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:
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
Drug
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take me every morning
Take me every night
Take me when you're feeling low
Take me when you want to stay
Up all night
Before you slip into the white
In all your stretch of consciousness
You've still got a long way to go
Some make you spin
Some make you sweat
It's only here for you to choose
Some like it hot
But I like it wet, so tell me
What have we got to lose now?
[Chorus]
(A hit, a hit)
A hit to fit reality
It's just a state of mind
And you, and it - it's more than just
And that's what you've got to find
We'll make you spin
We'll make you sweat
All you have to do is choose me
And if you would try
And alternative high
Then tell me, what have we got to lose now?
[Chorus x 2]
The lyrics of Duran Duran’s song “Drug” seem to refer to a substance that can help to escape from reality, give comfort, and make people feel good. It seems that the band is encouraging the use of drugs as a way to create pleasure and enjoyment. They sing, “Take me every morning, Take me every night, Take me when you're feeling low, Take me when you want to stay up all night.” The song is trying to convince people to take drugs as a means of escaping reality and experiencing a more enjoyable life.
However, the chorus also indicates a sense of danger and uncertainty surrounding drug usage. “Before you slip into the white, there's something I want you to know, In all your stretch of consciousness, you've still got a long way to go.” This line hints that the drug use can cause damage because it can make people lose sight of reality and escape from their troubles. The chorus warns that the usage of drugs can create unintended consequences that can cause people to lose control over their lives.
In summary, Duran Duran's "Drug" is an ode to the pleasures of using drugs, but this comes with a cautionary tale about the dark side of substance abuse. As with many things in life, it's up to the individual to make their own choices and decide what is best for them.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me every morning
I want you to take me as soon as you wake up in the morning
Take me every night
I want you to take me before going to bed every night
Take me when you're feeling low
I want you to take me whenever you feel sad and low
Take me when you want to stay up all night
I want you to take me when you want to stay up late at night
Before you slip into the white
Before you get high on drugs
There's something I want you to know
I want you to understand this
In all your stretch of consciousness
When you're under the influence of drugs
You've still got a long way to go
You still have a lot to experience
Some make you spin
Some drugs may make you dizzy
Some make you sweat
Some drugs may make you sweat profusely
It's only here for you to choose
It's your choice to take drugs or not
Some like it hot
Some people prefer hot drugs like cocaine
But I like it wet, so tell me
But I prefer drugs that are taken in liquid form. So, what do you think?
What have we got to lose now?
What is stopping us from trying drugs together?
(A hit, a hit)
A dose, a dose
A hit to fit reality
A dose to make reality bearable
It's just a state of mind
The euphoria caused by drugs is all in your head
And you, and it - it's more than just
It's not just about you and the drug
And that's what you've got to find
You need to realize this truth
We'll make you spin
We (the drugs) will make you feel dizzy
We'll make you sweat
We (the drugs) will make you sweat profusely
All you have to do is choose me
Just choose me (the drug) to experience all these effects
And if you would try
If you give it a chance
And alternative high
A different kind of euphoria
Then tell me, what have we got to lose now?
So, why not try this alternative high together? What is there to lose?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NICK RHODES, SIMON JOHN LE BON, JOHN NIGEL TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@crusader92cominghome
Awesome passage starting at 2:24. Duran Duran had an unrivaled ability for creating amazing passages in many of their songs, usually relying on brilliant instrumentation without much melodic value. Obviously I'm not talking about the choruses or verses.
@Ozzidelic
That´s exactly what I just tough this part is brilliant !! is just half step down.. and It takes the song somewhere else... for a shot moment and then comes back to the hook !!! Is just brilliant !!
@saltintherainbow
the whole song is a double entendre which can only come from the genius mind of Simon Le Bon.
@anaclaudiadesouzafernandes3270
Muito bom
@maibcn984
Nice song!
@alexanderblazic1145
Take me every night drugs 1988
@daviddeacon5017
Take me... Take me... Take me..
@ayshortier
Take me every morning, darling...
@rubynovel
Hear that opioids 2022
@Ozzidelic
What about this synth bassline ?? :D