Atomic (song)

Single infobox
Name = Atomic


Cover size =
Artist = Blondie
from Album = Eat to the Beat
B-Side(s) = "Die Young, Stay Pretty"
Released = 1980
Format = Vinyl record 7" & 12"
Recorded = 1979
Genre = New Wave
Length = 3:48
Label = Chrysalis Records
Producer = Mike Chapman
Certification = Gold (UK)
Last single = "Call Me"
(1980)
This single = "Atomic"
(1980)
Next single = "The Tide Is High"
(1980)
Misc = Extra musicsample |filename=Blondie - Atomic.ogg |format=Ogg |title=AtomicExtra album cover
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Background = khaki


Lower caption = European edition of the "Atomic" single with the famous picture of Debbie Harry wearing her "Andy Warhol's BAD" T-shirt, in 1981 used for the free fold-out poster that came with the hits compilation "The Best of Blondie.

"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 proven 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. The song was also featured in the video game "", and it regarnered the song brief, modern attention. It was covered by "Sleeper" for the "Trainspotting Soundtrack".

In 2005, Britain's Fashion Designer Store "Debenhams", used the sountrack of Atomic for the backing of their "Blue Cross Sale" advert.

Track listing

;UK 7" (Chrysalis CHS 2410);US 7" (Chrysalis CHS 2410)
# "Atomic" (7" Mix) (Deborah Harry, Jimmy Destri) - 3:48
# "Die Young Stay Pretty" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) - 3:27

;UK 12" (Chrysalis CHS 12 2410)
# "Atomic" (7" Mix) (Deborah Harry, Jimmy Destri) - 3:48
# "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.

Chart peaks

Party Animals

Infobox Single
from Album = [e-mail]


Name = Atomic
Artist = Party Animals
Released = 10 May 1997
Genre = Happy Hardcore, Gabber
Length = 3:27
Producer = Flamman & Abraxas
Label = Mokum Records
Last single = "We Like to Party"
(1997)
Next single = "My Way"
(1997)

"Atomic" is the fifth single of the Party Animals from their second album "[e-mail]". 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

References

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:xyem97u7kr5t~T1 Allmusic.com "Eat to the Beat" article]
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Blondie 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