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
White Lines
Duran Duran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rock
Bass
Ooh, white, white
Ooh, white, white
Ooh, white, white
(Blowin' through my mind) and all the while I think of you
(High price) a very strange reaction
(For us to unwind) the more I see, the more I do
(Something like a phenomenon) baby
(Tellin' your body to come along, but white lines blow away)
Ticket to ride, white line highway
Tell all your friends, that they can go my way
Pay your toll, sell your soul
Pound for pound costs more than gold
The longer you stay, the more you pay
My white line go a long way
Either up your nose or through your vein
With nothin' to gain except killin' your brain
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock
(Blow)
(Ahh) higher, baby
(Ahh) get higher, baby
(Ahh) get higher, baby
And don't ever come down, freebase (rock)
Rang-dang-diggedy-dang-di-dang
Rang-dang-diggedy-dang-di-dang
Rang-dang-diggedy-dang-di-dang
Diggedy-dang-di-dang, diggedy-dang-di-dang
(Pipeline) pure as the driven snow
(Connected to my mind) and now I'm havin' fun, baby
(High price) it's getting kinda low
('Cause it makes you feel so nice) I need some one-on-one, baby
(Don't let it blow your mind away) baby
(And go into your little hideaway 'cause white lines blow away)
A million magic crystals, painted pure and white
A multi-million dollars almost overnight
Twice as sweet as sugar, twice as bitter as salt
And if you get hooked, baby, it's nobody else's fault, so don't do it
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock
(Blow)
(Ahh) higher, baby
(Ahh) get higher, baby
(Ahh) get higher, baby
And don't ever come down, freebase (rock)
(Don't you get too high) don't you get too high, baby
(Turns you on) you really turn me on and on
('Cause you gotta come down) my temperature is risin'
(When the thrill is gone) no, I don't want you to go
A street kid gets arrested, gonna do some time
He got out three years from now just to commit more crime
A businessman is caught with twenty four kilos
He's out on bail and out of jail
And that's the way it goes, rock
(Kane, sugar, kane)
Athletes rejected, governors corrected
Gangsters, thugs and smugglers are thoroughly respected
The money gets divided
The women get excited
Now I'm broke and it's no joke
It's hard as hell to fight it, don't buy it
Freeze (ha-ha, ha, ha), rock, freeze, rock
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock (rock)
(Blow)
(Ahh) get higher, baby
(Ahh) get higher, girl
(Ahh) get higher, baby
C'mon, rock
(White Lines) vision dreams of passion
(Blowin' through my mind) and all the while I think of you
(High price) a very strange reaction
(For us to unwind) the more I see, the more I do
(Something like a phenomenon) baby
(Tellin' your body to come along, but white lines blow away)
Little Jack Horner sitting on the corner
With no shoes and clothes
This ain't funny, but he took his money
And sniffed it up his nose
Hey man, you want to cop some blow?
Sure, what you got, dust, flakes or rocks?
I got China White, Mother of Pearl, Ivory Flake, what you need?
Well yeah, well let me check it out man
Just let me get a freeze (don't)
Go ahead man (do it), stuff I got should kill ya
(Yeah man th-that's that's raw, whoa)
Freeze (ha-ha, ha, ha), rock, freeze, rock
Freeze (ha-ha, ha, ha), rock, freeze, rock (uh)
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock
Freeze, rock, freeze, rock
The lyrics to Duran Duran's song "White Lines" tell a cautionary tale about the dangers of drugs, specifically cocaine. The opening lines, "Freeze! Rock!" are a nod to the dance style popularized by the song, the "freeze" being a dramatic pause in movement before resuming the "rock" motion. The chorus implores the listener to "freeze" and "rock" along with the beat while also warning against the dangers of drug use. The first verse describes the allure of drugs, with "vision dreams of passion" and a "strange reaction" leading the singer to use more and more. The second verse tells the story of various people caught up in drug use and drug trafficking, ultimately leading to disastrous consequences.
Overall, the song is a powerful indictment of cocaine use and the destruction it can cause in people's lives. The music itself is a masterful combination of rock, funk, and hip-hop influences that creates a driving, danceable beat that perfectly complements the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Freeze! Rock!
Stop what you're doing and pay attention!
Rang-dang-diggidy-dang-a-dang
No clear meaning - perhaps intended as a filler exclamation
White! Ooh-white!
The color 'white', which is a recurring theme of the song
Vision dreams of passion
Imaginary scenarios involving intense feelings of desire
(Going through my mind)
These scenarios are playing out in the artist's thoughts
And all the while I think of you
The song's subject of desire, who the singer is constantly thinking about
(Pipeline)
Unclear - perhaps a reference to the shape of a certain type of drug delivery method
A very strange reaction
The artist acknowledges that their feelings of desire and their drug use are creating a dangerous and unpredictable situation
(Yours to unwind)
The listener has the ability to ease the artist's anxiety and fear
The more I see, the more I do
The artist is becoming more and more addicted to drugs due to their continued use
Something of a phenomenon
Drug use is a unique and powerful experience
Telling your body to come along
The drugs are causing the artist's body to react in ways that are unusual or unexpected
Cause white lines blow away..
Drugs don't last forever and their effects will eventually wear off
Ticket to ride a white-line highway
A metaphor for drug use and addiction
Tell all your friends they can go my way
Attempting to normalize drug use and encourage others to engage in it
Pay your toll, sell your soul
The cost of drug use is incredibly high and can lead to irreversible damage or death
Pound for pound it costs more than gold
Drugs are a valuable commodity that people are willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money for
The longer you stay, the more you pay
Drug addiction and dependence are progressive and become more and more expensive (in every sense) as time goes on
My white lines go a long way
The singer has a large supply of drugs
Either up your nose or to your vein
Two common methods of drug use
With nothing to gain except killing your brain
The consequences of drug use can be catastrophic
(Don't you get too high)
A warning not to overdo it with drugs
(It turns you on)
Drugs can cause feelings of excitement and arousal
(Can't you ever come down)
The artist is concerned for the listener's mental and physical wellbeing
(Til the thrill is gone)
Eventually, the effects of drug use will wear off and the person will be forced to face reality again
A school kid gets arrested
Drug use can lead to legal consequences
Gonna do some time
The legal consequences of drug use can involve jail time
He got out three years from now
The length of a typical drug-related prison sentence
Just to commit more crime
Drug addiction is a powerful force and can drive people to make bad decisions
A businessman is caught
Drug addiction can affect people from all walks of life
With twenty four kilos
A substantial amount of drugs
He's out on bail, and out of jail
Those with financial resources have a chance to avoid the most severe consequences of drug use
It's hard as hell to fight it - don't buy it
Drug addiction is an incredibly difficult problem to overcome, so the best course of action is to never start using in the first place
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Melvin Glover, Sylvia (usa) Robinson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@christianew.2367
All or nothing - Love or leaving - all included - and whatever it costs ( No money meant)
And
I can't go on without You , don't want to imagine,
You on the road, highspeed, in the center of public eyes,
Me without work now, pension age ,completely without duties
"time to read, write , paint, with basic pension enough to live in this corner"BORING. FRIENDSHIPS BREAK.
Thunderstorm comes , all changes. (Selfdoubts arise for moments in stress situations..A m I good enough ? Do I make You a happier man ?)
I feel YES
Take me by the hand and be what You are.
And I want to be strong with You
.
@vidykitty
I do not care what ANYONE says, great cover !!!!!
@taffeychampion8365
One of the best collaborations ever. I was so proud of Duran Duran for this remake. Mixing Rock with Hip Hop/Rap on this song was ingenious.
@garycarr3857
Duran Duran
@MellissaBoomeroftheNight
I would've preferred a Rage collab or maybe Red Hot Chili Peppers, but this is so sanitized.
@taffeychampion8365
@@MellissaBoomeroftheNight Perhaps those collaborations would have sounded good. I just loved them adding Rock to accompany the bassline of the original by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. I've known some Beatles' fans who appreciated the lengthy "Ah!" part of "Shake It Up, Baby" being song by Duran Duran here.
@pedroj5939
Só na branca neve 😊
@teresaspencer5372
Congratulations Duran Duran on being inducted into the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME!!!! Andy Taylor, I’m praying for you. None of you will ever be forgotten!! ❤️❤️💯
@garycarr3857
Duran Duran
@garycarr3857
Duran Duran Thank You 1995
@garycarr3857
Duran Duran White Lines 1995