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Plastic Letters
Studio album by Blondie
Released	February 4, 1978 (1978-02-04)
Recorded	June–July 1977 at Plaza Sound Studio, New York
Genre	New Wave, punk rock
Length	34:46
Label	Chrysalis (1166)
Producer	Richard Gottehrer
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Robert Christgau (B+) link
Blondie chronology
Blondie (1976) Plastic Letters (1978) Parallel Lines (1978)

Plastic Letters is the second studio album by American New Wave band Blondie, released in 1978 on Chrysalis Records. It was the second and final Blondie album to be produced by Richard Gottehrer. "Denis", a cover of the Randy & the Rainbows' 1963 hit "Denise", was a hit all over Europe; reaching no.2 in February 1978 in the United Kingdom. "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear" was the second single from the album, reaching no.10 in the UK in May 1978. The song was written by the band's original bass guitar player Gary Valentine, shortly before his departure from the band prior to the album being recorded (which necessitated Chris Stein playing bass as well as guitar). The album peaked at no.10 in the UK and has been certified Platinum by the BPI.

Plastic Letters has been digitally remastered and re-issued twice. The first time was by Chrysalis Records in 1994 with two bonus tracks, and the second, in 2001 by EMI-Capitol with four bonus tracks.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Fan Mail" (James Destri) – 2:38
2. "Denis" (Neil Levenson) – 2:19
3. "Bermuda Triangle Blues (Flight 45)" (Chris Stein) – 2:49
4. "Youth Nabbed as Sniper" (Stein) – 3:00
5. "Contact in Red Square" (Destri) – 2:01
6. "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear" (Gary Valentine) – 2:43
7. "I'm on E" (Deborah Harry, Stein) – 2:13

Side two

1. "I Didn't Have the Nerve to Say No" (Destri, Harry) – 2:51
2. "Love at the Pier" (Harry) – 2:27
3. "No Imagination" (Destri) – 2:56
4. "Kidnapper" (Destri) – 2:37
5. "Detroit 442" (Destri, Stein) – 2:28
6. "Cautious Lip" (Stein, Ronnie Toast) – 4:24

CD reissue bonus tracks (1994 UK)

14. "Poets Problem" (Destri) – 2:20
15. "Denis" (alternative version) (Levenson) – 2:22

CD reissue bonus tracks (2001)

14. "Once I Had a Love" (a.k.a. "The Disco Song") (Harry, Stein) – 3:58
15. "Scenery" (Valentine) – 3:10
16. "Poets Problem" (Destri) – 2:20
17. "Detroit 442" (live) (Destri, Stein) – 2:33

Personnel

• Deborah Harry - vocals
• Chris Stein - guitar, bass guitar, vibraphone
• James Destri - piano, organ, synthesizer, background vocals
• Frank Infante - bass guitar, background vocals
• Clement Burke - drums, background vocals
• Dale Powers - background vocals on "Kidnapper"

Production

• Richard Gottehrer - record producer.
• Recorded at Plaza Sound Studio, New York, New York in June & July 1977. Originally released on Chrysalis (1166)
• Kevin Flaherty - 2001 reissue producer.

Chart positions