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
First Impressions
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's that time of day
Here comes little Johnny
From the back streets of the UK
He's got the answer
Doesn't go away
Who's gonna treat you right
Who's gonna change the world tonight... Tonight
The lasting first impression
Is what you're looking for
I said oh, is that your first impression
And is that good enough for you?
Don't want illusion
A power glory ride
Doesn't run with the neighborhood shadows
On a death trip body slide
He won't give up
And he won't give in
And he won't let up until
He gets inside your pretty skin
I said oh, the lasting first impression
Is what you're looking for
I said oh, is that your first impression
And is that good enough for you?
He turns on the animal
It's that time of day
To make a little honey
In the backstreets of the UK
And he loves the noise
And he loves to play
Just living here and now boys
Cuz tomorrow's on the way
I said oh, the lasting first impression
Is what you're looking for
I said oh, is that your first impression
And is that good enough for you?
Good enough for you
Enough for you
And is that good enough for you?
The possibility he sees the possibility
To seize the opportunity he sees the possibility
To turn on the animal
I said oh, the lasting first impression
Is what you're looking for
I said oh, is that your first impression
And is that good enough for you?
Good enough for you
Enough for you
And is that good enough for you?
The lyrics of Duran Duran's "First Impressions" speak of a persistent and confident man named Johnny who is trying to make a name for himself in the world. He turns on the animal in order to become aggressive and assertive, and make a lasting first impression on others. The song speaks about the importance of first impressions, and how it can be a determining factor in one's career or social life. The lyrics also suggest that Johnny is determined to get under people's skin, metaphorically speaking, and make a deep impression on them.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of lasting first impressions, and asks whether that is enough for the individual in question. The lyrics suggest that Johnny is not content with illusions, power trips, or the neighborhood shadows. He is focused on living in the present and making the most of every opportunity that comes his way. The lyrics also suggest that Johnny is not afraid to take risks and push boundaries, as he sees the possibility of turning on the animal and achieving success.
Line by Line Meaning
He turns on the animal
He unleashes his wild side
It's that time of day
The moment has arrived
Here comes little Johnny
A young man arrives
From the back streets of the UK
From a poor area of the country
He's got the answer
He has a solution
Doesn't go away
It's a permanent fix
Who's gonna treat you right
Who will be kind to you
Who's gonna change the world tonight... Tonight
Who will make a positive impact
The lasting first impression
The initial impact that endures
Is what you're looking for
What you desire
I said oh, is that your first impression
I asked if that's your first reaction
And is that good enough for you?
Is that satisfactory for you?
Don't want illusion
Not interested in false appearances
A power glory ride
A pursuit of status and success
Doesn't run with the neighborhood shadows
Doesn't associate with the negative elements of the community
On a death trip body slide
Engaged in dangerous behavior
He won't give up
He is determined
And he won't give in
He won't surrender to pressure
And he won't let up until
He won't stop until
He gets inside your pretty skin
He makes an impact on you
To make a little honey
To have some fun
And he loves the noise
He enjoys the excitement
And he loves to play
He enjoys having a good time
Just living here and now boys
Enjoying the present moment
Cuz tomorrow's on the way
Tomorrow is approaching
The possibility he sees the possibility
He envisions an opportunity
To seize the opportunity he sees the possibility
To take advantage of the chance he foresees
And is that good enough for you?
Is that satisfactory for you?
Good enough for you
Satisfactory to you
Enough for you
Sufficient for you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN TAYLOR, NICK RHODES, SIMON LE BON, STERLING CAMPBELL, WARREN CUCCURULLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mgparis
SUCH an amazing song (the raw energy!), SO tragically underrated
Robbie Williams
I had surgery today, to listen to Duran Duran music makes this terrible day some what of a relief getting over this day by First Impression, all of there songs makes this pain go away. Thank you Duran Duran for the past 37 yrs. listening to your music makes a bad day go away, I take myself out of a dark day.
Jack Kitchen
I forgot how great this song is. What an album.
Thomas SHARONIARD
Simon Le Bon one of my HERO '' who's gonna change the world tonight ? '' this voice is so so terrific and very well recorded on this track
Jakub Libner
One night I ride through the city at night and I discover this song. Best ride of my life.
Jack Kitchen
September 1990, I was driving through Canton, Ohio on my way to see a chick, and this song started playing. Awesome! I won't forget that drive. Or that night.
multiplesifl
If I ever write my movie and it gets made, this is going to be the opening track.
Luigi Casalatina
+multiplesifl So write it...you already have the soundtrack. :)
silebon
Great hidden Duran Gem...
Grande Le Bon!
Sonido & Visión
Gran canción de los Durán Durán !!