Writers: Pat Benatar, Scott St. Clair Sheets, and Tom Kelly
Producers: Keith Olsen and Neil Giraldo
Recorded: Early 1981 in Los Angeles
Released: July 1981
| Players: | Pat Benatar—vocals Neil Giraldo–guitar, keyboards Scott St. Clair Sheets–guitar Roger Capps–bass Myron Grombacher–drums |
| Album: | Precious Time (Chrysalis, 1981) |
The first single from Pat Benatar's third album, Precious Time, “Fire And Ice” reached Number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song also won a Grammy for best female rock performance in 1982.
Despite its success, Benatar–who was born Patricia Andrzejewski –says she's always had ambivalent feelings about the track. “I liked this song initially, but I always had a problem with the lyrics. 'You come on like a flame, etc.'…I thought I could get past it. My mistake.”
Benatar fought her label's decision to release “Fire And Ice” as a single, but Chrysalis Records threatened to shelve the release of Precious Time if she didn't agree.
Nevertheless, guitarist Neil Giraldo–at the time Benatar's boyfriend and now her husband–calls it an “explosive vocal performance from the wife. She never forgave me for making the key so high.”
Precious Time was Benatar's only Number One album, topping the Billboard 200 on August 15, 1981.
The album also marked the emergence of Giraldo, who was credited as its co-producer, as Benatar's chief creative collaborator.