Frank Infante
Encyclopedia
Frank Infante is an American
guitarist
and bassist best known as a former member of the punk
/new wave
band, Blondie
.
Prior to Blondie, he established himself playing guitar in heavy, electric blues
groups such as The Elegant End and World War III. In 1975, he joined Sniper
, an early, American glam punk
band. Infante joined Blondie in 1977, bringing with him the heavy rock style integral to their "power-pop" sound. The group was formed in New York City
by singer, Deborah Harry, formerly of Wind And The Willows
, and guitar player, Chris Stein out of the remnants of Harry's previous group, The Stilettos. Gary Valentine was assigned as the band's bassist that August but was replaced by Infante in July 1977 to complete the permanent lineup.
Chrysalis Records
took over Blondie's contract from Private Stock Records
, and in February 1978, the band released their second album, Plastic Letters
. It was the first commercial success for Blondie
, peaking at #2 in the UK charts
. Infante played on the record but was not pictured on the album cover. He continued to play bass for Blondie until Nigel Harrison
joined the group later that year, at which point Harrison took over the roll of bass player and Infante switched to guitar. Both Infante and Harrison stayed with the band until it broke up in 1982, but neither were included when Blondie reformed in the late 1990s.
Throughout his time with the band, Infante contributed to writing a handful of Blondie's songs, including "Underground Girl", "Victor", and "I Know But I Don't Know" which was used on Parallel Lines
(1978), the band's best selling album which gained Platinum status in both the US and the UK. He played guitar hooks on various tracks, including the guitar solos on "Rapture
" and "One Way Or Another
."
, Sylvain Sylvain
and, in January, 1981, Bad Reputation
with Joan Jett
. Shortly afterwards, he toured and recorded with groups including Iggy Pop
and Divinyls
. 1999 saw the release of Iggy Pop's album Nuggets and later, in 2008, Where The Faces Shine, on both of which he played guitar.
In March 2006, Blondie, following an introductory speech by Shirley Manson
of Garbage
, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
. Seven members were invited to the ceremony, which resulted in an on-stage spat between the extant group and their former bandmates, Nigel Harrison and Frank Infante, who asked during the live broadcast of the ceremony to be allowed to perform with the group, a request refused by Deborah Harry.
In 2010, Infante toured and performed with The New York Dolls in shows at The Cluny
, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. He also played guitar on their album Dancing Backward In High Heels
, released in March 2011.
Infante currently lives in Los Angeles, California
and he continues to record and perform. Infante's Inferno with Infante on guitar, Clem Burke
(drums) and Steve Fishman (bass) has been quite a successful band. The trio recently performed at the Rhino Records Pop Up Store, Los Angeles
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and bassist best known as a former member of the punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
/new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band, Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
.
Prior to Blondie, he established himself playing guitar in heavy, electric blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
groups such as The Elegant End and World War III. In 1975, he joined Sniper
Sniper (American band)
Sniper was an early, American glam punk band that formed in New York in 1972. They were one of several bands that played at the Mercer Arts Center, Max's Kansas City and The Coventry, alongside the New York Dolls and Suicide....
, an early, American glam punk
Glam punk
Glam Punk is a music genre that mixes elements of glam rock with protopunk or punk rock ....
band. Infante joined Blondie in 1977, bringing with him the heavy rock style integral to their "power-pop" sound. The group was formed in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by singer, Deborah Harry, formerly of Wind And The Willows
The Wind in the Willows (band)
The Wind in the Willows was an American band which included Deborah Harry. The band took its name from British writer Kenneth Grahame's, The Wind in the Willows, a classic of children's literature....
, and guitar player, Chris Stein out of the remnants of Harry's previous group, The Stilettos. Gary Valentine was assigned as the band's bassist that August but was replaced by Infante in July 1977 to complete the permanent lineup.
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
took over Blondie's contract from Private Stock Records
Private Stock Records
Private Stock Records was a record label which was started in 1974 by Larry Uttal after he was ousted from Bell Records. The label had hit records with singles by David Soul of Starsky and Hutch fame , Starbuck , Austin Roberts , Samantha Sang , Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band , and Frankie...
, and in February 1978, the band released their second album, Plastic Letters
Plastic Letters
Plastic Letters is the second studio album by American New Wave band Blondie, released in February 1978 on Chrysalis Records. It was the second and final Blondie album to be produced by Richard Gottehrer...
. It was the first commercial success for Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
, peaking at #2 in the UK charts
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. Infante played on the record but was not pictured on the album cover. He continued to play bass for Blondie until Nigel Harrison
Nigel Harrison
Nigel Harrison is an English musician, and best known as the bass player of the rock band Blondie....
joined the group later that year, at which point Harrison took over the roll of bass player and Infante switched to guitar. Both Infante and Harrison stayed with the band until it broke up in 1982, but neither were included when Blondie reformed in the late 1990s.
Throughout his time with the band, Infante contributed to writing a handful of Blondie's songs, including "Underground Girl", "Victor", and "I Know But I Don't Know" which was used on Parallel Lines
Parallel Lines
Parallel Lines is the third studio album by American New Wave band Blondie, released in 1978 by Chrysalis Records. Their most popular and best-selling effort, Parallel Lines was the first Blondie album to be produced by Mike Chapman. The album reached number one in the United Kingdom in February 1979...
(1978), the band's best selling album which gained Platinum status in both the US and the UK. He played guitar hooks on various tracks, including the guitar solos on "Rapture
Rapture (song)
"Rapture" is a single by the American new wave band Blondie. It was released in January 1981 and was the second and final song to be released from the band's 1980 top 10 album Autoamerican, the first being "The Tide Is High", which had topped the chart in the US and UK. "Rapture" went on to reach...
" and "One Way Or Another
One Way or Another
"One Way or Another" is a song by American New Wave band Blondie.-Song information:Written by Debbie Harry and Nigel Harrison for the band's third studio album, Parallel Lines , the song was inspired by one of Harry's ex-boyfriends who stalked her after their break up. The song was released as a...
."
Post Blondie
Following Blondie's break up in the early 1980s, Infante went on to record on albums by Stiv BatorsStiv Bators
Stiv Bators , was an American punk rockvocalist and guitarist from Youngstown, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.- Music and film career :...
, Sylvain Sylvain
Sylvain Sylvain
Sylvain Sylvain is an American rock guitarist, most notable for being a member of the New York Dolls.-Early years:...
and, in January, 1981, Bad Reputation
Bad Reputation (Joan Jett album)
Bad Reputation is the debut solo album by Joan Jett, originally self-released in 1980 as Joan Jett after her previous band The Runaways disbanded, then re-issued on Boardwalk Records in 1981 as Bad Reputation.-Background:...
with Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
. Shortly afterwards, he toured and recorded with groups including Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
and Divinyls
Divinyls
Divinyls were an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980 and featuring vocalist Christina Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. As the focal point, Amphlett performed on stage wearing a school uniform and fishnet stockings, often using an illuminated neon tube as a prop and displaying...
. 1999 saw the release of Iggy Pop's album Nuggets and later, in 2008, Where The Faces Shine, on both of which he played guitar.
In March 2006, Blondie, following an introductory speech by Shirley Manson
Shirley Manson
Shirley Anne Manson is a Scottish recording artist and actress, best known internationally as the lead singer of the alternative rock band Garbage. For much of her international career Manson commuted between her home city of Edinburgh to the United States to record with Garbage but now lives and...
of Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
. Seven members were invited to the ceremony, which resulted in an on-stage spat between the extant group and their former bandmates, Nigel Harrison and Frank Infante, who asked during the live broadcast of the ceremony to be allowed to perform with the group, a request refused by Deborah Harry.
In 2010, Infante toured and performed with The New York Dolls in shows at The Cluny
The Cluny
The Cluny is a live music venue, pub and café, on Lime Street, in the Ouseburn Valley area of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Based in a former flax spinning mill, The Cluny occupies part of the wider building at 36 Lime Street, sharing the space with artists, offices and recording studios.The Cluny...
, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. He also played guitar on their album Dancing Backward In High Heels
Dancing Backward in High Heels
Dancing Backward in High Heels is the fifth studio album by the New York Dolls. It was released on March 15, 2011 on 429 Records. Dancing Backward in High Heels can best be described as a departure from the New York Dolls hard rock, punk, sound and a return to the girl group, 1960's rock invasion...
, released in March 2011.
Infante currently lives in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and he continues to record and perform. Infante's Inferno with Infante on guitar, Clem Burke
Clem Burke
Clem Burke is an American musician who is the drummer for the band Blondie. Recruited by Chris Stein and Debbie Harry when they were first forming Blondie, Burke remained with the band through its first stage and later returned for its late 1990s reunion and then its extensive 2009 tour.Following...
(drums) and Steve Fishman (bass) has been quite a successful band. The trio recently performed at the Rhino Records Pop Up Store, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Discography
The full Frank Infante discography is available at www.Discogs.comAlbums
| Year | Album Details | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... /RIAA Certification RIAA certification In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards... |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... - Parallel Lines Parallel Lines Parallel Lines is the third studio album by American New Wave band Blondie, released in 1978 by Chrysalis Records. Their most popular and best-selling effort, Parallel Lines was the first Blondie album to be produced by Mike Chapman. The album reached number one in the United Kingdom in February 1979...
|
UK: Platinum
US: Platinum |
| 1978 |
Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... - Headlines Headlines Headlines may refer to:* Headlines , a 2010 song by Alcazar* Headlines , a 2011 song by Drake* Headlines , a 2007 song by the Spice Girls...
|
|
| 1978
|
Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... - Plastic Letters Plastic Letters Plastic Letters is the second studio album by American New Wave band Blondie, released in February 1978 on Chrysalis Records. It was the second and final Blondie album to be produced by Richard Gottehrer...
|
UK: #2 |
| 1979 |
Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... - Eat To The Beat Eat to the Beat Eat to the Beat is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Blondie. It reached no.1 on the UK album charts in October 1979, no.9 in Australia and no.17 in the US.-History:...
|
UK: #1 |
| 1980 |
Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... - Autoamerican Autoamerican Autoamerican is the fifth studio album by the US new wave band Blondie. It was released in November 1980 and reached #3 in the UK charts, #8 in Australia and #7 in the US....
|
UK: #3
US: #7 |
| 1981 |
Joan Jett Joan Jett Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular... - Bad Reputation Bad Reputation (Joan Jett album) Bad Reputation is the debut solo album by Joan Jett, originally self-released in 1980 as Joan Jett after her previous band The Runaways disbanded, then re-issued on Boardwalk Records in 1981 as Bad Reputation.-Background:...
|
|
| 1982 | Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... - The Hunter |
UK: #9 |
| 1988 | Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... - Atomic Atomic (song) "Atomic" is a song by the American New Wave band Blondie, written by Debbie Harry and Jimmy Destri and produced by Mike Chapman. It was released as the third single from the band's 1979 album Eat to the Beat.-Song information:...
|
UK: #1 |
| 1994 | Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... - The Platinum Collection
|
|
| 1999
|
Iggy Pop Iggy Pop Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues... - Nuggets Nuggets - Music :* Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968, a compilation of U.S. psychedelic rock released between 1965 and 1968... Released: 1999 Label: SPV Recordings |
|
| 2008 | Iggy Pop Iggy Pop Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues... - Where The Faces Shine
|
|
| 2011 | New York Dolls New York Dolls The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later... - Dancing Backward In High Heels Dancing Backward in High Heels Dancing Backward in High Heels is the fifth studio album by the New York Dolls. It was released on March 15, 2011 on 429 Records. Dancing Backward in High Heels can best be described as a departure from the New York Dolls hard rock, punk, sound and a return to the girl group, 1960's rock invasion... 429 Records 429 Records is an American record label. It is a subsidiary label of Savoy Label Group/Nippon Columbia focusing on indie rock and adult album alternative performers. In addition to releasing new material from musicians such as Dr... |
Soundtrack
| Year | Album Details | US |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 |
Roadie Roadie (film) Roadie is a 1980 film directed by Alan Rudolph about a truck driver who becomes a roadie for a traveling rock and roll show. The film stars Meat Loaf and marks his first starring role in a film. There are also cameo appearances by musicians such as Roy Orbison, Hank Williams Jr., Blondie and Alice...
|
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Rock Concert Rock concert The term rock concert refers to a musical performance in the style of any one of many genres inspired by "rock and roll" music. While a variety of vocal and instrumental styles can constitute a rock concert, this phenomenon is typically characterized by bands playing at least one electric guitar,... (TV) |
Self |
| 1979 | The Midnight Special The Midnight Special (TV series) The Midnight Special is an American musical variety series that aired on NBC during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Burt Sugarman. It premiered as a special on August 19, 1972, then began its run as a regular series on February 2, 1973; its last episode was on May 1, 1981... (TV) |
Self |
| 1970 | The Old Grey Whistle Test (TV) | Self |
| 1980 | Roadie | Self |
| 1990 | Tales From The Crypt Tales from the Crypt (TV series) Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO... |
Guitar Player |
| 1998 | Behind The Music Behind the Music Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became... (Docu) |
Self |
| 2005 | New York Doll New York Doll New York Doll is a documentary film based on the life of former New York Dolls member Arthur Kane. The film was nominated for both a Satellite Award and a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, where it premiered in 2005... (Docu) |
Self |
| 2005 | Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture... (TV) |
Self |
| 2006 | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony | Self |
| 2008 | Return To Babylon Return to Babylon Return to Babylon is an upcoming silent film. It was directed by Alex Monty Canawati and written by Matt Riddlehoover. It stars an ensemble cast of Jennifer Tilly, María Conchita Alonso, Ione Skye, Debi Mazar, and Tippi Hedren.-Plot:... |
Dr. Feelgood |