Union of the Snake explained

Union of the Snake
Cover:Duranuots4990595650303350.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Duran Duran
Album:Seven and the Ragged Tiger
B-Side:Secret Oktober
Released:17 October 1983
Recorded:1983
Studio:AIR (Salem, Montserrat)
Genre:
Length:4:20
Label:
Producer:
Prev Title:Is There Something I Should Know?
Prev Year:1983
Next Title:New Moon on Monday
Next Year:1984

"Union of the Snake" is the ninth single by English new wave band Duran Duran, released on 17 October 1983.

It was the lead single from the band's third album Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983), and preceded its release by one month. It became one of Duran Duran's most popular singles, hitting number one on the US Cash Box and peaking at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks at the end of 1983. Further chart movement was prevented by "Say It Isn't So" by Daryl Hall and John Oates and "Say Say Say" by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. It also reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.[2]

Reception

Cash Box said the song "stealthily stalks along on Simon Le Bon's clenched vocals, but more cautiously [than '[[Hungry Like the Wolf]]'] in the night-time nightmare world depicted in these lyrics."[3]

B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes

The B-side to "Union of the Snake" was the atmospheric piece "Secret Oktober", a collaboration between keyboardist Nick Rhodes and Le Bon. Forty-eight hours before "Union of the Snake" was due to be pressed in the US, the band were informed that they didn't have a B-side for the single, neither did the band have any material that was appropriate for the B-side. So Rhodes, Le Bon and producer Sadkin set out to work on "Secret Oktober" at 301 Studios in Sydney, Australia (where the Seven and the Ragged Tiger album was being completed); it had been written, recorded and mixed within the 24-hour period they had to meet the deadline.[4] [5]

Also included on the 12" single was an extended remix of the single, titled the "Monkey" mix.

Formats and track listings

7" single: EMI / EMI 5429 United Kingdom

  1. "Union of the Snake" – 4:24
  2. "Secret Oktober" – 2:48

12" single: EMI / 12 EMI 5429 United Kingdom

  1. "Union of the Snake" (Monkey mix) – 6:27
  2. "Union of the Snake" – 4:24
  3. "Secret Oktober" – 2:48

7" single: Capitol / B-5290 United States

  1. "Union of the Snake" – 4:20
  2. "Secret Oktober" – 2:44

12" single: Capitol / 8567 United States

  1. "Union of the Snake" (Monkey mix) – 6:22
  2. "Union of the Snake" – 4:20
  3. "Secret Oktober" – 2:44

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Union of the Snake"! Chart (1983–1984)! Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 4
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] 2
France (SNEP)[8] 8
Ireland (IRMA)[9] 5
Italy (Musica e dischi)[10] 16
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 3
Norway (VG-lista)[12] 8
South Africa (Springbok)[13] 21
Spain (AFYVE)[14] 16
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)16
US Billboard Hot 100[15] 3
US Cash Box[16] 1

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Union of the Snake"! Chart (1983)! Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)66
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 42
UK Singles (OCC)[18] 91
US Cash Box[19] 20
Chart (1984)Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[20] 56
US Billboard[21] 43

Cover versions

In 2018, the song was covered by Camila Mendes, Asha Bromfield and Hayley Law in the episode "Chapter Twenty-Four: The Wrestler" from the second season of the television series Riverdale.[22]

Personnel

Duran Duran

Additional musicians

Technical

Notes and References

  1. Essential Duran Duran: Their 30 greatest songs, ranked . 27 October 2023 . Erlewin . Stephen . . 25 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240526000747/https://www.avclub.com/duran-duran-essential-30-best-songs-ranked-1850956091/slides/2 . 26 May 2024 . live.
  2. Web site: Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart. billboard.com. 28 July 2016.
  3. Reviews. Cash Box. October 29, 1983. 2022-07-20. 10.
  4. Web site: Memories Of Sydney. March 26, 2008. duranduran.com.
  5. Web site: 10 Essential Duran Duran Deep Cuts. Lars. Brandle. January 22, 2018. billboard.com. February 8, 2021.
  6. Web site: Kent Music Report – National Top 100 Singles for 1983 . . Imgur.com . 22 January 2023.
  7. Web site: Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada . 27 June 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150629190757/https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4442&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=v5v7q4vk7rk14h2nnjf56cpf51 . 29 June 2015 .
  8. Web site: Song artist 60 - Duran Duran. tsort.info. 28 July 2016.
  9. Web site: The Irish Charts – Search Results – Union of the Snake. 27 April 2024. Irish Singles Chart.
  10. Web site: Classifiche . . it . 6 April 2024. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Duran Duran" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
  11. Web site: Duran Duran – Union of the Snake. 27 April 2024. Top 40 Singles.
  12. Web site: Duran Duran – Union of the Snake. 27 April 2024. VG-lista.
  13. Web site: SA Charts 1965–March 1989. 4 September 2018.
  14. Book: Salaverri, Fernando. Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 . 1st . September 2005. Fundación Autor-SGAE. Spain. 84-8048-639-2.
  15. Web site: Billboard Hot 100 – Week of December 24, 1985. . March 2, 2024 .
  16. Web site: Top 100 1984-01-14 . . 27 June 2015 . 1 October 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121001104352/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19840114.html . dead .
  17. Web site: Top Selling Singles of 1983 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart. nztop40.co.nz. 28 July 2016.
  18. Web site: Top 100 1983 - UK Music Charts. uk-charts.top-source.info. 28 July 2016.
  19. Web site: Top 100 Year End Charts: 1983 . . 9 May 2015 . 11 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120911042042/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1983YESP.html . dead .
  20. Web site: Top 100 Singles of 1984 – Volume 41, No. 17, January 05 1985 . . . June 23, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160509051421/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.9638&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062 . 9 May 2016 . dmy-all .
  21. December 22, 1984 . Talent Almanac 1985: Top Pop Singles . TA-19 . Billboard . 96 . 51 .
  22. Web site: Riverdale season 2 soundtrack. WaterTower Music.

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