Blondie announces ‘No Exit’ deluxe edition
Blondie Announces Deluxe Reissue of Landmark 1999 Comeback Album No Exit
metalplanetmusic.com – 4th September 2025 2pm
Blondie’s No Exit—the 1999 comeback that marked their return after a 17-year hiatus—is being reissued in a newly remastered and expanded Deluxe Edition, out October 31 via BMG.
A definitive release of one of the band’s most pivotal records, and now available on vinyl for the very first time ever, the deluxe reissue celebrates Blondie’s remarkable second act and revisits the album that marked the legendary band’s creative resurgence and return to the global stage.
The No Exit Deluxe Edition will be available digitally and in three physical formats: a 2CD set, crystal glass clear 2LP and black 2LP vinyl pressings.
All formats include the remastered original album—featuring the global hit “Maria”—alongside remixes, new liner notes, and “Hot Shot,” a track previously released only in Japan, now widely available for the first time with additional production and mix by David Wrench (David Byrne, The Pretenders, Frank Ocean). The deluxe reissue was produced by Tommy Manzi and Steve Rosenthal, with mastering and sound restoration by Jessica Thompson.
The updated design brings a fresh visual dimension to the release, with original album photographer and creative director Rob Roth returning to work on all the new packaging. A longtime creative collaborator of Harry and Stein, Roth—now a respected figure in the visual and performance art world—shot the album’s original artwork inside the seminal NYC nightclub Mother, tapping into late-’90s fascinations with surveillance, sexuality, and spectacle. “I was kind of obsessed with the concept of surveillance at the time,” recalls Roth. “To me, it made perfect sense conceptually and creatively.” For this reissue, he builds on that foundation, pairing archival visuals with new design elements to create a vivid, contemporary reimagining of the milestone album.
No Exit began as a far-fetched idea—one forged through years of time apart, individual successes, financial pressures, and a determination to create music together again —quickly became one of the most celebrated comebacks of its time. The album reunited Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, and Jimmy Destri, who began writing and recording in Stein’s Tribeca basement studio before continuing sessions at Electric Lady Studios and Chung King. They were joined by bassist Leigh Foxx and guitarist Paul Carbonara, longtime collaborators who stepped into official roles as the band reshaped its lineup for a new era. That new dynamic helped drive the creative momentum behind No Exit, through which Blondie reemerged, proving that their edge, energy, and instincts had only sharpened over time.
Leading the charge was producer Craig Leon, a veteran of the 1970s New York punk scene whose credits include early work with the Ramones, Suicide, Talking Heads, and Richard Hell & the Voidoids. Leon had also been involved in Blondie’s earliest recordings—most notably their 1976 debut single “X Offender”—and brought both continuity and raw energy to No Exit. Drawing on vintage analog gear salvaged from the now-shuttered Blank Tape Studios, the sessions captured the band’s renewed perspective. “We made an effort to not do anything that was predictable while also including a few of those little pop ditties that Blondie became known for,” says Debbie Harry.
The album’s title—No Exit, a nod to Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialist play in which three people are locked in a room together for eternity—emerged spontaneously during a rehearsal when Clem Burke kept repeating the phrase. “We were working in my basement and Clem just started yelling ‘No Exit,’ ‘No Exit,’ ‘No Exit.’ He kept saying it over and over again. We couldn’t shut him up,” explains Chris Stein. “But it was a clever concept. We all liked it.” The phrase stuck, and the idea of inescapable creative entanglement—between a band, its identity, and its audience—became a subtle thread running through the album’s themes.
Originally released in February 1999, No Exit reestablished Blondie’s global presence. “Maria” became their sixth UK #1—two decades after “Heart of Glass” topped the charts—and introduced a new generation to the band’s signature fusion of melody and edge. Other standout tracks include the emotionally charged “Nothing is Real but the Girl” and the title track “No Exit,” which featured a guest verse from Coolio and underscored Blondie’s long-standing connections to hip-hop. “Under the Gun,” a tribute to Jeffrey Lee Pierce, and “Boom Boom in the Zoom Zoom Room,” Clem Burke’s songwriting debut with the band, reflect the album’s deep range. No Exit also sparked Blondie’s longest-running tour to date—a 13-month global run that reaffirmed the band’s live power and cultural impact.
This Deluxe Edition arrives with added poignancy, as it was completed before Clem Burke’s passing earlier this year. A founding member and the band’s rhythmic foundation for over four decades, Clem’s energy and precision are deeply felt across No Exit. His performance here—captured at full creative strength—serves as a lasting tribute to his unmatched contribution to Blondie’s sound and spirit.
2-LP Versions of NO EXIT (REMASTERED & EXPANDED):
SIDE A
1. Screaming Skin (2025 Remaster)
2. Forgive and Forget (Pull Down the Night) (2025 Remaster)
3. Maria (2025 Remaster)
4. No Exit (2025 Remaster)
SIDE B
1. Double Take (2025 Remaster)
2. Nothing Is Real But the Girl (2025 Remaster)
3. Boom Boom in the Zoom Zoom Room (2025 Remaster)
4. Night Wind Sent (2025 Remaster)
5. Under the Gun (For Jeffrey Lee Pierce) (2025 Remaster)
SIDE C
1. Out In the Streets (2025 Remaster)
2. Happy Dog (For Caggy) (2025 Remaster)
3. The Dream’s Lost On Me (2025 Remaster)
4. Divine (2025 Remaster)
5. Dig Up the Conjo (2025 Remaster)
SIDE D
1. Hot Shot (David Wrench Mix)
2. Nothing Is Real But the Girl (Boilerhouse Lounge Mix)
3. No Exit feat. Coolio & Loud Allstars (Urban Version Main Mix)
4. Maria (Ether Dub Mix)
2-CD Version of NO EXIT (REMASTERED & EXPANDED):
CD 1
1. Screaming Skin (2025 Remaster)
2. Forgive and Forget (Pull Down the Night) (2025 Remaster)
3. Maria (2025 Remaster)
4. No Exit (2025 Remaster)
5. Double Take (2025 Remaster)
6. Nothing Is Real But the Girl (2025 Remaster)
7. Boom Boom in the Zoom Zoom Room (2025 Remaster)
8. Night Wind Sent (2025 Remaster)
9. Under the Gun (For Jeffrey Lee Pierce) (2025 Remaster)
10. Out In the Streets (2025 Remaster)
11. Happy Dog (For Caggy) (2025 Remaster)
12. The Dream’s Lost On Me (2025 Remaster)
13. Divine (2025 Remaster)
14. Dig Up the Conjo (2025 Remaster)
CD2
1. Hot Shot (David Wrench Mix)
2. Maria (Ether Dub Mix)
3. Nothing Is Real But the Girl (Boilerhouse Lounge Mix)
4. No Exit feat. Coolio & Loud Allstars (Urban Version Main Mix)
5. Maria (Talvin Singh Rhythmic Remix Edit)
6. Nothing Is Real But the Girl (Danny Tenaglia Heart Of Trance Mix)
7. Forgive and Forget (Pull Down the Night) (Ben’s Mix)
8. Maria (White Trash Mix)
Blondie’s No Exit Deluxe Edition will be released digitally, on 2CD, and a 2LP vinyl set via BMG on October 31, 2025. To preorder, visit https://blondie.lnk.to/NoExit2025PR.
For over four decades, Blondie has remained a true global icon—an enduring force whose influence has shaped and continues to inspire the worlds of music, fashion, and art. From their start as an irreverent Lower East Side punk outfit to their rise as international ambassadors of New York cool, Blondie embodies the punk spirit that still resonates across generations. Their fearless vision, chart-topping success, and rare longevity earned them an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 and over 40 million albums sold worldwide to date.
From the groundbreaking rock-disco hybrid “Heart of Glass” to the genre-blurring innovation of “Rapture,” the raw power of “One Way or Another,” and the breezy charm of “The Tide Is High,” Blondie helped reshape the musical landscape—bringing punk to the dance floor, introducing a wider audience to hip-hop sounds, and building a catalog of enduring, era-defining hits.
