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
Finest Hour
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You speak to the crowd but nobody hears
It's not a dream and you are no prize
And you're not alone come in from the fear
Gonna take it back
Take back the life that you want to lead
Been under quiet attack
Gonna take it back
You've got to fight for what you believe
We're gonna make this stand
The finest hour that we see
When did our choice become erased?
Where is the violence in this crowd?
Now that our voice has been replaced
With a silence that screams out loud
Gonna take it back
Take back the life that you want to lead
Been under quiet attack
But now it's time for you and me
Gonna take it back
You've got to fight for what you believe
We're gonna make this stand
The finest hour that we see
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Gonna take it back
Take back the life that you want to lead
Been under quiet attack
But now it's time for you and me
Gonna take it back
You've got to fight for what you believe
We're gonna make this stand
The finest hour that we see
Yeah, the finest hour that we see
We're gonna make this stand
The Finest Hour that we see
Yeah -eah - eah -eah -eah
The lyrics of Duran Duran's "Finest Hour" speak to themes of personal resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. The opening lines suggest the image of a lone figure on an ice rink, perhaps a hockey player in a game, but the metaphor extends to the feeling of isolation and a lack of support, represented by the inability to communicate effectively with the crowd. The lines "It's not a dream and you are no prize / And you're not alone come in from the fear" offer a message of solidarity and encouragement, urging the listener to take back control of their life and assert their beliefs.
The questioning of societal norms and values is also present in the song, seen in lines such as "When did our choice become erased? / Where is the violence in this crowd?", highlighting the erosion of individual power and the need for collective action. The repeated refrain to "take it back" and "fight for what you believe" further strengthens the message of determination and empowerment.
As a whole, "Finest Hour" conveys a message of hope, urging the listener to recognize their own strength and ability to create change in their life and the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
How does it feel out on the ice?
How does it feel to be isolated and alone?
You speak to the crowd but nobody hears
You try to communicate, but nobody listens.
It's not a dream and you are no prize
This is reality, and you are not something to be won or admired.
And you're not alone come in from the fear
You are not the only one in this situation, so do not be afraid.
Gonna take it back
We will regain control.
Take back the life that you want to lead
Regain control of the path you want to take.
Been under quiet attack
We have been undermined in a subtle way.
But now it's time for you and me
It is finally time for us to take action together.
You've got to fight for what you believe
You must take a stand for your convictions.
We're gonna make this stand
We will make a unified stand together.
The finest hour that we see
This will be our greatest moment.
When did our choice become erased?
When were our options taken away?
Where is the violence in this crowd?
Why is there no reaction or action being taken from the people?
Now that our voice has been replaced
Our message has been silenced or ignored.
With a silence that screams out loud
The fact that nothing is being done is making a big statement.
Yeah, the finest hour that we see
This will be our greatest moment.
We're gonna make this stand
We will make a unified stand together.
The Finest Hour that we see
This will be our greatest moment.
Lyrics © Fintage House Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SIMON JOHN CHARLES LE BON, NICK RHODES, JOHN NIGEL TAYLOR, ROGER ANDREW TAYLOR, CID EDUARDO MEIRELES, ANDREW TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jake Yee
How does it feel out on the ice?
You speak to the crowd but nobody hears
It's not a dream and you are no prize
And you're not alone come in from the fear
Gonna take it back
Take back the life that you want to lead
Been under quiet attack
But now it's time for you and me
Gonna take it back
You've got to fight for what you believe
We're gonna make this stand
The finest hour that we see
When did our choice become erased?
Where is the violence in this crowd?
Now that our voice has been replaced
With a silence that screams out loud
Gonna take it back
Take back the life that you want to lead
Been under quiet attack
But now it's time for you and me
Gonna take it back
You've got to fight for what you believe
We're gonna make this stand
The finest hour that we see
Ooh ooh…
Max Devotional
One of the most underrated song from the most underrated band in rock history...A masterpiece...
joão Nunes
@Faery Princess Astronau it's a prefect Album. Thanks DD.
Faery Princess
I agree. I love it
jp codnia
one of the very best songs that ever came out of this band...
far better than their early days. Astronaut is their finest album
David Deacon
@niao cai (hey, again this time, Ashur got excited as he saw this)
niao cai
FAR FROM THEIR EARLY DAYS....NO!! DEFINETELY....
Dad Gummit
This song is incredible needs to be on a movie soundtrack
Raymond Sidderley
the duran boys dont get the credit they deserve great song briiliant live still going today papergods was awsome x
El Peluca
My favourite song of Duran Duran, thank you for uploading it!
Lio Carrizo
Aguante duran duran, el peluca sapeeeeee