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
Is There Something I Should Know
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Please, please tell me now
Please, please tell me now
Please, please tell me now
I made a run, I run out yesterday
Tried to find my mountain hideaway
Maybe next year, maybe no go
I know you're watching me every minute of the day, yeah
I've seen the signs and the looks and pictures
That give your game away, yeah
There's a dream that strings the road
With broken glass for us to hold
And I cut so far before I had to say
Please, please tell me now
Is there something I should know?
Is there something I should say?
That would make you come my way
Do you feel the same 'cause you don't let it show (ooh)
People stare and cross the road from me
And jungle drums they all clear the way for me
Can you read my mind, can you see in the snow
And fiery demons all dance when you walk through that door
Don't say you're easy on me, you're about as easy as a nuclear war
There's a dream that strings the road
With broken glass for us to hold
And I cut so far before I had to say
Please, please tell me now
Is there something I should know?
Is there something I should say?
That would make you come my way
Do you feel the same 'cause you don't let it show
Please, please tell me now
Is there something I should know? (please, please tell me now)
Is there something I should say? (please, please tell me now)
That would make you come my way (please, please tell me now)
Please, please tell me now
Can you see what makes me blow? (please, please tell me now)
Can you see how much I die? (please, please tell me now)
Every time it passes by (please, please tell me now)
Please, please tell me now
What it takes to make you show (please, please tell me now)
Is there something I should know? (please, please tell me now)
Is there something I should say? (please, please tell me now)
The lyrics of Duran Duran's song "Is There Something I Should Know" speaks of unrequited love and the confusion that it brings to the singer. The first and second verses talk about the singer's attempts to get away from the situation but ultimately being unable to do so. He knows that he is being watched, with signs and looks giving away the other person's game. The singer then poses a series of questions, asking if there is something he should know or say to make the other person come his way. He wonders if they feel the same but do not show it.
The third verse speaks of the other people around him, staring and cross the road from him. He wonders if the other person can see into his thoughts and the fiery demons dance when the other person walks in. The final plea is again for the other person to tell him what to do, to show him what it takes to make the other person show their feelings.
Overall, the song is a plea for the other person to reveal their true feelings, and the confusion and anxiety caused by their silence.
Line by Line Meaning
Please, please tell me now
The singer urgently wants to know something and is repeatedly pleading for an answer.
I made a run, I run out yesterday / Tried to find my mountain hideaway / Maybe next year, maybe no go
The singer tried to get away from something or someone but it's uncertain if they'll be able to do so in the future.
I know you're watching me every minute of the day, yeah / I've seen the signs and the looks and pictures / That give your game away, yeah
The singer is aware of someone constantly watching them and has seen various hints that reveal this person's motives.
There's a dream that strings the road / With broken glass for us to hold / And I cut so far before I had to say
The path to achieving a dream is difficult and potentially painful, and the singer has encountered obstacles before reaching a breaking point.
Do you feel the same 'cause you don't let it show (ooh)
The singer suspects that someone has feelings for them but this person is hiding it and not being transparent.
People stare and cross the road from me / And jungle drums they all clear the way for me / Can you read my mind, can you see in the snow / And fiery demons all dance when you walk through that door / Don't say you're easy on me, you're about as easy as a nuclear war
The singer feels like an outcast and observes others reacting to their presence, while also questioning if someone can truly understand them. They believe that the person they're addressing is not easy to deal with and can be explosive.
Please, please tell me now / Is there something I should know? / Is there something I should say? / That would make you come my way
The singer is still pleading for answers as to what they need to do to bring someone closer to them.
Please, please tell me now / Can you see what makes me blow? / Can you see how much I die? / Every time it passes by / Please, please tell me now / What it takes to make you show / Is there something I should know?
The singer is expressing how much they're affected by certain things and is again asking for insight on how to get closer to someone.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Andy Taylor, Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@UnderTheMillkyWay
Life was perfect when Duran Duran was playing daily on the radio. Love being a teenager in the 80's! Best times ever.
@willomina1990
Hey!.....Yeah, the only downside to being a teenager in the 80's is that u r really old now......
@Xynthtek
I could not agree more, we should get together lol
@michaellomeli8096
Yes Very Very True. Life Sucks Now.
@dcglover4428
Hey sweety, you must be almost my same age. I love you for that. Something to confess: I never had a woman cos my mental problems. Neverdeless I love those times.
@richardjeffreys2437
Especially in the UK..The Annie Nightingale Show...x
@traceypearce2755
This song, this band, their music. Timeless. How can it be 40 years since Rio? I was a fan when I was 14. I'm 54 now and still think they're wonderful.
@FFab-DD68
Time sure flies by.
@martap6353
I was 8 years old when Rio came out and i still remember. Now,im almost 48 and im sure it were the best years of my life.
@zenajones6455
I have always loved Duran Duran too since I was 12, I had posters all over my bedroom walls. I am now in my 50's and I still love them