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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Like An Angel
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Da da da da da
Things that you used to say
Now take on different meanings you realise
Can't be to careful about the lines
Come on you know you're not so young
You cannot hide behind disguise
Eyes like an angel
So wise, don't lie
You never felt like this before
Fly like an angel
So high this time
You send your senses streaming free
Places you used to go
When you were young look different in the dark
Don't you worry it's O.K.
And maybe I can help you find your way
Tonight I think you will agree
Summer reason's run away
Eyes like an angel
So wise, don't lie
You never felt like this before
Fly like an angel
So high this time
You've got your senses streaming free
Oh I hear your heart beating even faster now than mine
Now you know just what I mean.
So take your place among those twilight gleaming rivers that you read
Give me reasons to believe
Eyes like an angel - so wise don't lie
You never feel like this again
Fly like an angel - so high this time
You send my senses streaming free
Like an angel... da da da-da
Like an angel... da da daa
The lyrics of Duran Duran's "Like An Angel" capture the experience of reminiscing about the past while being present in the moment. The song's narrator sings about the things that used to be important, but now take on different meanings with age. The lyrics encourage the listener to be careful about lines and not to hide behind disguises. The lyrics also highlight that it's okay to be lost and that the singer is present to help find the way. The song's message is ultimately about valuing the present and looking at the world through new eyes, eyes like an angel.
The use of "eyes like an angel" suggests the idea of purity and wisdom, as well as a sense of clarity. The song highlights that you've never felt like this before and you send your senses streaming free. This line conveys a sense of freedom and liberation that comes with being present in the moment. The song uses metaphors like "twilight gleaming rivers" to hint at the possibility of a journey, led by the singer, to explore the past and present. The contrasting imagery of "high this time" and "different meanings" reinforces the idea of looking at things through different perspectives.
Line by Line Meaning
Things that you used to say
Now take on different meanings you realise
The things that you once used to say have started to mean something different now, and you have realized it
Can't be to careful about the lines
Come on you know you're not so young
You cannot hide behind disguise
You have to be careful about the things you say since you're not young any more, and you can't hide behind pretending to be someone you're not
Listen to your own desire
Pay attention to what you truly want
Eyes like an angel
So wise, don't lie
You never felt like this before
Fly like an angel
So high this time
You send your senses streaming free
You're feeling pure and free as if you're flying high like an angel, and your eyes show your wisdom and honesty. It's a feeling you've never had before, and it's liberating
Places you used to go
When you were young look different in the dark
Don't you worry it's O.K.
And maybe I can help you find your way
Tonight I think you will agree
Summer reason's run away
Places you used to know look different at night, but don't worry about it. I can help you navigate, and I think you'll agree that summer has already gone
Oh I hear your heart beating even faster now than mine
Now you know just what I mean.
So take your place among those twilight gleaming rivers that you read
Give me reasons to believe
Your heart is beating faster than mine, and you finally understand what I'm trying to communicate. Move through the twilight and make me believe
Eyes like an angel - so wise don't lie
You never feel like this again
Fly like an angel - so high this time
You send my senses streaming free
Your eyes reflect the honesty and wisdom of an angel, and you never want to lose this feeling. It's like you're flying high, and you're liberating my senses as well
Like an angel... da da da-da
Like an angel... da da daa
Repeating the idea of feeling like an angel, over and over again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDY TAYLOR, JOHN TAYLOR, NICK RHODES, ROGER TAYLOR, SIMON LE BON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind