Charm the Snake

"Charm the Snake"
American 1985 7″ cover
Single by Christopher Cross
from the album Every Turn of the World
B-side	"Open Your Heart"
Released	October 1985
Recorded	1985
Studio	Pop 'n' Roll Studios (Santa Monica, California)
Genre	Pop rock
Length	4:22 (album version) 3:50 (single version)
Label	Warner Bros.
Songwriters	Christopher Cross Michael Omartian
Producer	Michael Omartian
Christopher Cross singles chronology
"A Chance for Heaven" (1984) "Charm the Snake" (1985) "Every Turn of the World" (1985)
Alternative cover
Japanese cover

"Charm the Snake" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Christopher Cross. It was co-written by the producer Michael Omartian. It was released in October 1985 as the lead single and second song from his third album, Every Turn of the World . ^[1] The single peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent five weeks on the chart. It was the only track from the album to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 and also his final entry on that listing. ^[2]

Music video

"Charm the Snake" received a music video that was directed by David Fincher and produced by Carol Stewart. The video was recorded at the Willow Springs International Motorsports Park. Cross had experience in Formula Super Vee car for a couple of years and planned to go professional. ^[3] In the music video, Cross drove a Formula Atlantic instead of a Super Vee, because he felt that the larger tires found on Formula Atlantic cars made them look more appealing. ^[4]

Personnel

• Christopher Cross – vocals, guitars, SynthAxe
• Michael Omartian – keyboards, synthesizers, horn arrangements
• Marcus Ryle – synthesizer programming
• Joe Chemay – bass guitar
• John Robinson – drums
• Alexandra Brown – backing vocals
• Lynn Davis – backing vocals
• Vesta Williams – backing vocals
• Richard Marx – backing vocals
• Khalig Glover – backing vocals
• Portia Griffin – backing vocals

Charts

Chart (1985)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100 [5]	68

References

1. "Christopher Cross Sails Right Into A Faster Lane". Chicago Tribune. December 19, 1985.
2. Christopher Cross Album and Singles Chart History Music Charts Archive. 5 November 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
3. "Billboard". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. November 16, 1985. p. 38. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
4. Glick, Shav (January 4, 1986). "Sound of Fast Cars Is Music to His Ears : Pop-Rock Singer Christopher Cross Hopes to Become Competitive Race Driver". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
5. "Christopher Cross Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2025.

External links

• "Christopher Cross – Charm the Snake". Discogs. 1985.