Low-Noise24 Jun 2024

KooKoo (Debbie Harry)

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the 1981 album 'KooKoo' by Debbie Harry in (just under) twenty minutes. In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber.

This, Harry's debut solo album was produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic (do listen to our Chic episode from Season One if you have a spare moment). Kookoo enjoyed moderate commercial success in the US, faring better in the UK, where it reached a respectable number six (we always loved Debbie Harry and Blondie here in the UK!).

The iconic sleeve design was created by Swiss artist, Hans Ruedi Giger best known for his airbrushed images that blended human physiques with machines, the most famous of which are his designs for the 1979 'Alien' movie. Giger was responsible for many other album covers including ELP's 1973 album Brain Salad Surgery. KooKoo is arguably one of his best.

Originally only available on LP and cassette, it wasn't until 1994 that KooKoo was issued on compact disc. It was reissued again in 2011, for its 30th anniversary. In 2023, a deluxe edition was released, consisting of the original album, a bonus disk of remixes pressed in transparent vinyl, a lenticular cover, an art print and printed inners.

In 1986, Harry released her second solo album Rockbird four years after Blondie disbanded.

This is Episode 18 of Season 3. I would like to say a huge thank you to the overwhelming number of listeners and followers over the past two years as the Low Noise podcast continues to evolve in its own inimitable way. I truly appreciate all your interest and support.

I hope you enjoy this episode.

Mathew Woodall

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(178)

Rickie Lee Jones at the Barbican | Is the Duchess of Coolsville Still Cool?

This week I went to see Rickie Lee Jones at the Barbican in London. It wasn’t a concert in the usual sense. It felt more like being invited into somebody’s world for a couple of hours, a world built f...

1 Jun 17min

Electronic – Getting Away With It | Melancholy in Designer Clothes

Why does Getting Away With It still sound so impossibly sophisticated? In this episode of Low Noise, we explore the debut single by Electronic, the collaboration between Bernard Sumner, Johnny Marr (a...

25 Mai 15min

Baz Luhrmann – EPiC | Elvis in Hypercolour

What keeps Elvis Presley alive in the cultural imagination decades after his death?In this episode we explore EPiC, Baz Luhrmann’s visually dense documentary meditation on Elvis Presley and the machin...

18 Mai 25min

The Shadows | Britain’s Most Influential Forgotten Band

How can one of the most successful bands in British history become almost invisible?In this episode, I explore the story of The Shadows, a group whose distinctive sound helped shape British popular mu...

11 Mai 24min

Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians | The Art of Casual Precision

What does it mean for an album to sound effortless?Released in 1988, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars by Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians arrived at a moment when polish often equalled intent. And y...

4 Mai 21min

Fill Your Head with Rock | The Album That Captured Rock in Transition

What happens when a record label tries to map the sound of a moment?Originally released in 1970, Fill Your Head With Rock is a double LP sampler that captures a shifting musical landscape, where folk,...

27 Apr 21min

Jonathan Wilson | Sound, Space and Craft

What does it mean to make music that feels both rooted in the past and quietly expansive at the same time? In this episode, we step into the world of Jonathan Wilson, a songwriter, producer, and sonic...

20 Apr 20min

Jóhann Jóhannsson | Systems, Memory and Decay

What does it mean to compose music that feels both ancient and futuristic at the same time?In this episode, we drift into the haunting, textural world of Jóhann Jóhannsson, a composer whose work disso...

13 Apr 23min