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.
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I Believe
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The pressmen are by the bar
And all the world is at your door.
It's strange that you should lock it up
And preach an open heart
But you know what they're waiting for.
You can turn your face away
I'm just the ordinary guy you used to know
I'm not after your money
Or even your advice
I believe you'll follow me
It's all I need to know
(To walk away).
I was tempted by the devil
In his deep blue swimming pool
Until the devil's makeup ran (ran ran).
And my future's in the strangle hold
Of ever changing rules
I don't intend to understand.
You can stop pretending now
That I had you fooled
I'm still the ordinary guy you used to know
I'm not after your money
To paralyze my soul
I believe you'll follow me
It's all I need to know
Promise me you'll try to understand before I go
(And walk away).
You can turn your face away
And don't think twice
I'm just the ordinary guy you used to know.
I'm not after your money
Or even your advice
I believe you'll follow me
It's all I need to know
Promise me you'll try to understand before I go
All I need to, all I need to, all I need to know
All I need to, all I need to, all I need to know
All I need to, all I need to, all I need to know
All I need to, all I need to, all I need to know
The lyrics of Duran Duran's "I Believe/All I Need to Know" can be interpreted as a message of hope in the face of adversity. The song seems to describe a situation where the singer is being observed and judged by society. The taxman and the press are there, representing the scrutiny of authority and public opinion. The singer, however, chooses to keep their heart open, even though they know that others might exploit their vulnerability. They are hoping that someone will follow them, maybe even understand them.
The second verse suggests that the singer has been tempted and seduced by the devil, quite literally, in the form of a swimming pool. The devil's makeup running represents the deceit and illusion of this temptation, which has the potential to destroy the singer's future. Nevertheless, they refuse to conform to the ever-changing rules of society or to compromise their beliefs. The singer knows that they might not be understood, but they still hope that someone will try to comprehend them before they walk away.
In the end, the chorus repeats the same message twice, "All I need to know," emphasizing the singer's desire for understanding and connection. They no longer need anything else, not money, not advice, not validation. They just need someone to follow them, to walk with them, and to believe in what they believe.
Line by Line Meaning
The taxman's in the pocketbook
Money is being taken by those in power.
The pressmen are by the bar
Media figures are present in the social gathering.
And all the world is at your door.
Everyone wants to be near you.
It's strange that you should lock it up
You are keeping yourself closed off despite all the attention.
And preach an open heart
You talk about being open and honest.
But you know what they're waiting for.
You recognize that people want something from you.
I'm just the ordinary guy you used to know
I am not different from who I was before.
I'm not after your money
I do not want financial gain from you.
Or even your advice
I do not need any guidance from you.
I believe you'll follow me
I trust that you will support me.
It's all I need to know
That belief is enough for me.
I was tempted by the devil
I faced a difficult situation.
In his deep blue swimming pool
It seemed like an enticing opportunity.
Until the devil's makeup ran (ran ran).
But the situation turned out to be less appealing than it seemed.
And my future's in the stranglehold
I feel trapped in my current circumstances.
Of ever-changing rules
Everything around me is constantly shifting and unpredictable.
I don't intend to understand.
I have no intention of trying to make sense of everything.
You can stop pretending now
You can stop acting like you are fooled.
That I had you fooled
That you were deceived by me.
To paralyze my soul
I do not want anything from you that will harm me.
Promise me you'll try to understand
Please make an effort to comprehend where I am coming from.
Before I go (And walk away).
Before I leave and distance myself from you.
All I need to, all I need to, all I need to know
This is all I require to move on.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN NIGEL TAYLOR, NICK RHODES, SIMON JOHN LE BON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind