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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Taste The Summer
Duran Duran Lyrics
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Doo doo doo, doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doobeedoo
Doo doo doo, doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doobeedoo
Doo doo doo, doo doo doo
Can you taste the summer?
Can you, can you taste the summer?
I do, I find it in your mouth
Now if I have a weakness it's for sweetness
And it's floating on your breath, the sweetest melody
Doo doo doo doobeedoo
Doo doo doo, doo doo doo
Can you taste the summer?
Sure we can make it till the evenings
Cool haze is reflected off your thighs
Long days are coming up and staying out and playing
Music of the falling stars, a melody
Doo doo doo doobeedoo
Doo doo doo, doo doo doo
Can you taste the summer?
Wild orchid on the wind you know just where it's blowing
So fresh
From your lips is born the melody (melody, melody)
Doo doo doo doobeedoo
Doo doo doo, doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doobeedoo
Doo doo doo, doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doobeedoo
Doo doo doo, doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doobeedoo
Doo doo doo, doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doobeedoo
Doo doo doo, doo doo doo
Can you taste the summer?
The lyrics of Duran Duran’s “Taste The Summer” evoke the feeling of summer days and the sweetness of the season. The repetitive “doo doo doo” in the background creates an airy atmosphere, while the lyrics themselves speak of finding sweetness and melody in the taste of summer. The chorus asks “Can you taste the summer?”, inviting the listener to share in the experience of the season. The singer claims that their “weakness” is for sweetness, and that they find it in the person they are singing to, particularly in their breath.
The second verse speaks of enjoying the long days of summer and playing music under the falling stars. Here, the theme of melody comes into play again, as the singer describes the “music of the falling stars” as a melody. The final verse describes something wild and fresh, symbolized by the image of a wild orchid on the wind. From this image, the melody is “born” on the lips of the person the song is directed toward. Overall, the song creates a romantic, dreamy image of summer and the sweetness and melody that can be found in it.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you, can you taste the summer?
Asking if the listener can experience the essence of the summer season
I do, I find it in your mouth
The singer is finding the taste of summer in the person they are with
Now if I have a weakness it's for sweetness
The singer admits to having a preference for sweetness
And it's floating on your breath, the sweetest melody
The artist is describing the taste found in their partner's breath as a pleasant melody
Sure we can make it till the evenings
The artist is confident in their ability to spend time with their partner until nightfall
Cool haze is reflected off your thighs
The singer describes the visual experience of summer on their partner's body
Long days are coming up and staying out and playing
The singer looks forward to long summer days of enjoyment
Music of the falling stars, a melody
The artist compares the sounds of summer to a beautiful melody
Wild orchid on the wind you know just where it's blowing
The artist is describing the feeling of being in tune with the natural world around them
So fresh
The artist is taken aback by the freshness of the air in summer
From your lips is born the melody (melody, melody)
The singer is finding joy in the sounds produced by their partner's breath
Can you taste the summer?
Final repetition of the opening line, emphasizing the theme of experiencing summer fully
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Fintage House Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SIMON JOHN CHARLES LE BON, NICK RHODES, JOHN NIGEL TAYLOR, ROGER ANDREW TAYLOR, CID EDUARDO MEIRELES, ANDREW TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind