Rip Her to Shreds
{{Infobox song
| name = Rip Her to Shreds
| cover = Blondie - Rip Her To Shreds.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Blondie
| album = Blondie
| B-side = {{ubl|"In the Flesh"|"X Offender"}}
| released = November 1977
| recorded = 1976
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = {{hlist|Punk rock{{cite web|last=Mason|first=Stewart|title=Rip Her to Shreds review|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/rip-her-to-shreds-mt0034413836|access-date=July 16, 2013|publisher=AllMusic}}{{cite web|last=Doran|first=John|date=July 12, 2011|title=Once More Unto The Bleach: Debbie Harry Interviewed|url=https://thequietus.com/articles/06570-blondie-debbie-harry-interview|access-date=July 16, 2013|website=The Quietus}}|new wave{{cite web|last=Sexton|first=Paul|date=August 16, 2019|title=City Scenes: New York Punk & CBGBs|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/in-depth-features/city-scenes-new-york-punk-cbgb/|access-date=July 18, 2020|publisher=uDiscover Music}}|synth-rock{{cite web|last=Ladouceur|first=Liisa|date=March 16, 2017|title=An Essential Guide to Blondie|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/an_essential_guide_to_blondie|access-date=July 4, 2022|website=Exclaim!}}|pop-punk{{cite news|last=Pareles|first=Jon|author-link=Jon Pareles|date=February 25, 1999|title=POP REVIEW; No Debutante: Blondie Returns to Its Roots|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/25/arts/pop-review-no-debutante-blondie-returns-to-its-roots.html|access-date=July 18, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}}}
| length = 3:23
| label = Chrysalis (UK)
| writer = Deborah Harry, Chris Stein
| producer = Richard Gottehrer
| prev_title = In the Flesh
| prev_year = 1976
| next_title = Denis
| next_year = 1978
}}
"Rip Her to Shreds" is a song by American new wave band Blondie, which features on the band's self-titled debut album.
Single information
In a BBC Radio documentary about Blondie, lead singer Debbie Harry stated that "Rip Her to Shreds" is about what gossip columns do to people's lives.BBC 6 Music, Friday 31 March 2006, Overnight documentary on Blondie which was a re-airing of an existing BBC radio documentary: "Sunday Girl: The Blondie story", BBC Radio 2, 1999, (first aired 1999/09/18), presented by Toyah Willcox. [http://www.toyahwillcox.com/cv-radio.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060621043545/http://www.toyahwillcox.com/cv-radio.html|date=2006-06-21}} According to guitarist Chris Stein, the song is an homage to the Velvet Underground song "I'm Waiting for the Man".{{Cite web |last=Bosso |first=Joe |date=September 13, 2022 |title=Chris Stein: My Career in Five Songs |url=https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/chris-stein-my-career-in-five-songs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422103210/https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/chris-stein-my-career-in-five-songs |archive-date=April 22, 2024 |access-date=September 26, 2024 |website=Guitar Player}}
"Rip Her to Shreds" was Blondie's first UK single, released on Chrysalis Records in the UK in late 1977, though it did not chart. The single peaked at No. 81 in Australia in March 1978. The B-sides to this single were "In the Flesh" and "X Offender", both previously issued as A-side singles by Private Stock Records, and both moderately successful in certain territories. As a promotional gimmick the song was also released as a 12" single (at that time a relative rarity), selling for 99p. {{citation needed|date=March 2012}}
"Rip Her to Shreds" was included on Blondie's first greatest hits compilation The Best of Blondie, released in October 1981.
Two versions of the song are featured in the 2011 film Bridesmaids where the original studio version plays in the opening of the film and the live version plays during the end credits.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1478338/soundtrack?ref_=tt_trv_snd Soundtracks for Bridesmaids], IMDb
Blondie re-recorded the song for their 2014 compilation album Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux. The compilation was part of a 2-disc set called Blondie 4(0) Ever which included their 10th studio album Ghosts of Download and marked the 40th anniversary of the forming of the band.
Charts
| class="wikitable"
!Chart (1978) !Peak |
| Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St. Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|edition=Illustrated|pages=37–38|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}
|align="center"|81 |
Release history
;UK 7", 12" (CHS 2180)
- "Rip Her to Shreds" (Deborah Harry / Chris Stein) – 3:22
- "In the Flesh" (Harry / Stein) – 2:33
- "X Offender" (Harry / Gary Valentine) – 3:14
Covers
Pop duo Boomkat recorded a version of the song for 2004 film Mean Girls.
Notes
{{Reflist}}
{{Blondie}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Debbie Harry
Category:Songs written by Chris Stein