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
Sound of Thunder
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My clothes are dirty but my mouth isn't dry
How does it happen, does it fly through the air
Oh, I gave up asking days away
I gave up asking
Days away
And now I'm lying here waiting for the sound of thunder
Here I am, I'm the dotted line
Cut the corners stick me to your door
I'm the man who stepped off the path
And I just lie here
It's what I was made for
And now my eyes are closing but I still feel the land
Leaning out for the touch of my hand
The world spins so fast
That I might fly off
The world spins so fast
That I might fly off
The world spins so fast
That I might fly off
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
The lyrics to Duran Duran’s Sound of Thunder showcase a sense of ennui and isolation. The singer has been lying in the grass for the last ten hours, making us wonder about his backstory and intentions. While his clothes are dirty, his mouth isn’t dry, suggesting that he isn’t thirsty but rather looking for something more than just mere survival. The lines “How does it happen, does it fly through the air / Oh, I gave up asking days away” suggest that the singer is lost and disillusioned. He doesn’t know what he’s looking for or how to find it. The repetition of “I gave up asking / Days away” emphasizes the singer’s hopelessness as he keeps looking for answers that he knows he won’t get.
The chorus “And now I'm lying here waiting for the sound of thunder / Waiting for the sound of thunder” is the crux of the song. Thunder is often associated with danger, excitement, and power. Here, it could symbolize a change or an awakening that the singer desperately needs. He’s waiting for something to happen, for his life to be interrupted by a force out of his control. The lines “I'm the man who stepped off the path / And I just lie here / It's what I was made for” suggest an acceptance of his fate by being off the conventional path. The realization that he might not find what he’s looking for, that the world is spinning too fast and he might just fly off, is both frightening and liberating at the same time.
Line by Line Meaning
Been in this grass here for the last ten hours
I have been lying in this grass for the past ten hours.
My clothes are dirty but my mouth isn't dry
Although my clothes are dirty, I am not thirsty.
How does it happen, does it fly through the air
I wonder how something could happen, does it happen quickly or slowly?
Oh, I gave up asking days away
I stopped asking a long time ago.
I gave up asking
I no longer ask questions.
Days away
It has been days since I last asked a question.
And now I'm lying here waiting for the sound of thunder
I am currently lying down and waiting for the sound of thunder.
Here I am, I'm the dotted line
I am present, represented as a dotted line.
Cut the corners stick me to your door
Trim the edges and attach me to your door.
I'm the man who stepped off the path
I am the individual who strayed from the main route.
And I just lie here
I am simply lying here.
It's what I was made for
Lying here is my purpose or destiny.
And now my eyes are closing but I still feel the land
Although my eyes are shutting, I can still sense the ground beneath me.
Leaning out for the touch of my hand
I am reaching for something to touch.
The world spins so fast
The planet rotates at a rapid pace.
That I might fly off
I may be hurled or thrown off due to the fast spinning.
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I am still anticipating the sound of thunder to occur.
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I am eagerly anticipating the sound of thunder to happen.
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I am patiently waiting for the sound of thunder to manifest.
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I am looking forward to the sound of thunder that may take place.
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I am still waiting and hoping to hear the thunder's rumble.
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
The sound of thunder is what I am waiting for.
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I am keenly awaiting the sound of thunder to appear.
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
The sound of thunder is all that my thoughts are preoccupied with.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDY TAYLOR, JOHN TAYLOR, NICK RHODES, ROGER TAYLOR, SIMON LE BON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MrFundodomar
Sound of Thunder
Duran Duran
Been in this grass here for the last ten hours
My clothes are dirty but my mouth isn't dry
How does it happen, does it fly through the air
Oh, I gave up asking days away
I gave up asking
Days away
And now I'm lying here waiting for the sound of thunder
Waiting for the sound of thunder
Here I am, I'm the dotted line
Cut the corners stick me to your door
I'm the man who stepped off the path
And I just lie here
It's what I was made for
And now my eyes are closing but I still feel the land
Leaning out for the touch of my hand
The world spins so fast
That I might fly off
The world spins so fast
That I might fly off
The world spins so fast
That I might fly off
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
I'm waiting for the sound of thunder
@gallente4TW
i was 14 in 1982, and at high school it was say a bit corny to admit you were into them. but now, 30 years later the warm and intense waves of nostalgia and sentimentality make me smile and feel wistful. people i'd forgotten, clothes i wore, my old high school, knocking on the door of some girl you fancied [no mobiles, lol, you had to actually make an effort], hanging out with my mates down the pier...................... i'm gonna stop typing now because i can't type as fast as i am reminiscing.
@frannsh5100
I’m totally with you.. I don’t thibk I’ve heard it for 30 years either.. it’s such a great track. This first album was just sooo good... great key change too
@teddybears4life240
the hottest guys in MUSIC IN 1982 WERE DAVID LEE ROTH, SIMON LE BON AND ADAM ANT...it was not CORNY BY ANY MEANS TO LOVE SIMON.
@rachelmorgan7751
I was 11
Loved DD and Japan
@librajj
I was 16 in 1982, & everyone that I knew loved Duran Duran & the whole British Invasion of the '80's. I have the same feelings of nostalgia, etc when I listen to the music from my high school years. Good times.
@joescully1712
I hear ye man.....I went to a working class school in inner city dublin & if you said you liked duran duran, you were called 'gay' ha ha 😂 But they were some musicians and the futuristic molidies that nick wrote on that keyboard were unbelievable 😮 Some great memories of that music since I was 10 years old 😊
@rebels42wynn83
Nigel John Taylor still kicks major ass bass. This album takes me back to a incredible time in my life.
@jelt110
God love you that you know his given name. He is an incredible performer- beautiful and skilled.
@KuroMicra
The synths on this are sublime. Pure 80s!
@theredheadsaidNYC
When this came out I was just a teen swooning over John Taylor and Simon LeBon. I just listened to this as an adult, and HOLY SHIT THERE IS DISCO ALL OVER THIS ALBUM! Mostly in John’s bass lines, but listen to the part at 2:21, bass AND drums is pure disco