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
Master Mix
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been waiting for you
Signed with a home tattoo
Happy birthday to you was created for you
Can't ever keep from falling apart at the seams
Can I believe you're taking my heart to pieces
Might take a little crime to come undone
Now we'll try to stay blind to the hope and fear outside
Hey child, stay wilder than the wind and blow me in to cry
Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
Words, playing me deja vu
Like a radio tune I swear I've heard before
Chill, is it something real?
Or the magic I'm feeding off your fingers
Can't ever keep from falling apart at the seams
Can I believe you're taking my heart to pieces
Lost, in a snow filled sky
We'll make it alright to come undone
Now we'll try to stay blind to the hope and fear outside
Hey child, stay wilder than the wind and blow me in to cry
Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
Can't ever keep from falling apart
Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
The lyrics to Duran Duran's "Master Mix" describe a dreamlike state of intense emotion and desire. The opening lines capture the feeling of a perfect, beautiful dream that has finally come to life in reality. The singer has been longing for this moment, and it has become their entire world. The line "Happy birthday to you was created for you" suggests that this dream is a gift or a special moment that has been crafted specifically for them.
However, the dream world is fragile and prone to falling apart. The singer feels like they are "falling apart at the seams," and wonders if their lover will "take [their] heart to pieces." This sense of impending doom is coupled with a desire to stay in the moment and forget the world outside. The singer urges their lover to "stay wilder than the wind and blow me in to cry," emphasizing the intensity of their emotions and the sense of being lost in the moment.
The chorus consists of a repeating question: "Who do you need? Who do you love?" This reflects the uncertainty and insecurity that comes with intense emotions. The singer is not sure if their feelings are reciprocated or if they are alone in their desire. Ultimately, the song ends with a plea to stay together and avoid falling apart.
Line by Line Meaning
Mine, immaculate dream made breath and skin
The singer is describing an idealized version of a person or relationship, one that is perfect and seemingly flawless.
I've been waiting for you
The singer has been anticipating the arrival of someone or something, possibly the idealized dream they mentioned in the previous line.
Signed with a home tattoo
The singer has made a permanent mark on themselves or their environment to commemorate something important or significant, possibly related to the person or relationship they have been waiting for.
Happy birthday to you was created for you
The singer is saying that whatever they are commemorating with the tattoo or waiting for is intended to be a gift for the person they are addressing in the song.
Can't ever keep from falling apart at the seams
The singer is acknowledging that they are prone to breaking down or losing control, likely due to their intense emotions or attachment to the person or relationship they have been waiting for.
Can I believe you're taking my heart to pieces
The singer is questioning whether the person they are addressing is causing their emotional turmoil and instability, suggesting they might be to blame for pushing the singer to their breaking point.
Ah, it'll take a little time
The singer is admitting that their situation is complicated and that it will take some time to sort out and resolve their issues.
Might take a little crime to come undone
The singer is acknowledging that the process of unraveling their emotional turmoil or disentangling themselves from the person or relationship causing it might require some unconventional or morally ambiguous methods.
Now we'll try to stay blind to the hope and fear outside
The singer is saying they will try to ignore external influences and instead focus solely on their own emotions and the situation at hand.
Hey child, stay wilder than the wind and blow me in to cry
The singer is addressing the person they are talking to as a child, and encouraging them to be adventurous and impulsive, even if it hurts the singer emotionally.
Words, playing me deja vu
The singer is saying that they are experiencing a feeling of familiarity or repetition, possibly related to something the other person said or did.
Like a radio tune I swear I've heard before
The singer is comparing their situation to a song they have heard before, emphasizing the cyclical and repetitive nature of their emotional turmoil.
Chill, is it something real?
The singer is questioning whether their intense emotions are based on something genuine and authentic, or if they are just caught up in a fantasy or illusion.
Or the magic I'm feeding off your fingers
The singer is acknowledging that their intense emotions might be rooted in something mystical or supernatural, like a spell or enchantment cast by the other person.
Lost, in a snow filled sky
The singer is feeling disoriented or lost, possibly due to the overwhelming emotions they are experiencing.
We'll make it alright to come undone
The singer is suggesting that it is okay to let go and experience their emotions fully, even if it means breaking down or losing control.
Can't ever keep from falling apart
The singer is admitting that they are not in control of their emotions and are prone to breaking down or losing control.
Who do you need?
The singer is asking a direct question to the person they are addressing, possibly related to their emotional state or their mutual relationship.
Who do you love?
The singer is asking another direct question, this time about love and the person's emotional attachments.
When you come undone
The singer is describing a state of emotional disintegration or breakdown, and asking the other person to be honest about their own emotions in that situation.
Lyrics © SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: JOHN TAYLOR, NICK RHODES, SIMON LE BON, WARREN CUCCURULLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind