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
Violence Of Summer
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This'll get you out.. of your head
China's heading up, by the ratings on a motion
She goes with a real head biker, he's a metalhead
She looks me up and down talkin' dirty eyes
Sweet sayin' boy, baby I can lick you any time.
(keep it up)
Here we go again...
Bit later...
I'm gonna run into 'em round the back
While all them guys break heads in the sugar shack
Don't give me drink, I don't wanna get too stoned
Then we're gonna see who's gonna take who home
The violence of summer, and love's taking over
It starts with desire, ends up under cover
Those lips will make me right..
You may look down but don't think twice (ooh-oh)
So death is on the way,
So what man? I still want to play....
(oh-oh Yeah..)
One, two!
This'll get you out, of your money
This'll pick you up, let's go!
We'll take a ride, going south where her mother writes
For bad news catches up, we still got a little time
We made it all so far away,
One thing is sure, we shouldn't stay
I'll take it all - China gonna get the run around,
A run, a run around..
The violence of summer, and love's taking over
It starts with desire, ends up under cover
China,na China,na,na,na
China,na China,na,na,na
China,na China,na,na,na
China,na China,na,na
The violence of summer, and love's taking over
It starts with desire, ends up under cover
Mmmmmm
Loves taking over..
Yes loves taking over..
Loves taking over..
The lyrics of Duran Duran's "Violence of Summer" are a mixture of sex, violence, and decadence. The song seems to suggest that the summer is a time when people let loose and do things that they wouldn't normally do. The first verse introduces the character of China, who is described as a wild woman with a real head biker. She makes eye contact with the singer and implies that she wants to have sex with him. The chorus refers to the violence of summer and how love takes over during this time. The second verse describes the singer's plans to meet up with China again and implies that they will get involved in some kind of trouble. The bridge talks about death being on the way but suggests that the singer still wants to have fun.
One interpretation of the lyrics is that they represent the danger and excitement of youth. The violence of summer could refer to the risky behavior that young people engage in during the summer months, such as drinking, partying, or getting into fights. Love taking over suggests that these experiences can be transformative and lead to personal growth.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey!, pick it up
Get ready, pay attention
This'll get you out.. of your head
This will distract you from your thoughts, in a positive way
China's heading up, by the ratings on a motion
China is on the rise, as indicated by various measures
She goes with a real head biker, he's a metalhead
She is in a relationship with a tough, motorcycle-riding guy who loves heavy metal music
She looks me up and down talkin' dirty eyes
She gives me a suggestive, seductive look
Sweet sayin' boy, baby I can lick you any time.
She is flirting with me, suggesting she has a sexual interest
(keep it up)
Continue at the current pace
(Ha ha, that's right)
Laughing in agreement
Here we go again...
Starting something familiar or repetitive
Bit later...
Some time passes
I'm gonna run into 'em round the back
I plan to encounter them from behind
While all them guys break heads in the sugar shack
While the other guys are fighting in a bar or club
Don't give me drink, I don't wanna get too stoned
I don't want to drink too much and get drunk
Then we're gonna see who's gonna take who home
The situation will reveal who will end up going home with whom
The violence of summer, and love's taking over
Summer brings excitement and passion, and everyone feels it
It starts with desire, ends up under cover
It all begins with attraction, and sometimes it leads to secrecy
Those lips will make me right..
Her kissing me will make everything better
You may look down but don't think twice (ooh-oh)
You may underestimate me, but don't doubt me
So death is on the way,
We all face mortality
So what man? I still want to play....
But that doesn't stop us from enjoying ourselves
(oh-oh Yeah..)
Exclamation of enthusiasm
One, two!
Counting off, getting ready for something
This'll get you out, of your money
This will cause you to spend money
This'll pick you up, let's go!
This will lift your spirits, let's do it
We'll take a ride, going south where her mother writes
We'll travel together, heading toward where her mother lives
For bad news catches up, we still got a little time
There may be trouble ahead, but we have some time before it arrives
We made it all so far away,
We have come a long way
One thing is sure, we shouldn't stay
One thing is clear, we should move on from this place
I'll take it all - China gonna get the run around
I'll confront the challenges and come out on top
A run, a run around..
A challenging experience, but one that can be overcome
China,na China,na,na,na
Repetitive chanting, maybe a reference to the song's title or theme
The violence of summer, and love's taking over
Summer brings energy and passion, and romance is in the air
Mmmmmm
Expression of pleasure or enjoyment
Loves taking over..
Romantic feelings are intensifying
Yes loves taking over..
Affirmation of the previous statement
Loves taking over..
Romantic feelings are intensifying (repeated for emphasis)
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STERLING CAMPBELL, WARREN CUCCURULLO, SIMON LE BON, NICK RHODES, JOHN TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
LightBlue2222
It's more than a mix, it'sa whole nuther song!