Songoftheday 4/30/13 - Telegram force and ready I knew this was a big mistake, there's a fine line drawing my senses together And I think it's about to break...

Duran Duran - "Union Of The Snake"
from the album Seven & The Ragged Tiger (1983)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3 (three weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 12

Today's Song of the Day is by the quintessential British new wave/pop band Duran Duran, who after having an immensely successful album in American with Rio, reissued their self-titled debut as a stopgap along with a new track, "Is There Something I Should Know?" which became their second top-10 single in the States.  Moving to France to record their next album (and also avoid taxes), they enlisted Ian Little to produce their next set, Seven & The Ragged Tiger. With a difficult recording history that took them to the island of Montserrat and adding another producer with Alex Sadkin, the record was finally released at the end of 1983. The first single, "Union Of The Snake", written by the band, turned heads as it premiered on MTV before being available on the radio..

"Union Of The Snake" reached #3 on both the American and British pop charts, as well as reaching the top-40 on the dance chart. It would steer the group into a more dance-funk direction that would drive the pre-teen girls (like my sister) craaaaazy.

(Click below to see the rest of the post)


...and here's the "Fab Five" on a TV appearance in 1984..

..and again at Live Aid..

and from last year (where Simon LeBon apparently now a big ol bear...

Up tomorrow: A song about getting along, by a band definitely not getting along.