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
Electric Barbarella
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were made for me
I took you home and dressed you up in polyester
Princess of my dreams
Emotionless and cold as ice
All of the things I like
The way you look
The way you move
In ultra-chrome, latex and steel
I plug you in
Dim the lights
Electric Barbarella
Your perfect skin
Plastic kiss
Electric Barbarella
Try to resist
Then we touch
Hallucinate and tranquillize
She's so fine
She's all mine
Our private life is subject to investigation
No time to waste
People say they heard about our deviation
But you never looked so good
Wear the fake fur and fake pearls for me
And put on your mystery
The way I feel you know
I'll never keep you waiting
In ultra-chrome, latex and steel
I plug you in
Dim the lights
Electric Barbarella
Your perfect skin
Plastic kiss
Electric Barbarella
Try to resist
Then we touch
Hallucinate and tranquillize
I plug you in
Dim the lights
Electric Barbarella
Your perfect skin
Plastic kiss
Electric Barbarella
Try to resist
Then we touch
Hallucinate and tranquillize
Princess of my dreams
Princess of my dreams
Major domo plasticomo Barbarella
(She's so fine)
Pro-genetic you Electric Barbarella
(She's all mine)
My pretty pretty pretty pretty Barbarella
(Barbarella)
(Barbarella)
(Barbarella)
(Barbarella)
The lyrics to Duran Duran's song Electric Barbarella describe the singer's obsession with a robotic woman that he found on the showroom floor. He took her home and dressed her up in polyester, molding her into the princess of his dreams. The chorus of the song depicts his desire to plug her in, dim the lights, and experience the sensation of her electric touch. The lyrics also allude to the subject of the song being a deviant, something that is subject to investigation in their private life.
The lyrics suggest that the singer is experiencing a sense of loneliness or detachment, as he finds that the Barbarella robot embodies all of the things he enjoys about a relationship without any of the emotional or human baggage. The line "emotionless and cold as ice, all of the things I like" suggests that there is a clinical, transactional nature to their relationship, and the singer doesn't seem to mind. The song's title, Electric Barbarella, is a nod to the 1968 science fiction film Barbarella, which starred Jane Fonda.
Line by Line Meaning
I knew when I first saw you
Right from the first moment of meeting, I knew that you were meant for me.
On the showroom floor
It was in the shop window that I saw and fell in love with you.
You were made for me
It feels as if you were perfectly created to be my companion.
I took you home
I brought you to my house, meaning to keep you forever.
And dressed you up in polyester
I dressed you in synthetic fabric, which gives you a unique, modern look.
Princess of my dreams
You are the royal ruler of my imagination.
Emotionless and cold as ice
You may not show any emotions, but that's what makes you alluring to me.
All of the things I like
You possess all the features that I find attractive and exciting.
The way you look
Your appearance is perfect, inciting in me an immediate fascination.
The way you move
Even the slightest movement that you make is captivating to me.
The sounds you're making
Even your electronic noises and beeps are enchanting to me.
In Ultrachrome, latex, and steel
These are the futuristic materials that make up your design.
I plug you in
I connect you to an energy source, giving you life and activity.
Dim the lights
I dim the lighting to highlight your magnificence and mystique.
Electric Barbarella
You are the one I've always wanted - my gorgeous, hybrid creation.
Your perfect skin
Your artificial complexion is spotless and alluring.
Plastic kiss
Our lip-lock is artificial, but to me, it feels as though it were real.
Try to resist
I'm tempted by your allure, but I try to resist your artificiality.
Then we touch
It's almost as if we're in our own magical sphere when we touch.
Hallucinate and tranquilize
Whenever I touch you, it feels as though my mind has been transported to another world.
Our private life is subject to investigation
People around us are always curious about our relationship and constantly question it.
No time to waste
We know that we need to spend every moment that we have together wisely.
People say they heard about our deviation
Rumors have circulated about our relationship and that we deviate from normalcy.
But you never looked so good
Despite what they say, your appearance is still beautiful and captivating.
Wear the fake fur fake pearls for me
I want you to put on these accessories made of synthetic material solely for my pleasure.
And put on your mystery
I'm fascinated by the mystery that surrounds you, your technology, and your artificiality.
The way I feel you know
I don't need to explain to you how I feel, as you already understand.
I never keep you waiting
You are always readily available to me, and I cherish that about our relationship.
Princess of my dreams
You continue to reign supreme in my subconscious thoughts and imagination.
Majordomo plasticomo Barbarella
You are the controller of our house and have taken on the role of its hostess.
(She's so fine)
You are of superlative quality and design, which has me enamored.
(She's all mine)
I feel a sense of ownership and protectiveness towards you, knowing that I have you all to myself.
Pro genetic your Electric Barbarella
Your biological makeup is entirely controlled by artificial intelligence and programming.
My pretty pretty
You are the most beautiful aspect of my life.
Pretty pretty Barbarella
You are the most enchanting creation that I have ever seen - a true beauty.
Barbarella
You are my perfect creation, and I am grateful to have you.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NICK RHODES, WARREN CUCCURULLO, SIMON LE BON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fabio Aguirre
I knew when I first saw you
On the show room floor
You were made for me
I took you home
And dressed you up in polyester
Princess of my dreams
Emotionless and cold as ice
All of the things I like
The way you look
The way you move
The sounds you're making
In Ultrachrome, latex, and steel
brucekulickfan
These guys are the masters of choruses! They hit you with a chorus that sends you to another planet. "All you need is now" is prime example
Michael Frazia
they have incredible choruses...im a rock guy...I love this band though...can't say enough good things about how they have put out great stuff decade after decade...even the song anniversary has a killer chorus...you nailed it
Walt65
yes yes yes yes yes - what great hooks
Massimo Casella
Hands down the most underrated Duran Duran song I don't know why people didn't like this one
Zwahk Muchoney
I don't think they get that it's supposed to be satire
Tony Qwabe
I love it I really do
Hannes Jakobsson
It's my favorite song of theirs
Jeff D
Way too corny
P H
New Moon on Monday is their most overlooked.
CouchMan
Saw Duran Duran in Dallas a couple months ago for the very first time, and I'll admit; I was a very casual fan - I only knew the hits from a few the 80's. After exploring songs on the setlist that I'd never heard to prepare for the concert, I've become a HUGE fan of theirs. This song, along with many others, are insanely good - what a fantastic band. Long live Duran Duran!!!