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RELATED LINKS INTERVIEW WITH JAYNE LOADER: Fall 2002 exclusive CONELRAD interview ATOMIC PLATTERS: Geerhart's Periodic Table of Atomic Music CONELRAD 100: Essential Atomic Films Viewing Guide CD SHORT SUBJECTS: A List of Films Available on Video, DVD and the Internet ATOMIC HONEYMOONERS: LIFE Magazine's 1959 Fallout Shelter Couple Tell Their Tale SIRENS, DOG TAGS & PS 11: Atomic Testimony from Laura Graff FALLOUT SHELTER: Lost Atomic Platter Unearthed SWINGING 1970's EBS JINGLE: Snap Your Fingers to These Familiar Lyrics IF THE BOMB FALLS: Vinyl Instructions from 1961 for "Sheltering in Place" THE COMPLACENT AMERICANS: The Classic Civil Defense 'scare' LP [1961] OPERATION ALERT BUFFALO: Buffalo Blitz of 1956 IN TIME OF EMERGENCY: Civil Defense Reminder from 1968 PRODUCTION SERIES '68: Emergency Broadcasting System PSAs LP [1968] STARS FOR DEFENSE: Federal Civil Defense Administration LP [1961] NORAD TRACKS SANTA: Air Defense Command Novelty LP [1964]  ATOMIC CAFE SOUNDTRACK: Radioactive Rock & Roll, Blues, Country and Gospel Rounder Records Catalog No. 1043 Copyright 1982 Co-Produced by Charles Wolfe, The Archives Project (Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty and Pierce Rafferty). Album Cover Artwork by Dennis Pohl, Cover Design by Mel Green, Booklet text by Charles Wolfe  The 20th Anniversary Edition of THE ATOMIC CAFE has been released on DVD [ Amazon.com ] |
ATOMIC CAFE provided the founders of this site with an exceptional roadmap of how to blend pop cultural artifacts, satire and information to form new entertainment - or in the vernacular of the Internet - "content." 
With a tip of the old CONELRAD fedora, then, this page gratefully acknowledges a great film, soundtrack, and book.THE FILM
The idea for this unique and innovative documentary began in a San Francisco bookstore in 1976 when one of the film's co-producers (Pierce Rafferty) found a thick catalogue of U.S. government films. That same day Rafferty envisioned a project that would utilize some of these titles to create a satirical documentary on the subject of American propaganda. The concept of crafting a visual montage out of long forgotten government training movies took six years and $300,000 to finally be realized on the screen in 1982. Along the way Rafferty enlisted his brother, Kevin, and shortly thereafter, New York film teacher Jayne Loader to join him in making the film.
ATOMIC CAFE is ultimately a post-modern masterpiece that is different from any documentary that came before it or has been released since. One of the reasons the film is such an artistic success is because the filmmakers were daring enough to eschew narration and rely solely on their source footage. This footage - edited for maximum irony and backed by a phenomenal soundtrack - evolved into a completely fresh and original work. And with the Reagan administration's re-energized arms race in full swing (with complimentary plans for "continuity of government"), the film achieved currency with its wicked satire of Truman/Eisenhower era designs for winning World War III.
You can learn more about the making of the film and read the contemporaneous reviews at Jayne Loader's Public Shelter web site.
THE SOUNDTRACK
Like its film counterpart, the ATOMIC CAFE soundtrack is an ingenious blend of music and documentary news clips. It is also the single greatest collection of Atomic Music ever assembled and released. The pre-Internet methodology employed by the producers to locate these wonderful songs was simple: They went to the Library of Congress music copyright file and looked under "Atomic." From this search they produced a "want list" of 200 titles. This list was sent out to various collectors who would invariably reply with even more suggestions. From the master tape, they elected to include 17 tunes mixed with radio broadcasts and newsreel audio*. Lamentably, this atomic anthology is long out-of-print with no active plans of a reissue. This is due in part to copyright difficulties Rounder Records experienced in releasing the album in the first place. If you would care to gently nag the company, please e-mail them.
Album Liner Notes [Excerpt]:
"Bomb songs expressed people’s political hopes and fears, their religion, and even their sexual fantasies. People boogied with the Bomb, and they prayed with the Bomb. Here is a cross-section of the best of that music, interspersed with short documentary news clips from the time. It is a reflection of an earlier, more innocent America trying to come to grips with the new atomic era. Just as important, it is a collection of seldom-heard vintage music which remains exciting and dynamic today."- Charles Wolfe
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SIDE ONE:
- ATOM AND EVIL by the Golden Gate Quartet
- Audio Clip: Maj. Thomas Ferebee, "Enola Gay" bombardier, 08/15/45
- WHEN THE ATOMB FELL by Karl and Harty
- Audio Clips: President Harry S Truman, 08/09/45; Capt. Kermit Beehan, "Great Artiste" bombardier, 08/15/45
- WIN THE WAR BLUES by Sonny Boy Williamson
- Audio Clip: David E. Lilienthal, the first Chairman of the A.E.C.
- ATOMIC POWER by the Buchanan Brothers
- Audio Clip: Winston Churchill, 03/31/49
- JESUS HITS LIKE AN ATOM BOMB by Lowell Blanchard and the Valley Trio
- Audio Clip: Rep. James E. Van Zandt (Republican), Penn., 05/08/53
- WHEN THEY DROP THE ATOMIC BOMB by Jackie Doll and His Pickled Peppers
- ATOMIC SERMON by Billy Hughes and his Rhythm Buckeroos
- OLD MAN ATOM by Sons of Pioneers
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SIDE TWO:
- URANIUM by The Commodores
- 50 MEGATONS by Sonny Russell
- ATOM BOMB BABY by The Five Stars
- SATELLITE BABY by Skip Stanley
- SPUTNIKS AND MUTNIKS by Ray Anderson and the Homefolks
- ATOMIC COCKTAIL by Slim Gaillard Quartette
- ATOMIC LOVE by Little Caesar with the Red Callendar Sextette
- ATOMIC TELEPHONE by Spirits of Memphis Quartet
- RED'S DREAM by Louisiana Red
Jayne Loader: "There were some (songs) we never could find: "Atomic Polka" and "Atomic Boogie" and one amazing song called "Fallout Shelter," in the "Tell Laura I Love Her" genre; the father tells the son that he can't bring his girlfriend into the family fallout shelter, so the boy and girl leave the shelter and die in the streets"**
CONELRAD owes a great debt to the producers of ATOMIC CAFE (the film, the soundtrack AND the tie-in book) as it was a major inspiration to our drive to plumb the depths of Atomic Culture and start this site. Therefore, if we ever do find "Fallout Shelter," a copy will be shipped to Ms. Loader immediately. [Update: In November of 2003 CONELRAD tracked down the elusive (and amazing) "Fallout Shelter" by Billy Chambers. As promised a copy with our compliments was shipped to Ms. Loader.]
THE BOOK OF THE FILM
A wonderful tie-in book to the film featuring some of the remarkable images from this nation's atomic heritage. Some great photographs include the original "Atomic Café" sign as well as an odd picture of a man getting into a box labeled "Atomic Bomb Protective Device." The ATOMIC CAFE book of the film can be found in used bookstores, EBAY and the Advanced Book Exchange.
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