In 1982, Blondie released their sixth studio album, The Hunter, and after a phenomenal run of success that saw the Blondie Express steam across the globe with purpose and precision, the train looked finally set to derail. Producer Mike Chapman has since tactfully acknowledged that the group had by this point found themselves “in a different and far less accessible artistic space.” That’s one way to put it.
Some of the lyrical themes on The Hunter hint at the band’s growing cynicism and disenfranchisement with the industry cycle that they had found themselves locked in and, particularly so for Debbie, the associated trappings of fame. Even the album’s name is a cheeky misnomer. Ostensibly, it presents the band at the top of the food chain – the dominant force in ultimate control. Yet, when you consider the unabridged song title from which it is derived (originally penned by Smokey Robinson), all becomes clear: The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game.