| "Atomic" | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||
| Single by Blondie from the album Eat to the Beat |
|||||
| Released | 1980 | ||||
| Format | Vinyl record 7" & 12" | ||||
| Recorded | 1979 | ||||
| Genre | New Wave/ Dance-Rock | ||||
| Length | 3:48 | ||||
| Label | Chrysalis Records | ||||
| Producer | Mike Chapman | ||||
| Blondie singles chronology | |||||
|
|||||
| Music sample | |||||
|
Problems? See media help.
|
|||||
| Alternate cover | |||||
 |
|||||
| Single sleeve, Germany. | |||||
"Atomic" was the third single from the 1979 album Eat to the Beat by Blondie. It was written by Debbie Harry and Jimmy Destri and the track was produced by Mike Chapman. The song was produced as a mixture of new wave and disco which had proved to be so successful in their #1 hit from earlier in 1979, "Heart of Glass". The guitar riff is directly influenced by the one in the Neil Diamond song "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon". The 1980 single version of "Atomic" was in fact a remix. The original 4:35 version as featured on Eat to the Beat and also on the first greatest hits album The Best of Blondie in 1981 opens with an intro inspired by nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice" and includes an instrumental break with a bass guitar solo. The 7" version mixed by Mike Chapman omits the "Three Blind Mice" intro and replaces the instrumental break with a repeat of the verse. The song reached number 1 in the UK for two weeks in February 1980 and number 39 in the US. The B-side was "Die Young, Stay Pretty", also from the album Eat to the Beat, which was Blondie's first attempt at reggae, a style they would perform again in "The Tide Is High". The UK 12" single contained a live version of Bowie's "Heroes" featuring Robert Fripp on guitar recorded at London's Hammersmith Odeon just a month before. The track was included on 1993's rarities compilation Blonde and Beyond.
"Atomic" was remixed and re-released in September 1994, where it reached number one on the Billboard dance charts and reached number 19 in the UK. The 1994 remix was included on compilations The Platinum Collection, Beautiful - The Remix Album and Remixed Remade Remodeled - The Remix Project . The track was remixed again four years later for UK compilation Atomic - The Very Best of Blondie and the '98 Xenomania mix was later included on the first Queer as Folk soundtrack album.
Contents |
Track listing
UK 7" Chrysalis Records CHS 2410, February 1980
US 7" Chrysalis Records CHS 2410, May 1980
Side A:
- "Atomic" (7" Mix) (Deborah Harry, Jimmy Destri) - 3:48 Listen
Side B:
- "Die Young Stay Pretty" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) - 3:27
UK 12" Chrysalis Records CHS 12 2410, February 1980
Side A:
- "Atomic" (7" Mix) (Deborah Harry, Jimmy Destri) - 3:48
Side B:
- "Die Young Stay Pretty" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) - 3:27
- "Heroes" (Live) (David Bowie) - 6:28
- Recorded live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, on January 12 1980. Produced by C. Stein, J. Destri and P. Maloney.
Cover versions and appearances
- Featured in the 2002 videogame Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as part of the New Wave radio station Wave 103.
- Sleeper's cover-version of it had also been used in Trainspotting.
- An instrumental version of the song can be heard in the amusement park scene of the French film L'Homme Blessé from 1983.
- The original version of "Atomic" was used in the film Bend It Like Beckham.
- Since 1999 the Vidal Sassoon company has been using "Atomic" in commercials for its hair products due to the "Your hair is beautiful tonight" line from the song's lyrics.
- The song also features on the game Singstar 80s.
Party Animals
| "Atomic" | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||
| Single by Party Animals from the album Party@worldaccess.nl |
|||||
| Released | 10 May 1997 | ||||
| Genre | Happy Hardcore, Gabber | ||||
| Length | 3:27 | ||||
| Label | Mokum Records | ||||
| Producer | Flamman & Abraxas | ||||
| Party Animals singles chronology | |||||
|
|||||
"Atomic" is the fifth single of the Party Animals from their second album Party@worldaccess.nl. The song was released in 1997 and was a minor success in Hong Kong. The song is a cover version of the Blondie song remade with a gabber beat. The song peaked at number 8 in the Dutch Top 40.
Track listing
| # | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Atomic (Flamman & Abraxas radio mix)" | 3:31 |
| 2. | "Mocht Ik onder het Hakkûh Bezwijken" | 5:32 |
| 3. | "Atom-X" | 4:52 |
| 4. | "Total Smash" | 5:15 |
References
- Allmusic.com Eat to the Beat article
- Blondie discography
- Garry Mulholland, This is Uncool: The 500 Greatest Singles since Punk and Disco Cassell Illustrated 2004 page 116 ISBN 1-84403-105-5
- Piero Scaruffi, A History of Rock Music 1951-2000 iUniverse 2003 page 195 ISBN 0-595-29565-7
| Preceded by "Coward of the County" by Kenny Rogers |
UK number one single February 24 1980 |
Succeeded by "Together We Are Beautiful" by Fern Kinney |
