondie’s Parallel Lines

Blondie Christmas

Track listing:

SIDE A

  1. Yuletide Throwdown (Cut Chemist Remix)

SIDE B

  1. Yuletide Throwdown (Cut Chemist Radio Edit)
  2. Yuletide Throwdown (1981 Original Recording)