What was the story with Frank Infante and Blondie?

Was Stein trying to push him out during Autoamerican? I loved his solo in Rapture.
It seems everything was cool on Eat to the Beat, then all of a sudden, he's barely in the picture by the next album.

 

The band wasn't big enough for both of them. Maybe he was putting the moves on Debbie.

 

He wasn't on the Hunter tour.

 

I don't know but there's an interview on YouTube where he says he didn't even know the song when he did that Rapture solo.

 

Best guitarist that you've never heard play to his fullest abilities. Never got to do his thing in Blondie unfortunately. Sorry, this isn't exactly on topic.

 

There's a thing on Netflix about Parallel Lines that's pretty interesting. Mike Chapman breaks down some of the songs track by track, you can hear some of Frank's stuff soloed and really hear what he added.

 

Relations were strained with Infante and Harrison for a long time. Once those two tried to sue Blondie in 98 I think it was, sue for millions and to block the reunion without them, any good will was long dead. Watch the Hall Of Fame fiasco to see just how bad it was. Infante begging to play with the band after trying to even stop the band from being a band, it was some crazy stuff. I don't blame Debbie and Chris for the way they felt. Try to sue me out of existence and I'd probably not be very friendly.

 

Do you know what the name of the documentary is? I would love to watch it!

 

Blondie's New York.

 

Thanks!

 

Frank Infante was definitely NOT on The Hunter Tour. Freddie Martinez took his spot for that one.

 

No one knows for sure what happened except the band members themselves. There have been moments from Mike Chapman where he discusses the strain between Chris and Frankie being both Guitar players. He'd infuriate Chris by suggesting Frankie play a part Chris couldn't etc. Gary Valentine also remembers (from his perspective anyway) Chris becoming ticked off about having to play bass on X Offender and Scenery because Gary wrote those he played guitar on them as well and Chris moved to bass. Initially, Frank was added to fill in for Gary when he left in mid 1977. Frank was there during the recording of Plastic Letters and played bass on several tracks which according to the contract was not to be disclosed which tracks he played on as Blondie were a quartet at that time. After they added Nigel in November 1977 Frankie stayed to round out the sound during their live shows. As they became more successful overseas, Frankie's importance was necessary and was an equal part of the band and was cemented during the Parallel Lines rehearsals. Mike Chapman would wonder why Frankie was even there if Chris didn't want him there. Mike has said several times that Frankie was such a great guitar player and wouldn't work with Blondie again unless he was involved.
This is all speculation. It was during Autoamerican that things began to crumble for Frankie. He recorded his solo on Rapture apart from the band. I have no idea about any of the other tracks but I know that one for sure. This was the album Blondie had many outside musicians working on that album. In a flexi disc recorded from United Western Studios where they made Autoamerican Frankie was present. This was why he sued Blondie back in 1981. He was being kept out of rehearsals and left out of meetings etc and he won since by that time Blondie were the hugest thing and had become a business all 6 together. There is confusion about his involvement on The Hunter album itself. Contractually Frankie was present for the photo shoots and marketing and credits on the album but I have heard he either wasn't present at all on that album or only slightly. I don't know and none of them can remember.

It was 1997 He and Nigel sued Blondie from performing under the Blondie name without them since Blondie was high on the reunion come back. Gary was brought back and Nigel even plays on a couple Demos from 1996/1997 recorded by Mike Chapman for what would be No Exit. Those were scrapped. Gary was scrapped. Nigel was dropped and thus the suing began. Gary never sued but was just hurt and confused at why Chris had gone to such great lengths to get him there and involved in the project only to say they were going with Leigh Foxx who Chris and Debbie had been performing with since 1987 and who was on her solo records.

Ultimately the courts decided Chris, Debbie, Jimmy, and Clem had the rights to perform as Blondie and they either settled out of court or they lost their settlement.
Ive always wanted to ask Chris this but somehow it seems to hit a nerve with him and Debbie. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was hard to watch because you want them all to play with each other and make magic again and you can see his hurt but on the other hand you see where Chris and Debbie were coming from and you see their plight.

Blondie has always had drama....LOL One of the reasons I find them so interesting.
On another note, Jimmy said he'd never work with them again.

 

That is such a shame, the group really miss Jimmy Destri

 

Great guitarist, but absolutely not right for Blondie. He was their least talented songwriter - this came up in another thread but someone mentioned that one of his two contributions (I Know But I Don't Know) was actually plagiarised and the band had to settle out of court (to be fair I haven't seen anything about this anywhere else). This can't have helped relations.

 

Best part of the song, IMO.