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.
Official Websites:
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http://www.youtube.com/DuranDuran
http://www.youtube.com/07duranduran
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Chauffeur
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All looking for a new place to drive
You sit beside me so newly charming
Sweating dewdrops glisten freshing your side
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind
The front of your dress, all shadowy lined
And the droning engine throbs in time
Way down the lane away, living for another day
The aphids swarm up in the drifting haze
Swim seagull in the sky towards that hollow western isle
My envied lady holds you fast in her gaze
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind
The front of your dress, all shadowy lined
And the droning engine throbs in time
With your beating heart
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind
The front of your dress, all shadowy lined
And the droning engine throbs in time
With your beating heart
Sing blue silver
And watching lovers part, I feel you smiling
What glass splinters lie so deep in your mind
To tear out from your eyes, with a thought to stiffen brooding lies
And I'll only watch you leave me further behind
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind
The front of your dress, all shadowy lined
And the droning engine throbs in time
With your beating heart
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind
The front of your dress, all shadowy lined
And the droning engine throbs in time
With your beating heart
Sing blue silver
Sing, sing, blue silver
(There's more to this kind of camouflage)
(More than just color and shape)
(Who's going now, in to a classiomatic?)
The lyrics of Duran Duran's song "Chauffeur" depict a journey through a barren place, perhaps a desert, where the singer is accompanied by a new, charming companion. The glides, or cars, are all looking for a new place to drive. The sun is setting behind them, casting a shadowy light on the front of the companion's dress, while the droning engine throbs in time with her beating heart. The imagery used in these lyrics is sensual and mysterious, leaving much to the imagination.
As the journey continues, the singer looks away to watch a seagull flying towards a western isle, while his "envied lady" holds his companion fast in her gaze. He wonders what thoughts lie deep in her mind, and what glass splinters might be tearing at her eyes. He feels her smiling as he watches lovers part, but knows that she will only leave him further behind.
Throughout the song, the repetition of the line "And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind" creates a sense of melancholy and longing, while the drone of the engine adds a message of inevitability. The final lines, "Sing blue silver," are perhaps a cryptic message or a mantra that will guide the singer through the journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Out on the tar plains, the glides are moving
We're driving on a flat, empty road, and other cars are driving beside us
All looking for a new place to drive
Everyone seems to be searching for something, just like us
You sit beside me so newly charming
You're next to me, looking beautiful and captivating
Sweating dewdrops glisten freshing your side
You're sweating, but it makes you look even more radiant
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind
The sun is setting, casting long shadows that cover everything behind us
The front of your dress, all shadowy lined
The shadows make your dress look darker, adding to your allure
And the droning engine throbs in time
The sound of the car's engine is steady and rhythmic
With your beating heart
It seems like the sound of the engine is matching the sound of your heart beating
Way down the lane away, living for another day
We're heading down a road with no particular destination, just living for the moment
The aphids swarm up in the drifting haze
There are lots of bugs flying around in the hazy air
Swim seagull in the sky towards that hollow western isle
A seagull flies overhead towards the west, to a far-off island
My envied lady holds you fast in her gaze
The woman with me seems to be admiring you with envy
And watching lovers part, I feel you smiling
As we pass by other couples, I feel you looking in their direction and smiling
What glass splinters lie so deep in your mind
I wonder what painful memories you're keeping hidden in your mind
To tear out from your eyes, with a thought to stiffen brooding lies
Maybe you're suppressing your emotions, hoping to forget about past traumas
And I'll only watch you leave me further behind
I'm afraid that you'll continue to move on and I'll be left behind, just watching from a distance
(There's more to this kind of camouflage)
The lyrics suggest that there's more to this situation than meets the eye
(More than just color and shape)
It's not just about how things look, but how they feel and the hidden meanings behind them
(Who's going now, in to a classiomatic?)
It's unclear what this line means, but it seems to suggest that something is being left behind and something new is being discovered
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDY TAYLOR, JOHN TAYLOR, NICK RHODES, ROGER TAYLOR, SIMON LE BON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@oscarargenal8590
Out on the tar plains
The glides are moving
All looking for a new place to drive
You sit beside me
So newly charming
Sweating dew drops glisten fresh in your side
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind
The front of your dress all shadowy lined
And the droning engine throbs in time with your beating heart
Way down the lane away
Living for another day
The aphids swarm up in the drifting haze
Swim seagull in the sky
Towards that hollow western Isle
My envied lady holds you fast in her gaze
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind
The front of your dress all shadowy lined
And the droning engine throbs in time with your beating heart
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind
The front of your dress all shadowy lined
And the droning engine throbs in time with your beating heart
Sing, Blue Silver
And watching lovers part
I feel you smiling
What glass splinters lie so deep in your mind
To tear out from your eyes
With a thought to stiffen brooding lies
And I'll only watch you leave me further behind
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind
The front of your dress all shadowy lined
And the droning engine throbs in time with your beating heart
And the sun drips down bedding heavy behind
The front of your dress all shadowy lined
And the droning engine throbs in time with your beating heart
Sing, Blue Silver
Sing, Sing Blue Silver
@Litarider
My friend was a huge Duran fan from the beginning for life. He’s being buried today so I’m playing his favorite Duran Duran songs. The Chauffeur was his favorite. Rest in peace, Joel.
@hugh5243
I am sorry to that you buried a friend recently. He must have been a classy rocker to have this song as a favorite. It is my favs to burn my fingers on bass strings. R.I.P. to your friend😢
@cinziaghirardini5614
Viviamo a pieno quel che ci resta. Facciamolo anche per chi non può più.... bellissima canzone, anche la mia preferita dei Duran....
@mariadellacasa7538
C222"c
@leeemery8099
Good choice Joel, RIP
@meliciousmisc1717
He had excellent taste ❤
@HandOfGodGR
People think Duran Duran are another 80s pop group. They're not. They're a musical phenomenon, transformed through the years. This song is a masterpiece and i will never get bored of it.
@providencephelps1497
Thank you
@SeanBauzay
100 percent accurate statement
@azteka6103
It is another europop trash band in fact.