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
Watching The Detectives
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cellophane shrink-wrapped so correct
Red dogs under illegal legs
She looks so good that he gets down and begs
[Chorus]
She is watching the detectives
Oh he's so cute
When they shoot shoot shoot shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
Long shot of that jumping sign
Visible shivers running down my spine
Cut the baby taking off her clothes
Close-up of the sign that says we never close
You snatch a tune, you match a cigarette
She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet
I don't know how much more of this I can take
She filing her finger nails while they're Dragging the lake
[Chorus]
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded cause he's got no heart
Now you think you're alone
Until you realize you're in it
Now fear is here to stay
Love is here for a visit
They call it instant justice
When it's past the legal limit
Someone's scratching at the window
I wonder who is it?
The detectives come to check
If you belong to the parents
Who are ready to hear the worst
About their daughter's disappearance
Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay
It only took my little fingers to blow you away
She's,
She's watching,
Oh,
She's watching,
Oh
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Duran Duran's "Watching The Detectives" describe a close-up of a woman watching detectives as they shoot someone. The singer comments on how attractive the woman is and how she is like an idealized, flawless model in cellophane shrink-wrap. The song goes on to describe different scenes and images, including a long shot of a jumping sign which gives the singer visible shivers, a woman taking off her clothes, and the detectives checking if the singer belongs to someone who is missing. The chorus repeats the woman watching the detectives and their shooting.
The lyrics are cryptic and poetic, and the meaning of the song is open to interpretation. One could read the song as a commentary on society's obsession with violence, or a commentary on male desire, or even as a meta-commentary on the act of watching and interpreting signs and symbols. The use of contrast and juxtaposition, the vivid imagery, and the repetition of certain phrases create a dreamlike quality to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Nice girls not the one with the defects
Girls who appear perfect are attractive
Cellophane shrink-wrapped so correct
Even though she is wrapped up neatly, there is something sinister about her
Red dogs under illegal legs
Police are in pursuit
She looks so good that he gets down and begs
The man is attracted to the woman
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
The man is physically beaten but emotionally he is numb
Long shot of that jumping sign
Visible shivers running down my spine
The sign is a trigger for fear
Cut the baby taking off her clothes
Close-up of the sign that says we never close
Mixing sexual images with darkness
You snatch a tune, you match a cigarette
She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet
The woman is attractive and dangerous
I don't know how much more of this I can take
She filing her finger nails while they're Dragging the lake
The artist is feeling overwhelmed by the situation
Now you think you're alone
Until you realize you're in it
Now fear is here to stay
Love is here for a visit
The feeling of being alone is overcome by fear and love
They call it instant justice
When it's past the legal limit
Someone's scratching at the window
I wonder who is it?
The idea of justice is blurred and there is someone outside the window
The detectives come to check
If you belong to the parents
Who are ready to hear the worst
About their daughter's disappearance
The detectives are looking for a missing girl
Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay
It only took my little fingers to blow you away
Leaving someone was hard to do but killing them was not
She's,
She's watching,
Oh,
She's watching,
Oh
Repeating the chorus
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Elvis Costello
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Edgar Filho
Lyric:
Nice girls not the one with the defects
Cellophane shrink-wrapped so correct
Red dogs under illegal legs
She looks so good that he gets down and begs
She is watching the detectives
Oh he's so cute
She is watching the detectives
When they shoot shoot shoot shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
Long shot of that jumping sign
Visible shivers running down my spine
Cut the baby taking off her clothes
Close-up of the sign that says we never close
You snatch a tune, you match a cigarette
She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet
I don't know how much more of this I can take
She filing her finger nails while they're Dragging the lake
She is watching the detectives
Oh he's so cute
She is watching the detectives
When they shoot shoot shoot shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded cause he's got no heart
Now you think you're alone
Until you realize you're in it
Now fear is here to stay
Love is here for a visit
They call it instant justice
When it's past the legal limit
Someone's scratching at the window
I wonder who is it?
The detectives come to check
If you belong to the parents
Who are ready to hear the worst
About their daughter's disappearance
Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay
It only took my little fingers to blow you away
She's,
She's watching,
Oh,
She's watching,
Oh
She is watching the detectives
Oh he's so cute
She is watching the detectives
When they shoot shoot shoot shoot
Biggie Slong
I love Costello and this is the perfect example of a good cover. They don't just copy the song but make it their own
Andrew Corlett
Yes Biggie it is different - that shock u - how to ruin just another EÇ gem.
Taylor Lords
I love how DD did this cover. Absolutely amazing.
Yaseeq
This is a very great song from an exceptional album. Thank you Simon!
grensgebied amsterdam
Amazing... Perfectly made...
Erwin Erwin
I've got to listen this version before Elvis Costello one of my favorite Duran Duran songs ever, I love Duran Duran!
Scotty Nelson
i love the whole Thank you album. This cover tho.. BLOWS MY MIND.. so NOIR.. SO SULTRY SO SEDUCTIVE this is the way you do a cover
Luis Melendez
DD is the best band ever!
TheGodParticle
Save a prayer..
Edgar Filho
Lyric:
Nice girls not the one with the defects
Cellophane shrink-wrapped so correct
Red dogs under illegal legs
She looks so good that he gets down and begs
She is watching the detectives
Oh he's so cute
She is watching the detectives
When they shoot shoot shoot shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
Long shot of that jumping sign
Visible shivers running down my spine
Cut the baby taking off her clothes
Close-up of the sign that says we never close
You snatch a tune, you match a cigarette
She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet
I don't know how much more of this I can take
She filing her finger nails while they're Dragging the lake
She is watching the detectives
Oh he's so cute
She is watching the detectives
When they shoot shoot shoot shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded cause he's got no heart
Now you think you're alone
Until you realize you're in it
Now fear is here to stay
Love is here for a visit
They call it instant justice
When it's past the legal limit
Someone's scratching at the window
I wonder who is it?
The detectives come to check
If you belong to the parents
Who are ready to hear the worst
About their daughter's disappearance
Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay
It only took my little fingers to blow you away
She's,
She's watching,
Oh,
She's watching,
Oh
She is watching the detectives
Oh he's so cute
She is watching the detectives
When they shoot shoot shoot shoot