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Duran Duran
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For 20 years of their career, Duran Duran have been a study in contrasts: a commercially successful band that's never courted mainstream fame. A group that's reached Beatlemania heights of fandom while singing songs about nuclear threat ("Planet Earth") and exploitation ("Girls on Film"). Fashion enthusiasts who've used ironic imagery to relate deeper truths. And Duran Duran, despite an ever-changing lineup, have steadfastly remained honest about their mission: making music with a no-holds-barred attitude. While other contemporaries have faded away, Duran Duran have continued making vital, cutting-edge music. With their 12th album (and first Hollywood Records release), POP TRASH, they're about to turn any preconceived notion of who they are on its head.
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In 1993, the band released a second self-titled album – this Duran Duran album is informally known as The Wedding Album (for Nick Egan's cover art featuring the wedding photos of the bands' parents) to distinguish it from the 1981 release. The swift commercial and critical success of this album (#4 in the UK, #7 in the US) came as a surprise to many who considered Duran Duran to be a purely 'Eighties' phenomenon which had already faded to oblivion. It hinged on two Adult Contemporary singles. 'Ordinary World' was forced onto radio playlists months earlier than planned by listener demand for the leaked single, and went on to win a prestigious Ivor Novello Award award for songwriting. It reached Number 3 on the US chart, and Number 6 in the UK. 'Come Undone' was a slinky number primarily written by Cuccurullo, with a memorable 'underwater' video, which scored Number 7 in the US and Number 13 on the UK chart. Both the band and the record label seemed to be caught by surprise, and bassist John Taylor, who was considering leaving the band, agreed to stay.
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Over the years, Duran Duran sporadically released albums with differing line-ups, but it wasn't until 2000 that conversations were initiated. The original line-up returned to the studio in 2001 and Astronaut was released in October. A two-year world tour followed, performing to sold-out arena audiences, breaking box office records and playing to more people than they ever had before. The band returned to the studio immediately, but guitarist Andy Taylor left the group a year into the process. In September 2006, the remaining members, Simon, Nick, John and Roger, flew to New York to embark on a week-long collaboration with top producer Timbaland, Nate 'Danja' Hills and Justin Timberlake. The sessions produced three new tracks, following which they continued to work with Danja - with whom they are currently completing a new album in the UK.
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Duran Duran embarks on the CLOSE UP tour of the USA, playing multiple nights in intimate venues. Their five-night stint at Chicago's House of Blues break all records for their fastest sell out shows ever. The shows receive terrific reviews. During a "Close Up" tour show in Anaheim, California, the first fully immersed video and audio recording of a rock concert was conducted. The live rock experience was captured using a unique 360-degree panoramic video and 10.2 channel audio recording system. This pioneering recording was coordinated by producer Jarrell Pair with audio/video researchers working with Dr. Tom Holman, famous for creating Lucasfilm's THX audio standard.
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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. That video, featuring topless women mud wrestling and stylized depictions of other sexual fetishes, was made with directing duo Godley & Creme in August.[14]
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Until early 1983, Duran Duran was just another popular British band that couldn't make it in America. But the MTV boom changed all that. Suddenly good looks were nearly as important as the music. When those five cute faces were beamed into the living rooms of millions of teen-age girls, the result was instant Duran-mania. With highly commercial pop-rock songs such as Hungry Like the Wolf, The Reflex, A View to a Kill and Wild Boys, the band has sold millions of records.
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