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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Undergoing Treatment
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching others in the news
Studying our worst reviews
They say we'll get over it
Disappear like dinosaurs
To the sound of small applause
Resigned to mid-priced sections.
Don't ever ask me for an autograph
If you ever catch me in the arcade
Don't even stop me for a photograph.
We are undergoing treatment
Till our ethic fits the scene laid out in Q magazine
They crave our conformity
Mediocre to the bone, terrified testosterone
But why do we still face the music?
If you see me walking in the garden
Don't ever ask me for an autograph
If you ever catch me in the arcade
Don't even stop me for a photograph.
Now and then you get the strangest notion
There's something missing
That keeps you guessing
Wild ambition
Can you really blame us?
Can you entertain us?
Can you give a little more?
If you see me walking in the garden
Don't ever ask me for an autograph
If you ever catch me in the arcade
Don't even stop me for a photograph.
Hmm hmmm hmmm hmmm
Hmmm hmmm
Hmmmmmmmm
We are undergoing treatment
But will the doctors ever cure
These delusions of grandeur?
The lyrics of Duran Duran's "Undergoing Treatment" speak about the pressures and challenges faced by celebrities to maintain their public image and success. The opening lines of the song capture the apprehension of the band as they scrutinize their reviews and news portraying other artists receiving similar treatment. Here, they acknowledge their insecurities and feel the pressure to conform as the media trickles out information about the only way to succeed. However, even after conforming, criticism, and public opinion still face them.
The second verse speaks about the band's struggle with retaining their identity as they undergo treatment, imitating the formula success stories in the magazines. This pressure, coupled with their need to remain relevant, leads to a situation where they are striving to be popular by morphing into carbon copies of other bands. The lyrics mock the popular notion of mediocrity, which everyone seems to harp on about, while band members encourage themselves to conform to success. In the chorus, the band members' request for privacy is evident, where they speak about not wanting to be stopped for photographs or asked for autographs while doing ordinary things like walking in a garden or playing in an arcade.
Overall, “Undergoing Treatment” can be interpreted as a commentary on the music industry and the clout surrounding stardom. The pressure of conforming to the masses causes many to change their identity and lose sight of the freedom of expression. The song displays how choosing to follow the expectations laid out for them has left Duran Duran riddled with feelings of doubt and inadequacy. They question the purpose of the machine-like industry that is pushing them to conform and achieving mediocre success.
Line by Line Meaning
We are undergoing treatment
We are going through a process of self-improvement
Watching others in the news
Observing other famous people in the media
Studying our worst reviews
Analyzing the negative criticism of our work
They say we'll get over it
People tell us we will recover from our struggles
Disappear like dinosaurs
Fading away into obscurity
To the sound of small applause
Leaving without great fanfare or public recognition
Resigned to mid-priced sections.
Accepting the limitations of our popularity and commercial success
If you see me walking in the garden
If you encounter me in a peaceful setting
Don't ever ask me for an autograph
Please do not request my signature
If you ever catch me in the arcade
If you happen to see me in a gaming center
Don't even stop me for a photograph.
Please do not approach me for a picture
Till our ethic fits the scene laid out in Q magazine
Adopting a style and attitude that conforms to the expectations of the music industry
They crave our conformity
Major music labels demand that we follow trends and conform to certain standards of commercial success
Mediocre to the bone, terrified testosterone
We feel pressured to produce average music that appeals to men who are afraid of their own inadequacy
But why do we still face the music?
Why do we continue to confront the challenges and criticisms of the music industry?
Now and then you get the strangest notion
Occasionally, we have peculiar thoughts
There's something missing
We feel like something essential is absent
That keeps you guessing
This absence creates uncertainty
Wild ambition
A strong desire to achieve greatness
Can you really blame us?
Can you fault us for this longing?
Can you entertain us?
Can you captivate us with something meaningful?
Can you give a little more?
Can you provide us with more inspiration or motivation?
But will the doctors ever cure
Will the industry experts ever help us overcome
These delusions of grandeur?
Our false beliefs that we are destined for massive success and greatness?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NICK RHODES, SIMON LE BON, WARREN CUCCURULLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind