"Union of the Snake" by Duran Duran

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  1682
Date:  11/05/1983
Debut:  59
Peak:  3
Weeks:  17
Genre:  New Wave



Pop Bits:  Following the band's highly successful second album, a belated reissue of "Is There Something I Should Know" from their debut album gave them a second Top 10 hit (#4). Fans were now anxious for their third album. With so much success, a crazy schedule, and other issues, the band was finding it quite difficult to write new songs. It would be lengthy process that would result in the album Seven and the Ragged Tiger. This song was selected as the first single and it quickly jetted up the chart and spent three weeks in the #3 position, which was the same result as their first hit "Hungry Like the Wolf." The album would arrive in stores worldwide a month later. It would hit #1 in the UK while getting to #8 in the US.

ReduxReview:  I bought Duran Duran's first three hits, but I still wasn't fully sold on the band yet. This was kind of a pivotal song because if I liked it, I would have become a major fan. If I didn't, I'd question whether or not they were the real deal or not. Unfortunately, I ended up disliking this tune. It did nothing for me. The lyrics were incomprehensible, the beat was a ripoff of "Let's Dance," and I though Simon Le Bon's vocals were very whiny. Needless to say, I didn't jump on the Duran Duran bandwagon. Over the years I'd run hot n' cold with the band. I'd like some songs while ignoring others. A few of their songs, like this one, I've come to enjoy a bit more over time. It's still not one of my favorites of theirs, but I can hang with it.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  It seems like every time there is a newfangled thing coming along in the music industry, there are doom and gloom predictions for what is existing. Around this time, the mega-rise of MTV and music videos was beginning to freak out radio stations. The whole "Video Killed the Radio Star" effect was in full swing and there was genuine worry that music videos were the future medium with pop radio becoming obsolete. So when the video for this song was issued for play on MTV a week before radio could air the song, it sent a wave of fear sloshing over radio programmers. Alas, their fears would be alleviated in years to come when MTV would pretty much become a non-music video channel. Videos are still a-plenty on new formats like YouTube and they can still generate interest in an artist and their work, but the days of becoming a breakout MTV star have been long gone.

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