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
View To A Kill
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Face to face in secret places, feel the chill
Nightfall covers me, but you know the plans I'm making
Still overseas, could it be the whole Earth opening wide
A sacred why, a mystery gaping inside
A week is why, until we
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
The choice for you is the view to a kill
Between the shades assassination standing still
Earth's crystal tears, fall of snowflakes on your body
First time in years to drench your skin with lover's rosy stain
A chance to find the phoenix for the flame
A chance to die, but can we
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
When all we see is the view to a kill
The lyrics of Duran Duran's song A View to Kill are filled with mystery and intrigue as they portray a meeting between two people in secret places. The singer is meeting someone with the intention of completing a task that involves risk and danger. The lyrics suggest that the person may be an assassin or someone who has shady intentions. The meeting takes place at night, and the singer acknowledges the plans that they have made, which seem to involve an entire operation to take place across the globe.
The lyrics also explore themes of love and passion as the singer describes the intensity of their physical relationship with this person. They refer to the "fatal kiss" that is all they need and the chance to "dance into the fire" with them. The lyrics continue to describe the intensity of their relationship, with references to the "phoenix for the flame" and the opportunity to "drench your skin in lover's rosy stain". However, the risk and danger of their mission are still present, and the singer acknowledges that they may have "a chance to die".
Overall, the lyrics of A View to Kill paint a vivid picture of a meeting between two people with a dangerous task at hand, as well as the passion and intensity of their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Meeting you with a view to a kill
I met you with the intention of causing you harm and ending your life.
Face to face in secret places, feel the chill
We met in a secretive location to avoid detection, and the atmosphere was tense and ominous.
Nightfall covers me, but you know the plans I'm making
Although it is dark and I am concealed by the night, you are aware of the deadly intentions I have.
Still overseas, could it be the whole Earth opening wide
Despite being far away from you, it feels like the entire world is conspiring against you and working in my favor.
A sacred why, a mystery gaping inside
My motives for wanting to kill you are unknown and mysterious, even to myself. The reason is deeply ingrained and significant to me.
A week is why, until we
We only have a week left together before I enact my deadly plan.
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
We will willingly enter into danger and risk death for the passionate experience of a final kiss before our ultimate demise. We will face our tragic destiny together, fearlessly and with passion.
The choice for you is the view to a kill
You have no other option or hope than to face your own murder, which I have set for you.
Between the shades assassination standing still
The act of killing you is frozen in time, a looming and unchanging presence in our lives that we cannot escape.
Earth's crystal tears, the fall of snowflakes on your body
Even as the Earth weeps for your death, you will feel the cold and bitter sting of snowflakes on your skin in your final moment.
First time in years to drench your skin in lover's rosy stain
This is the first time in years that you will feel passion so strongly that your skin will flush with a lover's touch. It will be your last experience of this sensation.
A chance to find the phoenix for the flame
This is your last opportunity to find redemption and renewal before your life ends; it is the ultimate test of your spirit.
A chance to die, but can we
The possibility of death is ever-present, but we wonder if we can overcome our fear and embrace our fate together.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Written by: Andrew Taylor, John Nigel Taylor, Nicholas James Bates, Roger Andrew Taylor, Simon John Lebon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@katherinehancocks283
"Dance into the fire,
That fatal kiss is all we need.
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams.
Dance into the fire;
That fatal kiss is all we need.
Dance into the fire.
The choice for you is the view to a kill."
Have I been in the fire for 35 years?
AWESOME SONG
@confusingdinomaxboy1743
Meeting you with a view to a kill
Face to face in secret places, feel the chill
Nightfall covers me
But you know the plans I'm making
Still overseas
Could it be the whole Earth opening wide
A sacred why
A mystery gaping inside
A week is why, until we
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
The choice for you is the view to a kill
Between the shades assassination standing still
Earth's crystal tears
The fall of snowflakes on your body
First time in years
To drench you skin in lover's rosy stain
A chance to find the phoenix for the flame
A chance to die, but can we
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
When all we see is the view to a kill
@Baheccakonova7
Meeting you with a view to a kill 💖
Face to face in secret places, feel the chill
Nightfall covers me, but you know the plans I'm making
Still overseas, could it be the whole Earth opening wide
A sacred why, a mystery gaping inside
A week is why, until we
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
The choice for you is the view to a kill
Between the shades assassination standing still
Earth's crystal tears, the fall of snowflakes on your body
First time in years to drench your skin in lover's rosy stain
A chance to find the phoenix for the flame
A chance to die, but can we
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
When all we see is the view to a kill
@stevencopley5487
I love the James Bond movie songs...there is always something haunting about them. This song still gives me goosebumps.
@redskies4530
Hi I recommend an indierock song called 'The Bond Villain' By Robert Nix
@stevencopley5487
@@redskies4530 I found it...very cool! Thank you.
@Jouantiese
Timothy Dalton - 1985 - I was 14!!
@Jouantiese
Sorry - that was the Living Daylights, this was Roger's last..
@sidrat2009
@@JouantieseOhh thank you that's my next track
@mezmerized1969
The hair, the music, the bands. The 80's monumentally epic!
@marialemos3121
Most definitely!!!!
@nhmooytis7058
blanca orellana I agree!
@rafaelsanchez5853
How can we come back there??!?!!!