Duran
Duran was formed in Birmingham England in 1978 by Nick Rhodes on Keyboards
and John Taylor on Guitar with their mates Simon Colley on Bass and Stephen
Duffy on Vocals. The name Duran Duran came from a character in the Jane
Fonda Sci-fi movie Barbarella.
The
early version of Duran Duran played the local scene in Birmingham, with
the aid of a drum machine. However, by 1979 Stephen Duffy and Simon Cully
were out. Andy Wickett replaced Cully, and the band added Roger Tayler
on Drums. Personnel Changes in the bands early line up lead to many short
time members. The group eventually found the magic formula with the addition
of Andy Taylor, and Simon LeBon.
With
a line up firmly in place, Duran Duran went onto Capture the attention
of the New Romantic Music movement of England. Playing sold-out locals
shows lead to a contract with EMI records. The band released their first
single “Planet Earth” in spring of 1981 at it quickly landed at number
12 on the British Charts. After the success of the single, the band easily
became the top band of the New Romantic genre.
Planet
Earth was followed up by “Girls on Film”, which became Duran Duran’s first
Top 10 song. Because the video featured naked models, it was quickly banned
by BBS. However, it did start the Duran Duran Tradition of making innovative
music videos. “Girls on Film” helped the band to reach number three on
the album charts when their self-titled debut was released. The debut album
remained on the charts for a staggering 118 weeks.
“Rio”
reached stores in the spring of 1982. The album was a huge success in England,
but it took the band another year to hit it big in the US. Duran Duran
will be remembered as pioneers in the new born music video era, it was
one of these early Videos “Hungry like a wolf” which lead the band to become
superstars worldwide. MTV’s heavy play of the Video lead Duran Duran to
their First top 10 hit on the US Charts in early 1983. Aided by the success
of the single, the album “Rio” also landed on the US top 10 and sold over
2 million copies.
Thus
was born the Second British invasion with Duran Duran at the forefront.
Many in the press started making comparisons of the band to the leaders
of the first British Invasion, The Beatles. Top 10 hits on the US and British
charts became a common thing. The late 1983 album “Seven and the Raged
Tiger” captured the top spot on the UK charts, and reached number 8 in
the US. “The Reflex” single was the bands first number one hit for Duran
Duran in the US.
An
extensive International tour brought Duran Duran mania to all corners of
the Globe, the excitement of these live Duran Duran shows were captured
on the “Arena” album.
Side
projects were the order of the Day in 1985. John and Andy formed a group
called the Power Station, with Robert Palmer and Tony Thompson. The other
members of the band formed Arcadia.
In
spring of 1986, Roger and Andy Taylor left the band. The bands Album “Notorious”
featured Duran Duran as a trio, and proved that despite having failed to
release a new album in three years, they were still at the top of the Music
Scene. Nevertheless, the Music scene was beginning to move in a different
direction. During the later part of the 80’s, Duran Duran’s popularity
seems to wane. With only 2 hit singles “Notorious” and “I don’t want your
love” from 1986 to 1990, and 1989’s album “Liberty” failing to reach Gold
status it appeared that the glory days of the New Wave seemed to have passed.
Duran
Duran re-captured worldwide attention in 1993 with their Self-title Release
nicknamed The Wedding album. The disc spawned two hit singles “Ordinary
World” and “Come Undone”. The new more mature sound and direction of the
band appealed to their older fans, and acquainted a new generation to the
Magic of Duran Duran. The wedding album put Duran Duran back into the major
leagues by going platinum and receiving critical acclaim.
A
cover album called “Thank You” followed in 1995, but failed to do as well
as The Wedding Album. It only reaching gold sales status in the US, and
was marred by negative reviews.
In
1987 the band returned with “Medazzaland” a favorite of fans that was largely
ignored by radio, and the music Press.
Duran
Duran still has a large loyal fan base, and members have continued to perform.
The 1998 greatest hits remixed album “Essential Duran Duran Night Versions”,
has been well received, keeping fans happy while waiting for the
next Studio album.
Despite
their large Success, Duran Duran has been largely under-rated in their
contribution to popular music. If Rock n Roll History does them Justice
they will be remembered as the band who brought professional quality to
music videos, while leading the Decade of the 80’s in a revolutionary Music
explosion of creativity unseen since the first British invasion of the
60’s.
Written
by Keavin Wiggins
Official
Biography.
In
1984, journalist James Henke profiled the chart-topping, post-modern group
Duran Duran in a cover story for Rolling Stone.
Although
purposefully reserving his enthusiasm for the then most popular band in
the world, as Curator for the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, Mr. Henke has now
seen fit to include Duran Duran memorabilia in the exhibition halls in
Cleveland—not bad for a young band from Birmingham, England, who nearly
twenty years ago fearlessly proclaimed their “sound” a hybrid of The Sex
Pistols and Chic. While that alchemy may not have completely crystallized,
there can be no mistake that Duran Duran has earned their rightful place
in pop history. Medazzaland, their eleventh LP, perpetuates their influential
vision of savvy, melodic, modern pop music.
In
1997, Duran Duran stands virtually peerless among the crop of the MTV-led
“Second British Invasion” of the early eighties. While their contemporaries
have failed to sustain relevant careers, Duran Duran can boast hit singles
and noticeable artistic growth at frequent intervals throughout their sixteen-year
recording career. In fact, their most recent original material, a self-titled
LP commonly referred to as The Wedding Album, continues to thrive as their
top-selling title to date. The singles from that album, “Ordinary World”
and “Come Undone” will, in retrospect, be as synonymous with the nineties
as the band’s earlier hits were to the eighties. Medazzaland continues
where The Wedding Album left off.
Alternative
pop artists from the start, Duran Duran are as influenced by the world
around them as they are influential to others. That scope has encompassed
surprising influences in the past, some of which received treatment on
their 1995 covers album, Thank You.
Medazzaland
unveils a new sonic aesthetic somewhere between Kraftwerk and Led Zeppelin,
Giorgio Moroder and Trent Reznor. The Orwellian nightmare of the
self-titled prelude explodes into “Big Bang Generation.” The two tracks
are similarly futuristic in approach, but supported by the only thing that
keeps this veteran band active—craftsmanship. Nothing can prepare the listener
for the disco-laced assault of “Electric Barbarella,” the album’s first
single. Longtime fans will recognize the imagery of Roger Vadim’s 1967
cult classic and its erotic sci-fi heroine as the impetus for the band’s
name. The only musical reference point for this track can be Blondie’s
1997 recording “Studio 54,” written and produced by Duran Duran members
Nick Rhodes and Warren Cuccurullo, a.k.a. TV Mania. For Medazzaland, they
hammer nine additional tracks into compliance, including the Queen-style
masterpiece “Who Do You Think You Are?,” the majestic acoustic number “Michael
(You’ve Got a Lot to Answer For)” and the sneakily snide and seductive
closer, “Undergoing Treatment.”
Frontman
Simon LeBon continues to represent a swaggering, slightly dangerous persona
whose vocals are willful and confident. His traditionally decorative
lyrics now embrace cynical themes of technological advancement, his quest
for realism, and an honest take on friendship. Clearly, LeBon and company
have a lot more on their minds than commercial gratification.
Guitarist
Warren Cuccurullo earned his pedigree outside of Duran Duran. Playing behind
Frank Zappa (1978- 1980) granted the young American the sweeping perspective
that seems to have affected all Zappa graduates. Subsequent time with Missing
Persons furthered his pop education, before stretching his boundaries to
hard rock with a solo release Thanks To Frank, and ambient music with Machine
Language, alongside his impassioned input into Duran Duran’s The Wedding
Album, Thank You, and Medazzaland.
Band
founder Nick Rhodes somehow embodies all that is British in a reigning
rock-n-roll tradition. Drawing from the musical, visual, and lyrical stylistic
elements of Bowie, Ferry, Sylvian, and Eno, Rhodes is keeper of the Duran
flame.
Sex
sells. Duran Duran has never shied away from opportunities to appeal to
young women. Who would? However, their continuing musical development affords
an opportunity to reach brothers, boyfriends, and husbands through the
same integrity that speaks to fans of U2, REM, and Peter Gabriel.
Medazzaland
is twelve tracks deep, a full album, a journey that harkens back to the
records that influenced the band to become who they are. Of their peers,
only U2 chooses to present the LP concept in its classic form. Make no
mistake, Duran Duran aspires to similar artistic high ground. Medazzaland
answers the challenge.
“Styles
change, style doesn’t. You are now entering MEDAZZALAND” in stores October
7th (1997)... two years before the Millennium.
NICK
RHODES on Medazzaland:
“With
THE WEDDING ALBUM we found the Nineties version of Duran Duran. Three years
later, we’ve taken the seeds from that project and turned them into a lush
jungle of sound. Everything learned has come to fruition and expanded in
every direction.”
“Our
vision hasn’t changed at all...Duran Duran has always encompassed everything
around us. MEDAZZALAND is for the Nineties what Rio was to the Eighties.”
WARREN
CUCCURULLO on Medazzaland:
“Without
having to resort to recruiting all those who are hip and trendy to help
make this record, I feel we’ve definitely hit on a fresh and exciting Duran
Duran sound to ride out the 90s. For me, this is the new standard for all
of our future albums.”
NICK
RHODES on his role in Duran Duran:
“I’ve
always been the youngest, and now I am the longest-serving original member.
I see my role as the standard bearer, keeping the band exciting and relevant,
and moving ahead without jumping on the bandwagon. The day we make records
that aren’t as exciting as those we’ve done previously, we should stop
making records.”
NICK
RHODES on Duran Duran’s influences:
“(I
admire) any artist who changes like a chameleon, like David Bowie. He has
always sought change. No band has been able to accomplish that. (As for
the Beatles...) THE WHITE ALBUM is my favorite, (they) went crazy and didn’t
care what it was.”
SIMON
LeBON on Medazzaland:
“This
album is significantly different enough to capture the imagination of people
who maybe weren’t interested in Duran Duran before. Duran Duran is not
limited to rock/dance crossover music. As we explored world music on the
last album (“Breath After Breath,” with Milton Nasciemento) this LP finds
us exploring Indian music (“Buried in the Sand”) and it also finds electronic
industrial music, yet every track has the personality of Duran Duran. We
enjoy being schizophrenic.”
