Hungry Like The Wolf by Duran Duran

The song that inspired the name of this blog!

This brilliant single by Duran Duran was released in May 1982 and was the third single off the Rio album of the same year.  The previous two singles, "My own way" and "the chauffeur" were released in 1981 actually, before the album was recorded and were stop-gap singles to keep up the momentum of the first album.

I'll cover the whole Rio album later on, but I would like to make a general comment about this single in particular and more generally the album.  It had an energy about it that is not easy to explain, it just jumped at you out of the speakers in 1982 as a completely fresh sound.  I don't think the band have been hotter than they were then and so in line with the exciting era they were heralding. It certainly opened up the door to the USA for the band. OK, opinion over!

This single is also pretty unusual in that it was written and recorded on one day, with various band members coming into the basement studio of EMI's London headquarters. Great days work!

 

Dark in the city night is a wire
Steam in the subway earth is afire
Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo
Woman you want me give me a sign
And catch my breathing even closer behind
Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo

In touch with the ground
I'm on the hunt down I'm after you
Smell like I sound I'm lost in a crowd.
And I'm hungry like the wolf.
Straddle the line in discord and rhyme
I'm on the hunt down I'm after you.
Mouth is alive with juices like wine
And I'm hungry like the wolf

The lyrics were inspired by Little red Riding Hood and, as you can see from the title of this blog, contain some brilliant verses.  Just another little note, the laugh at the beginning and the screams at the fade out were recorded by Nick Rhodes girlfriend at the time live in the studio.

The song was actually re-recorded a few months later for the Rio album, with mostly the vocals being re-recorded.

The song became really popular in the USA in particular after MTV started showing their video.  remember, this was THE era for hot music videos.  The video was produced, as Planet Earth had been by Russell Mulcahy. Russell has produced a lot of video's for the band including the great "Rio", "The Reflex" and "Wild Boys" video's, none of them small productions!  Of course Russell also hit it REALLY big in 1986 with the Highlander movie, which I think many people would say had an air of the pop video about it at times!

The video was filmed in Sri Lanka and had an Indiana Jones feel to it.

Worth checking out this hilarious commercial with Bruce Campbell too, for Old Spice. Lounge style!

Finally, here is a brilliant cover of this classic hit by After How.  Great job girls and  long live 1982!!