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
http://twitter.com/duranduran
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Duran-Duran
http://www.youtube.com/DuranDuran
http://www.youtube.com/07duranduran
http://www.myspace.com/duranduran
Diamond Dogs
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You asked for the latest party
With your silicone hump and your ten inchy stump
Dressed like a priest you was,
Todd browning beast you was
Crawling down the alley on your hands and knees
I'm sure you're not protected
The diamond dogs are poachers
And they hide behind trees
Hunt you to the ground they will
Mannequins with kill-appeal
Will they come?
I keep a friend serene
Will they come?
Oh, baby, come unto me
Will they come?
Well, she's come, been, and gone
Come out of the garden, baby
You'll catch a death in the fog
Young girl they call them the diamond dogs
Young girl they call them the diamond dogs
Now Halloween jack is a real cool cat
And he lives on top of Manhattan chase
The elevators broke so he slides down a rope
Onto the street below
Oh tarzie go man, go
Meets his little hussy with his ghost-town approach
Her face is sans feature but she wears a
Dali brooch
Sweetly reminiscent something Mother
Used to bake
Wrecked up and paralyzed
Diamond dogs are sable-ized
Will they come?
I keep a friend serene
Will they come?
Oh, baby, come unto me
Will they come?
Well, she's come, been, and gone
(chorus)
In the year of the scavenger
The season of the bitch
Sashay on the board-walk scurry to the ditch
Just another future song lonely little kitch
There's gonna be sorrow try
And wake up tomorrow
Will they come?
I keep a friend serene
Will they come?
Oh, baby, come unto me
Will they come?
Well, she's come, been, and gone
(chorus)
The lyrics to Duran Duran's "Diamond Dogs" are full of vivid imagery and surrealistic references. The singer begins by describing a person being pulled out of an oxygen tent and asking for the latest party. This person is then described as having a silicone hump and a ten-inch stump, and dressed like a grotesque beast, crawling down an alley on hands and knees. It becomes clear that the "diamond dogs" are the ones doing the hunting, and the victim has little or no protection.
The chorus repeats questions about whether or not someone will come, and in the second verse, the focus shifts to Halloween Jack, a "real cool cat" who lives on top of a building and slides down a rope when the elevator is broken. Jack meets a woman with a featureless face who wears a surrealistic brooch, and they are both "sable-ized" by the diamond dogs. The final verse speaks of a future full of sorrow and loneliness.
Overall, the lyrics seem to be summoning a dystopian, almost nightmarish vision of the future, where those who are hunted by "diamond dogs" are left with little or no protection. The references to Halloween Jack and the surrealistic imagery give the song a stylish, almost cinematic feeling. Itβs a metaphorical song that is challenging the listeners to come up with their own interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
As they pulled you out of the oxygen tent
You were removed from a medical situation, but with a desire to attend a social gathering
You asked for the latest party
You inquired about the current social event
With your silicone hump and your ten inchy stump
You had artificial cosmetic enhancements
Dressed like a priest you was, Todd browning beast you was
You were dressed as a religious figure and appeared monstrous
Crawling down the alley on your hands and knees
You were moving on all fours through a street passage
I'm sure you're not protected
You were vulnerable and at risk
For its plain to see
The situation is obvious
The diamond dogs are poachers
A predatory gang known as the diamond dogs are present
And they hide behind trees
They use nature as cover
Hunt you to the ground they will
They will relentlessly pursue you
Mannequins with kill-appeal
They are like inanimate objects with an attractive, deadly quality
Will they come?
Is there help coming?
I keep a friend serene
I try to keep myself and a companion calm
Oh, baby, come unto me
Asking for someone to provide comfort and support
Well, she's come, been, and gone
Someone has arrived and departed
Come out of the garden, baby
Leave a place of shelter and comfort
You'll catch a death in the fog
There is a risk of serious harm in the mist
Young girl they call them the diamond dogs
The predatory gang is known for preying on young women
Now Halloween jack is a real cool cat
A man known as Halloween Jack is smooth, but dangerous
And he lives on top of Manhattan chase
He resides in a highly sought-after location in Manhattan
The elevators broke so he slides down a rope
He gets around in unconventional ways due to elevator malfunction
Onto the street below
He travels to the ground
Oh tarzie go man, go
An exclamation of excitement
Meets his little hussy with his ghost-town approach
He seeks out a promiscuous partner
Her face is sans feature but she wears a Dali brooch
Her face is lacking distinct characteristics, except for a unique accessory
Sweetly reminiscent something Mother Used to bake
Reminding him of a pleasant memory from childhood
Wrecked up and paralyzed
Broken and powerless
Diamond dogs are sable-ized
The predatory gang has become dark and sinister
In the year of the scavenger
A time of desperation and resource depletion
The season of the bitch
A harsh and unforgiving time
Sashay on the board-walk scurry to the ditch
People move around in public before taking cover
Just another future song lonely little kitch
Another depressing song about a hopeless future
There's gonna be sorrow try And wake up tomorrow
Expect bad news, but hope to see another day
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID BOWIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sherrynapper1994
I love all covers that Duran Duran do
@pearlfindlay9085
Love this band & this cover.β€
@peterkin1010
Bowie ain't exactly easy to cover but DD seem to have got this one sorted.
@stevepafford5501
Thanks so much for sharing. I've included it in the new Duran/Bowie feature https://stevepafford.com/duranbowie/
@patriciaestok9329
peterkin1010 have you heard their cover of Lay lady Lay? it is brilliant.
@matthewmoran5297
Love this and their cover of "White Lines"!
@bicesacco1442
Wonderful!!!
I love it!!!
#David Bowie
#Diamond Dogs
@nurseratched6
Was not aware of this... filled with soul and real love. Thank you for your passion, this record spun and spun and spun for what was like forever.
@trfesok
They also covered "Boys Keep Swinging" . Both versions are in my "Bowie: covers+" playlist. Thanks for the upload!
@adammaysz6153
Awesome cover!