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    Adam Ant - Apollo 9 - UK 7'' Cover - Front
    1984 Adam Ant Singles

    Adam Ant – Apollo 9

    3 Views1 Min Read

    The Eighties Archive

    Song Number 0063
    Released in 1984 as the lead single from his solo album Vive Le Rock, Apollo 9 stands as one of the most exhilarating, chaotic, and infectious entries in Adam Ant’s extensive musical catalogue. Emerging from the ashes of the iconic post-punk and New Romantic movements that he helped define with Adam and the Ants, this track represented a pivoting point. Ant was transitioning away from the tribal Burundi drumming and pirate iconography that dominated chart-toppers like Kings of the Wild Frontier and Prince Charming. Instead, he steered his creative ship into a hyper-energetic, retro-futuristic landscape. Co-written with his long-time collaborator Marco Pirroni and produced by the legendary Tony Visconti, Apollo 9 is a brilliant collision of 1950s rockabilly swagger, glam rock stomp, and space-age pop optimism.
    The song takes its title from NASA’s 1969 Apollo 9 space mission, which was a critical crewed flight that tested the Lunar Module in Earth orbit. However, rather than delivering a solemn, historical retrospective or a sterile sci-fi narrative, Adam Ant uses the mission as a springboard for pure, unadulterated musical theatre. The track bursts to life with an iconic, rapid-fire vocal chant that sounds like a cross between a playground skipping rhyme and a military cadence. This vocal hook instantly sets a frantic, joyful pace. Visually and sonically, the song operates in a universe where the space race is filtered through a Saturday morning cartoon lens, complete with laser sound effects, bright brass stabs, and a driving acoustic guitar rhythm that keeps the track grounded in traditional rock and roll songcraft.
    Lyrically, Apollo 9 is a masterclass in Ant’s signature style of surrealism and pop culture pastiche. He contrasts the high-tech, cold-war stakes of space exploration with earthbound, domestic imagery and romantic longing. Lines about countdowns, splashdowns, and orbiting the earth are delivered with a theatrical gasp and a wink, turning a Cold War technical triumph into a metaphor for emotional adrenaline and physical attraction. The lyrics capture the zeitgeist of the early 1980s fascination with both retro nostalgia and the dawn of the digital age. By referencing a specific, slightly lesser-remembered Apollo mission rather than the historic moon landing of Apollo 11, Ant showcases his knack for choosing quirky, distinct cultural touchstones that set him apart from his contemporaries.
    The production of the track is where the magic truly coalesces, largely thanks to Tony Visconti’s sophisticated touch. Visconti, famous for his work with David Bowie and T. Rex, brought a massive, thumping glam-rock sensibility to the recording studio. The brass section in Apollo 9 is punchy and bright, mimicking the triumphant fanfares of a rocket launch while retaining a danceable, big-band swing. Pirroni’s guitar work switches effortlessly between driving rhythm strums and sharp, stylized accents. Underneath it all, the bassline and percussion create a relentless forward momentum that mimics the acceleration of a spacecraft breaking free from the earth’s gravity. Ant’s own vocal performance is characteristically dynamic, shifting from deep, dramatic crooning to breathless, high-pitched yelps that convey an almost overwhelming sense of excitement.
    Upon its release, Apollo 9 proved that Adam Ant still possessed the Midas touch in his native United Kingdom, where the single successfully cracked the top fifteen on the UK Singles Chart. It served as a vibrant reminder of his ability to craft a hook that could capture the public’s imagination, even as the broader musical landscape was shifting toward slicker, synthesizer-dominated synth-pop. The accompanying music video further cemented the song’s identity, featuring Ant in a stylized, comic-book astronaut suit, surrounded by retro rocket ship sets and energetic dancers. The visuals perfectly mirrored the song’s collision of eras, blending the clean lines of 1960s NASA imagery with the flamboyant, camp fashion of the mid-1980s.
    Decades after its debut, Apollo 9 remains a standout gem in Adam Ant’s discography. It encapsulates a specific moment in pop history when artists were encouraged to be visually daring, sonically experimental, and unashamedly fun. The track does not carry the weight of political angst or deep philosophical brooding; instead, it celebrates the pure joy of rhythm, melody, and performance. It stands as a testament to Ant’s enduring genius as a pop craftsman and a visual stylist, proving that even when reaching for the stars, he never lost his down-to-earth ability to make audiences want to dance.
    The song peaked at No. 13 in the UK charts on 6th October 1984.
    Adam Ant - Apollo 9 - Eighties Archive Promo Image
    Adam Ant - Apollo 9 - UK 7'' Cover - Front
    Adam Ant - Apollo 9 - UK 7'' Cover (Front)
    Adam Ant - Apollo 9 - UK 7'' Cover - Back
    Adam Ant - Apollo 9 - UK 7'' Cover (Back)
    A-Side
    Apollo 9 (3:22)
    (Adam Ant, Marco Pirroni)
    Produced By Tony Visconti
    B-Side
    B-Side Baby (4:41)
    (Adam Ant)
    Produced By Tony Visconti
    UK Top 40 Chart Run  [6 Weeks] – 22nd September 1984 – 27th October 1984
    28
    15
    13
    15
    21
    33

    Officially Released Versions

    Apollo 9 (Single Version) (3:22)
    Apollo 9 (Orbit Mix) (5:22)
    Apollo 9 (Splashdown Remix) (6:46)
    Apollo 9 (Instrumental Splashdown) (5:58)
    Apollo 9 (Unreleased Francois K 7” Mix) (3:41)
    Apollo 9 (Acappella Reprise) (1:30)

    See ALL releases of ‘Apollo 9’ on Discogs.

    Lyrics

    Ten – Dress it up
    Nine – Dress it up
    Eight – Dress it up
    Seven – Dress it up, dress it up
    Six
    Fa-, fa-, fa-, fa-, fa-, five
    (Ooh!)

    Hey, hey, what do you say?
    Had me a woman, she ran away
    Warned me one time, warned me twice
    Found me out, and it weren’t too nice

    Hey, hey, what do you say?
    Had me a woman, she ran away
    Can the chatter, bye-bye, dear
    Carved me a crimson career

    Well, whoopsin-a whoopsin (Dress it up)
    Jan-jan-jammering (Dress it up, dress it up)
    Yabba-yabba-ding-ding (Dress it up)
    Delta hey max nine

    We will be fine (We will be fine)
    Apollo 9 (Apollo 9)
    Even though NASA say
    Way out of line (Out of line)
    We will be fine (We will be fine)
    Apollo 9 (Apollo 9)
    Even though NASA say
    Way out of line (Out of line)

    Well, whoopsin-a whoopsin (Dress it up)
    Jan-jan-jammering (Dress it up, dress it up)
    Yabba-yabba-ding-ding (Dress it up)
    Delta hey max nine

    Ten – Dress it up
    Nine – Dress it up
    Eight – Dress it up
    Seven – Dress it up, dress it up
    Six
    Fa-, fa-, fa-, fa-, fa-, five
    (Ooh)

    Hey, hey, what do you say?
    Had me a woman, she flew away
    Climbed onto the nearest star
    Miss her lots, but there you are

    Hey, hey, what do you say?
    Had me a woman, she flew away
    I don’t worry, things are fine
    Way up there in Apollo 9
    Well, whoopsin-a whoopsin (Dress it up)
    Jan-jan-jammering (Dress it up, dress it up)
    Yabba-yabba-ding-ding (Dress it up)
    Delta hey max nine

    We will be fine (We will be fine)
    Apollo 9 (Apollo 9)
    Even though NASA say
    Way out of line (Out of line)

    We will be fine (We will be fine)
    Apollo 9 (Apollo 9)
    Even though NASA say
    Way out of line (Out of line)

    Well, whoopsin-a whoopsin (Dress it up)
    Jan-jan-jammering (Dress it up, dress it up)
    Yabba-yabba-ding-ding (Dress it up)
    Delta hey max nine

    We will be fine (We will be fine)
    Apollo 9 (Apollo 9)
    Even though NASA say
    Way out of line (Out of line)

    We will be fine (We will be fine)
    Apollo 9 (Apollo 9)
    Even though NASA say
    Way out of line (Out of line)
    Hey, hey, what do you say?
    Had me a woman, she flew away
    Climbed onto the nearest star
    Miss her lots, but there you are

    Hey, hey, what do you say?
    Choochalaben dollaley
    You can go, you won’t get far
    A-leyben in your capella

    Hey, hey, what do you say?
    Had me a woman, she flew away
    Climbed onto the nearest star
    Miss her lots, but there you are

    Hey, hey, what do you say?
    Blast off time, I’m pleased to say
    Write a letter, be home soon
    Busy lassoing the moon

    Ten
    Nine
    Eight
    Seven
    Six
    Five
    Fa-, fa-, fa-, fa-, fa-, five

    Written by Adam Ant, Marco Pirroni

    Adam Ant - Apollo 9 - Promo Advert

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    Adam Ant
    Apollo 9
    Adam Ant - Apollo 9 - UK 7'' Cover - Front
    Adam Ant - Apollo 9 - VIT Album

    Date Released

    September 1984

    Highest Chart Position

    No. 13

    Genre

    Electronic, New Wave, SynthPop

    Date Of UK Top 40 Entry

    22nd September 1984

    Record Label

    CBS RECORDS

    Catalogue Number

    A 4719

    Other Songs In Archive

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