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
Needle and the Damage Done
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I love you baby can I have some more ooo-ooo the damage done
I hate the city and I lost my band I watch the needle take another man
Gone, gone the damage done
I sing this song because I love the man
I know that some of you don't understand
Built up to keep from running out
I've seen the needle and the damage a little part of it in everyone
The lyrics to "Needle and the Damage Done" by Duran Duran speak to the destructive nature of addiction. The singer describes catching someone knocking on their cellar door, presumably looking for drugs or other substances to feed their addiction. Despite knowing the damage that can come from substance abuse, the singer still loves the person and asks for more of their affection - a common theme in relationships affected by addiction.
The second verse alludes to the band's own struggles with addiction and the loss of a band member due to overdose. The singer watches as the needle takes another life, highlighting the dangers and consequences of drug abuse. The chorus repeats the phrase "gone, gone the damage done" as a somber reminder that once addiction takes hold, it can be difficult to escape.
The final verse acknowledges that not everyone understands the struggles of addiction, and that some turn to substances as a way to cope with their own pain. However, the singer cautions against relying on those harmful methods to feel better. The vivid imagery of "the needle and the damage" is a powerful symbol of the toll addiction can take on individuals and communities.
Line by Line Meaning
I've caught you knocking on my cellar door
I've noticed you trying to access my darkest secrets
I love you baby can I have some more ooo-ooo the damage done
I crave for your love but it's causing me more pain than pleasure
I hate the city and I lost my band I watch the needle take another man
I despise this urban life and lost my music group, and now I'm witnessing another soul succumb to addiction
Gone, gone the damage done
Irreversible harm has been inflicted and there's no turning back
I sing this song because I love the man
I perform this melody as tribute to someone dear to me
I know that some of you don't understand
I'm aware that a few of you may not comprehend my emotions
Built up to keep from running out
I've developed a defense mechanism to avoid being drained
I've seen the needle and the damage a little part of it in everyone
I've witnessed the harmful impact of drug abuse on individuals to some extent
But if you junkies like the setting sun
If you who struggle with addiction enjoy the fleeting delights of life
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@neilyoungchannel
Hi, this is Neil. Link to the NYA info-card for this song with press, documents, manuscripts, photos, videos. Look around NYA for fun and listening! ALL my music in high resolution at https://neilyoungarchives.com/info-card?track=t1993_0207_07
@user-hf9hf6hw8j
@Ronnie Sutton Ok boomer.
@lrosiererosiere3396
All of it 💘 Love it 😀
@jamesholland70
Thankyou Neil. ♡
@andrewp9290
Thanks Neil. True hero of song writing imo.. and you’re music has helped in many occasions.
@andrewp9290
Ronnie Sutton Sounds like you want a cookie. Good for you.. you’ll think about this later in life and be floored. Who cares who’s making money right now. For you to hate on anyone right now is far from necessary. Imagine you in his shoes... what does he have for income right now? What he is doing could be needed for him.
@dannycrow1096
My Dad once sung some lyrics from this song to me when he found out i was on heroin at 17. Im 37 now and 17 months clean. My Dad died of cancer on Friday. Happy he got to see me conquer my addiction.
@yaja_nowakowski
Congratulations, Danny. No small feat that takes great courage and commitment. It's great your dad got to see this achievement. Wishing you all the very best. Stay committed and live long and well.
@dannycrow1096
@Yaja eN Thank you Yaja. Lovely comment. And the same to you. God bless.
@garydergut4741
I'm glad your clean and so sorry for your father.