Danse Macabre (song)

Song Title
Single by Duran Duran
Released	30 Aug 2023
Format	Download
Genre	Dance Rock
Length	4:22
Writer(s)	Duran Duran, Mr Hudson
Producer(s)	Duran Duran, Mr Hudson
Danse Macabre Official Video

"Danse Macabre" is the first single, and the 6th song from the album Danse Macabre by Duran Duran, released as a single by Tape Modern and BMG on August 30 2023. ℗ 2023 Tape Modern under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC.

About the song

Danse Macabre is this first single released from the album Danse Macabre. It is a plodding-beat dance rock song, about going out partying on Halloween night. Simon unusually Raps the lyrics. Lead guitar is provided by both John Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo; for the first time since Pop Trash. Andy Taylor is also credited as a sound engineer on this song.

Song Development

John:"[The new songs] were written during this four-day window before our last British tour had started. Essentially we went in to write one song, we had the title Danse Macabre and we said: ’let’s go and see if we can write a song with that as a title’. We knew we were going to write a song, we were not going to leave that studio without a song with that title but we came up with three songs. Like Nick said, I think going in there with this umbrella concept, particularly for Simon, I think we all embraced the theme, everybody played something that we felt was in that Gothic, darker realm kind of thing. But for Simon, I think it was a real gift because he had his subject already and that’s usually what takes so long when we’re writing songs from scratch.

Nick Said "Having [Andy and Warren] back on different tracks for the album was a real joy. I couldn't believe when I got the tracks that Warren recorded in Los Angeles. I couldn't believe what he was playing. I thought, Wow, it's so inventive. It's one of the most refreshing guitar parts I've heard in years."

Reviews

"The first track from their upcoming Halloween-themed album, “Danse Macabre” (which translates to “Dance of Death”) arrives with pulsing dance rhythms and spooky-ooky vibes. Heavy bass underscores the track while wailing synth lines escape like souls from a lake of purgatory. With a liberal amount of compression and a certain level of campy snark, the vocals perfectly match the eerie vibe. The track starts, making its goulash intentions immediately clear. The over-the-top horror and Halloween imagery doesn’t stop there, as the song goes on to detail zombies, the embodiment of death, and (perhaps scariest of all) Elvis impersonators. Admittedly, it’s a little silly, but it’s also quite a bit of fun." --Consequence.Net Sept 1 2023. (source).

Cover Art

The image used on the cover of this single comes from a German painter and woodcut artist, Hans Holbein the Younger (1497–1543). It is often called 'The Noble Lady from Dance of Death' and also Hans Holbein #35. Renowned for his Dance of Death series, the famous designs by Hans Holbein were drawn in 1526 while he was in Basel, Switzerland. They were cut in wood by the accomplished Formschneider (block cutter) Hans Lützelburger, and soon appeared in German publications of the day. The first book edition, containing forty-one woodcuts, was published at Lyons by the Treschsel brothers in 1538. The popularity of the work, and the currency of its message, are underscored by the fact that there were eleven editions before 1562, and over the sixteenth century perhaps as many as a hundred unauthorized editions and imitations.

Danse Macabre / Dance of Death

The Hans Holbein work was inspired by the deathly horrors of the 14th century such as recurring famines, the Hundred Years' War in France, and, most of all, the Black Death. The ever-present possibility of sudden and painful death increased the religious desire for penance, but it also evoked a hysterical desire for amusement while still possible; a last dance as cold comfort. The Danse Macabre combines both desires: in many ways similar to the medieval mystery plays, the dance-with-death allegory was originally a didactic dialogue poem to remind people of the inevitability of death and to advise them strongly to be prepared at all times for death (see memento mori and Ars moriendi).

Whitby and Hawsker Mad Bull Connections

Whitby is a small fishing town on the East coast of England, in the county of North Yorkshire. The town is famous for being the place when Count Dracula arrived in Britain according to the Bram Stoker books, and contains a museum called The Dracula Experience. Whitby’s windswept headland, the dramatic abbey ruins, a church surrounded by swooping bats, and a long association with jet – a semi-precious stone used in mourning jewellery – gave Stoker a taste of thrilling horrors when he arrived at Mrs Veazey’s guesthouse at 6 Royal Crescent, Whitby, at the end of July 1890 . Whitby Jet is a black substance made from fossilized monkey puzzle trees. The term "Jet Black" refers to the Blackest of all Black colours. Jewellery made from Jet was made fashionable by Queen Victoria, who wore it in mourning of her beloved Prince Albert following his death from supposed typhoid fever in 1861 . Whitby has also been the site of a lighthouse since Roman times. Indeed the early Saxon name for Whitby was Streonshal, which means Lighthouse Bay. Today the Whitby Lighthouse boasts a huge fog horn on the top of it, known as The Hawsker Mad Bull. The horn gave 4 blasts every 90 seconds, although it was switched off in 1987, and only sound recordings remain. (Lighthouse with Sound Effects).

Merch

Several T-Shirts, and other collectables, were sold to promote the launch of the single.

Song Facts

Contains samples of an Elliptical Horn, and the Whitby Lighthouse's Foghorn - which is used in the introduction (known as the Hawsker Mad Bull). Contains the lyrics: Auto-da-fé; which refers to an inquisition. 'Bull' was first used in the song My Own Way. 'Twist and Shout' was first used in the song Friends of Mine, and is a reference to The Beatles song of the same name. 'Elvis' is also referenced, previously used in Hallucinating Elvis, also from Pop Trash. This is the seventh instance of the word 'knees' being used in a DD related song, others include 911 Is a Joke, TV vs. Radio, UMF, Box Full O' Honey, Diamond Dogs and Bedroom Toys. 'Pray' has only appeared twice before; in Election Day and Wing.

Music Video

A teaser video, perhaps showing a visualizer idea for the song, was released August 21 (Instagram). The release of the song was delayed from August 25 to August 30 while working to produce an accompanying music video. The video postponed at launch, and released two weeks later on September 14, which features computer AI generated imagery (YouTube). In the video, the band play at a ghostly party. At the end of the video, the mansion explodes, and the ghouls return to their graves.

"With creative director Linc Gasking at the helm, this cutting-edge video used AI-driven techniques, some of which were only launched as recently as last weekend (Sept 9th and 10th 2023). The culmination is a 3D animated masterpiece that, in previous times, would have demanded an entire team, over a year and a substantial budget to produce."

Nick said: "I like the idea that if you can imagine something you can make it come to life, well at least in animated form… With the Danse Macabre video we did exactly that. We began by deciding who would be on the ultimate Halloween party guest list, then a selection of witches, mythical beasts, vampires and demons were rapidly developed, using the latest AI animation techniques. I was truly astonished when I first started to see the results. It was something that would have previously taken a team months in an animation studio, but it was all happening almost instantly in front of our eyes. Over a period of a few days we created a whole new universe populated with beautifully strange inhabitants to celebrate the release of Danse Macabre, with a gothic dream." The video’s creative director, Linc Gasking adds, “We are at the beginning of a new medium of storytelling, with a camera directly into the imagination.”

Chart positions

The song was released on itunes on Wednesday 30th of August 2023 - where it entered at position #16 in the UK. #19 in New Zealand, #45 in Australia. The song also entered the Official UK Singles Downloads Chart at #45, on September 1. . This was one place lower than their highest charting single from Future Past; Invisible; which reached #44 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.

i.tunes
Australia - 30 Aug #45
Brazil - 31 Aug #95
Canada - 30 Aug #88
Ecuador - 11th Sep #3
Italy - 30 Aug - #17
Germany - 30 Aug - #101
New Zealand - 30 Aug - #19
UK - 30 Aug - #16
USA - 30 Aug - #61

Lyrics

Halloween girl seize the fray
Brothers and sisters lead the way
Shackled to the rhythm, your soul is weighed
So you better get down on your knees and pray

Coming up for The Hawsker Mad-Bull
Jumping on the hot seat, lying in the dead pool
Delivery quake, expensive mistake
The damage, the damage, the damage, the damage

   Hey, no way, some ghost jive in an AC Cobra
   Auto-da-fe, get dirty up on a Danse Macabre
   Hey, no way, I had you down for the cat’s pyjamas
   Auto-da-fe, get dirty up on the Danse Macabre

   If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
   If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
   If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
   If you don’t mind, digging down the gold mine

   If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
   If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
   If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
   If you don’t mind, digging down the gold mine

(Heaven sake, don't blow your karma)
(Liberate, your Danse Macabre)

Zombie in the back room, nuns in the bed
Kids in KISS make up, toasting the bread 
An Elvis' moans a lone Natty Dread 
With death in the living room, offering a head

Are you watching?, are you watching?
Collars and chains and cuffs are matching 
Kami-kaze stag-do, twist and shout
At Sudan Archives on a girls' night out

(chorus)

-

  If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
  If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
  If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
  If you don’t mind, digging down the gold mine

  If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
  If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
  If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
  If you don’t mind, digging down the gold mine

  If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
  (Heaven sake, don't blow your karma)
  If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
  (Liberate your Danse Macabre)
  If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
  If you don’t mind, digging down the gold mine

  If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
  (Heaven sake, don't blow your karma)
  If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind
  (Liberate, your Danse Macabre)
  If you don’t mind, if you don’t mind

Misheard Lyrics

Comin’ out for the Hawsker mad bull

Delivery quick, expensive mistake

Some ghost driving an AC Cobra

Zombie in the bathroom, nuns in the bed

Kiss-a-kiss make up, toastin’ the bread 

An Elvis' moans, an old natty dread 

Collars and chains and gold star matching 

Personnel

Duran Duran are:

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

Also credited:

• Warren Cuccurullo - guitar
• Anna Ross - backing vocals
• Rachael O'Connor - backing vocals

Song Credits

Eligible Studio Producer: Duran Duran
Mixer: Bob Clearmountain
Sound Engineer: John Webber
Vocals: Simon Le Bon
Keyboards: Nick Rhodes
Guitar, Bass: John Taylor
Drums: Roger Taylor
Guitar: Warren Cuccurullo
Percussion, Sound Engineer, Producer: Joshua Blair
Background Vocals: Anna Ross
Background Vocals: Rachael O’Connor
Loops, Producer: Mr Hudson
Sampled Performer: Elliptical Horn courtesy of BBC Sound Effects / Whitby Lighthouse's Foghorn sounding / PSE (Royalty Free License)
Sound Engineer: Andy Taylor
Sound Engineer: Ed Farrell
Instrument Technician: Kevin Bell
Instrument Technician: Phil Kemp
Sound Engineer: John X Volaitis
Composer: Simon Le Bon
Composer: Nick Rhodes
Composer: John Taylor
Composer: Roger Taylor
Composer: Benjamin Hudson McIldowie