Blondie Returns With “Spectral Eyes” and Here’s How It Started as a Johnny Marr B-Side

“Spectral Eyes”, the latest single from Blondie, finds the new-wave legends joining forces with another legend, guitarist Johnny Marr. Marr wrote and played on the track, which precedes High Noon, Blondie’s first album in nine years. But the song dates back a few years, first released as the B-side to Marr’s 2018 single, “Spiral Cities”.

High Noon arrives on February 26, 2027, and will be the last to feature the band’s longtime drummer Clem Burke, who died last year at age 70. As we anticipate the new record, let’s follow the history of “Spectral Eyes” from Marr B-side to Blondie’s return.

‘Call The Comet’

The former Smiths guitarist released his third solo effort, Call The Comet, in 2018. You might know the album by Marr’s banger, “Hi Hello”. But “Spiral Cities was released as the second single in late 2018.

Marr’s original features the kind of angular rock Blondie helped pioneer. But here, the track blossoms into a kind of supergroup featuring Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, plus Marr and Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock.

Oh, you’re something else,
Lost soul winging it.
And you’re somewhere else,
Beyond the limit now.
No here, no now,
So in and out, out.

The Possessor in You

Harry sings about someone crashing out. Here and then gone like a ghost. This is burning the candle at both ends while admiring its glow.

Oh, spectral eyes, who let you get at the possessor in you?
No entry signs, show me there is; nothing ever gets through,
Celestial smile, reckless, there’s nothing else we can do.

“Get the reverie,” she sings, hoping for a rebirth. It’s written abstractly, but it’s hard not to spot Harry’s band in the sentiment. She said in a statement, “This album is classic Blondie—an amalgamation of all our different influences and eras into something new. This music feels grounded in the present, shaped by who we are and how we’re living now.”

Stein added, “I’m not sure what the f**k I’m supposed to say at this point, except that we’re incredibly grateful for all your support over the years.”

Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images