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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Of Crime And Passion
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you knew I'd fall for the gaping hole
Where your heart should be
Liar-couldn't cut me deeper with a knife if you tried
Just take a look before you run off and hide
At your victim
Arise
Aren't they grazed by the afterglow
How quiet they gather
When the storm is about to blow
No don't look away
Caught in the crossfire
And it ain't no wind of change
I'm talking of crime and passion's rage
Summer of madness or the undertow
Dragged me up an alley for the blossoming fire
On a stranger's smile
Bride of wire-how disguise so easily cracked
Saw your heart turn spade
This orchid's turned to black
Graze on your shoulder
Like the clouds in the afterglow
How quiet they gather
When the storm is about to blow
No don't look away
Caught in the crossfire
And it ain't no wind of change
I'm talking of crime and passion's rage
Way down by the shoulder
In the haze of the afterglow
Stranded together
And the storm is about to blow
No don't look away
Caught in the crossfire
And it ain't no wind of change
I'm talking of crime and passion, don't look away
Caught in the crossfire
And it ain't no wind of change
I'm talking of crime and passion, don't look away
Caught in the crossfire
And it ain't no wind of change
I'm talking of crime and passion, don't look away
The lyrics of Duran Duran's song "Of Crime and Passion" tell a story of betrayal and deceit in a relationship. The first verse describes how the singer trusted their partner even though they knew the partner was not truthful, which ultimately led to the singer's downfall. The chorus warns against looking away from the consequences of one's actions and facing the "crime and passion's rage" that may result.
The second verse continues the theme of impending danger, describing the gathering storm and the risks of getting caught in the crossfire. The imagery of the clouds in the afterglow and the blossoming fire create a sense of intensity and danger. The final verse describes the couple as stranded together, facing the storm and the consequences of their actions.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a cautionary tale of love gone wrong, with the singers urging the listener to face the reality of their situation and take responsibility for their actions before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Why did you let me run
Why did you allow me to make my own mistakes when you knew what the outcome would be?
When you knew I'd fall for the gaping hole
When you knew I would fall for your lack of emotions and love
Where your heart should be
Where your emotions and love for me should be
Liar-couldn't cut me deeper with a knife if you tried
Your dishonesty hurts me even more than physical pain
Just take a look before you run off and hide
Before you leave and ignore the problem, take a moment to see the damage you've caused
At your victim
At the person who has been hurt by your actions
Clouds on your shoulder
Your problems weighing you down like a heavy cloud
Aren't they grazed by the afterglow
Aren't your problems impacted by the aftermath of what has happened?
How quiet they gather
Your problems silently build up
When the storm is about to blow
When the situation is about to become worse
No don't look away
Don't avoid the problem
Caught in the crossfire
In the middle of a conflict between two parties
And it ain't no wind of change
The problem won't go away by ignoring it
I'm talking of crime and passion's rage
I'm referring to the intense emotions and actions that come from love and hurt
Summer of madness or the undertow
A time of chaos and confusion, like being pulled under by a strong current
Dragged me up an alley for the blossoming fire
Taken to a dangerous place for the sake of passion
On a stranger's smile
Trusting someone who is unknown and potentially dangerous
Bride of wire-how disguise so easily cracked
The disguise of trust and love can be easily broken like a fragile wire
Saw your heart turn spade
Saw your love turn into heartache
This orchid's turned to black
This once-beautiful relationship has turned dark and ugly
Way down by the shoulder
Deeply affected by your problems and emotions
In the haze of the afterglow
In the midst of the aftermath of the situation
Stranded together
Stuck together in this difficult situation
And the storm is about to blow
And the situation is about to become worse
I'm talking of crime and passion, don't look away
I'm referring to the intense emotions and actions that come from love and hurt, and you shouldn't ignore it
Caught in the crossfire
In the middle of a conflict between two parties
And it ain't no wind of change
The problem won't go away by ignoring it
I'm talking of crime and passion, don't look away
I'm referring to the intense emotions and actions that come from love and hurt, and you shouldn't ignore it
Caught in the crossfire
In the middle of a conflict between two parties
And it ain't no wind of change
The problem won't go away by ignoring it
I'm talking of crime and passion, don't look away
I'm referring to the intense emotions and actions that come from love and hurt, and you shouldn't ignore it
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDY TAYLOR, JOHN TAYLOR, NICK RHODES, ROGER ANDREW TAYLOR, SIMON LE BON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind