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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Lava Lamp
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can almost see you glow
Can tell by the way you're moving
Time may be right to let you know
You got many colored halo
The body of Venus a babe rainbow
And if I come any closer
I might fall into your silhouette
Is constantly changing
So let it
So let it
So let it flow
La la la la lava lamp
La la la la lava lamp
Indigo, violet, and blue
Can we meet where the edges blur
Because I am coming at you
Like a bug eye heading for the burn
Truth is I can't stay no
I want to let you lite my volcano
And maybe its just in my imagination
But you never know
The shape of things to come
Is constantly changing
So let it
So let it
So let it flow
La la la la lava lamp
I'd love to turn you on
La la la la lava lamp
I'd love to turn you on
La la la la lava lamp
I'd love to turn you on
La la la la lava lamp
I'd love to turn you on
So let it
So let it
So let it flow
La la la la lava lamp
I'd love to turn you on
La la la la lava lamp
I'd love to turn you on
The lyrics to Duran Duran's song Lava Lamp picture a beautiful woman in the half-light of the evening. The singer marvels at the way the woman moves and the many-colored halo around her. He contemplates letting her know how he feels, but also recognizes that the shape of things to come is constantly changing. The singer sees the woman like a lava lamp, with colors like indigo, violet, and blue; changing in the way the edges of the colors blur. He compares his attraction to this woman to a bug attracted to the light, and he wants to let her "light his volcano."
The lyrics are playful and filled with similes and colorful imagery. The singer metaphorizes his love interest with a lava lamp, which is constantly in motion and changing. The lava lamp symbolizes the singer’s attraction, constantly changing and evolving. The lyrics’ rhythm and melody are in sync with the movement of the lava lamp, which adds to the song's exuberance and playfulness.
Line by Line Meaning
In the half light of the evening
During the dim light of sunset
I can almost see you glow
I can nearly observe your radiance
Can tell by the way you're moving
I infer from your movements
Time may be right to let you know
This could be an appropriate time to reveal my feelings to you
You got many colored halo
You have a multicolored aura
The body of Venus a babe rainbow
Your body's akin to a colorful rainbow
And if I come any closer
If I inch any nearer
I might fall into your silhouette
I could tumble into your shadow
But the shape of things to come
Nevertheless, the future can alter unexpectedly
Is constantly changing
It's constantly transforming
So let it
So let it evolve
So let it
So let it progress
So let it flow
So let it naturally proceed
La la la la lava lamp
A chorus used to simulate the sound or movement of a lava lamp
Indigo, violet, and blue
Referring to the colors inside a lava lamp
Can we meet where the edges blur
Can we unite where the lines between things merge?
Because I am coming at you
Because I am approaching you
Like a bug eye heading for the burn
Similar to how a bug's eyes gravitate towards light
Truth is I can't stay no
Honestly, I can't resist anymore
I want to let you lite my volcano
I want you to ignite my passion
And maybe its just in my imagination
It could be merely figments of my imagination
But you never know
However, you can never know for sure
I'd love to turn you on
I'd love to excite you
So let it
So allow it to happen
So let it
So permit it to occur
So let it flow
So allow it to progress naturally
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NICK RHODES, SIMON LE BON, WARREN CUCCURULLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind