Blondie - (I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear 12''

Written by original Blondie bass player Gary Valentine before his departure from the band in 1977, (I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear was released in May 1978 as the second single from the band's second album Plastic Letters, it was never released as a single in the US. Valentine wrote the song for his then-girlfriend, the actress and journalist Lisa Jane Persky. In a 2012 interview, Valentine jokingly explained that the song concerns a telepathic connection between him and Persky. “That was about these paranormal experiences I was having with my girlfriend at the time. We were in telepathic contact with each other when I was on tour. We would discover we’d be having the same dreams and we always seemed to know what the other was doing, which sometimes proved uncomfortable! Although we were thousands of miles apart, we were still in touch. Thinking of this one afternoon, it all came together in a song."

The single was issued in both 7" and 12" formats in the UK and Europe, with two songs on the B-side. One of the single's B-side tracks is the absolutely blinding Detroit 442 while the other is Jimmy Destri's Poets Problem.

"(I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear" stands as one of Blondie’s most sophisticated early moments, bridging the gap between gritty New York New Wave and polished Power Pop. Written by bassist Gary Valentine about his girlfriend’s telepathic tendencies, the track trades the band’s usual streetwise cynicism for a shimmering, melodic sincerity. Debbie Harry’s vocal performance is particularly notable here; she subverts her "ice queen" persona with a warm, breathy delivery that perfectly complements the song’s jangling guitars and tight, driving rhythm section.

Critically, the song is often cited as a high-water mark for the Plastic Letters album, proving the band could craft Top 40 hits without losing their underground edge. It feels like a sonic bridge to the 1960s girl-group era, yet the quirky lyrics about "psychic frequencies" keep it firmly planted in the eccentric art-rock scene of the late 70s. Decades later, it remains a fan favorite because it captures Blondie at their most earnest—a rare, sparkling gem of a love song that manages to be both structurally perfect and endearingly odd.

Ripped to MP3

Blondie; (I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear 12”

A.   (I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear

B1.  Poets Problem

B2.  Detroit 442