For other uses of the term, see 'Reflex'.
"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.
"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, and would prove to be
their last UK #1. It was also Duran Duran's first single to hit
number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (for two weeks) on 23
June 1984 (see 1984 in music), and became a huge hit
internationally. 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 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."
The video for "The Reflex" was shot during the
Sing Blue Silvertour 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 Silvertour 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 cutting edge 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.
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
(
1982-11-16
)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 7 February 1984 at The Forum in Los
Angeles. This is not the same live version that appears on the
Arenaalbum.
Cover versions have been recorded by Less than Jake and the
duo of Kylie Minogue and Ben Lee.
The song is part of the Hooked on Polkas medley on the 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 Showin which bassist John Taylor made a guest
appearance.
The song is also featured in the video game
Saints Row 2as part of its 80s radio station.
The song was referenced by Dave Chappelle in one of his
skits that aired on The Lost Episodes.
"The Reflex" was the second Duran Duran single to feature a
personalised group catalogue number in the UK, DURAN 2.
Apart from the single, "The Reflex" has also appeared
on:
Albums:
Singles:
Videos:
Video games:
Duran Duran are:
Also credited:
·
·
·
, Andy Taylor ·
Warren
Cuccurullo ·
Sterling
Campbell ·
Stephen Duffy ·
Simon Colley ·
Andy Wickett ·
Alan Curtis ·
Jeff Thomas
Duran Duran ·
Rio ·
Seven and the Ragged Tiger ·
Notorious ·
Big Thing ·
Liberty ·
Duran Duran ·
Thank You ·
Medazzaland ·
Pop Trash ·
Astronaut ·
Red Carpet Massacre
Live at Hammersmith 82! ·
Arena
Carnival ·
Master Mixes ·
Decade: Greatest Hits ·
Greatest ·
Night Versions: The Essential Duran Duran ·
Strange Behaviour ·
Singles Box Set 1981-1985 ·
Singles Box Set 1986-1995 ·
The Essential Collection
"Planet Earth" ·
"Careless
Memories" ·
"Girls on
Film" ·
"My Own Way" ·
"Hungry Like the
Wolf" ·
"Save a
Prayer" ·
"Rio" ·
"Is There Something I Should
Know?" ·
"Union of the
Snake" ·
"New Moon on
Monday" ·
"
The Reflex
" ·
"Tiger Tiger" ·
"The Wild
Boys" ·
"A View to a
Kill" ·
"Notorious" ·
"Skin Trade" ·
"Meet El
Presidente" ·
"I Don't Want Your
Love" ·
"All She Wants
Is" ·
"Do You Believe in
Shame?" ·
"Burning the
Ground" ·
"Violence of Summer (Love's
Taking Over)" ·
"Serious" ·
"Ordinary
World" ·
"Come Undone" ·
"Too Much
Information" ·
"Drowning Man
" ·
"None Of The
Above" ·
"Breath After
Breath" ·
"Femme Fatale" ·
"Perfect Day" ·
"White Lines" ·
"Lay Lady Lay" ·
"Out of My
Mind" ·
"Electric
Barbarella" ·
"Someone Else Not
Me" ·
"Playing With
Uranium" ·
"Last Day On
Earth" ·
"(Reach Up for The)
Sunrise" ·
"What Happens
Tomorrow" ·
"Nice" ·
"Falling Down"
"Anyone Out
There" ·
"Sound of
Thunder" ·
"Shadows on Your
Side" ·
"Come Up and See Me (Make Me
Smile)" ·
"Planet Earth"
(Live) ·
"Is There Something I Should
Know?" (Live)" ·
"Big Thing" ·
"Too Late
Marlene" ·
"The Krush Brothers: LSD
Edit" ·
"Decadence" ·
"Cry Baby Cry" ·
"Skin Divers"
Duran Duran Video 45 ·
Duran Duran ·
Dancing on the Valentine ·
Sing Blue Silver ·
Arena (An Absurd Notion) ·
The Making of Arena ·
Three to Get Ready ·
Working for the Skin Trade ·
6ix by 3hree ·
Decade: Greatest Hits ·
Extraordinary World ·
Greatest ·
Live from London
Arcadia ·
Power Station ·
Neurotic
Outsiders ·
The Devils
Discography ·
TV Mania ·
Tours[[1]]