Atomic (song)



"Atomic" is a hit 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 Platinum-selling 1979 album Eat to the Beat.

Song information
Atomic was composed by Jimmy Destri and Debbie Harry, who (in the book "1000 UK #1 Hits" by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh) stated "He was trying to do something like "Heart of Glass", and then somehow or another we gave it the spaghetti western treatment. Before that it was just lying there like a lox. The lyrics, well, a lot of the time I would write while the band were just playing the song and trying to figure it out. I would just be scatting along with them and I would just start going, 'Ooooooh, your hair is beautiful.'" The word atomic in the song carries no fixed meaning and functions as a signifier of power and futurism. The bridge to, and the break in the melody before "Atomic" is spoken, is heavily influenced by the bridge in the song "I'm on my way" by Dean Parish.

The song was produced as a mixture of new wave, rock and disco which had proven to be so successful in their No.1 hit from earlier in 1979, "Heart of Glass". It is written in E natural minor ("Call Me" is written in E♭ natural minor).

The 1980 single version of "Atomic" was a remix. The original 4:35 version as featured on the albums Eat to the Beat and 1981's The Best of Blondie opens with an intro inspired by the 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 became the band's third number one in the UK Singles Chart, where it held the top spot for two weeks. It reached the Top 40 in the US in Spring 1980.

The B-side was "Die Young, Stay Pretty", also from the album Eat to the Beat, a reggae-influenced track, a style the band would perform again in their global chart-topper "The Tide Is High". The UK 12" single contained a live cover 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 the UK in September 1994 where it peaked at #19 on the UK Top 40 singles chart. The subsequent April 1995 US release reached #1 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Charts. The 1994 remix was included on the compilations The Platinum Collection, Beautiful - The Remix Album and Remixed Remade Remodeled - The Remix Project. The track was remixed again four years later for the UK compilation Atomic - The Very Best of Blondie and the '98 Xenomania mix was later included on the first Queer as Folk soundtrack album.

In Popular Culture

 * The song was also featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on the new wave/pop radio station, 'Wave 103.' Its 7" mix was covered by Sleeper for the Trainspotting soundtrack in 1996.


 * The song was used in Coca-Cola's global television ad for 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup campaigns. Both ads use the "Eat football. Sleep football. Drink Coca-Cola" (or "Vivez Football, Vibrez Football, Buvez Coca-Cola") strapline.


 * The song is used in a Gameloft mobile game Real Football 2006.

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.

Music video
The music video depicts the band performing on stage at what looks like a post-apocalyptic nightclub in which Debbie Harry is wearing a garbage bag as a punkish futuristic costume. The audience at the club are also dressed in suitably futuristic costumes, and footage of a horseman and an atomic explosion are also intercut. Model Gia Carangi (a strong supporter of the band) made a guest appearance in the music video and can be seen in various shots.

Track listing

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


 * UK 12" (Chrysalis CHS 12 2410)
 * 1) "Atomic" (7" Mix) (Deborah Harry, Jimmy Destri) - 3:48
 * 2) "Die Young Stay Pretty" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) - 3:27
 * 3) "Heroes" (Live) (David Bowie, Brian Eno) - 6:28
 * Recorded live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, on January 12, 1980. Produced by C. Stein, J. Destri and P. Maloney.


 * UK 1994 Remix CD1 (7243 8 81661 2 6)
 * 1) "Atomic" (Diddy's Edit) - 4:10
 * 2) "Atomic" (Diddy's 12" Mix) - 6:54
 * 3) "Atomic" (Diddy's Push The Button Mix) - 6:06
 * 4) "Atomic" (Boom Mix) - 5:49
 * 5) "Atomic" (New Disco Mix) - 7:56


 * UK 1994 Remix CD2 (7243 8 81662 2 5)
 * 1) "Atomic" (Diddy's Edit) - 4:10
 * 2) "Sunday Girl" - 3:01
 * 3) "Union City Blue" - 3:18
 * 4) "Atomic" (Original 1980 7" Edit) - 3:50


 * US 1995 Remix CD (7243 8 58340 2 8)
 * 1) "Atomic" (Diddy's Remix Edit) - 4:10 *
 * 2) "Atomic" (Original Single Version) - 3:50 **
 * 3) "Atomic" (Diddy's 12" Mix) - 6:54
 * 4) "Atomic" (Armand's Atomizer Mix) - 9:00
 * 5) "Atomic" (Explosive Ecstacy Mix) - 5:50
 * 6) "Atomic" (Beautiful Drum And Bass Mix) - 7:43
 * 7) "Atomic" (New Disco Mix) - 7:56
 * 8) "Slow Motion" (Stripped Down Motown Mix) - 3:30


 * * Identical to the UK Diddy's Edit version.
 * ** Identical to the UK Original 1980 7" Edit version.

Party Animals recording
"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 recorded with a gabber beat. The song peaked at number 8 in the Dutch Top 40.

Sleepy Sleepers recording
"Painimaan" by the Finnish band Sleepy Sleepers is a cover version of the song. The song was released on the band's 1980 album Metsäratio and is sung entirely in Finnish.