| The Reflex | |
| |
| single by Duran Duran | |
|---|---|
| B-side | "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" (Live) "New Religion" (Live) |
| Released | 16 April 1984 (Worldwide) 21 April 1984 (US) |
| Recorded | 1983 |
| Format | 7", 12", CD |
| Genre | New wave, synthpop |
| Length | 5:29 (Album Version) 4:25 (Single Version) |
| Label | Capitol, EMI |
| Writer(s) | Duran Duran |
| Producer(s) | Duran Duran Ian Little Alex Sadkin |
| Duran Duran | |
"The Reflex" is the eleventh single by Duran Duran, and their most successful, reaching #1 in both the United Kingdom and the United States and #4 in Australia.
It was the third and last to be taken from their third album Seven and the Ragged Tiger, released internationally by Capitol-EMI in April 1984.
About the song[]
The song's lyrics are puzzling to most listeners. Lead vocalist Simon Le Bon said he has no clue what the song means.
The remixes for both the 7" and 12" singles were done by Nile Rodgers, of Chic fame. It was his first work with the band, and he would later go on to produce "The Wild Boys" single as well as the album Notorious (1986) and several tracks on Astronaut (2004).
Producer Ian Little recalls the sound Nick Rhodes came up with on his Roland Jupiter-8 keyboard: "...whenever I hear that steel-drum part it always brings a smile to my face because it's so out of tune. Steel drums always are, but it was exactly right in terms of rhythm and tone. So a wood-block sound was mixed in to make it even more percussive and, Bob's your uncle, it did the job.
Music video[]
The video for "The Reflex" was shot during The Sing Blue Silver Tour at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario on 5 March 1984. Director Russell Mulcahy filmed some of the closeup footage in the indoor arena that afternoon, and the rest was filmed live during that evening's concert.
"The Reflex" is primarily a concert video, accurately portraying Duran Duran's Sing Blue Silver tour performance style (perhaps with a little more hair spray and a little less sweat than usual). However, in keeping with the band's insistence that their videos "never be ordinary", the video screen above the stage displayed bits of naked models wearing collars and chains illuminated with black light, occasionally interrupted by computerized video white noise. At one point, a waterfall appears to pour out of the video screen above the stage to soak the audience. The computer graphics used to achieve this were cutting edge at the time, but rapid advancement in the field quickly made the effect look dated.
Mulcahy found it challenging to edit the video to match the jumpy fast-and-slow edits in the Nile Rodgers remix of the single. For the instrumental break in the middle of the song, he had to do some video "scratching" with Simon Le Bon's silhouette.
Keyboard enthusiasts have taken special note of the Fairlight CMI (the first digital sampling synthesiser) that Nick Rhodes operated with a light pen in this video, and throughout the tour.
B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes[]
The live B-side "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" is a cover of a Cockney Rebel song, recorded on 16 November 1982 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, with lead Rebel Steve Harley joining the band onstage.
A second live B-side, "New Religion", was recorded on 7 February 1984 at The Forum in Los Angeles. This is not the same live version that appears on the Arena album.
Covers, samples, & media references[]
Cover versions have been recorded by Less than Jake and the duo of Kylie Minogue and Ben Lee. This version was released on The Songs of Duran Duran UnDone.
The song has also been featured in the soundtracks for the movies American Wedding (2003) and Corky Romano (2001), as well as an episode of the 2002 television series That '80's Show in which bassist John Taylor made a guest appearance.
The song was referenced by Dave Chappelle in one of his skits that aired on The Lost Episodes.
The song was featured in the 2440th episode of the British soap Coronation Street from 20th August 1984.
Chart positions[]
In its heavily remixed form, "The Reflex" was the band's second single to reach number one the UK singles chart, after "Is There Something I Should Know?" in 1983, and it would be their last #1 song there. It was preceded at number one by "Hello" by Lionel Richie and followed by "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham!
The song was also the band's first single to hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (for two weeks) on 23 June 1984. It was preceded at number one by "Time after Time" by Cyndi Lauper, and followed by "When Doves Cry" by Prince.
Track listing[]
"The Reflex" was the second Duran Duran single to feature a vanity catalogue number in the UK, DURAN 2.
7": EMI DURAN 2 (UK)
- "The Reflex" (7" Version) - 4:20
- "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" (Live) - 4:54
12": EMI 12 DURAN 2 (UK)
- "The Reflex" (Dance Mix) - 6:35
- "The Reflex" (7" Version) - 4:20
- "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" (Live) - 4:54
7": Capitol B-5345 (US)
- "The Reflex" (The Dance Mix - Edited) - 4:25
- "New Religion" (Live in L.A.) - 4:52
CD: Part of the "Singles Box Set 1981-1985"
- "The Reflex" (7" Version) - 4:20
- "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" (Live) - 4:54
- "The Reflex" (Dance Mix) - 6:35
Notes[]
- The Dance Mix - Edited and 7" version are the same mixes.
Other appearances[]
Apart from the single, "The Reflex" has also appeared on:
Albums:
- Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983)
- Tiger Tiger ep (Japan only, 1984)
- Decade: Greatest Hits (1989)
- 12" Collection (Japan only, 1991)
- Night Versions: The Essential Duran Duran (US only, 1998)
- Greatest (1998)
- Strange Behaviour (1999)
Singles:
Personnel[]
Duran Duran are:
- Simon Le Bon - vocals
- John Taylor - bass guitar
- Andy Taylor - guitar, backing vocals
- Nick Rhodes - keyboards
- Roger Taylor - drums
Also credited:
- Alex Sadkin - producer
- Ian Little - producer
- Nile Rodgers - remixer
- Jason Corsaro - remix engineer
Lyrics[]
You've gone too far this time But I'm dancing on the valentine I tell you somebody's fooling around With my chances on the danger line I'll cross that bridge when I find it Another day to make my stand High time is no time for deciding If I should find a helping hand [CHORUS] So why don't you use it? Try not to bruise it Buy time don't lose it The reflex is an only child he's waiting in the park The reflex is in charge of finding treasure in the dark And watching over lucky clover isn't that bizarre Every little thing the reflex does Leaves you answered with a question mark I'm on a ride and I want to get off But they won't slow down the roundabout I sold the Renoir and the TV set Don't want to be around when this gets out [CHORUS] Oh the reflex what a game he's hiding all the cards The reflex is in charge of finding treasure in the dark And watching over lucky clover isn't that bizarre Evey little thing the reflex does Leaves you answered with a question mark
See also[]
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