Duran Duran - Union Of The Snake (Japan 12") (1983)

“Union of the Snake” was the lead single from the band’s third album Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983), and preceded its release by one month. It was originally titled, “The Union at Stake”, when the band was interviewed on The Oxford Road Show in March 1983 before their first performance of “Is there something I should know?” on U.K. television. It became one of Duran Duran’s most popular singles, hitting number one on the US Cash Box and peaking at number three on both the US Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks at the end of 1983. Further chart movement was prevented by “Say Say Say” by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson and “Say It Isn’t So” by Daryl Hall and John Oates. It also reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.

Lyricist Simon Le Bon (notoriously reticent about explaining his oblique lyrics) hinted in the Duran Duran lyric book The Book of Words that the borderline might be one between the conscious and subconscious minds. In later interviews, he proclaimed that it was a reference to Tantric sex.

Drummer Roger Taylor stated that the beat and drum track was based upon David Bowie’s 1983 single “Let’s Dance”.

The B-side to “Union of the Snake” was the atmospheric piece “Secret Oktober”. Twenty-four hours before the master tapes of the single were to be delivered to EMI for distribution, singer Simon Le Bon and keyboardist Nick Rhodes wrote and mixed the B-side “Secret Oktober” in an all-night recording session.



Tracks:

SIDE A:
Union Of The Snake (Super Mix) 6:23

SIDE B:
Union Of The Snake (Single Version) 4:20
Secret Oktober 2:45