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
Femme Fatale
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and realise, I never had to use no-one.
When it comes down to my soul,
Freedom puts my faith in none of the above
There was a time I was so afraid
Of everything people around me said
That I wanted to hide my face in the shadows
There was a time on a bed of nails
But no power under the sun, could pull it together
I can't take this attitude
Got to show now I got to move on
God knows where I'm going to
Its a lonely burning question
I am, I myself alone
Realise I never nedd to use no-one
Money, power, holy roads,
Freedom puts my faith in none above.
If there's a time, that we ever see
The nature of life in reality
Then I want to be there -
To kick at the answer
I can't take this attitude
Got to show now I got to move on
God knows where I'm going to
Its a lonely burning question
I am, I myself alone
Realize I never need to use no-one
Money, power, holy roads,
Freedom puts my faith in none of the above
I am, I myself alone
Realize I never need to use no-one
Money, power, holy road,
Freedom puts my faith in none of the above
I am, I myself alone
Realize I never need to use no-one
Money, power, holy road,
Freedom puts my faith in none of the above
(None of the above)
(My faith in none of the above)
(None of the above)
(I stand by none of the above)
(None of the above)
(I stand by none of the above)
The lyrics of "Femme Fatale" by Duran Duran speak to the idea of independence and self-reliance. The singer asserts that they have never needed anyone else's help and that they have put their faith in freedom rather than money, power, or religion. This self-assuredness is evident in the lines "I am, I myself alone" and "Realize I never need to use no-one." The singer has clearly come to a place of confidence and self-acceptance, regardless of what others may think or say.
The second half of the song takes a more introspective tone, with the singer acknowledging that there are still mysteries in life that they don't understand. The line "Its a lonely burning question" speaks to a sense of anxiety or restlessness, even amidst this newfound self-assurance. The song ends on a somewhat ironic note, with the repeated refrain "None of the above" suggesting that while the singer may eschew traditional forms of power or authority, they still have their own beliefs and values that they stand by.
Overall, "Femme Fatale" is a song that celebrates individuality and self-reliance while acknowledging the complexities and uncertainties of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I am, I myself alone,
I exist solely as my own self, independent from others
and realise, I never had to use no-one.
I have come to the understanding that I don't need anyone to rely on or use in order to succeed in life.
When it comes down to my soul,
Deep within my being,
Freedom puts my faith in none of the above
I believe that true freedom cannot be found in any external source, such as money, power, or religion.
There was a time I was so afraid
I once experienced great fear and uncertainty in my life.
Of everything people around me said
I was afraid of the opinions and judgments of those around me.
That I wanted to hide my face in the shadows
I wished to conceal my identity and avoid attention.
There was a time on a bed of nails
There was a period in which I was suffering greatly.
I was dreaming a plan I thought could not fail
I had a vision and a plan for my life that I was convinced would lead to success.
But no power under the sun, could pull it together
In the end, even with all my effort and determination, my plan failed miserably due to factors beyond my control.
If there's a time, that we ever see
If there comes a moment when we as a people truly understand,
The nature of life in reality
The true essence of existence,
Then I want to be there -
I desire to bear witness to this revelation,
To kick at the answer
To challenge the conventional wisdom and search for deeper truths.
I can't take this attitude
I refuse to maintain this negative state of mind.
Got to show now I got to move on
I must take action and continue to progress forward.
God knows where I'm going to
I don't know what the future holds, but I trust that it will work out for the best.
Its a lonely burning question
I am plagued by a deep, intense question that torments me relentlessly.
Realise I never need to use no-one
I understand that I don't need anyone else to achieve my goals.
Money, power, holy roads,
The allure of wealth, influence, and spirituality,
Freedom puts my faith in none above.
Ultimately, I believe that true freedom cannot be attained through any of these things.
I stand by none of the above
I reject all of the external factors that people typically rely on for fulfillment and satisfaction.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lou Reed
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@twistedviewlabs
One of Simon's best vocal deliveries.
@isla2753
Imagine being able to hypnotise Duran Duran into following you around like that.. that’s a fantasy right there
@SS-yl7ek
A story all of its own ❤️
@marianobullido8609
Simplemente el mejor grupo de la historia
@loungehound4906
So Lou Reed said that this was the best cover anyone ever did of his work.
@ap-ql3os
Lounge Hound actually Reed said that about Duran's cover of his song, Perfect Day.
@c4test
this song is not lou reed's it's a cover of velvet underground. lou reed's song that duran2 cover is perfect day
@CosmicJoyRyder
@One piece Fortest Lou Reed wrote the song, Lou Reed fronted the Velvet Underground, ergo it is a Lou Reed Cover!
@CosmicJoyRyder
I've also heard him say this about The Cowboy Junkies version of Sweet Jane.
@c4test
@CosmicJoyRyder yes you're right lou reed wrote the song although it was sung by nico