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Duran Duran

 
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Duran Duran

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When MTV dawned in the early 1980s, it changed the face of popular music forever, and the British rock group Duran Duran was the first act to take full advantage of its possibilities. The five-member band of young, sculpted faces often adorned with make-up and expensive clothes, saw in the music video the perfect vehicle for propelling them beyond obscurity and their musical abilities to fame, fortune, and good times. Combining the sounds of 1970s British punk and the more upbeat, danceable rhythms of disco, Duran Duran began producing clean, sparkling (if not critically acclaimed), pop tunes. But what set them apart immediately were their videos: somewhat surreal escapist fantasies that took the self-styled playboys to such far-flung locales as Sri Lanka and Antigua. Screaming, record-buying, television-watching teen-age girls everywhere ate it up–and nobody could have predicted it better than the band members themselves. "Video to us is like stereo was to Pink Floyd," said Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes. "It was new, it was just happening. And we saw we could do a lot with it." But, with more than 25 years together and more than 70 million albums sold, the group has proven its significance well beyond the video screen.

While the conservative rock press liked to downplay the success of Duran Duran because of their obvious vanity and lack of attention to "serious" music, it should be noted that some of rock and roll's most time-honored heroes, such as Elvis Presley and even a few members of the Beatles, were never accused of being serious musicians. Success in pop music has always depended upon image at least as much as the music itself. And "serious music" is not necessarily for everyone as Rolling Stone's James Henke realized when he referred to Duran Duran's eager fans as "young girls who were glued to their television sets watching MTV every waking hour. These girls had little use for the Clash's left-wing politics, or the ranting and raving of that weird-looking Elvis Costello. But Duran Duran, now they were something else. Five extremely good-looking young men. Dream dates."

Band Took Form
Duran Duran began coming together in 1978 (some sources say 1977) in the Midlands city of Birmingham, where Rhodes and guitarist John Taylor started performing with a variety of bandmates. The group, which takes its name from a character in the 1968 film Barbarella, became complete in 1980 when Simon Le Bon, a drop-out drama student, showed up one day in pink, leopard-skin leotards and said he wanted to sing in the band. Le Bon joined Rhodes, John Taylor (who switched to bass), drummer Roger Taylor, and guitarist Andy Taylor (none of the Taylors are related), and the quintet began performing in Birmingham, most frequently at a club called Rum Runners which had become established as the home of England's burgeoning New Romantic scene. "Donning the foppish clothes of the movement and playing a slick, if superficial, brand of dance-pop, the band was tailor-made for the style obsessed New Romantics," said the Encyclopedia of Rock.

Duran Duran quickly became the headliners of that movement, playing at large clubs and festivals throughout England, and in early 1981 they released their first single, "Planet Earth," which went to number 12 on the United Kingdom charts. Later that year their first album, Duran Duran, went to number three on the album charts and spawned two more hit singles, including "Girls on Film." They had already been shunned by the serious music press at this point, but newer, teen-oriented, image-conscious magazines like Smash Hits and The Face were more than happy to circulate glossy photos of "The Boys," as they had become known. The lavish videos helped transfer this new-found fame to the United States, where "Hungry Like the Wolf" reached number three. Their videos won the group two Grammy Awards for Best Video–Short Form and Best Video Album in 1983. By 1984 Duran Duran was an international phenomenon—their third album, Seven and a Ragged Tiger, debuted at number one and suddenly the boys were living the lives they had created for themselves on video, playing sold-out tour dates around the world.

Became Playboys of Pop
They were dandies, playboys, and their profiles became plastered on teen magazines everywhere. First there was Rhodes (his name was originally Nicholas Bates), the man who probably most personified the band's gaudy image. Rhodes grew up with John Taylor and both found that they liked the music of glittery stars like T. Rex. "We wouldn't buy records by ugly groups," Rhodes told People, adding that when he and Taylor decided to start a band they "had vivid ideas of what we wanted to look and sound like, but we looked at the instruments and said, 'Do we have to learn to play these things?'" John Taylor was the ladies' man and a huge target for the gossipy British Fleet Street press. His wanderings were well-chronicled there. "Being a rock star is like putting a huge sign in a window, 'For Sale,'" Taylor told People. "I did an interview with Penthouse and they said, 'What's your idea of a great woman?' I said, 'Someone who could tie me up and whip me and make great bacon sandwiches.'" Le Bon was an unlikely pop star in that he still opened doors for women, had a pensive streak that made him yearn for sailing alone on the sea, and because his bandmates once tagged him with the nickname "Lardo" because of his pudginess. Roger and Andy Taylor rounded out the band and were more known for staying in the shadows while the others baited the screaming girls at center stage.

By 1985 Duran Duran had started suffering from the personality conflicts that hamper many bands. Their production slacked off as the players spent more time apart, getting together only occasionally for certain projects, such as the immensely successful single and video for the James Bond movie A View To a Kill. John and Andy Taylor began work on an outside project with Robert Palmer in 1985 and formed a band called Power Station, which recorded an album of the same name (which was number 30 that year, according to Rolling Stone) and played at the Live Aid benefit concert. In the meantime the remaining "thoughtful" members of the group briefly performed and recorded as Arcadia, spawning the LP So Red the Rose. It, too, climbed the charts; Rolling Stone found it harmless and bland: "Egan's lubricated bass line contrasts nicely with Simon's hog-calling tenor…. like the Power Station's record, it's proficient, serviceable pop without any unifying drive or purpose. And no matter how obnoxious (or not) you may have found them, personality is one thing Duran Duran never lacked." By 1986 Duran Duran was back intact and recording again, although they would never regain the success of the early 1980s.

Struggled to Maintain Popularity
Their 1987 effort, Notorious, received the usual chilly reception from critics, but the videos were popular on MTV. Rolling Stone actually went so far as to call Notorious Duran Duran's "most consistently listenable work," but felt the band had lost personality in the search for musical maturity. Big Thing! of 1988 had none of the MTV audience and none of the backhanded compliments of earlier reviews. People panned the album; "As 'mature' musicians, they're marooned." The Encyclopedia of Rock summed up Duran Duran's impact on the music world in this way: "Musically, Duran Duran are no more than accomplished studio stylists, skillful welders of a host of disparate elements–hard rock, electro, white soul and, latterly, scratch and hip-hop—into an eminently commercial sound. Far more important was their marketing success, whereby they capitalized on their obvious visual attractions through the media (video and the glossy pop magazines), a technique that became increasingly important in the music industry in the Eighties." Warren Cuccurullo, formerly of the group Missing Persons, began assisting Duran Duran on guitar in 1986; he became a permanent member of the group in 1990.

Liberty, released in 1990, was another of Duran Duran's efforts to renew their past success. This time the band combined "everything from disco to guitar rock, … Motown, Philly soul, and new wave," according to Stephen Thomas Erlewine of All Music Guide, creating an album that was stylistically confusing and helped to continue the band's falling sales. The greatest hits compilation Decade: Greatest Hits was also released that year and would eventually earn platinum sales in May 1998.

Made a Comeback
The group's fortunes changed, though, in 1993 with the release of what was considered a comeback album, Duran Duran (The Wedding Album). The album topped the charts at number three and went platinum in June of 1993, powered by the hit singles "Ordinary World," which hit number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and "Come Undone," which charted in the top ten. The album also achieved broad international success, landing among the top-ten selling records in Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina. The group toured and was also featured in an MTV Unplugged special.

Thank You, what MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide referred to as a "bizarre" covers album, followed in 1995. Duran Duran's ode to their influences "killed the momentum again," according to MusicHound Rock, eroding the resurgent popularity brought about by Duran Duran (The Wedding Album). "The idea was to do songs that we wish we'd written," Rhodes told Entertainment Weekly. Medazzaland was released in 1997, minus the contribution of John Taylor, who left the group that year to start a new band, Terroristen. Another greatest hits compilation, this one entitled simply Greatest, was released in 1998. The group left the EMI/Capitol label that same year.

With Le Bon and Rhodes the only remaining members of the original lineup, the group released Pop Trash in 2000 on the Hollywood label. The album "marks a bold departure from Duran Duran's signature dance-oriented pop sound into more avant-garde musical experimentation," said Carly Hay in Billboard. "That's what I like about this album: It spans," LeBon told Hay. "This is our statement on how it feels to live a little."

In 2001, Cuccurullo left to re-form Missing Persons, and all five of the original members of Duran Duran reunited to begin work on a new album, which was scheduled for release in 2004. While writing and recording, the band played periodic shows in the United States and around the world. They began a set of 2003 shows in the United States at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, and their United Kingdom shows at the Forum in London. The box set compilation The Singles 81-85 was also released in 2003. Duran Duran was slated to receive the BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music in early 2004.

Selected discography
Duran Duran, Harvest, 1981.
Rio, Capitol, 1982.
Seven and the Ragged Tiger, Capitol, 1983.
Arena, Capitol, 1984.
Notorious, Capitol, 1987.
Big Thing!, Capitol, 1988.
Decade: Greatest Hits, Capitol, 1990.
Liberty, Alliance, 1990.
Duran Duran (The Wedding Album), Capitol, 1993.
Thank You, Capitol, 1995.
Medazzaland, Capitol, 1997.
Night Versions: The Essential Duran Duran (remixes), EMI/Capitol, 1998.
Greatest, Capitol, 1998.
Pop Trash, Hollywood, 2000.
The Singles 81-85 (box set), Capitol, 2003.

Sources

Books
Graff, Gary, and Daniel Durchholz, editors, MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide, second edition, Visible Ink, 1999.
Hardy, Phil, and Dave Laing, Encyclopedia of Rock, Schirmer, 1988.

Periodicals
Amusement Business, November 2, 1998.
Billboard, June 26, 1993; May 6, 2000.
Billboard Bulletin, November 25, 2003.
Entertainment Weekly, April 14, 1995; August 1, 2003; September 5, 2003.
Hollywood Reporter, August 29, 2003.
People, July 22, 1985, November 7, 1988.
Rolling Stone, February 2, 1984, January 16, 1986, January 29, 1987.

Online
"Duran Duran," All Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com (December 19, 2003).
Duran Duran Official Website, http://www.duranduran.com (December 19, 2003).
"Duran Duran to be Honoured with the 'Outstanding Contribution' at the BRIT Awards in 2004," BRIT Awards, http://www.brits.co.uk/2003/press/release.php?releaseID=32 (December 19, 2003).
Recording Academy, http://www.grammy.com (December 19, 2003).
Recording Industry Association of America, http://www.riaa.com (December 19, 2003).
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AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:

Duran Duran

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Biography

Duran Duran personified new wave for much of the mainstream audience. And for good reason, too. Duran Duran's reputation was built through music videos, which accentuated their fashion-model looks and glamorous sense of style. Without music videos, it's likely that their pop-funk -- described by the group as the Sex Pistols meets Chic -- would never have made them international pop stars. While Duran Duran did have sharper pop sensibilities than their new romantic contemporaries like Spandau Ballet and Ultravox, none of their peers exploited MTV and music video like the Birmingham-based quintet. Each video the group made was distinctive, incorporating a number of cinematic styles to showcase the band as either part of the jet-setting elite ("Rio") or as worldly adventurers ("Hungry Like the Wolf"). While early videos like "Girls on Film" and "The Chauffeur" sparked controversy in England over their sexual content, their best-known clips were often based on hit contemporary movies. "Hungry Like the Wolf" uncannily recalled Raiders of the Lost Ark, while "Union of the Snake" and "The Wild Boys" brought to mind The Road Warrior. The clever videos helped make Duran Duran's rise to popularity remarkably swift. Between 1982 and 1984, they rocketed from underground British post-punk sensations to teen idols. But their fall from grace was equally fast. By the late '80s, the group's lineup had fragmented, and the remaining members had trouble landing hit singles. Nevertheless, the group pulled off a surprising, if short-lived, comeback in the early '90s as a sophisticated soft rock trio.

Inspired by David Bowie and Roxy Music, as well as post-punk and disco, schoolmates Nick Rhodes (keyboards) and John Taylor (guitar) formed Duran Duran in 1978 with their friends Simon Colley (bass, clarinet) and Stephen Duffy (vocals). Taking their name from a character in Roger Vadim's psychedelic sci-fi film Barbarella, the group began playing gigs in the Birmingham club Barbarella, supported by a drum machine. Within a year, Duffy and Colley both left the group -- Duffy would later form the Lilac Time -- and were replaced by former TV Eye vocalist Andy Wickett and drummer Roger Taylor. After recording a demo, John Taylor switched to bass and guitarist John Curtis joined the band, only to leave within a matter of months. The group placed an ad in Melody Maker, which drew the attention of Andy Taylor, who became their guitarist. However, Duran Duran were still having trouble finding a vocalist. Following Wickett's departure in 1979, a pair of singers passed through the group before Simon LeBon, a former member of the punk band Dog Days and a drama student at Birmingham University, joined in early 1980.

By the end of 1980, Duran Duran had become popular within the burgeoning new romantic circuit in England and had secured a record contract with EMI. "Planet Earth," the band's first single, quickly rose to number 12 upon its spring 1981 release. Immediately, Duran Duran became the leaders of the new romantic movement, becoming media sensations in the British music and mainstream press. The group's popularity increased through its cutting-edge music videos, especially the bizarre, racy clip for "Girls on Film." Although the BBC banned the Godley & Creme-directed video, the single became the group's first Top Ten hit, setting the stage for the fall release of its eponymous debut album. Duran Duran reached number three upon its release and stayed in the charts for 118 weeks. The band quickly followed the album with Rio in the spring of 1982. Rio entered the charts at number two, and its singles -- "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Save a Prayer" -- became Top Ten hits. By the November release of the U.S.-only remix EP Carnival, the bandmembers were superstars in Europe, but only just beginning to make headway in America. Their exposure in the U.S. was helped greatly by the emergence of MTV, which put the group's stylish videos into heavy rotation. MTV's constant playing of the videos paid off, and "Hungry Like the Wolf" became a Top Ten hit early in 1983. Rio followed that single into the Top Ten, eventually selling over two million copies.

Duran Duran mania was in full swing across America, with "Is There Something I Should Know" reaching the Top Ten -- it became the group's first English number one that summer -- and the group's first album climbing its way to number ten. Duran Duran capitalized on their popularity by releasing Seven and the Ragged Tiger in time for 1983's holiday season. The record hit number one in the U.K. and number eight in the U.S., spawning the hit singles "Union of the Snake" and "The Reflex," their first number one U.S. hit and their second British chart-topper. The band took an extended break after completing its year-and-a-half-long international tour in the spring of 1984. In November, the group released the non-LP single "Wild Boys," which reached number two in the U.K. and the U.S., where it was added to the live album Arena.

By 1985, Duran Duran fever was beginning to cool off, and after completing the title track for the James Bond film A View to a Kill, the group went on hiatus. Andy and John Taylor formed the supergroup the Power Station with vocalist Robert Palmer and former Chic drummer Tony Thompson in January, releasing their eponymous debut album in the spring; it spawned the Top Ten singles "Some Like It Hot" and "Get It On (Bang a Gong)." The remaining members of Duran Duran -- Nick Rhodes, Simon LeBon, and Roger Taylor -- responded with their own side project, Arcadia, releasing an album called So Red the Rose in the fall of 1985; the album launched the Top Ten hit "Election Day." Early in 1986, Roger Taylor announced he was taking a yearlong sabbatical from the group; he never returned. Several months later, Andy Taylor also left, reducing Duran Duran to a trio. Late in 1986, the band released Notorious, its first album in nearly three years. While it was relatively successful, going platinum in the U.S. and generating a Top Ten hit with the title track, it was noticeably less popular than their earlier records. For the remainder of the decade, Duran Duran's popularity continually declined, with 1988's Big Thing producing "I Don't Want Your Love," their last Top Ten single for five years.

The greatest-hits album Decade was released late in 1989, followed several months later by Liberty, the first Duran Duran album to fail to go gold. By that point, former Missing Persons guitarist Warren Cuccurullo had become a permanent member of the group. In 1993, the band returned from a prolonged hiatus with Duran Duran [The Wedding Album], a mature, layered record of lite funk and soulful adult contemporary pop that became a surprise hit. "Ordinary World" and "Come Undone" became Top Ten hits in America, with the former reaching the Top Ten in the U.K. as well; the album itself climbed into the Top Ten on both continents and went platinum in America. Not only did the record restore their commercial status, but it earned them some of their best reviews of their career. The group followed the album with one of their poorest-received efforts, 1995's all-covers Thank You, which managed to go gold in America despite its negative reviews. While Duran Duran were recording the follow-up to Thank You in 1996, John Taylor left the band to pursue a solo career, leaving the group a trio of LeBon, Rhodes, and Cuccurullo. That follow-up, Medazzaland, was released in 1997 but failed to produce any major hits. Released in 2000, Pop Trash suffered a similar fate.

In March 2001, the three Taylors -- Andy, John, and Roger -- met up in Wales and worked with each other for three weeks. Around this time, rumors of a five-member reunion began to circulate. Two months after Rhodes and LeBon denied the rumors, the reunion was confirmed. Duran Duran recorded on and off for a new album over the next three years and also toured sporadically. After signing with Epic, they released Astronaut in October 2004. Red Carpet Massacre followed in 2007. In 2011, Duran Duran delivered their 13th studio album, the Mark Ronson-produced All You Need Is Now. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
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Duran Duran

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This article is about the band. For other uses, see Duran Duran (disambiguation).
Duran Duran

Duran Duran live at the ACC, Toronto, left to right: John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Simon Le Bon, and Nick Rhodes
Background information
Origin Birmingham, England
Genres Pop rock, New Wave, New Romantic, synthpop, alternative rock
Years active 1978–present
Labels Capitol, EMI, Parlophone, Virgin, Epic, Hollywood, Tapemodern, Allido
Associated acts Arcadia, Power Station, Neurotic Outsiders, The Devils, Robert Palmer, Mark Ronson
Website duranduran.com
Members
Simon Le Bon
Nick Rhodes
John Taylor
Roger Taylor
Past members
Andy Taylor
Sterling Campbell
Warren Cuccurullo
Stephen Duffy
Alan Curtis
Andy Wickett
Simon Colley
Jeff Thomas

Duran Duran are an English rock band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States. Since the 1980s, they have placed 14 singles in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart and 21 in the Billboard Hot 100 and have, according to the Sunday Mercury, sold more than 100 million records.[1][2] While they were generally considered part of the New Romantic scene along with bands such as Spandau Ballet when they first emerged, they later shed this image. The band worked with fashion designers to build a sharp and elegant image that earned them the nickname "the prettiest boys in rock."[3] The band's controversial videos, which included partial nudity and suggestions of sexuality, became popular in the early 1980s on the then-new music video channel MTV. Duran Duran were among the first bands to have their videos shot by professional directors with 35 mm film movie cameras, which gave their videos a much more polished look. In 1984, the band were early innovators with video technology in their live stadium shows.

The group was formed by Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Stephen Duffy, with the later addition of Roger Taylor and, after numerous personnel changes, Andy Taylor and Simon Le Bon. (None of the Taylors are related, and Roger Taylor is not to be confused with the Queen drummer of the same name.) The group has never disbanded, but the lineup has changed to include guitarist Warren Cuccurullo from 1989 to 2001 and drummer Sterling Campbell from 1989 to 1991. The reunion of the original five members in the early 2000s created a stir among the band's fans and music media.[4][5] Andy Taylor left the band in mid-2006, and London guitarist Dom Brown has since been working with the band as a session player and touring member.

Contents

History

1978–1980: Formation and early years

John Taylor and Nick Rhodes formed Duran Duran in Birmingham in 1978, where they would become the resident band at the city's Rum Runner nightclub. At the club they were doing jobs such as John working the door and with Nick deejaying for £10 a night. They began rehearsing and regularly playing at the venue. There were many nearby nightclubs, and the one "significant" one, where bands such as The Sex Pistols and The Clash played gigs, was called Barbarella's. They would go on to name the band after the villain from Barbarella, Roger Vadim's French science-fiction film. The villain, played by Milo O'Shea, is named "Dr. Durand Durand".

The band's first singer was Stephen Duffy. Simon Colley soon joined Taylor, Rhodes and Duffy. Colley was the band's original bass player, as Taylor was the guitarist at this point. This was the first complete line-up of the band that played live shows. For drums and percussion, an electronic drum machine belonging to Rhodes was used. Colley left the band prior to the addition of Andy Taylor. A few guitarists were subsequently auditioned (for the most part, unsuccessfully) as well a handful of vocalists joining after Duffy left Duran Duran early in 1979.[6] Among the handful of vocalists they had prior to Simon Le Bon was Andy Wickett, who had a major part in the writing of "Girls on Film" during his tenure with the band, according to Andy Taylor's autobiography. (Wickett is also featured on some of the demos that were presented to EMI.) According to both Wickett's and John Taylor's websites, Wickett co-wrote an early version of the song that came to be known as "Rio" Tenor sax solo by Andy Hamilton. Upon Colley and Wickett's departures, the band enlisted singer Jeff Thomas and guitarist Alan Curtis, each for only a relatively brief period of time, before finally settling on Andy Taylor for lead guitar and Le Bon for vocals in 1980.

The meeting of drummer Roger Taylor (not to be confused with the Queen drummer) in 1979 with John Taylor, Rhodes and Wickett at a party, as well as the departure of Colley, led John Taylor to switch to bass. Roger Taylor then became their original (human) drummer. It was this lineup (John Taylor on bass and guitar along with Rhodes, Wickett and Roger Taylor) that made the first-ever Duran Duran studio demo tapes. In April 1980, guitarist Andy Taylor came from Newcastle to audition after responding to an advertisement in Melody Maker. In May 1980, London vocalist Simon Le Bon was recommended to the band by an ex-girlfriend who worked at the Rum Runner.[7] The owners of the club, brothers Paul and Michael Berrow, became the band's management, paying them to work as doormen, disc jockeys and glass collectors when they were not rehearsing.

The group were generally considered part of the New Romantic scene, with other style-and-dance bands such as Spandau Ballet, Japan and ABC.[8] In 1980, they recorded two demo tapes and performed in clubs around Birmingham and London. In late 1980, when touring as an opening act for Hazel O'Connor, the band attracted critical attention, resulting in a bidding war between the record companies EMI and Phonogram Records.[9] "A certain patriotism" toward the label of The Beatles led them to sign with EMI in December; Nick Rhodes said in a 1998 interview with Deluxe magazine that the band felt they were "appallingly ripped off" by the EMI contract.[10]

Duran Duran were amongst the earliest bands to work on their own remixes. Before the days of digital synthesisers and easy audio sampling, they created multilayered arrangements of their singles, sometimes recording entirely different extended performances of the songs in the studio. These "night versions" were generally available only on vinyl as b-sides to 45-rpm singles or on 12-inch club singles until the release of the compilation Night Versions: The Essential Duran Duran in 1999.

From the very beginning of their career together, all the band members had a keen sense of visual style. They worked with stylist Perry Haines and fashion designers such as Kahn & Bell and Antony Price to build a sharp and elegant image, soon outgrowing the ruffles and sashes of the pirate-flavored early New Romantic look that had been popularised by Adam and the Ants during 1980–81. They have continued to present fashion as part of their package throughout their career. In the 1990s they worked with Vivienne Westwood, and in the 2000s with Giorgio Armani. The band retained creative control of their visual presentation and worked closely with graphic designer Malcolm Garrett and many others over the years to create album covers, tour programs and other materials.[11]

All five members of the band were photogenic and were labelled "the prettiest boys in rock" by People magazine.[3] Teen and music magazines in the UK latched onto their good looks quickly, and the US soon followed. It was a rare month in the early 1980s when there was not at least one picture of the band members in teen magazines such as Smash Hits or Tiger Beat. John Taylor once remarked that the band was "like a box of Quality Street [chocolates]; everyone is someone's favourite"[12] Duran Duran later came to regret this early pin-up exposure, but at the time it helped attract national attention. In an interview with Rock Fever Superstars Magazine in early 1988, John Taylor stated:

We used to be a very chi-chi name to drop in '79, but then the Fab Five hype started and something went wrong. Something went really wrong. That wasn't what I wanted. [...] Not that I didn't like being screamed at. At one point I really did."[13]

1981–1982

Duran Duran in 1981. Clockwise from top left: Nick Rhodes (keyboards), Simon Le Bon (vocals), John Taylor (bass), Andy Taylor (guitar) and Roger Taylor (drums)

The band's first album, Duran Duran was released on the EMI label in 1981. The first single, "Planet Earth", reached the United Kingdom's Top 20 at Number 12. A follow-up, "Careless Memories", stalled at Number 37. However it was their third single, "Girls On Film", that attracted the most attention. The song went to Number 5 in the UK before the notorious video was even filmed. The video, featuring topless women mud wrestling, pillow fighting and stylised depictions of other sexual fetishes, was made with directing duo Godley & Creme in August.[14] The video was filmed just two weeks after MTV was launched in the United States.[15] The band expected the "Girls On Film" video to be played in the newer nightclubs that had video screens or on pay TV channels like the Playboy Channel. Kevin Godley explained the thinking behind it:

We were very explicitly told by Duran Duran's management to make a very sensational and erotic piece that would be for clubs, where it would get shown uncensored just to make people take notice and talk about it.[14]

The video was heavily edited for MTV. The album peaked in the UK Top Twenty at Number 3. Later in 1981 the band embarked on their first United States club tour followed by more dates in Germany and the UK. This second tour of Britain coincided with a wave of riots sparked by unemployment and racial tension, including those of Moss Side and Toxteth. The band played an eerily quiet Birmingham the day after the Handsworth riots. Duran Duran began to achieve worldwide recognition in 1982. In May they released their second album, Rio, which scored four UK Top Twenty singles with "My Own Way", "Hungry Like The Wolf", "Save A Prayer", and the title song "Rio". A headlining tour of Australia, Japan, and the US was followed by a stint supporting Blondie during that band's final American tour. Diana, Princess of Wales declared Duran Duran her favourite band, and the band were dubbed "The Fab Five" by the British press, comparing them to the Beatles whose nickname was The Fab Four.[16]

The Rio album did not do well in the United States at first. EMI in the UK had promoted Duran Duran as a New Romantic band but that genre was barely known in the US and EMI's American subsidiary Capitol Records was at a loss about how to sell them. After Carnival, an EP of Rio's dance remixes became popular with DJs in the fall, the band arranged to have most of the album remixed by David Kershenbaum. In June 1982, Duran Duran appeared for the first time on American television. They energetically performed "Hungry Like The Wolf" and "Rio" on Dancin' On Air, the forerunner to the national hit show Dance Party USA. Michael Nise, executive producer of both shows, recalls how shy the "boys" were and how they kidded each other about how bad they looked on TV.

Only after it was re-released in the US in November, with heavy promotion as a dance album, did Rio begin to climb the American charts six months after its European success. MTV placed "Hungry Like The Wolf" and several other Duran Duran videos into heavy rotation, pushing it and "Rio" into the top twenty on the US charts in early 1983. The seduction ballad "Save A Prayer" also did well.[17] "The band was a natural for music television," noted Rolling Stone magazine. "They may be the first rock group to ride in on a video wave."[18] In the end, the album peaked at number 6 in the US and remained on the charts there for 129 weeks — almost two and a half years. In 2003 Rio was listed at number 65 in the NME 100 Greatest Albums Of All Time.[19]

1983–1985: The "Fab Five"

The band began 1983 by playing the MTV New Year's Eve Rock 'n' Roll Ball with "Hungry Like The Wolf" still climbing the charts in the US, and the American reissue of the "Rio" single to follow in March. To satisfy America's appetite for their music,[7] the band re-released their eponymous first album in the US in the middle of the year with the addition of the new single "Is There Something I Should Know?". On its release, this song entered the chart at Number 1 in the UK (a rarity then and their first chart-topper in their home country) and reached Number 4 on the American charts. During the promotion of this album, Rhodes and Le Bon were MTV guest VJs for a show, during which artist and admirer Andy Warhol dropped by to greet them. "Our first gigs in the United States were crazy and culty,” Rhodes said later, “But when we came back after 'Hungry' was a hit, it was mayhem. It was Beatlemania. We were doing a signing of the 'Girls on Film' video at a store in Times Square. We couldn’t get out of the store. The cops sealed off the streets."[6][20] Also in 1983, keyboardist Nick Rhodes produced the UK number 1 and US number 5 hit "Too Shy" for the English band Kajagoogoo and Andy Taylor became the first member of Duran Duran to get married. The band's main pop rivals were now Culture Club and Wham!. But Duran Duran's explosive popularity easily surpassed these competing bands globally.

The band spent the next year as tax exiles, writing songs at a chateau in France where The Tube with Jools Holland filmed a documentary with the band in May 1983 before they flew to Montserrat and then Sydney to record and mix their third album. During the summer, they returned to the UK to perform two concerts, the first on 20 July in front of the Prince and Princess of Wales at the Dominion Theatre, and 3 days later played a charity concert at Aston Villa's home ground. The band were under pressure to follow up the success of Rio and the recording process took over six months as different band members went through bouts of perfectionism and insecurity.[21] A newly decadent lifestyle and substance abuse issues added complications. In the documentary film Extraordinary World, filmed a decade later, Rhodes described the effect on their sound as "barely controlled hysteria, scratching beneath the surface".[22]

The new album, Seven and the Ragged Tiger, included the late 1983 hit "Union of the Snake" (with the soprano sax solo by Andy Hamilton). Following "Hungry Like the Wolf", "Rio", "Save A Prayer" and "Is There Something I Should Know", Duran Duran had had five US. Top Twenty hits from three different albums in a single year. The band made music headlines by deciding to release the "Union of the Snake" video to MTV a full week before the single was released to radio at a time when the industry feared video really might kill the radio star. They followed up with "New Moon on Monday", which reached Number 9 in the UK. Their next single "The Reflex", taken from Seven and the Ragged Tiger and given a significant remix overhaul by Nile Rodgers of Chic fame, became their first number one hit in the United States. "The Reflex" was also their second and final UK number one and was successful in numerous other countries around the world.

The band embarked on a global tour that continued throughout the first four months of 1984 including their first major stadium dates in America. A film crew led by director Russell Mulcahy followed the band closely, leading to the documentary film Sing Blue Silver and the accompanying concert film Arena. The live album Arena was also recorded during the tour and was released with the new studio single "The Wild Boys", which went to Number 2 on both sides of the Atlantic. In February 1984, the band appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and won two Grammy awards in the brand-new Long Form and Short Form music video categories. The Live version of Save A Prayer gained momentum in North America, and the song became a single for the second time in January 1985 reaching #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 16 March 1985. The live "sunrise" version of the video was used, taken from the concert video footage for Arena / As The Lights Go Down.

During the peak of their popularity in 1985, singer Simon LeBon and bassist John Taylor became heartthrobs for many of their young teenage fans. After the tour, Roger Taylor was married in Naples, Italy, and Nick Rhodes wed in London, wearing a pink velvet tuxedo and top hat.[23] At the end of 1984, the group were featured on the Band Aid benefit single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" along with other popular British musical acts. Simon Le Bon sang between contributions from George Michael and Sting.

1985: Side projects

Even with Duran Duran on hold, band members were soon anxious to record new music, leading to a supposedly temporary split into two side projects. John and Andy Taylor wanted to break away from the Duran Duran sound and pursue hard rock material; they collaborated with Robert Palmer and Tony Thompson to form the rock/funk supergroup Power Station, which released two Top 10 singles. Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes, on the other hand, wanted to further explore Duran Duran's atmospheric aspect and formed Arcadia, who released one LP from which the single "Election Day" was released. Roger Taylor was primarily the drummer for Arcadia, but also contributed percussion to the Power Station album. Duran Duran were never the same after this break. According to Rhodes, the two side projects "were commercial suicide... But we’ve always been good at that."[6] The band were still off balance when they regrouped to contribute A View to a Kill to the 1985 James Bond movie of the same name. This single remains the only Bond theme to go to Number 1 on the US charts, and the highest-placed Bond theme on the UK chart where it reached Number 2. It was the last single the band recorded as the original five-piece for twenty years.

As a follow-up to the Christmas 1984 Band Aid single, Duran Duran performed in front of 90,000 people (and an estimated 1.5 billion TV viewers) at the Live Aid charity concert at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 13 July 1985 while their Bond song held the top spot on the American charts. It was not intended to be a farewell performance—the band planned only to take a break after four years of non-stop touring and public appearances—but the original five did not play live together again until July 2003. Their Live Aid set became infamous for Le Bon inadvertently hitting a falsetto note in the chorus of "A View to a Kill", which he later described as the most humiliating moment of his career.[24]

1986–1989: Le Bon, Rhodes and John Taylor trio

After releasing three studio albums and one live album in five years, each accompanied by heavy media promotion and lengthy concert tours, the band lost two of its core members to fatigue and tension in 1986. After Live Aid and Arcadia, drummer Roger Taylor retired to the English countryside, suffering from exhaustion.[25] This was originally announced as a one year sabbatical, but it soon became clear that he would not be returning to the band. An official press release was issued in April 1986 confirming his departure. In a 2004 interview with Live Daily, Roger confirmed his reasons for leaving: "I was burned out. I think I was just exhausted. It was a very intense five years. We didn't stop. It was constant touring, constant writing, recording. We broke internationally, as well—instantly, pretty well. It's a nonstop schedule, really. I had lost myself somewhere".

Guitarist Andy Taylor, on the other hand, led the remaining members to believe he would return to work on a new Duran Duran album even as he was signing a solo recording contract in Los Angeles (he eventually released a solo album in 1986, Thunder). The band resorted to legal measures to get him into the studio, but after numerous delays, they let him go at last. He played on only a few songs on the next album while the disagreements were being settled.[26]

Without a guitarist or a drummer, the three remaining members, Le Bon, Rhodes, and John Taylor had producer (and former Chic guitarist) Nile Rodgers play a few tracks on guitar, and hired Steve Ferrone to play drums while they searched for replacements. Finally in September 1986, Warren Cuccurullo (formerly of Missing Persons and Frank Zappa's touring band) was hired as a session guitarist. With Le Bon, Rhodes, and Taylor, he recorded the rest of the Notorious album, which was released in October 1986. The black-and-white documentary film Three To Get Ready chronicled the recording of the album, legal tensions, and preparations for the tour.

Although the song "Notorious" went to Number 2 in the US, Number 7 in the UK, and album sales were strong, the band found they had lost much of the momentum and hysteria they had left behind in 1985. In the three years between the release of Seven and the Ragged Tiger and Notorious, many of their teenage fans had grown up, and the music was funkier, more mature, and less "pop", given the added experience of their work on Arcadia and Power Station and with other musicians. "Skin Trade" and "Meet El Presidente", the two subsequent singles, made the charts but fared poorly compared to the band's earlier successes.

Subsequently, Duran Duran struggled to escape the teen idol image and gain respect among critics with more complex music. The new serious image was not accepted at first and their popularity began to wane. Rolling Stone said, "In their search for musical maturity, the surviving Durans have lost a good deal of their identity."[27] Another factor was the band's dismissal of early managers the Berrow brothers. There was no announcement of the reasons for the decision, but disagreements over money, and the brothers’ involvement in Le Bon's yachting adventures (they were co-owners of Drum) were thought to have played a part.[28] Whatever the reason, Duran Duran switched managers frequently and undertook periods of self-management in the later stages of their career. In addition, EMI (which fired its president and went through a major corporate restructuring that summer) seemed to have lost interest in promoting the band.[29]

The next album Big Thing (1988) yielded the singles "I Don't Want Your Love" (Number 4 in the US), "Do You Believe In Shame?" and "All She Wants Is" (the last top ten hit in the UK until 1993). The record was experimental, mixing influences from house music and rave music with Duran's atmospheric synthpop and the creative guitar work of Cuccurullo (now a full band member), as well as more mature lyrics.

1989–1991: Five again, Decade and Liberty

By the end of 1989 and at the start of the 1990s, the popularity of Synthpop was fading a bit and losing fans to other momentum-gaining music genres at the time, such as hip hop, techno and alternative rock. After touring for the album finished, the band regained a five-man membership as guitarist Warren Cuccurullo and tour drummer Sterling Campbell were made full members of Duran Duran.[30]

The compilation album Decade: Greatest Hits was released late in 1989, along with the megamix single "Burning The Ground", which consisted of woven snippets of the band's hits from the previous ten years. The single came and went with little fanfare, but the album became another major seller for the band. However, the tepid 1990 release Liberty (a retreat from the experimentation of Big Thing) failed to capitalise on any regained momentum. The album entered the UK album chart in the top ten, but faded away quickly. The singles "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" and "Serious" were only mildly successful, and the album's soft rock did not fare well against contemporaries like Alice in Chains and Jane's Addiction, while Nirvana, Pearl Jam and the grunge revolution were just around the corner. For the first time, Duran Duran did not tour in support of an album, performing on only a handful of club dates and TV shows.[31] Sterling Campbell left the band early in 1991, going on to work with Soul Asylum and David Bowie. The quartet of Le Bon, Rhodes, Taylor, and Cuccurullo would remain intact for six more years. In December 1991, John Taylor (then 31) married 19-year-old model/actress Amanda De Cadenet, and she gave birth to his daughter in March 1992.[32]

1992–1996: Quartet lineup and a brief comeback

In 1993, the band released a second self-titled album: this Duran Duran album is known as The Wedding Album (for Nick Egan's cover art featuring the wedding photos of the band members' parents) to distinguish it from the 1981 release. The release of this first "comeback" album was delayed, with then manager at Left Bank, Tommy Manzi, later telling HitQuarters that this was due to industry resistance to the revival of the band, whom he said would rather focus on "the next hip band".[33] Listener demand for leaked single "Ordinary World" forced it onto radio playlists months earlier than planned; it reached Number 3 on the US chart and Number 6 in the UK and won a prestigious Ivor Novello Award award for song writing.[34] "Come Undone", a slinky number primarily written by Cuccurullo, with lyrics by Le Bon, made Number 7 in the US and Number 13 in the UK. Both the band and the record label seemed to be caught by surprise by the album's critical and commercial success (#4 in the UK, #7 in the U.S.). Bassist John Taylor had been considering leaving the band but changed his mind. The band's largest tour ever, which included stops in the Middle East, the then recently de-embargoed South Africa, and South America, was halted after seven months when Le Bon suffered from strained vocal cords. After six weeks' recuperation, the band performed intermittently for another five months, including appearances in Israel, Thailand, and Indonesia.

In 1995, the band released the cover album Thank You. Songs from Thank You included covers of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" and Melle Mel's "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" (with backing vocals from the original artists). The album also marked the temporary return of former drummer Roger Taylor, who joined the band in studio to play drums on "Watching The Detectives" and "Perfect Day" (as well as a cover of "Jeepster" by T. Rex that did not appear on the album). In a video interview provided with the album's electronic press kit, Reed said he considered Duran Duran's version the best cover ever done of one of his songs, and they received praise from Robert Plant and Jimmy Page for their cover of Led Zeppelin's "Thank You."[21]

After the promo tour for Thank You was completed, John Taylor co-founded the B5 Records label and recorded a solo album, founded and toured with the supergroup Neurotic Outsiders, and reunited the Power Station, though the project proceeded without him when he had to withdraw to deal with his divorce from De Cadenet. Finally, after struggling for months to record the next album, Medazzaland, in January 1997, Taylor announced at the DuranCon fan convention that he was leaving the band "for good".[35] His departure reduced the band to two original members (Le Bon and Rhodes) and Cuccurullo, who decided to continue recording under the name Duran Duran.

1997–2000: John Taylor departs, results in second trio

Freed from some internal writing conflicts, the band returned to the studio to rewrite and re-record many of the songs on Medazzaland. (Taylor's work remains on only four tracks.) This album marked a return to the layered experimentation of Big Thing, with intricate guitar textures and processed vocals. The track "Out of My Mind" was used as the theme song for the movie The Saint, but the only true single to be released in the United States was the quirky "Electric Barbarella", which was the first single ever to be sold on-line.[36] The video for this single, featuring a sexy robot purchased and played with by band members, had to be censored before airing on MTV, but there was little of the controversy that had surrounded "Girls On Film". "Barbarella" peaked at #52 in the US in October 1997.[37] Although Medazzaland was released in the US in October 1997, the album was never released in the UK. "Barbarella" was later released in the UK as a single from the 1998 Greatest compilation album and peaked at #23 on the UK chart in January 1999. The group played a set at The Princess Diana Tribute Concert on 27 June 1998 by special request of her family.[38]

Duran Duran parted ways with Capitol/EMI in 1999, although the label has since used Duran Duran's back catalogue to release several compilations of remixes and rare vinyl-only b-sides. The band then signed what was intended to be a three-album contract with Disney's Hollywood Records, but it lasted only through the poorly received 2000 album Pop Trash. This slow-paced and heavy album seemed out-of-keeping with earlier band material.[39] Rhodes' intricate production and Cuccurullo's songwriting and experimentation with guitar sounds and time signatures were not enough to hook the public, and the album did not perform well. The dreamy single "Someone Else Not Me" lasted barely two weeks on the radio, although its video was noted as the first to be produced entirely with Flash animation. While supporting Medazzaland and Pop Trash, Duran Duran toured with bassist Wes Wehmiller and drummer Joe Travers.

2001–2006: Reunion

In 2000, Le Bon approached John Taylor with a proposal to reform Duran Duran's classic line-up. They agreed, and after completing the Pop Trash tour fired Cuccurullo by letter.[40] Cuccurullo then announced on his website that he was leaving Duran Duran to resume work with his 1980s band Missing Persons. This announcement was confirmed the next day by Duran Duran's website, followed a day later by the news that John, Roger, and Andy Taylor had rejoined. To fulfill contractual obligations, Cuccurullo played three Duran Duran concerts in Japan in August 2001, ending his tenure in the band.

Throughout 2001, 2002 and 2003, the band worked on writing new material, initially renting a house in St. Tropez where sound engineer Mark Tinley built a recording studio for their first serious writing session. They then returned to London to do some self-financed work with various producers (including old friend Nile Rodgers) and search for a new record deal. It proved difficult to find a record label willing to gamble on the band's comeback, so Duran Duran went on tour to prove the drawing power of the reunited band. The response of the fans and the media exceeded expectations.[5] The band played a handful of 25th-anniversary dates in July 2003. Tickets sold out for each show within minutes, and celebrities turned out en masse for reunion shows booked at small venues the band had played on their first trip to America in 1981. In August, the band were booked as presenters at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, only to be surprised with a Lifetime Achievement Award. They also received a Lifetime Achievement award from Q Magazine in October, and the equivalent Outstanding Contribution award at the BRIT Awards in February 2004.[41]

The pace picked up with a sold-out tour of America, Australia and New Zealand. The band played a full concert at a private tailgate party at Super Bowl XXXVIII, their performance of "The Wild Boys" broadcast to millions during the pre-game show. A remix of the new track "(Reach Up for the) Sunrise" was released on many TV shows in February while magazines hailed (the modern "Fab Five") Duran Duran as one of the greatest bands of all time.[42] Duran Duran then celebrated their homecoming to the UK with fourteen stadium dates in April 2004, including five sold-out nights at Wembley Arena. The British press, traditionally hostile to the band, accorded the shows some very warm reviews.[43] Duran Duran brought along band Goldfrapp, as opening acts for this tour.[5] The last two shows were filmed, resulting in the concert DVD Duran Duran: Live From London which was released in November.

Finally, with more than thirty-five songs completed, the band signed a four-album contract with Epic Records in June, and completed the new album, now entitled Astronaut. The album was released in October 2004 and entered the UK charts at Number 3 and the US charts at Number 17. The first single was "(Reach Up for the) Sunrise", which reached Number 1 on the Billboard US. Dance Chart in November and peaked at number 5 on the UK singles chart, Duran Duran's highest chart position since "A View To a Kill" in 1985. A second single, "What Happens Tomorrow", debuted at #11 on the UK charts in February. A 5.1 mix of Astronaut was created by Jeremy Wheatley for the dual-disc release of Astronaut. The CD side contains the album as-is and the DVD side contains the 5.1 mix of the album in DVD Audio format along with some DVD footage and videos.

After a world tour in early 2005, Duran Duran headlined the massive Live 8 concert, Rome on 2 July 2005 in the Circus Maximus.

2006–2008: Red Carpet Massacre, second departure of Andy Taylor and second quartet

In early 2006, Duran Duran covered John Lennon's song "Instant Karma!" for the Make Some Noise campaign sponsored by Amnesty International. Their version later appeared on Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur as an iTunes exclusive bonus track. They also performed at two high profile events — the Nobel Prize Awards and the 2006 Winter Olympics. After a couple of weeks of songwriting in Northern California, the band began working with producer Michael Patterson in London, and continued intermittently for the next several months. At one point, they reported having fifteen tracks nearly complete for an album tentatively titled Reportage, but no further news emerged from the band for months afterward. The lost album supposedly had an edge, and wasn't released due to legal problems with the again departed Andy Taylor. In September, the band held meetings in New York City with Justin Timberlake and producer Timbaland with an eye to a potential collaboration and were soon reported to have completed three songs with the producer, including a duet with Justin Timberlake.[44]

On 25 October 2006, Andy Taylor parted ways with Duran Duran for the second time. In an official announcement on their website, Duran Duran stated that an "unworkable gulf" had developed between them and Taylor and that "we can no longer effectively function together". It was noted by Andy Taylor in his book "Wild Boy" that tensions had arisen between the group's management and himself, and he was also diagnosed with clinical depression connected with the death of his father. Dom Brown, who had previously toured with the band, took over guitar duties and has been performing with them since.[45] After Taylor's departure, the band scrapped the Reportage album and wrote and recorded a new album which included the Timbaland tracks. Dom Brown is the featured guitarist.

In July, the band performed twice at Wembley Stadium, at the Concert for Diana and at Live Earth concert, London. On 25 September, the Timberlake collaboration "Falling Down" was released as a download single on iTunes, and the band announced that they would play nine shows at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway to launch the album Red Carpet Massacre. The album launch was later extended to incorporate a show in London on 3 December 2007 and one in Dublin on 5 December 2007.

In May 2008, they toured the US leg of their 2008 world tour and were supported by fellow British quintet Your Vegas. In June 2008, they played the Louvre in Paris in a fundraising effort that contributed to the restoration of a magnificent Louis XV drawing room. Guests dined, privately viewed some of the museum’s artworks, then attended a performance by the band in the I.M. Pei-designed Pyramid du Louvre. The group’s performance marked a first for both the band members and the 18th century museum (which had never before allowed a rock concert to occur anywhere within the grounds or buildings).

On 2 July in Paris, Mark Ronson performed a unique live set with Duran Duran for an exclusive, invitation-only performance. Together, they showcased specially re-worked versions of some of Duran Duran's classic hits re-created by Ronson, along with tracks from the band's new album, Red Carpet Massacre. Simon Le Bon also performed songs from Ronson's latest album, Version, as one of Ronson's featured guest vocalists. Unlike the band's previous album Astronaut, Red Carpet Massacre sold poorly and received mixed responses from the music press. In 2008, Rio was included in the Classic Albums series.

2009–present: All You Need is Now

The band split from Epic Records in 2009, after releasing just 2 albums. In early 2010, it was revealed that the band would be contributing a cover of "Boys Keep Swinging" to a tribute/charity record for David Bowie called We Were So Turned On from which all profits go to War Child with Carla Bruni, Devendra Banhart, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Warpaint and several others also contributing. The album was released on 14 September 2010 on Manimal Vinyl Records. A limited edition split 7" single with Duran Duran and Carla Bruni was also released on Manimal Vinyl in December 2010.

In November 2010, Duran Duran announced the worldwide release of their 13th studio album, entitled All You Need Is Now,[46] that would be released on indie label S-Curve Records. The album was produced by the Grammy Award-winning Mark Ronson and mixed by Spike Stent, and was released exclusively on iTunes on 21 December 2010 and hit the #1 spot on download charts in 15 countries (including the UK).[47] The first single from the record, title track “All You Need Is Now”, was free to download worldwide on 8 December 2010 exclusively in iTunes. Guitarist and songwriter Dom Brown has co-written all but 2 songs on the "All You Need Is Now" album. In March 2011 the band embarked on a concert tour in support of the album – called All You Need Is Now Tour. There was a warm up show in London and the tour officially started on 16 March 2011 in Austin, Texas.[48]

The expanded physical album and various format special packages was released in March 2011, the 30th anniversary of the band's first release "Planet Earth". The CD features 14 tracks – or 5 additional tracks: "Mediterranea," "Other People's Lives," "Too Bad, You're Too Beautiful," "Diamond In The Mind," and "Return To Now." In a video posted 14 Feb 2011, on the band's website, Rhodes mentioned the mixing of another 4 tracks: "Too Close To the Sun," "Early Summer Nerves," "This Lost Weekend," and "Networker Nation." The album entered the UK chart at #11 and the Billboard chart at #29.

On 25 February 2011, while in Milan, Duran Duran Received Style Award. Letizia Moratti, the city’s mayor, presented the Band with a key to the city, honoured to be presented with an award recognizing them as Style Icons of the 20th century.[49][50]

On 23 March 2011, the band performed live at the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles as the kickoff to the second season of “Unstaged: An Original Series from American Express." The concert was live-streamed on YouTube and directed by David Lynch. The band was joined onstage by Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance, Beth Ditto of Gossip, and Kelis.[51]

In May 2011, Le Bon contracted laryngitis leading to either cancellation or rescheduling of most of the European dates for the 'All You Need Is Now' World Tour.

In October 2011, rumours circulated that Duran Duran would be involved in writing the theme song for the upcoming James Bond film, Skyfall with producer Mark Ronson. It would be their second time recording a Bond theme.[52]

Influences

Although they began their career as "a group of art school, experimental, post punk rockers",[7] the band's quick rise to stardom, polished good looks, and embrace of the teen press, almost guaranteed disfavour from music critics. During the 1980s, Duran Duran were considered the quintessential manufactured, throw-away pop group. However, according to the Sunday Herald, "To describe them, as some have, as the first boy band, misrepresents their appeal. Their weapons were never just their looks, but self-penned songs."[41] As Moby said of the band in his website diary in 2003: "... they were cursed by what we can call the 'Bee Gees' curse, which is: 'write amazing songs, sell tons of records, and consequently incur the wrath or disinterest of the rock obsessed critical establishment'."[53]

Several of the band's contemporaries including The Bangles, Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Paul Young and even The Monkees, have named themselves fans of the band's stylish, uplifting pop. Le Bon described the group as "the band to dance to when the bomb drops".[54] Successors like Barenaked Ladies, Beck, Jonathan Davis of Korn, The Bravery, Gwen Stefani and Pink have all cited Duran Duran as a key band in their formative years. Singer Justin Timberlake has openly admitted to being one of their biggest fans. The newest crop of performers to name Duran Duran as influences include Dido, Franz Ferdinand, Panic! at the Disco, Lostprophets (who took their name from the title of a Duran Duran bootleg tape), Goldfrapp and Brandon Flowers of The Killers, who said, "Nick Rhodes is an absolute hero of mine — their records still sound fresh, which is no mean feat as far as synths are concerned".[55]

Nick Rhodes has directly lent his production techniques to Kajagoogoo album White Feathers and its Number One single "Too Shy", and to The Dandy Warhols album Welcome to the Monkey House. The band's music has been used by several hip hop artists, most notably Notorious B.I.G., who sampled Duran Duran's 1986 single "Notorious". Numerous bands have covered their music on record and in concert.[56]

Hideki Kamiya, director of the hit video game, Devil May Cry in 2005 revealed that he chose John Taylor as the model for the game's main character, Dante. Hideki carefully chose a rock star prototype possessing sex appeal, style and charisma to provide the necessary impetus into building this mighty character. Elements of power and mystery would balance out this character. During the interview, Hideki Kamiya commented that one of his teen band idols growing up was the famous 80s English band, Duran Duran. One of its members, bassist John Taylor, fit the bill as the model for Dante.[57] Dante's character also mirrored John Taylor’s looks with his long, rocker hairstyle and mannerisms. The design of Dante’s face was inspired by John Taylor’s. And one can see that the faces are identically the same. Interestingly, John Taylor’s rocker fashion sense contributed to Dante’s signature long length, blood-red coat flanked by dark undertones and dark accessories. [57]

Videos

The MTV cable channel and the band were launched at about the same time, and each had a hand in propelling the other to greater heights.[58] MTV needed showcase videos with charismatic performers. Les Garland, senior executive vice president at MTV, said "I remember our director of talent and artist relations came running in and said, “You have got to see this video that’s come in.” Duran Duran were getting zero radio airplay at the time, and MTV wanted to try to break new music. “Hungry Like the Wolf” was the greatest video I’d ever seen".[6] The band's video work was influential in several ways. First, Duran Duran filmed in exotic locales like Sri Lanka and Antigua, creating memorable images that were radically different from the then-common low budget "band-playing-on-a-stage" videos. Second, rather than simply playing their instruments, the band participated in mini-storylines (often taking inspiration from contemporary movies: "Hungry Like The Wolf" riffs on Raiders of the Lost Ark, "The Wild Boys" on The Road Warrior, etc.). Videos were obviously headed in this direction already, but Duran Duran led the trend with a style, featuring quick editing, arresting graphic design, and surreal-to-nonsensical image inserts, that drew attention from commentators and spawned a wealth of imitators.

Duran Duran were among the first bands to have their videos shot with a professional movie camera on 35 mm film, rather than on videotape with cheaper video cameras, making them look superior to many of the quickly and inexpensively shot videos which had been MTV staples until then. MTV provided Duran Duran with access to American radio markets that were unfriendly to British music, New Wave music, or "anything with synthesisers". Because MTV was not available everywhere in the United States at first, it was easy to see a pattern: where MTV went, listener demand for Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, Def Leppard and other European bands with interesting videos went through the roof.[59]

The band's sun-drenched videos for "Rio", "Hungry Like The Wolf" and "Save A Prayer", and the surreal "Is There Something I Should Know?" were filmed by future movie director Russell Mulcahy, who made eleven videos for the band. Duran Duran have always sought out innovative directors and techniques, even in their later years when MTV gave them little airplay. In addition to Mulcahy, they have had videos filmed by influential photographers Dean Chamberlain and Ellen von Unwerth, Chinese director Chen Kaige, documentary filmmaker Julien Temple, and the Polish Brothers, among others. According to Nick Rhodes, "Video is to us like stereo was to Pink Floyd".[60]

In 1984, the band introduced video technology into their live stadium shows by being among the first acts to provide video screens above the stage. They have recorded concerts using IMAX and 360 degree panoramic "immersive video" cameras, with 10.2 channel audio. In 2000, they experimented with augmented reality technology, which allowed three-dimensional computer-generated images to appear on stage with the band.[61] They appeared on several century-end video countdowns: The MTV "100 Greatest Videos Ever Made" featured "Hungry Like The Wolf" at #11 and "Girls On Film" at #68, and the "VH1: 100 Greatest Videos" listed "Hungry" at #31 and "Rio" at #60. MTV named "Hungry" the fifteenth of their most-played videos of all time.

The band has released several video compilations, starting with the self-titled "video album" Duran Duran, for which they won a Grammy award, up to the 2004 two-disc DVD release Greatest, which included alternative versions of several popular videos as Easter eggs. In addition to Greatest, the documentary Sing Blue Silver, and the concert film Arena (both from 1984) were released on DVD in 2004. Live From London, a concert video from one of their sold-out 2004 reunion shows at Wembley Arena, was released in the fall of 2005.

Other video collections, concert films, and documentaries remain available only on videotape, and Duran Duran have not yet released a collection which includes all their videos. The band has said that a huge amount of unreleased concert and documentary footage has been filmed over the years, which they hope can be edited and released in some form in the near future. The video for "Falling Down" was released in October 2007. The Nick Egan directed video for the lead single and title track from 'All You Need Is Now' was premiered via Yahoo Music on 20 December 2010. The second video from All You Need Is Now was released on November 8, 2011. It features the world's biggest supermodels, like Yasmin Le Bon, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova and Helena Christensen playing the band. The video was directed by Jonas Akerlund, and during the filming, an editorial was made for Harper's Bazaar magazine.

Record Label timeline

1980–1999: EMI Capitol/Parlophone
1998–2001: Hollywood Records
2001–2004: Unsigned
2004–2009: Epic Records
2009: Sony BMG (Red Carpet Massacre)
2010–present: Tapemodern/Allido/S-Curve Records

Participants

Discography

Main article: Duran Duran discography

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of Duran Duran awards and nominations

See also

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References

  1. ^ "Nostalgia: When Duran Duran rocked Aston Villa ground". Sunday Mercury. 18 July 2009. http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/sundaymercuryexclusives/2009/07/18/nostalgia-when-duran-duran-rocked-aston-villa-ground-66331-24185719/. Retrieved 19 December 2010. 
  2. ^ "Duran Duran Release Physical LP ALL YOU NEED IS NOW March 22, 2011 on S-Curve Records". http://www.duranduran.com/wordpress/?p=17848. Retrieved 25 February 2011. 
  3. ^ a b Green, Michelle (22 July 1985). "A Madcap Video Shoot in Paris Yields a View to a Kill for: The Five Faces of Duran Duran". People (Time, Inc.). http://www.templeofsaintnick.com/articles/People_072285.htm. Retrieved 14 May 2007. 
  4. ^ Malins (2006), pp. 271–272.
  5. ^ a b c Sandall, Robert (17 September 2004). "Cover Story: The old romantics". The Independent (UK: Independent News & Media). http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20040917/ai_n12808730/pg_1. Retrieved 18 May 2007. 
  6. ^ a b c d Odell, Michael (June/July 2003). "Fame Had Its Way With Us!". Blender (Dennis Publishing). http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=316. Retrieved 1 May 2007. 
  7. ^ a b c Green, Jo-Anne (16 January 1998). "Your Mission, Barbarella: Find Duran Duran". Goldmine (F+W Publications Inc.) 24 (456). Archived from the original on 4 March 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070304091132/http://www.lizardkingduran.com/gold.html. Retrieved 1 May 2007. 
  8. ^ Sims (1999), p. 96.
  9. ^ Malins (2006), p. 60
  10. ^ Pattenden, Sian (December 1998). "Blame It On Rio". Deluxe Magazine Ltd.. pp. 125–129. 
  11. ^ De Graaf, Kaspar; Garret, Malcolm (1982). Duran Duran: Their Story. UK: Cherry Lane Books. p. 14. ISBN 0-86276-171-9. 
  12. ^ De Graaf & Garret (1982), p. 15.
  13. ^ Sprague, David: The Death Of Duran Duran. Rock Fever Superstars, issue January 1988, p.21
  14. ^ a b Shuker (2001), p. 170.
  15. ^ Malins (2006), pp. 77–79.
  16. ^ Malins (2006), p. 118.
  17. ^ Denisoff (1986), pp. 364–5.
  18. ^ Denisoff (1986), p. 365.
  19. ^ NME’s 100 Best Albums NME. Retrueved 28 September 2011
  20. ^ "Dramatic—Beatle-Style Mania as Princess Diana's Favourite Group Fly In". The Daily Mirror (UK: Trinity Mirror). July 1983. 
  21. ^ a b Edwards, Mark (26 March 1995). "A Reputation For Endurance; Duran Duran". The Times (F+W Publications Inc.) 24 (456). http://www.ionpool.net/duran/articles/ddart28.htm. Retrieved 16 May 2007. 
  22. ^ Extraordinary World documentary film, Picture Music International, UK 1993. (PMI MVN4911463)
  23. ^ Hauptfuhrer, Fred (3 September 1985). "Wedding bells toll for Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes, who marries an Iowa heiress". People (Time, Inc.). Archived from the original on 12 April 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070412062952/http://www.lizardkingduran.com/wedding.html. Retrieved 18 May 2007. 
  24. ^ Malins (2006), p. 172.
  25. ^ Malins (2006), p. 181.
  26. ^ Malins (2006), pp. 187–190.
  27. ^ Coleman, Mark (29 January 1987). "Review of Notorious". Rolling Stone (Wenner Publishing). http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/179366/review/5946832?utm_source=Rhapsody&utm_medium=CDreview. Retrieved 14 May 2007. 
  28. ^ Malins (2006), p. 174.
  29. ^ Malins (2006), p. 186.
  30. ^ D'Antonio, Christian; Santone, Marcello (1 March 2006). Duran Duran 1981/2006 — Glam Pop Party. Italy: Editori Riuniti/Momenti Rock. ISBN 8-83595-857-1. 
  31. ^ Malins (2006), p. 213.
  32. ^ Malins (2006), p. 219.
  33. ^ "Interview With Tommy Manzi". HitQuarters. May 7, 2001. http://www.hitquarters.com/index.php3?page=intrview/opar/intrview_TManzi.html. Retrieved May 6, 2011. 
  34. ^ "Simon Le Bon bio". Syn Entertainment corporate website. http://www.synentertainment.com/2001/main/2000/corpo/c-2001/corporate-f-directors.html. Retrieved 16 May 2007. 
  35. ^ Green, Michelle (23 January 1997). "Duran Duran Comes Undone". Rolling Stone (Wenner Publishing). http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/johntaylor2/articles/story/5924427/duran_duran_comes_undone. Retrieved 18 May 2007. 
  36. ^ Haring, pp. 77–9.
  37. ^ Malins (2006), p. 246.
  38. ^ "Thousands in party tribute to Diana". BBC News. 28 June 1998. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/121635.stm. Retrieved 18 May 2007. 
  39. ^ Malins (2006), p. 256.
  40. ^ Malins (2006), pp. 263–264.
  41. ^ a b O'Connell, John (11 April 2004). "Old Romantics". Sunday Herald (Newsquest). Archived from the original on 8 May 2004. http://web.archive.org/web/20040508202943/http://www.sundayherald.com/41173. 
  42. ^ Ferber, Lawrence (29 October 2004). "Wild Boys take 2". Southern Voice (Window Media). http://www.southernvoice.com/2004/10-29/arts/feature/wildboy.cfm. 
  43. ^ Malins (2006), pp. 273–274
  44. ^ Duran Duran and Timbaland, HHN Live (3 October 2006). Retrieved on 14 May 2007.
  45. ^ "Dominic Brown: Musician with Duran Duran". dombrown.com. http://www.dombrown.com/. Retrieved 16 May 2006. 
  46. ^ "Main". Duran Duran. http://www.duranduran.com/wordpress/?page_id=14246/. Retrieved 13 April 2011. 
  47. ^ "ALL YOU NEED IS NOW Out in the UK on March 21". Duran Duran. 18 February 2011. http://www.duranduran.com/wordpress/?p=17851. Retrieved 13 April 2011. 
  48. ^ "tour". Duran Duran Music. http://duranduranmusic.com/?page=tour. Retrieved 13 April 2011. 
  49. ^ "Receive Style Award in Milan". Duran Duran. 25 February 2011. http://www.duranduran.com/wordpress/?p=17885. Retrieved 13 April 2011. 
  50. ^ "Mayor of Milan Honors Duran Duran as 20th-Century Style Icons". Duran Duran. 25 February 2011. http://www.duranduran.com/wordpress/?p=17883. Retrieved 13 April 2011. 
  51. ^ Appleford, Steve. "Duran Duran and David Lynch Collaborate on Spectacular L.A. Concert". www.RollingStone.com. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/duran-duran-and-david-lynch-collaborate-on-spectacular-l-a-concert-20110324. Retrieved 24 March 2011. 
  52. ^ "TOUR REVIEW: Duran Duran at Madison Square Garden". 95.5 WPLJ. 25 October 2011. http://wplj.com/Article.asp?id=2319979&spid=36852. Retrieved 26 October 2011. 
  53. ^ Moby (31 August 2003). "Duran Duran". moby.com. http://www.moby.com/node/4889. Retrieved 17 May 2007. 
  54. ^ De Graaf & Garret (1982), p. 19.
  55. ^ Malins, Steve (September 2005). "Duran Duran — Notorious Wild Boys Stay The Distance". musicOMH.com. http://www.musicomh.com/comment/duran-duran_0805.htm. Retrieved 17 May 2007. 
  56. ^ "Duran Duran". The Covers Project. http://www.coversproject.com/artist/duran%20duran. Retrieved 17 May 2007. 
  57. ^ a b Kool, Johnny (2011-08-21). "Duran Duran, Devil May Cry & Vampires: Duran Duran Influences & Devil May Cry". Durandurandevilmaycry.blogspot.com. http://durandurandevilmaycry.blogspot.com/2011/08/duran-duran-influences-devil-may-cry.html. Retrieved 2011-10-29. 
  58. ^ "Duran Duran became multimedia stars because MTV, to paraphrase bassist John Taylor, could not get videos of 'Stairway to Heaven'". Denisoff (1986), p. 365.
  59. ^ Burns, Gary. "Music Television". The Museum of Broadcast Communications. http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/musictelevis/musictelevis.htm. Retrieved 17 May 2007. 
  60. ^ Denisoff, p. 364.
  61. ^ "Official bio". duranduran.com. October 2006. Archived from the original on 20 June 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070620024925/http://www.duranduran.com/bio.html. Retrieved 14 May 2007. 
  1. ^ http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/04/201_22738.html

Bibliography

External links

Duran Duran
Studio albums
Live albums
Compilations,
EPs and remixes
Singles
Promo Singles
Videography
Related artists
Related articles

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