War Child (song)
Encyclopedia
"War Child" is a 1982 song by the American rock band Blondie
, featured on their sixth studio album The Hunter. The song was released as a single in various countries, but not in the band's native US.
and Nigel Harrison
, who had previously written the hits "One Way or Another
" and "Union City Blue
" together. The lyrics make reference to war in Cambodia
and Middle East
. The single was the lowest charting Blondie single to date in the U.K.
at the time, peaking at number 39 (all of the band's singles up to that point had reached the Top 20). It was the second and final release from the album, and would therefore be the last (new) Blondie single for some seventeen years, when the band reformed and released "Maria
" in 1999.
The B-side to this single was "Little Caesar", also from The Hunter album. The 12" single included an extended remix of the track by producer Mike Chapman, which can be found as a bonus track on EMI
's 1994 CD re-issue of the album The Hunter.
UK 12" (12 CHS 2624, July 1982)
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...
, featured on their sixth studio album The Hunter. The song was released as a single in various countries, but not in the band's native US.
Single information
"War Child" was written by Debbie HarryDebbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
and Nigel Harrison
Nigel Harrison
Nigel Harrison is an English musician, and best known as the bass player of the rock band Blondie....
, who had previously written the hits "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...
" and "Union City Blue
Union City Blue
"Union City Blue" is a song by the US rock band Blondie. It was written by Deborah Harry and Nigel Harrison, and was featured on their 1979 album Eat to the Beat.-Single information:...
" together. The lyrics make reference to war in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. The single was the lowest charting Blondie single to date in the U.K.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
at the time, peaking at number 39 (all of the band's singles up to that point had reached the Top 20). It was the second and final release from the album, and would therefore be the last (new) Blondie single for some seventeen years, when the band reformed and released "Maria
Maria (Blondie song)
"Maria" is a song by the American band Blondie, taken from their 1999 album No Exit. This song was Blondie's comeback single, their first since "War Child" in July 1982. In the UK, it was the band's sixth no.1 single, topping the charts exactly 20 years after their first UK no.1 "Heart of Glass" in...
" in 1999.
The B-side to this single was "Little Caesar", also from The Hunter album. The 12" single included an extended remix of the track by producer Mike Chapman, which can be found as a bonus track on EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's 1994 CD re-issue of the album The Hunter.
Track listing
UK 7" (CHS 2624, July 1982) & 7" Picture Disc (CHSP 2624, July 1982)- "War Child" (Deborah HarryDebbie HarryDeborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
, Nigel HarrisonNigel HarrisonNigel Harrison is an English musician, and best known as the bass player of the rock band Blondie....
) - 3:49 - "Little Caesar" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) - 3:00
UK 12" (12 CHS 2624, July 1982)
- "War Child" (12" Mix) (Harry, Harrison) - 8:04
- "Little Caesar" (Harry, Stein) - 3:00
Chart positions
| Chart (1982) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Ireland Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
21 |
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
39 |
| Australia ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
96 |