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The Reflex

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For other uses, see Reflex (disambiguation).
"The Reflex"
Song
B-side"Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" (Live)
"New Religion" (Live)

"The Reflex" is the eleventh single by Duran Duran, released worldwide on April 16, 1984.

The song was heavily remixed for single release and was the third and last to be taken from their third album Seven and the Ragged Tiger.

Song history

"The Reflex" became the band's most successful single. It was their second single to top the UK singles chart, after "Is There Something I Should Know?" in 1983, topping the chart on May 5, and would prove to be their last UK #1. The single entered the charts in America on April 21, 1984 at #46, became Duran Duran's first of two singles to hit #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (for 2 weeks) on June 23, 1984 (see 1984 in music), and was a huge hit internationally. (Their only other single to hit #1 in the US was the title song to the James Bond film "A View to a Kill".) It was also the first of two songs that kept "Dancing in the Dark" by Bruce Springsteen out of the top spot, (The other one being Prince's "When Doves Cry"). The band wanted it to be the lead single from Seven and the Ragged Tiger, but their label didn't like the warbling singing during the "why don't you use it" segments, thinking this would hinder its success as a stand-alone single track.

The remixes for both the 7" and 12" singles were created 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 recalled 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, successfully, it did the job."[1]

Music video

The video for "The Reflex" was shot during the Sing Blue Silver tour at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario on March 5, 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.[2]

"The Reflex" is primarily a concert video, accurately portraying Duran Duran's Sing Blue Silver tour performance style. 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 typical at the time, but rapid advancement in the field quickly made the effect look dated.

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.

Some symbolic scenes from the official video were taken and later mixed with the alternate version shown in the band's concert film Arena (An Absurd Notion); in the final segment when the band, the crowd and even the fans undertake the final and crucial battle against the evil Dr. Durand Durand.

B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes

In addition to the 4:26 single remix, the 12" also included an extended remix of "The Reflex". The live b-side "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" is a cover of a Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel song, recorded November 16, 1982 at Hammersmith Odeon in London, with lead Rebel Steve Harley joining the band onstage.

A second live b-side released on the US single, "New Religion", was recorded February 7, 1984 at The Forum in Los Angeles. This is not the same live version that appears on the Arena album.

Covers, samples, and media references

Cover versions have been recorded by Less than Jake[3] and the duo of Kylie Minogue and Ben Lee.[4]

The song is part of the "Hooked on Polkas" medley on the 1985 Dare To Be Stupid album by "Weird Al" Yankovic.

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 short-lived 2002 television series That '80s Show in which bassist John Taylor made a guest appearance.

The song is also featured in the video game Saints Row 2 as part of its 1980s radio station.

A chain of 1980s-themed nightclubs in the UK is named after the song.[5] The Birmingham branch is located directly opposite the former site of the Rum Runner, Duran Duran's early home base.[6]

Chart positions

caption
"The Reflex" 12" picture disc, featuring similar tiger iconography to the Seven album cover
Chart (1984) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 4
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 11
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 1
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[10] 1
Canada (RPM 50 Singles)[11] 3
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[12] 1
France (SNEP)[13] 15
Invalid chart entered Germany2 8
Ireland (IRMA)[14] 1
Italy (FIMI)[15] 11
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18] 6
Poland (Polish Singles Chart)[19] 7
Spain (AFYVE)[20] 14
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 10
UK Singles (OCC)[22] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[23] 1

Track listing

"The Reflex" was the second Duran Duran single to feature a personalised group catalogue number in the UK, DURAN 2.

  • 7" Single (UK)
  1. "The Reflex" — 4:20
  2. "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" [live] — 4:54
  • 12" Single (UK)
  1. "The Reflex (Dance Mix)" — 6:35
  2. "The Reflex" [7" version] — 4:20
  3. "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" [live] — 4:54
  • 7" Single (U.S.)
  1. "The Reflex (Dance Mix)" [edit] — 4:25
  2. "New Religion (Live in L.A.)" — 4:52
  1. "The Reflex" — 4:20
  2. "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" [live] — 4:54
  3. "The Reflex (Dance Mix)" — 6:35

Notes

  • The edited Dance Mix is the same as the regular 7" version.

Other appearances

Apart from the single, "The Reflex" has also appeared on:

Albums:

Singles:

  • Capitol Gold Cuts (1990)

Videos:

Video games:

Personnel

Duran Duran are:

Also credited:

  • Michelle Cobbs — backing vocals
  • B J Nelson — backing vocals
  • Raphael Dejesus — percussion
  • Mark Kennedy — percussion
  • Andy Hamilton — Sax solo (album version)
  • Alex Sadkin — producer
  • Ian Little — producer
  • Nile Rodgers — remixer
  • Jason Corsaro — remix engineer

References

  1. ^ Richard Buskin (July 2004). "CLASSIC TRACKS: 'The Reflex'". Soundonsound.com. SOS Publications Group. Retrieved July 28 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ^ "The Duran Duran Timeline: 1984". Durandurantimeline.com. Retrieved July 28 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  3. ^ "The Duran Duran Tribute Album review at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 28 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ "UnDone: The Songs of Duran Duran review at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 28 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ^ "Reflex, the 80s Bar for Uptown Girls... and Boys". Reflexbars.co.uk. Archived from the original on November 23 2011. Retrieved October 12 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |archivedate= (help)
  6. ^ "Reflex, the 80s Bar". Reflexbars.co.uk. Archived from the original on November 11 2011. Retrieved October 12 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |archivedate= (help)
  7. ^ David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. ^ "Duran Duran – The Reflex" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved July 28 2013.
  9. ^ "Duran Duran – The Reflex" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 28 2013.
  10. ^ "The Reflex - DURAN DURAN". VRT (in Dutch). Top30-2.radio2.be. Retrieved July 28 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help) Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 1
  11. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 40, No. 15, June 16 1984". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 4 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  12. ^ Steve Hawtin; et al. "Song artist 102 - Duran Duran". Tsort.info. Retrieved June 26 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)
  13. ^ "Duran Duran – The Reflex" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved July 28 2013.
  14. ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". IRMA. Retrieved July 28 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help) Only one result when searching "The Reflex"
  15. ^ "I singoli più venduti del 1984". HitParadeItalia (in Italian). Creative Commons. Retrieved July 28 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
    60. The Reflex - Duran Duran [#11]
  16. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Duran Duran - The Reflex" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 28 2013.
  17. ^ "Duran Duran – The Reflex" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 28 2013.
  18. ^ "Duran Duran – The Reflex". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 28 2013.
  19. ^ "REFLEKS - Duran Duran". Nowe Media, Polskie Radio S.A. LP3.polskieradio.pl. Retrieved July 28 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  20. ^ Fernando Salaverri (2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  21. ^ "Duran Duran – The Reflex". Swiss Singles Chart.
  22. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 28 2013.
  23. ^ "Seven and the Ragged Tiger awards at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 31 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
Preceded by UK number-one single
May 5 1984 – May 26 1984 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" by Phil Collins
"Automatic" by The Pointer Sisters
 Irish Singles Chart number-one single
May 12 1984 – May 19 1984
June 2 1984 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Dutch number-one sngle
June 9 – July 14 1984 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
June 23 1984 – July 6 1984 		Succeeded by
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