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
The Edge Of America
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Concrete beach to scrape my hand
Inside the subway stinking fear and shame
Becomes the violent breath.
Vigilantes out on dawn patrol
But now there's nothing left to hide
I'm just a number on the metal fence
Which marks the great divide.
Sing it
Hey boy, give your dreams a rest
If you're tired of searching this is where it ends
There's nothing left to lose
Nothing to protest
Learn to love your anger now
Anger here is all you possess.
Welcome to the edge.
Below the towers of the citadel
Seems someone overlooked the cost.
Forgotten soldier of Paradise
Now Paradise is lost.
Recognition never realized
Salvation lost among the crowd
So tell me here beside the sterile sea
Where is your nation now?
And we say
Hey boy, give your dreams a rest
If you're tired of searching this is where it ends
There's nothing left to lose
Nothing to protest
Learn to love your anger now
Anger here is all you possess.
Welcome to the edge.
The lyrics to Duran Duran's song, The Edge of America, describe a person walking along the coastline of America. They begin by describing their surroundings, a concrete beach that is rough and scrapes their hands, and then they move on to the subway. They describe a feeling of fear and shame that becomes a "violent breath" as they navigate the cityscape.
As they continue their walk, they encounter vigilantes out on dawn patrol, but it seems that there is nothing left to hide. They feel like they are just a number on a metal fence that divides the city. The chorus is a message to "Hey boy," or the listener, urging them to give up their dreams and learn to love their anger. There is a sense of nihilism and hopelessness in the song, with lines like "There's nothing left to lose, nothing to protest."
The second verse continues this theme of loss and forgotten dreams. The towers of the citadel are a representation of power and control, but it seems that someone overlooked the cost. The forgotten soldier of Paradise now finds that Paradise is lost. The lyrics ask where the nation is now, a powerful statement about the state of America and its values.
Overall, The Edge of America is a bleak song that speaks to the disillusionment and loss that many people feel in modern society. The lyrics suggest that there is little hope for change or progress, and that anger is the only thing left to cling to.
Line by Line Meaning
Walk the edge of America
Explore the boundaries and limits of American society
Concrete beach to scrape my hand
The urban environment can be dangerous and unforgiving
Inside the subway stinking fear and shame
Public transportation can be a source of discomfort and anxiety
Becomes the violent breath.
Inspires aggressive and hostile behavior
Vigilantes out on dawn patrol
People take the law into their own hands when they feel threatened
But now there's nothing left to hide
All secrets and vulnerabilities have been exposed
I'm just a number on the metal fence
Individuality is lost in a society that relies on impersonal bureaucracy
Which marks the great divide.
Symbolizes the separation between different groups in society
Hey boy, give your dreams a rest
Stop yearning for something better and accept reality
If you're tired of searching this is where it ends
Stop seeking a better life or a brighter future
There's nothing left to lose
There are no more opportunities or possibilities to pursue
Nothing to protest
There is no point in speaking out against the status quo
Learn to love your anger now
Embrace your negative emotions as a means of survival
Anger here is all you possess.
Feelings of rage are the only things that belong to you in this society
Welcome to the edge.
This is the fringe of American society where disillusionment and despair prevail
Below the towers of the citadel
Beneath the symbols of power and wealth in society
Seems someone overlooked the cost.
The true price of progress and prosperity has been ignored
Forgotten soldier of Paradise
Someone who fought for a better society, but was ultimately abandoned and disillusioned
Now Paradise is lost.
The dream of an ideal society has been shattered
Recognition never realized
People who have made significant contributions to society have gone unnoticed
Salvation lost among the crowd
Hope for a better future has been overwhelmed by the pessimism and despair of the masses
So tell me here beside the sterile sea
In this lifeless and barren place
Where is your nation now?
What has become of the collective identity and aspirations of the American people?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SIMON JOHN CHARLES LE BON, NICK RHODES, JOHN NIGEL TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Edgar Filho
I love Duran Duran and this song is great besides Le Bon´s voice which is amazing.
Lyrics:
Walk the edge of America
Concrete beach to scrape my hand
Inside the subway stinking fear and shame
Becomes the violent breath.
Vigilantes out on dawn patrol
But now there's nothing left to hide
I'm just a number on the metal fence
Which marks the great divide.
Sing it
Hey boy, give your dreams a rest
If you're tired of searching this is where it ends
There's nothing left to lose
Nothing to protest
Learn to love your anger now
Anger here is all you possess.
Welcome to the edge.
Below the towers of the citadel
Seems someone overlooked the cost.
Forgotten soldier of Paradise
Now Paradise is lost.
Recognition never realized
Salvation lost among the crowd
So tell me here beside the sterile sea
Where is your nation now?
And we say
Hey boy, give your dreams a rest
If you're tired of searching this is where it ends
There's nothing left to lose
Nothing to protest
Learn to love your anger now
Anger here is all you possess.
Welcome to the edge.
Виталий Орехов
I was looking for some Duran's classic but found this, which is just 7 hours on Youtube. I'm lucky)
Jason Mattox
I did a paper on this song in high school. I didn't tell anyone who performed it (I often was belittled for my love of DD). At any rate, I revealed that DD wrote and performed the song and most of the class was impressed.
Hillarys Emails
I had never heard this song before. And yet, DD was my favorite band ever since the early 1980s.
I was NEVER belittled for loving DD. Though I was 1 of the few who vocally supported them and their work.
Will Ford
@bianchi1885 Depeche Mode maybe?
Michael Rocek
And I bet those haters have more than one favorite DD song. :)
bianchi1885
Ditto. I took some heat from some of the idiots at my all-boys high school in the mid-80s for being a DD fan. It's funny because maybe with the exception of U2, no other 80s band was relevant in the decades that followed.
samwise1982
Haha sounds like me.
Sam Elowitch
It is hard to express adequately how great Duran Duran is and how much they have meant in my life!
Will Duffy
Absolutely!
Ailsa D
I am 49 and been listening since 1981. They got me through low times in school and even now my husband knows when I'm down as I'll play them and want to new alone. Their music lifts me up.