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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Late Bar
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things with legs are crawling through
Their madly searching for the door in your room
You're coming out, your coming down
There's an all night party in room 7609
(La-la-la late bar la la la la la la la late)
You can dance together all night, if you've got the time
The bodies move like flies on the wall
You want to run but there's no space at all
The dancers spinning in the mirror ball
You're coming out your going round
There's an all night party in room 7609
(La-la-la late bar la la la la la la la late)
You can dance together all night, if you've got the time
(La-la-la late bar la la la la la la la late)
Just come to the late bar
Come, so fast
Drink
I know what I'm talking about
I know what I'm doing
Ah
There's an all night party in room 7609
(La-la-la late bar la la la la la la la late)
You can dance together all night, if you've got the time
(La-la-la late bar la la la la la la la late)
The lyrics of Duran Duran’s song “Late Bar” describe the atmosphere of a wild and crazy party, with a sense of delirium and chaos that is conveyed in the imagery of the lyrics. The first verse describes something ominous: a hole in the wall next to the singer, from which creatures are crawling through. It seems like the party is getting out of control and even taking on a surreal, disturbing quality. The singer then mentions that they’re “coming out” and “coming down,” which could refer to a feeling of being overwhelmed or the effects of a drug or alcohol.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the frenetic energy of the party, with a repeated refrain of “La la la late bar.” The lyrics suggest that everyone is dancing and having a good time, but there is also an undercurrent of desperation and a sense that the partygoers are losing themselves in the moment. The second verse describes bodies moving like “flies on the wall,” with the dancers spinning in the mirror ball. The singer wants to escape but there’s “no space at all,” which highlights the claustrophobic feeling of the party. The sense of delirium and chaos is further emphasized by the repetition of the refrain “you’re coming out, you’re going round.”
Overall, “Late Bar” is a song that captures the energy and atmosphere of a wild party, but with a sense of darkness and danger lurking beneath the surface.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a hole in the wall next to you
There is an opening in the wall beside you
Things with legs are crawling through
Creatures are crawling through the hole
Their madly searching for the door in your room
The creatures are frantically trying to find an exit in your room
You're coming out, your coming down
You are emerging and descending from wherever you were before
There's an all night party in room 7609
There is a long-lasting celebration occurring in another room
(La-la-la late bar la la la la la la la late)
The late night party is happening in a place that's lively and vibrant
You can dance together all night, if you've got the time
You are free to dance for as long as you want provided you have enough time
The bodies move like flies on the wall
The dancing figures seem to swarm and flutter like flies
You want to run but there's no space at all
You are feeling cramped and would like to flee but cannot
The dancers spinning in the mirror ball
The dancers are moving about in the light from a mirror ball
You're coming out your going round
Your spirits are high and you're swaying to the music
Just come to the late bar
Simply go to the party venue late at night
Come, so fast
Hurry and join in the festivities
Drink
Have a drink and enjoy yourself
I know what I'm talking about
I am knowledgeable and experienced
I know what I'm doing
I am confident in my actions
Ah
An expression of satisfaction or pleasure
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDY TAYLOR, JOHN TAYLOR, NICK RHODES, ROGER TAYLOR, SIMON LE BON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind