Blondie Announces Deluxe Reissue of Landmark 1999 Comeback Album No Exit

Blondie’s No Exit—the 1999 comeback that marked their return after a 17-year hiatus—is being reissued in a newly remastered and expandedDeluxe 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 Editionwill 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 Exitalso 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.