On this day in 1999, Blondie released ‘No Exit’ in Europe — the bold, genre-blurring title track from their seventh album. A dramatic fusion of gothic hip hop, punk, and classical motifs, the track features a fierce lyrical exchange between Debbie Harry and Coolio, echoing Blondie’s pioneering work on 1981’s ‘Rapture’.
‘No Exit’ reimagines Toccata and Fugue in D minor and In the Hall of the Mountain King with dark flair, and originally appeared as a UK tour-exclusive CD with remixes of ‘Maria’, ‘Nothing Is Real but the Girl’, and ‘Hot Shot’.
To mark its 26th anniversary, a previously unreleased ‘Urban Version Main Mix’ drops as part of the upcoming ‘No Exit (Remastered & Expanded)’ reissue – a newly restored HD version of the 1999 video is also out now.
Directed by Frank Sacramento, the ‘Loud Allstar Rock Remix’ video features Inspectah Deck, U-God, Havoc, and Prodigy — billed as The Loud Allstars — and appeared in the cult film 200 Cigarettes. Written by Harry, Stein, Destri, Coolio, and Romy Ashby, ‘No Exit’ remains a fearless, genre-defying moment in Blondie’s legacy.