| Why do I like them so much? Well, it has to be the uncomprimising mix of music, such as electro and pop, and the way they stir them together to get something ear-pleasing from the result. Tunes such as Is There Something I Should Know and Rio are classics in their own right, and very original. No other band has either before or afterwards dared to immitate the style of music as it just doesn't work, but Duran Duran pulled it off. So, in essence, I suppose it's the originality that's the attraction. |
| Who
is Duran Duran? Originally, they were a band of five members
(3 blokes with the second name Taylor, Nick Rhodes and of course Simon
Le Bon). They got there name off a cult 70's film in which a
tribes-woman calls upon a wizard named 'Duran Duran'.
They were formed in 1978 in a bar in Birmingham where the original lead singer came down with the flu before there first semi-major gig, so the sister of one of the Taylors brought along his boyfriend, Simon Le Bon, who by pure coincidence could sing. They soon started to write songs together (the old lead singer was sacked) and signed their first record deal shortly after in 1980. During the end of the '80s, members of the band started to dissolve away, and by 1993 (and to this day) only Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and new found member Warren Cuchorullo remain. |
| Have
they had any hits? Duran Duran were the biggest selling band
in the 1980's in America, so yes, they had hits. Only Michael
Jackson and Madonna topped Duran Duran for overall record sales in the
States, so they were an official 'supergroup'. They were a hit
machine as song after song went to number 1, especially in America.
In the U.K., they did proportionally well, notching up no less than 3 number 1's. Most of their over songs, over 20 in all, each made it into the top 20, of which 12 made it into the top 10. There biggest selling single to date is 1993's Ordinary World which peaked at number 2 in the UK but remained in the charts for 18 weeks. It became number 1 however in over 15 countries, including Japan and Germany of all places. |