Duran Duran “Carnival” 1982. It’s Duran Duran Appreciation Day! August 10th, founded either in Marquette, Michigan – da U.P. of all places – by a local DJ or because it was on that date in ‘85 when Simon LeBon almost died in a boating accident. I remember that day very well – I was a nanny that summer and instead of playing with the kids that morning, I was glued to the morning news, sobbing. Simon is/was OK. Carnival is a 4-song EP that predates the major re-release of Duran Duran’s Rio LP in the US. The EP’s remixes of the two Rio singles were aimed at the club scene to generate buzz and more sales: first release of Rio in North America earlier in ‘82 failed to chart well.  The strategy worked and Capitol Records released a remixed Rio for the American market later in 1982. This Netherlands variant of Carnival has four of the best/well-known Duran singles to that point in the band’s history: the two from Rio “Hungry Like the Wolf (Night Version)” and “Rio (Night Version)” and two of the top singles from their debut Duran Duran: “Planet Earth (Night Version)” and “Girls on Film (Night Version).” The US release of Carnival has “Hungry Like the Wolf (Night Version)” and “Girls on Film (Night Version)” but instead of the other tracks includes “Hold Back the Rain (Carnival Mix)” and “My Own Way (Carnival Mix).”