PAT BENATAR - FIRE AND ICE

Estrena: 6 de juliol de 1981

Llistes: EUA: #17

"Fire and Ice" és una cançó de Pat Benatar, llançada el juliol de 1981 com el primer single del seu tercer àlbum, “Precious Time”. La cançó va ser coescrita per Benatar, Tom Kelly i Scott Sheets. L'equip de composició de Benatar sovint incloïa Sheets i el guitarrista Neil Giraldo, el seu futur marit, tot i que de tant en tant treballaven amb escriptors externs com Kelly. El senzill va arribar al número 17 de la llista Billboard Hot 100 dels Estats Units i va assolir el número 2 a la llista Mainstream Rock. La cançó també va fer guanyar a Benatar el seu segon Premi Grammy a la Millor Interpretació Vocal Femenina de Rock el 1982.

Després de l'èxit del seu àlbum anterior “Crimes of Passion”, que incloïa èxits com "Treat Me Right" i "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", hi havia una gran expectació pel següent àlbum de Pat Benatar, “Precious Time”. Llançat el 1981, l'àlbum va arribar ràpidament al número 1 a Amèrica l'agost d'aquell any. Tot i que Benatar tenia la capacitat de fusionar els gèneres de rock i pop, va afrontar-se a nous reptes per fer arribar les seves cançons més contundents a les emissores de rock, que mostraven certs prejudicis contra les artistes femenines. “Precious Time” inclou dues versions: "Helter Skelter" dels Beatles i "Just Like Me" de Paul Revere & the Raiders.

A "Fire and Ice", Pat Benatar s'enfronta a un amant inconstant que exposa el seu comportament manipulador. Ell alterna entre una intensitat apassionada ("you come on like a flame") i una fredor emocional ("then you turn a cold shoulder"), deixant-la sentir-se cremada i abandonada. La cançó encaixa bé amb els temes freqüents de Benatar sobre relacions tumultuoses, i la seva veu potent amplifica la tensió emocional, construint-se des dels versos fins a una tornada explosiva. La interpretació de Benatar no dóna lloc a cap defensa per part de l’amant, ja que ella pren el control de la narrativa.

Els vídeos musicals de "Fire and Ice" i "Promises in the Dark" es van gravar consecutivament al mateix escenari, amb Benatar portant la mateixa roba en ambdós. En aquell moment, els pressupostos per als vídeos musicals eren mínims, ja que MTV encara no s'havia consolidat com una plataforma important per a la promoció d'artistes. Per a aquests vídeos, l'equip de Benatar va contractar el director anglès Keith MacMillan, conegut pel seu treball amb Kate Bush, ja que hi havia pocs directors nord-americans experimentats en la indústria emergent dels vídeos musicals. Malgrat la producció modesta, els vídeos de Benatar esdevindrien icònics a MTV.

PAT BENATAR - FIRE AND ICE

Released: July 6, 1981

Charts:  US: #17   

"Fire and Ice" is a song by Pat Benatar, released on July 1981, as the lead single from her third album, “Precious Time”. The track was co-written by Benatar, Tom Kelly, and Scott Sheets. Benatar's songwriting team often included Sheets and guitarist Neil Giraldo, her future husband, though they occasionally worked with outside writers like Kelly. The single peaked at #17 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and reached #2 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart. The song also earned Benatar her second Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1982.

Following the success of her previous album “Crimes of Passion”, which featured hits like "Treat Me Right" and "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," there was high anticipation for Pat Benatar's next album, “Precious Time”. Released in 1981, the album quickly reached #1 in America in August of that year. Despite Benatar's ability to bridge both rock and pop genres, she faced challenges getting her edgier tracks on rock radio, which showed some bias against female acts. “Precious Time” features two cover songs: "Helter Skelter" by The Beatles and "Just Like Me" by Paul Revere & the Raiders. 

In "Fire and Ice," Pat Benatar confronts a fickle lover, exposing his manipulative behavior. He alternates between passionate intensity ("you come on like a flame") and emotional detachment ("then you turn a cold shoulder"), leaving her feeling burned and discarded. The song fits well with Benatar's frequent themes of tumultuous relationships, and her powerful voice amplifies the emotional tension, building up from the verses to an explosive chorus. Benatar's delivery gives no room for the lover to defend his actions, as she takes control of the narrative.

The music videos for "Fire and Ice" and "Promises in the Dark" were shot consecutively on the same soundstage, with Benatar wearing the same outfit in both. At the time, music video budgets were minimal since MTV hadn't yet proven to be a major platform for promoting artists. For these videos, Benatar's team hired English director Keith MacMillan, known for his work with Kate Bush, as there were few experienced American directors in the emerging music video industry. Despite the modest production, Benatar's videos would later become iconic on MTV.