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
Know It All
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll give it all up for you
We are pinned to an evening
That's running out of road
As the last ray of light heads into dark
If it's closure you're craving
Some message in the code
Oh oh oh oh-oh, yeah
I'll give it all up for you
Standing on the edge of something greater than us all
Down into the heart of the universe as we fall
Falling with the fires trailing glory on their way
Know that we are heading for tomorrow today
Anyway, lover
What ya think I'm gonna do?
When it's all over
I'll give it all up for you
Giving up believing
Giving up completely
For you
Knowing that world will keep on turning, going on
And we let the night forever burn when we're gone
Burning with the stars that wander lonely on their way
Know that life is heading here tomorrow today
Anyway, lover
What ya think I'm gonna do?
When it's all over
I'll give it all up for you
Giving up believing
Giving up completely
For you
Yeah
I'll give it all up for you
And the sun beats down on skin and ground
And anything between
And the moon looks down
On broken bounds
There's a space between us
With that cold blue shine
And I can't remember
How our love felt at the start
No, I can't remember
Anyway, lover
What ya think I'm gonna do? (gonna do)
When it's all over
I'll give it all up for you
Giving up believing (giving up believing)
Giving up completely
For you
The lyrics of Duran Duran's song GIVE IT ALL UP ft. Tove Lo revolves around a relationship that seems to have reached the end, and the singer is willing to give up everything for their lover. They seem to be in a situation where they are running out of time, and the evening of their relationship is coming to an end, symbolized by the last ray of light heading into the dark. If the lover is looking for closure, the singer is willing to give them the message that they need to fill the empty spaces in their lives. The chorus, "I'll give it all up for you," repeats several times, indicating the singer's willingness to sacrifice everything for their lover.
The second verse emphasizes the vastness of the emotions that the relationship has given rise to, with the singer standing on the edge of something greater than both of them, leading them into the heart of the universe. As they fall, they are surrounded by fire, stars, and glory, symbolizing the intensity of their emotions. The bridge of the song talks about the inevitability of time and how life goes on even after they are gone. However, the singer emphasizes their willingness to give up everything, including their belief in anything, for the lover.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh oh oh oh-oh, yeah
Expressing agreement and enthusiasm
I'll give it all up for you
I am willing to sacrifice everything for you
We are pinned to an evening
We are stuck in a specific moment in time
That's running out of road
Time is running out for us
As the last ray of light heads into dark
The day is coming to an end
If it's closure you're craving
If you want resolution
Some message in the code
A hidden message or meaning
To fill the empty space in with your mark
To leave your mark or make an impact
Standing on the edge of something greater than us all
We are on the brink of an extraordinary experience
Down into the heart of the universe as we fall
We are descending into the unknown
Falling with the fires trailing glory on their way
Falling towards an unknown future with determination and grace
Know that we are heading for tomorrow today
Our actions today will shape tomorrow
Anyway, lover
Regardless, my love
What ya think I'm gonna do?
What do you expect me to do?
When it's all over
When everything is finished
Giving up believing
I am letting go of my beliefs
Giving up completely
I am surrendering everything
For you
For your sake
Knowing that world will keep on turning, going on
Acknowledging that life will continue without us
And we let the night forever burn when we're gone
We will leave behind a lasting legacy
Burning with the stars that wander lonely on their way
Burning with passion and ambition like the wandering stars
Know that life is heading here tomorrow today
The future is approaching quickly
And the sun beats down on skin and ground
The sun is shining down on everything around us
And anything between
And everything else
And the moon looks down
The moon is watching over us
On broken bounds
On boundaries that have been crossed
There's a space between us
There is distance between us
With that cold blue shine
With a distant and melancholy feeling
And I can't remember
I cannot recall
How our love felt at the start
How our love was at the beginning
No, I can't remember
It is lost to me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, PFIVE Entertainment Mexico, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Erol Alkan, Graham Coxon, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes, Roger Taylor, Simon Le Bon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maggie B
They really need that Andy Taylor guitar sound back!
fernandoferdinand
Completely agree, they need Andy back.
BigFloppyDonkeyDick
I like Andy but Warren slays him.
Adrian Dumont-Namin - Extreme Well-being
WELL COOL. They are always excellent.
Peter Jackson
This (Reach Up For the) Sunrise single with Know It All as the second of 2 tracks is a downloadable affordable purchase on google play or itunes.
preserver7777
Kick arse b-side this one.
RifK
As often is the case with DD, best ones end up left off the album..hmphh
ColtraneTaylor
Is it really that good?
alejandro lauterstein
So GOOD . Better than any song in Astronaut . How it did not make it to the album ??
heksje69
Epic!