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'— 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.
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Astronaut
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something alien happening
Synchronize but don't comprehend
'Cause where I stop, that's where you begin
Another moment I commit
A pleasure as I'm gonna' take the hit
And I'm addicted to the state you're in
Wasted, there's nothing gonna ace this
And we're gonna go to space, kid
'Cause I'm leaving with an astronaut
Groovin' out to X-ray specs
Something tells me you're the alien sex
I can't imagine now what comes next
When this astronaut connects
Coming on when I touch your skin
A kinda strange light you emit
I hear your gravity pull me in
Now you're getting me out of it
Wasted, there's nothing gonna ace this
And we're gonna go to space, kid
'Cause I'm leaving with an astronaut
There, feat for quantum leap
Because space is hot and deep
And we follow giant footprints
As we fall in, falling like the twins
Through Saturn's holy rings
And if they can't hold us, where it's gonna end up
Anybody knows
The lyrics to Duran Duran's song "Astronaut" are about a unique and transformative experience with another person. The first two lines suggest that something extraordinary is happening, and it sends chills up the singer's spine. They feel as though they are syncing up with this person, but they don't fully comprehend what's happening because it's beyond what they are used to. The next two lines suggest that the singer is willing to take the risk even though they don't fully understand the situation because they are addicted to the way it makes them feel. They are entranced with the other person and how they are changing the singer for the better.
The next verse continues to describe the experience between the singer and the other person. The singer describes how they are grooving out to X-ray specs, which can be interpreted as seeing through appearances and getting to the heart of a person. The singer believes that the other person is otherworldly and alien, but they are attracted to them nonetheless. The singer mentions that they can't imagine what comes next, but they are excited to find out what happens when they connect with this person.
The chorus reiterates the singer's feelings about the situation. They feel like nothing is going to be able to top this experience and they are ready to go to space with this other person. They are leaving with an astronaut, signifying that they are ready for whatever adventure awaits them. The last part of the song talks about the journey that they will take and how it will lead them to an unpredictable destination.
Line by Line Meaning
Makes my hair stand up on end,
This experience is so intense that I am getting chills
Something alien happening,
There is something strange and unknown happening
Sychronize but don't comprehend,
We are on the same page, but I don't fully understand it
'Cause where I stop that's where you begin!
Our connection is so strong that I feel like we are one
Another moment I commit,
I am willing to go all in once again
A pleasure as I'm gonna' take the hit,
Even though I know it may hurt, I am willing to take the risk for the pleasure of it
And I'm addicted to the state you're in,
I crave the feeling of being with you and in your presence
'Cause you're getting me out of it!
You are helping me escape from my current state
Wasted, there's nothing gonna ace this,
We are so lost in the moment that nothing else matters
And were gonna go to space it,
We are going on an adventure that is out of this world
'Cause I'm leaving with an astronaut!
I am entrusting myself to you and your capabilities like an astronaut going to space
Groovin' out to X-ray specs,
We are enjoying the moment and feeling invincible
Something tells me your the alien sex,
I am deeply attracted to you because you are different and mysterious
I can't imagine now what comes next,
I am excited and can't predict what will happen next
When this astronaut connects!
When we come together, it will be an out-of-this-world experience
Coming on when I touch your skin,
I feel a strong connection when I am touching you
A kinda' strange light you emit,
There is an unusual and captivating energy that radiates from you
I hear you're gravity pull me in,
I feel like I am being pulled towards you
Now your getting me out of it!
You are helping me escape from my current state once again
There, feat for quantum leap,
We are going on an incredible journey together
Because space is hot and deep,
Space is full of excitement and new experiences
And we follow giant footprints,
We are following in the footsteps of those who have ventured into the unknown before us
As we fall in, falling like the twins,
We are falling into this adventure together like a pair of twins
Through Saturn's holy rings,
We are exploring Saturn's beautiful and mysterious rings
And if they can't hold us, where it's gonna end up,
If we exceed the limits of what is expected or known, we don't know where we will end up
Anybody knows
The future is unknown and we can only make predictions
Lyrics © Fintage House Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andrew Taylor, Simon John Charles Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Nigel John Taylor, Roger Andrew Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind