Created by Nick Rhodes (keyboards) and John Taylor (bass) in Birmingham, England in 1978, it later add took in Roger Taylor (drums), Andy Taylor (guitar), and Simon Le Bon (lead vocals). The band has sold more than 100 million records over their more than 40 years of existence, making them one of the best-selling groups in history.
Their songs are often vivid, hook-laden pieces dance pop that have fared well on the radio, but what many remember best about Duran Duran is their iconic music videos. Though many of the videos were tongue-in-cheek, the band has never quite escaped the glamorous and decadent 'jet set' image that their early videos projected. Their flashy outfits and strident, art rock influenced music showed an immense debt to 70s English glam artists such as David Bowie and Roxy Music, yet the band grasped a sense of their own identity and became one of the keystones of the new romantic movement.
Their first singer and one of their original founding members was Stephen Duffy, and their original bassist was Simon Colley. Several drummers and guitarists were subsequently tried, as well as a handful of vocalists, after Duffy left Duran Duran early in 1979. The band felt that they had something special with vocalist Simon Le Bon, and the group smashed into the pop scene shortly afterwards when "Planet Earth", their debut single, was released on 2 February 1981.
"Planet Earth" became an immediate hit in the band's native U.K., reaching #12 on the U.K. Singles Chart on 21 February, and it did even better in Australia, hitting #8 there. Being Duran Duran's first Top 10 hit anywhere in the world, the song showed the group's interest in international stardom. The band's eponymous debut album came out promptly afterwards in June 1981. 'Duran Duran' hit #3 on the album charts and remained in the U.K. Top 100 for 117 weeks, achieving platinum status by December 1982. The initial United States release failed to generate much interest at first, but the group was a British sensation due to their strident mix of pop rock and electronic music.
Music videos for hit singles "Planet Earth" and "Careless Memories" were filmed in December 1980. As they also experienced considerable success with "Girls on Film", which hit #5 on the UK Singles Chart and #11 on the Australian Singles Chart, the group firmly grasped the opportunity to make a name for themselves in musical television. As their fame grew, some fans worried that Duran Duran could have peaked too early. They headed into AIR Studios in London in early 1982 anxious to somehow top themselves.
Band member John Taylor came up with the new album's title, 'Rio', as a product of his fascination with the flaunting sexuality and diverse atmosphere of Brazil. He later said, "Rio, to me, was shorthand for the truly foreign, the exotic, a cornucopia of earthly delights, a party that would never stop." The band had their own plans and ambitions for promotion and reunited with director Russell Mulcahy (who was behind the video for "Planet Earth") to plan out the release of a full length 'video album'β eleven videos in total. Totally dedicated to on-site filming, guitarist Andy Taylor even contracted a tropical virus and ended up hospitalized, thankfully getting better relatively quickly.
'Rio' was, simply, a commercial juggernaut. The band's second studio album, originally released worldwide on 10 May 1982, reached #2 in the UK and #1 in Australia. Massively popular in the U.S., it earned a gold disc on 1 March 1983 and went platinum on 26 April 1983, eventually reaching double-platinum status. As songs such as "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Rio" received considerable airplay, critical acclaim also grew for the release. With MTV heavily playing the band's music videos, the album is still held as one of the best new wave albums ever. In April 2013, 'Rio' was even voted #3 in BBC Radio 2's 'Top 100 Favourite Albums of all time' list.
In 1985, Duran Duran performed "A View To A Kill" for the the James Bond film of the same name. The song appeared in the movie's title sequence and was also a best-selling single in its own right. In 1987, "Out Of My Mind" was featured at the end credits of the drama film 'The Saint' as well.
Like Depeche Mode, Duran Duran was among the earliest bands to work on their own remixes. From the very beginning, the band had a keen sense of style, and worked with stylist Perry Haines and fashion designers such as Kahn & Bell and Antony Price to build a sharp and elegant image, soon growing beyond the ruffles and sashes of the pirate-flavoured New Romantic look.
Although the group never disbanded, it went through several line-up changes over the years - American guitarist Warren Cuccurullo (formerly of Missing Persons) was also a member of the band from 1989 to 2001, and drummer Sterling Campbell was a member from 1989 to 1991. John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Andy Taylor all returned in 2001 and created a stir among music media and the band's fans. Duran Duran released the first album from the reunited line-up, Astronaut, in 2004, which was in turn followed up by many sold out shows in England, most notably Wembley Arena, where a live DVD of the tour was filmed in 2004/2005.
In October of 2006, it was announced on Duran Duran's website that Andy Taylor had left the band. The band's latest album, 'Red Carpet Massacre' was released in November 2007. They performed the album live in New York City on Broadway at the Barrymore Theater, for what was originally scheduled as an unprecedented 10-night run. A stage hand union strike shortened the run by a few nights, but Duran Duran were able to re-schedule the shows elsewhere. They went on to tour the world, ending their successful run in December of 2008.
2008 also saw the release of a new DVD that documents the making of their now-classic "Rio" album (called "Classic Albums: Rio (Collector's Edition)"), and a book called "Would Someone Please Explain?"- a compilation of questions from the "Ask Katy" area of their popular website.
Duran Duran returned at the end of 2010 with their 13th album, the digital and self-released album All You Need Is Now which debuted at number one on the iTunes charts in many countries (including the USA). The physical version of the album will be released with bonus tracks in February 2011. The album was produced by Mark Ronson.
2015 saw the band return with the album Paper Gods, which was led by the single "Pressure Off" featuring Janelle Monae and Nile Rodgers. The album was the band's first top 10 chart success in the U.S. in over 20 years, and also reached number 5 in the U.K.
Official Websites:
http://www.duranduran.com
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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Duran-Duran
http://www.youtube.com/DuranDuran
http://www.youtube.com/07duranduran
http://www.myspace.com/duranduran
02 Girls on Film
Duran Duran Lyrics
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Across the bridge at midnight
Heads turning as the lights flashing out
Are so bright
And walk right out to the four line track
There's a camera rolling on her back
On her back
And I sense a rhythm humming in a frenzy
Girls on film
Girls on film
Girls on film
Girls on film
Lipstick cherry all over the lens as she's falling
And miles of sharp blue water coming in
Where she lies
The diving man's coming up for air
'Cause the crowd all love pulling dolly by the hair
By the hair
And she wonders how she ever got here
As she goes under again
Girls on film (two minutes later)
Girls on film
Girls on film (got your picture)
Girls on film
Wider, baby, smile and you've just made a million
Fuses pumping live heat twisting out on a wire
Take one last glimpse into the night
I'm touching close
I'm holding bright
Holding tight
Give me shudders in a whisper
Take me up 'til I'm shooting a star
Girls on film (she's more than a lady)
Girls on film
Girls on film (two minutes later)
Girls on film
Girls on film (see you together)
Girls on film
Girls on film (see you later)
Girls on film
The lyrics to Duran Duran's hit song "Girls on Film" depict a scene of voyeurism and sexual exploitation. The singer observes a group of girls walking across a bridge at night, and notes the attention they receive from onlookers as they pass by. The girls then enter a location where a camera is rolling on the back of one of the girls, suggesting that she is being filmed without her knowledge or consent. The singer senses a frenzied energy as the camera captures the girl's movements.
The chorus, "girls on film," repeats throughout the song, emphasizing the objectification of women and their bodies. The second verse continues this theme with images of a diving man and a crowd pulling on a doll's hair. The lyrics suggest that the girl being filmed feels trapped and wonders how she ended up in this situation. However, in the final verse, the singer encourages her to keep performing and to smile wider, promising her fame and fortune.
Overall, "Girls on Film" is a commentary on the objectification and sexualization of women in society, particularly in the entertainment industry. The lyrics highlight the disturbing reality of how women's bodies are often used for male pleasure and profit, without regard for their autonomy or consent.
Line by Line Meaning
See them walking hand in hand
Observing people walking together
Across the bridge at midnight
The location and time of observation
Heads turning as the lights flashing out
People are attracted to flashing lights
Are so bright
The lights are very bright
And walk right out to the four line track
Walking towards a railway track
There's a camera rolling on her back
Someone is filming her back
On her back
The camera is filming her backside
And I sense a rhythm humming in a frenzy
A feeling of excitement and rhythm is building up
All the way down her spine
This feeling is going all the way down her back
Girls on film
Title of the song
Lipstick cherry all over the lens as she's falling
The camera lens is smudged with lipstick as she falls
And miles of sharp blue water coming in
She is falling into a body of water
Where she lies
She is now lying in the water
The diving man's coming up for air
A diver is coming up from the water and taking a breath
'Cause the crowd all love pulling dolly by the hair
The crowd is cheering as someone is pulled by the hair
By the hair
The person is being pulled by the hair
And she wonders how she ever got here
She is questioning how she ended up in this situation
As she goes under again
She goes back under the water
Girls on film (two minutes later)
Title of the song repeated with a time reference
Girls on film
Title of the song
Girls on film (got your picture)
Title of the song repeated with the meaning of capturing an image
Girls on film
Title of the song
Wider, baby, smile and you've just made a million
Encouraging someone to smile for a photo and make money
Fuses pumping live heat twisting out on a wire
Electricity is flowing through a wire and creating heat
Take one last glimpse into the night
Taking a last look before the night ends
I'm touching close
Being close to someone
I'm holding bright
Holding onto something with a strong grip
Holding tight
Holding onto something very tightly
Give me shudders in a whisper
Feeling shivers from a whisper
Take me up 'til I'm shooting a star
Being lifted up high like a shooting star
Girls on film (she's more than a lady)
Title of the song repeated with the implication that someone is more than just a lady
Girls on film
Title of the song
Girls on film (two minutes later)
Title of the song repeated with a time reference
Girls on film
Title of the song
Girls on film (see you together)
Title of the song repeated with the implication of watching people together
Girls on film
Title of the song
Girls on film (see you later)
Title of the song repeated with the implication of seeing someone later
Girls on film
Title of the song
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDY TAYLOR, JOHN TAYLOR, MICHAEL SULLIVAN, NICK RHODES, PAULO MASSADAS, ROGER TAYLOR, SIMON LE BON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Angus Young
Went to see them in Scarborough (Open Air Theatre) they where fantastic, going to see them in 2022 at Castle Howard :-) YES!!!!
Jenny Linehan
DAMN GOOD MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!! πππππ
Frank Serpico
Not any music this entertaining anymore