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
She
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All she wants is, all she wants is, all she wants is
Hey, spend your money on the corner now
Know you've gotta save some for the shoeshine boy
You've been pulling them by the hand inside
Oh, collecting all your toys
If you need a lead to heaven now, just stick around
What do you care? What do you dare?
What does your heart say now?
All she wants is, all she wants is, all she wants is
Divine intervention, couldn't keep the word from leaking out
With your pleasure in suspension
Not to mention what you hang it around
If you need a lead to heaven
A place to share in every position
What do you care? What do you dare?
What does your heart say now?
All she wants is, all she wants is, all she wants is
More, more, more, gets more
Now, gets more
All she wants is, all she wants is, all she wants is
All she wants is, all she wants is, all she wants is
All she wants is, all she wants is, all she wants is
All she wants is, all she wants is, all she wants is
All she wants is, all she wants is, all she wants is
All she wants is, all she wants is, all she wants is
All she wants is
In the song "She's Too Much," Duran Duran describes a woman who is sensitive, yet strong. She is gentle to the touch and takes on everything head first, causing trouble and sometimes feeling overwhelmed. The lyrics suggest that the singer deeply cares for her and will fight for her when the pressures of the world become too much. The singer knows that she cries when she's alone and that life's little knocks hurt her, even though she tries to put on a tough exterior.
The chorus reiterates the singer's devotion to this woman, describing her as "everything" and saying that she is "too much" with her gentle touch. The song also hints at the woman's potential for greatness, as she plays with the sun like a ball and may one day save us all if an apocalypse is to come. Overall, "She's Too Much" is a tender tribute to the strength and vulnerability of a remarkable woman.
Line by Line Meaning
She's gentle to the touch
She has a delicate and tender nature.
She's everything head first
She approaches everything with enthusiasm and daring.
So happy to be causing trouble
She finds joy in mischievous behavior.
Sometimes the pressure gets too much
At times, she feels overwhelmed and stressed.
And you think she's going to burst
It seems like she may not be able to handle the pressure.
And shatter like a Christmas bauble
She may break apart like a fragile ornament.
I'll be there when the world is coming down upon her
I will support her through life's difficulties.
When she's scared, I'll be there fighting in her corner
I will defend and protect her when she's feeling frightened.
She cries when she's alone
She weeps privately over life's struggles.
For all life's little knocks
For every challenge and setback that comes her way.
Everything is supposed to make us tougher
People are expected to grow resilient and strong from challenges.
Thinking it doesn't really show
She may not openly express her sensitivity.
But I know how she hurts
I understand her pain and emotional struggles.
And I can't bear to see her suffer
It's difficult for me to witness her in emotional pain.
I'll be there when the walls are closing to surround her
I will stand by her through difficult times.
In the air as she falls with my arms around her
I will hold her and provide support when she needs it most.
Holding on I'm looking out for her thin skin
I am mindful of her delicate emotional state.
Because she's everything
She holds tremendous value and importance to me.
And I don't think she knows
I don't believe she fully understands her own worth.
She is such a gentle touch
She has a tender and caring demeanor.
She's too much, a gentle touch
Her gentle nature is overwhelming and extraordinary.
She likes to catch the sun
She has a playful spirit, catching and holding onto the shining light.
Plays with it like a ball
She enjoys toying with the sun's light and energy.
And never mind whatever keeps it burning
She doesn't worry about what powers the sun's light.
Someday she might just be the one
She has the potential to be a powerful force for good.
Whose going to save us all
She may be the key to salvaging a dire situation.
If this apocalypse is coming
If a catastrophic event should occur.
I don't think she knows
I don't think she fully understands her own worth.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Simon John Charles Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Nigel Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
nikorey27
This song was so ahead of its time, that nowadays still sounds fresh.
MEFISTOFELonline
You're God damn right. )
David Freeley
Not really, it's a lift from Kraftwerk.
pasquale davino
beatiful song remember 2 single of big thing the video good
Lyri Metacurl
I don't think it sounds that Kraftwerkish...
Cokie907
You're right on! It is one of those songs that makes you FEEL ALIVE!
Nava Godinez
Shame on all of us for not making this a number 1 hit.
It was truly ahead of its time.
Gregory Zahn
I agree. ... peaked at no. 22 pop in the U.S. and at no. 9 pop in the U.K. ...
Алексей Захаров
Так это у вас в Америке. А в СССР все тащились от этого, многие даже кончали.
Him Himarev
@Алексей Захаров Lex, ne palisb, bratan!