union of the snake Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

Duran Duran “Union of the Snake” and Urban Decay Lipstick

sfilzen — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 20:02:21 +0000

Today, October 27th, is Simon LeBon’s birthday! It’s also almost Halloween so to celebrate it all, I’m spinning the only vaguely Halloweenie single by Duran Duran, “Union of the Snake” b/w “Secret Oktober” – along with “Rio” because I just received my special edition Rio/Nagel lip palette by Urban Decay today. It’s like Simon sending me a present!

Those are my lips, wearing the sparkly lip color, called Big Bang, second from the right in the palette.

“Union of the Snake” was the first release from Duran Duran’s third LP Seven and the Ragged Tiger, hitting #3 in the UK and US. “Secret Oktober” does not appear on any original Duran Duran albums (though it is on the 2010 reissue CD of Seven and the Ragged Tiger). The band needed a song for the flipside of “Union of the Snake” and quickly wrote “Secret Oktober,” whipping it out, including recording and mixing, in less than 24 hours. It is beautiful and atmospheric, not at all creepy, singing of birthday parties that are full of surprising fireworks, all night parties and cocktail bars.

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Duran Duran “Union of the Snake”

sfilzen — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 14:31:32 +0000

Duran Duran “Union of the Snake” promo 12″ single, 1983. I know I blogged about Duran Duran yesterday, but today, April 26th, is Roger Taylor’s birthday (b. 1960) so I’m spinning the rock-solid beats of “Union of the Snake.” The single was the first release from their third LP Seven and the Ragged Tiger. “Union of the Snake” hit #3 in the UK and US and Roger Taylor stated that he drew inspiration for the song’s rhythm from David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” also released in 1983.

Side A is an extended mix of “Union of the Snake” and Side B has both the single version and “Secret Oktober,” which does not appear on any original Duran Duran albums (though it is on the 2010 reissue CD of Seven and the Ragged Tiger). The band needed a song for the flipside of “Union of the Snake” and quickly wrote “Secret Oktober,” whipping it out, including recording and mixing, in less than 24 hours. Amazing, because it is a beautiful, atmospheric track.

Wise on a birthday party, in a world
Full of surprising fireworks and sudden silence
(Shh)
Lies on a stranger’s bed the new day breaks, like a speeding train
Or an old friend ever expected, but never knocking

Holding your own in a battered car
All night parties cocktail bars
And smile when the butterfly escapes the killing jar

Sure eyes awake before the dancing is over
Wise or naked in secret Oktober

Freefall on a windy morning shore
Nothing but a fading track of footsteps
Could prove that you’d ever been there
Spoken on a cotton cloud like the sound of gunshot
Taken by the wind, and lost in distant thunder

Racing on a shining plane
Tomorrow you’ll be content to watch as the lightning plays
Along the wires, and you’ll wonder

Sure eyes awake before the dancing is over
Wise or naked in secret Oktober

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Duran Duran “Union of the Snake (Monkey Mix)”

sfilzen — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 15:41:45 +0000

Duran Duran “Union of the Snake (Monkey Mix)” b/w “Union of the Snake (single version)” and “Secret October” 1983. 12″ single, from Duran Duran’s third full length LP Seven and the Ragged Tiger. To be honest, this has always been one of my least favorite D2 singles from their early years. I’m not entirely sure why – maybe it’s the tempo (though the bass and drums are super-solid; Roger Taylor has stated the beat was based on David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”) or the sincerely weird lyrics (though this is not out of the ordinary for Simon – he says the song is about the borderline between the conscious and subconscious. That, or Tantric sex). I think maybe it’s the dense production; the music is so thick it’s hard for my ear to cut through some clutter. That said, while I prefer the b-side “Secret Oktober” which is utterly beautiful, “Union of the Snake” is still a great song in the context of a lot of other music released in ‘83, and as the lead single from Seven and the Ragged Tiger, it hit #3 on both the UK and US charts.

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