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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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Duran-Duran
http://www.youtube.com/DuranDuran
http://www.youtube.com/07duranduran
http://www.myspace.com/duranduran
Michael You've Got a Lot to Answer For
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a roundabout sort of way
Nothing holding me
Just the company
Gentle giving the afternoon
Don't ever try to be any more
Michael, you've got a lot to answer for
To my soul
And I don't see you for awhile
Thinkin of you will make me smile
You never bother me with responsibility
Misbehaving in candlelight
Don't ever try to give any more
Michael, you've got a lot to answer for
You got me wakin up wise to the world
Trust you to get caught up in somebody's war
You'll come out of it all in time, I'm sure
Just remember what friends were put here for
Michael, you've got a lot to answer for
And I know that you're gonna call
If you need me
When you need me
If you need me
The lyrics of Duran Duran's song Michael You've Got a Lot to Answer For narrate about a person who went to Michael's place in a casual way. The company is gentle, and there is nothing holding the singer back. Being in Michael's presence unlocked some doors to the singer's soul, and she's smiling just thinking about him being around. However, she knows that Michael has a lot to answer for, for unlocking some doors to her soul, and she'll see him again at some point. The lyrics also mention how Michael can get caught up in somebody's war, and reminds him that friends are put in this world to help each other.
The interpretation of the lyrics suggests that Michael is probably a charming person who has a significant impact on the singer's life. Michael might be an influential person who holds some secrets that the singer is curious about, which is why he has unlocked the doors to the singer's soul. The song also suggests that Michael could be going through a tough time, but the singer assures him that he'll come out of it and reminds him that friends are placed in this world to help each other. Overall, the lyrics of the song Michael You've Got a Lot to Answer For narrate about the relationship between Michael and the singer and how their friendship affects each other's lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I came over your place today
I visited your place today
In a roundabout sort of way
Indirectly, not straightforwardly
Nothing holding me
Nothing stopping me from visiting you
Just the company
Just to spend time with you
Gentle giving the afternoon
A peaceful and calming afternoon with you
Don't ever try to be any more
Don't change who you are
Michael, you've got a lot to answer for
Michael, you have influenced me in many ways
You unlocked some of the doors
You opened up parts of myself to me
To my soul
To my inner self
And I don't see you for awhile
I haven't seen you in a long time
Thinkin of you will make me smile
Thinking of you brings me joy
You never bother me with responsibility
You never make me feel burdened or obligated
Misbehaving in candlelight
Being intimate with you in a romantic setting
Don't ever try to give any more
Don't give more than you already have
You got me wakin up wise to the world
You helped me become more aware of the world
Trust you to get caught up in somebody's war
It's typical of you to be involved in someone else's conflict
You'll come out of it all in time, I'm sure
I'm confident that you will overcome it
Just remember what friends were put here for
Remember that friends are here to support each other
Michael, you've got a lot to answer for
Again, Michael, your influence on me has been significant
And I know that you're gonna call
I'm sure that you will reach out to me
If you need me
If you require my assistance
When you need me
When you need someone to depend on
If you need me
If you require my assistance
Contributed by Stella E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.