Union of the Snake

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

"Union of the Snake"
Single by Duran Duran
from the album Seven and the Ragged Tiger
B-side	"Secret Oktober"
Released	17 October 1983
Recorded	1983
Studio	AIR (Montserrat, Caribbean)
Genre	New wave synth-pop
Length	4:20
Label	EMI Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Simon Le Bon John Taylor Roger Taylor Andy Taylor Nick Rhodes
Producer(s)	Alex Sadkin Ian Little Duran Duran
Duran Duran singles chronology
"Is There Something I Should Know?" (1983) "Union of the Snake" (1983) "New Moon on Monday" (1984)
Music video
"Union of the Snake" on YouTube

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.^[1]

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."^[2]

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.^[3][4]

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

  Note:

• The "Monkey" mix is also known as the "Extended" mix or the "Super" mix.

Charts

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

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)^[22]	Gold	50,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)^[23]	Silver	250,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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.^[24]

Personnel

Duran Duran

• Simon Le Bon – vocals
• Andy Taylor – guitar
• John Taylor – bass guitar
• Roger Taylor – drums
• Nick Rhodes – keyboards

Additional musicians

• Andy Hamilton – soprano and tenor saxophone
• Raphael Dejesus – percussion
• Mark Kennedy – percussion
• Michelle Cobbs – backing vocals
• B.J. Nelson – backing vocals

Technical

• Alex Sadkin – producer
• Ian Little – producer

References

1. "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". billboard.com. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
2. "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 29 October 1983. p. 10. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
3. "Memories Of Sydney". duranduran.com. 26 March 2008.
4. Brandle, Lars (22 January 2018). "10 Essential Duran Duran Deep Cuts". billboard.com. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
5. "Kent Music Report – National Top 100 Singles for 1983". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 22 January 2023 – via Imgur.com.
6. . Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
7. "Song artist 60 - Duran Duran". tsort.info. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
8. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Union of the Snake". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
9. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 6 April 2024. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Duran Duran" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
10. "Duran Duran – Union of the Snake". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
11. "Duran Duran – Union of the Snake". VG-lista. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
12. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 4 September 2018.
13. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
14. "Duran Duran: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
15. "Billboard Hot 100 – Week of December 24, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
16. . Cashbox Magazine. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
17. "Top Selling Singles of 1983 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". nztop40.co.nz. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
18. "Top 100 1983 - UK Music Charts". uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
19. . Cashbox Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
20. . RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 9 May 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
21. "Talent Almanac 1985: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 51. 22 December 1984. p. TA-19.
22. "Canadian single certifications – Duran Duran – Union of the Snake". Music Canada. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
23. "British single certifications – Duran Duran – Union of the Snake". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
24. "Riverdale season 2 soundtrack". WaterTower Music.