Cash Box said the song "stealthily stalks along on Simon Le Bon's clenched vocals, but more cautiously [than 'Hungry Like the Wolf'] in the night-time nightmare world depicted in these lyrics."[4]
B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes
The B-side to "Union of the Snake" was the atmospheric piece "Secret Oktober", a collaboration between keyboardist Nick Rhodes and Le Bon. Forty-eight hours before "Union of the Snake" was due to be pressed in the US, the band were informed that they didn't have a B-side for the single, neither did the band have any material that was appropriate for the B-side. So Rhodes, Le Bon and producer Sadkin set out to work on "Secret Oktober" at 301 Studios in Sydney, Australia (where the Seven and the Ragged Tiger album was being completed); it had been written, recorded and mixed within the 24-hour period they had to meet the deadline.[5][6]
Also included on the 12" single was an extended remix of the single, titled the "Monkey" mix.
Formats and track listings
7" single: EMI / EMI 5429 United Kingdom
"Union of the Snake" – 4:24
"Secret Oktober" – 2:48
12" single: EMI / 12 EMI 5429 United Kingdom
"Union of the Snake" (Monkey mix) – 6:27
"Union of the Snake" – 4:24
"Secret Oktober" – 2:48
7" single: Capitol / B-5290 United States
"Union of the Snake" – 4:20
"Secret Oktober" – 2:44
12" single: Capitol / 8567 United States
"Union of the Snake" (Monkey mix) – 6:22
"Union of the Snake" – 4:20
"Secret Oktober" – 2:44
Note:
The "Monkey" mix is also known as the "Extended" mix or the "Super" mix.
In 2018, the song was covered by Camila Mendes, Asha Bromfield and Hayley Law in the episode "Chapter Twenty-Four: The Wrestler" from the second season of the television series Riverdale.[26]
^"Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 6 April 2024. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Duran Duran" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".