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:
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Friends Of Mine
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They said they were friends of mine
Said they were passing time
More like a waste of time
Close the door
I said close the door
I've told you twice before
Georgie Davies is coming out
No more heroes we twist and shout
Oh no not me I'm not too late
And I know that I'm not taking anymore
Rocky Picture has lost his gun
Leave him out now he's having fun
Oh no not me I'm not too late
And I know that I'm not waiting any more (hey hey)
Silly lies, don't have to advertise
When will you realize, I'm sick of you alibis
Running cold, the water's running cold
It's time that you were told
I think you're growing old
Georgie Davies is coming out
No more heroes we twist and shout
Oh no not me I'm not too late
And I know that I'm not waiting anymore
Rocky Picture has lost his gun
Leave him out now he's having fun
Oh no not me I'm not too late
And I know that I'm not taking any more (hey hey)
Friends of mine
They said they were friends of mine
They were just wasting time
Out on the dotted line
Oh, money's gone, I've known it all along
Why don't you say I'm wrong
Why don't they drop the bomb
'Cause Georgie Davies is coming out
No more heroes we twist and shout
Oh no, not me I'm not too late
And I know that I'm not waiting anymore
Rocky Picture has thrown away his gun
Leave him out now he's having fun
Oh no not me I'm not too late
And I know that I'm not taking any more
What you doing friends of mine
Holding back now friends of mine
I've always heard you calling
The lyrics to Duran Duran's song "Friends of Mine" can be interpreted as a commentary on the fickleness of friendships that are based on partying and excessive behavior. The lyrics suggest that the singer has grown tired of these friends who he claims are just wasting his time. The chorus "They said they were friends of mine, said they were passing time, more like a waste of time" conveys a sense of disillusionment with these friends who he believed were more than just an excuse for him to indulge in wild behavior.
The reference to George Davies and Rocky Picture could be a nod to the glam rock scene of the 70s, which was prevalent in the UK music scene that Duran Duran emerged from. The chorus "No more heroes, we twist and shout" could be seen as a commentary on the decline of that scene and how the band is moving away from it.
The song also implies that these friendships are not only a waste of time but can also be damaging. The line "Silly lies, don't have to advertise, when will you realize, I'm sick of your alibis" suggests that these friends are liars and that the singer has grown weary of their excuses.
Overall, "Friends of Mine" can be seen as a critique of superficial and meaningless friendships that can have negative effects on one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Friends of mine
The people who claimed to be my friends
They said they were friends of mine
They claimed to be my companions.
Said they were passing time
They suggested they were just looking for ways to kill time.
More like a waste of time
It ended up being completely pointless.
Close the door
Can you shut the entrance?
I said close the door
I previously requested that the entrance be closed.
I've told you twice before
I have already made myself clear on two previous occasions.
What are you waiting for
Why haven't you done so already?
Georgie Davies is coming out
Georgie Davies is appearing or coming out to be seen.
No more heroes we twist and shout
There won't be any more heroes and we'll dance excitedly.
Oh no not me I'm not too late
I am not tardy and haven't missed it.
And I know that I'm not taking anymore
And I am aware of the fact that I will not endure any further harm.
Rocky Picture has lost his gun
Rocky Picture has lost his weapon.
Leave him out now he's having fun
Allow him to stay out and enjoy himself.
Silly lies, don't have to advertise
There is no need to publicize your deceptive tales.
When will you realize, I'm sick of you alibis
When will you understand how weary I am of your constant justifications?
Running cold, the water's running cold
The water is flowing coldly and briskly.
It's time that you were told
It's about time someone informed you.
I think you're growing old
I believe you are becoming older.
They were just wasting time
Their actions were nothing but a waste of time.
Out on the dotted line
Out in the open and exposed to the public.
Oh, money's gone, I've known it all along
Ah, the money's long gone, I've been aware of this fact the whole time.
Why don't you say I'm wrong
Why don't you disagree with me?
Why don't they drop the bomb
Why don't they just put an end to everything and drop the bomb?
Holding back now friends of mine
My so-called friends are now being reluctant
I've always heard you calling
I have always listened to your cries for help and assistance.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDY TAYLOR, JOHN TAYLOR, NICK RHODES, ROGER TAYLOR, SIMON LE BON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind