Duran Duran Seeks Fresh Domination of Planet Earth LONDON (Reuters) - British pop legends Duran Duran, which enjoyed a string of hits in the 1980s, wants to convert a new generation of "Duranies" during a worldwide tour announced on Thursday. Duran Duran's business manager David Ravden told Reuters the band had almost finished a new album, which it is planning to release early next year and will follow with a worldwide tour. The band, which has sold more than 60 million albums in the last 20 years and reformed last year, has not signed with a record label, but Ravden said negotiations were under way. "We are talking to and are in negotiations with a number of major record companies, but I cannot name them," he said. The news will be music to the ears of devoted Duranies who kept the flame for the idols of the New Romantic movement burning through hundreds of fan clubs from Moscow to New Zealand to Taipei. Although often ridiculed for their stylized videos and penchant for eyeliner and pixie boots, more than 50,000 Internet pages are devoted to Duran Duran. Even Britain's late Princess Diana once gushed that they were her favorite band. While the original band members -- singer Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Andy Taylor, John Taylor and Roger Taylor -- once graced the bedroom walls of countless teenage girls, they are not the young bucks they once were. But Ravden was confident the five, now in their 40s, were in good shape to take on their younger pop rivals in the battle for a new generation of fans. "Obviously when you are 20 you are invariably slightly slimmer that when you are 40. But the labels we have met have commented on how good everyone looks." Duran Duran formed in 1978 but did not achieve great success until after they recruited frontman Simon Le Bon, who is married to model Yasmin Le Bon. The band shot to fame with albums such as Big Thing, Rio and Arena in the 1980s but a line-up change and changing music tastes saw it fade into relative obscurity in the 1990s. The original members came together for the first time 15 years in 2001 to record an album. --------- check out the Yahoo message boards on this topic, brutal...
I saw them at the rodeo 2 years ago. They were actually pretty good. Simon still sings well. http://www.duranduran.com os
Confessional time: When I was 14 I LOVED Duran Duran. My best friend and I saw them at both the Spectrum in Philly and the Meadowlands. We would venture to the mall to spend $15 a pop on British import mags about them. We talked about them for hours at a time ... who was cuter, who was more talented, who seemed nicer, etc... That was part of the joy of being 14 and I wouldn't trade it for the world. That said, you couldn't prod me back into one of their concerts with a red-hot poker. I always feel bad for the people -- musicians and fans -- who try to hold on to the past. It can't ever be the same, so why even try? The Durans had their moment in the sun -- it's time to move on.
I went to see them at the Rodeo last year and they weren't too bad. Maybe it was the nostalgia effect taking over though.
Confessional Time: Duran Duran was the first concert that I ever went to.... I was like 13, a big fan, and my sister who lived in Austin bought me tickets!! My Mom drove me to Austin and I went to the show with my sis.... I would've really enjoyed it if I could've heard it... there were thousands and thousands of little Mrs. JB's just screaming their guts out, you would've thought we were watching the Beatles in the early 60's!!! Then I grew up....
Nobody should be ashamed of being a Duranie! Man...I grew up on that stuff. "Rio", "Come Undone", "Hungry Like the Wolf", "New Moon on Monday", "View To A Kill"....and my personal fav... THE REFLEX!!! DA DA DA DA DA!! ok..i'll be quiet now.
Duranie moment of all time: Chris Farley playing Simon Le Bon in a parody of the "Ordinary World" video...the guy got a little chunky and they had Farley playing him..ouch!
Aaah ... I love Duran Duran too ... Notooooorious!!!! and Come Undone ... great songs! Anyone here like Dire Straits? Any news on their whereabouts? Mark Knopfler did some soundtracks, but I want a real Dire Straits album again! --rockit