The Reflex

Infobox Single
Name = The Reflex
Artist = Duran Duran


Album = Seven and the Ragged Tiger
B-side = "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) (live)", "New Religion"
Released = Start date|1984|4|16
Format = 7", 12", CD Single
Recorded = Late 1983
Genre = Dance, New Wave
Length = 5:29
Label = EMI - DURAN 2
Producer = Duran Duran, Ian Little, Alex Sadkin
Last single = "New Moon on Monday"
(1984)
This single = "The Reflex"
(1984)
Next single = "The Wild Boys"
(1984)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate Sleeve
Type = single


Cover size = 200
Lower caption = UK 7" sleeveExtra tracklisting
Album = Seven and the Ragged Tiger
Type = studio
prev_track =
prev_no =
this_track = "The Reflex"
track_no = 1
next_track = "New Moon on Monday"
next_no = 2"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 lose it" segments, thinking this would hinder its success as a stand alone single track.

About the song

The song's lyrics are puzzling to most listeners ^{[http://www.songfacts.com/lyrics.php?findsong=4885]} although there is strong conjecture it's either about erections or drug abuse. [ [http://www.lyricinterpretations.com/lookat.php/bands/Duran-Duran/ad671243fb208e7?rated=1 Lyric Interpretations.com] ]

Lead vocalist Simon LeBon has said he has no clue what the song means. ^{[http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4885]} According to the lyrics, the Reflex is a mysterious child and a game. Considering that he is Duran Duran's principal lyricist, this statement seems more cagey and odd than true. He did reveal that the Reflex itself was a metaphor for the music critics' reaction to Duran Duran's music and videos. (need citation)

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." [Buskin, Richard. " [http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul04/articles/classictracks.htm Classic Tracks: The Reflex] ". "Sound on Sound", July 2004.]

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. [ [http://www.durandurantimeline.com/years/1984.html The Duran Duran Timeline: 1984] ]

"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 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 November 26, 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 7 February, 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 and the duo of Kylie Minogue and Ben Lee.

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 was referenced by Dave Chappelle in one of his skits that aired on The Lost Episodes.

Chart positions

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" – 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 (Dance Mix)" [edit] – 4:25
# "New Religion (Live in L.A.)" – 4:52

CD: Part of "Singles Box Set 1981-1985" boxset

# "The Reflex" – 4:20
# "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" [live] – 4:54
# "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:
*"Seven and the Ragged Tiger" (1983)
*"Tiger Tiger! ep" (Japan only, 1984)
*"" (1989)
*"12" Collection" (Japan only, 1991)
*"" (US only, 1998)
*"Greatest" (1998)
*"Strange Behaviour" (1999)

Singles:
*Capitol Gold Cuts (1990)

Videos:
* "Dancing On The Valentine" (1984)

Video games:
* (2002)
*Saints Row 2 (2008)

Personnel

Duran Duran are:
*Simon Le Bon - vocals
*Nick Rhodes - keyboards
*John Taylor - bass guitar
*Roger Taylor - drums
*Andy Taylor - guitar

Also credited:
*Michelle Cobbs - backing vocals
*B J Nelson - backing vocals
*Raphael Dejesus - percussion
*Mark Kennedy - percussion
*Alex Sadkin - producer
*Ian Little - producer
*Nile Rodgers - remixer
*Jason Corsaro - remix engineer

References