duran duran Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

Andy Taylor “Thunder”

sfilzen — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:14:59 +0000

Andy Taylor “Thunder” 1987. Today, February 16th, is Andy Taylor’s 65th birthday (b. 1961). Thunder is the former, then not, then former again Duran Duran guitarist’s debut solo LP and it is basically nothing like Duran Duran – hard rock with metal shreds (Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones helps Andy out on guitar but I’m not entirely sure which of the two is responsible for those solos). Always-Duranie’s like myself were always aware that Andy really just wanted to rock but was restrained by the new wave/synthpop (in the 80’s at least) of Duran Duran’s sound. He totally lets loose of all that pent up energy on Thunder. It’s got big 80’s hair metal oozing everywhere, including the ubiquitous cheesy metal ballad (“Life Goes On“). While now out of print, the record did pretty OK upon its release in ’87, going to #46 in the US and to #61 in the UK (though I imagine at least two-thirds of the purchases were by rapid Duranies who were mightily disappointed – not necessarily expecting Duran but at least a Power Station vibe, which they did not get on Thunder). As much as I love Andy, I do not really care for Thunder (but will absolutely keep in our collection). The title track is formulaic 80’s hard rock: “Thunder” is fine but sounds like about 10 other songs released between ’86-’88, same with tracks like “Night Train” with their kinda forced anthemic vibe that could be by Whitesnake, Bon Jovi or any other harder edged 80’s rock band. The singles released, which include “I Might Lie” (US Rock chart #17)” the aforementioned “Life Goes On” (which only charted in Italy), and “Don’t Let Me Die Young.” That last one went to #36 on the rock chart and Steve Jones shares songwriting credits with Taylor. There is a lot of shredding on it and the video has the requisite 80’s ripped jeans and big big big hair.

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Arcadia “The Promise”

sfilzen — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:24:31 +0000

Arcadia “The Promise” 1986. Today is Simon LeBon’s birthday (b. 1958)! “The Promise” was the third single from the Duran side project Arcadia’s 1985 album So Red the Rose. It went to #37 in the UK – I don’t think it charted in the US (though I loved it, and the entire record which I bought pretty much on its release date, November 18th 1985). “The Promise” features guitar work from Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and uncredited, but obvious, backing vocals by Sting. From wiki: “Sometime during the band’s stay in Paris to record So Red the Rose, they went to see a Sting concert there, and decided it would be interesting to have him come over and sing on the album, mainly because they liked the combination of Sting’s and lead singer Simon Le Bon’s voices on the “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” single by Band Aid, and wanted to see what would result from putting them together again. Sting was very amicable about the whole idea, and it turned out to be one of the band’s favourite moments on the record.” The b-side to the single is the gothic instrumental “Rose Arcana.”

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Simon LeBon Interview 1982

sfilzen — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:14:09 +0000

Simon LeBon Interview 1982. Today, October 27th, is Simon LeBon’s birthday (b. 1958). This 7″ limited edition picture disc on Talkies (an unofficial UK record label based in the UK) was released in August of 1982 as part of 3 part series (I have 2 of the 3). It’s an 18 minute interview with Simon (I don’t know who the interviewer is) that touches on Simon’s origin story with the band (his girlfriend at the time was working at the Rum Runner club and told him about a band that was looking for a singer – the rest is, obviously, history). At the time of the interview Duran Duran had yet to have a #1 single and Simon sounded nonplussed by that, saying basically it gave the band a goal (which of course they met). Simon also chats about being categorized as a New Romantic band (and trashes the media a bit for pigeon holing them), the band’s songwriting process (democratic and egalitarian) and if traveling to Sri Lanka to film three videos for Rio was “justifiable” (yep, totally was). It sounds like this interview was from a radio show or similar; while there is no music on the disc, the interviewer does introduce several tracks including “Rio,” “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “The Chauffeur” during the course of interview, making it seem like the conversation was interrupted to play to song. I can’t find any visual or audio link online so here’s a different link, Simon and Nick on MTV from their Secon Annual New Year’s Eve Ball, 1982 in New York City.

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Duran Duran “Meet El Presidente”

sfilzen — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 17:52:21 +0000

Duran Duran “Meet El Presidente” 1987. Last week I fulfilled yet another big life wish, spinning a 3 hour set of Duran Duran (plus side projects) vinyl records at Wiggle Room. I had intended to spin this song but it didn’t make the cut as I started to run out of time. “Meet El Presidente” was the third, and final, single from the Nile Rodgers produced Notorious; it hit #24 in the UK but just went to #70 in the US. If I’m being honest, I don’t really even remember it from ’87 (though my daily listens had skewed heavily punk by that point). The single version is a different mix than the album’s with a more pronounced Latin groove (think Miami Sound Machine). And because I don’t remember hearing the single back in the day, the LP version is a bit more familiar. Both are smooth, funky and highly danceable. The b-side, “Vertigo (Do the Demolition),” has a more slow-burn funk with a big 80’s production sound that, apropos its title, has a bit of an industrial flare.

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Duran Duran “Thanks Again”

sfilzen — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:55:41 +0000

Duran Duran “Thanks Again” 2025, bootleg double LP. Today, June 20th, is John Taylor’s 65th birthday (b. 1960). Thanks Again is a collection of alternative takes/live versions of cover songs that originally appeared on their 1995 LP Thank You. I’m sure a bunch of this stuff has been available on other releases or bootlegs; a possibly different version of Thanks Again was released on CD in 2023 that collected recording sessions from 1992-1995 (I don’t have that CD so cannot confirm). I do have a CD of Thank You and I think that some of the alternative versions on Thanks Again are even better than what appears on that album. “White Lines (Version 2)” has the same ass-shakey-funky beat with a different vocal sound from Simon that I quite like. Their take on Zeppelin’s “Thank You” is pretty epic. The acoustic version of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” is lovely. Some aren’t as good: Both the regular and acoustic covers of The Doors’ “Crystal Ship” are pretty muddy and “Success” (written by Bowie, originally performed by Iggy Pop) is messy. I’m totally weirded out by their cover of Public Enemy’s “911 is a Joke” – it’s a cover viewed through the lens of The Rolling Stones in their Sticky Fingers era, complete with harmonica and twangy blues guitar. There are some Duran originals on Thanks Again, though alternative takes from the originals: two versions of “Electric Barbarella” – acoustic and “plastic kiss acoustic mix.” This album is also the only place I have “Dreamboy” which was written by Simon LeBon that is on the 1998 soundtrack for Love Kills starring Mario Van Peebles and Lesley Ann Warren (I haven’t seen that movie), as well as “Plastic Girl,” an unreleased song recorded during demo sessions for the album Medazzaland between 1995and 1997. I’m happy to have this in my rather impressive Duran collection but it’s really only for nerds like me with the uneven sound quality and questionable release background.

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Duran Duran “Danse Macabre De Luxe Zoetrope”

sfilzen — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 17:41:30 +0000

Duran Duran “Danse Macabre De Luxe Zoetrope” 2025, picture disc EP, limited edition Record Store Day release. Yesterday, June 8th, was Nick Rhodes’ birthday (b. 1962) so I’m taking this new acquisition to my extensive D2 collection for a spin. The seven-song EP is a collection of remixes (or re-remixes) of tracks from their 2023 Halloween-themed Danse Macabre LP, which itself had remixes (and covers) of some of their older songs, plus some “new” material, all of which appeared in the 2023 Danse box set edition. The cover songs include “Evil Woman” by ELO” and “Spooky” made popular by Classics IV in 1967 and sung on Duran’s version by The Brides of Dracula (Rachel O’Connor and Anna Ross). New(ish) D2 originals include the instrumentals “The Visitor” and “Mask of the Pink Death” (D2 original from ’23), “Dialogues Of The Dead,” and the instructional (and extra creepy) spoken word “Instructions for a Séance.” Best of the bunch is “New Moon (Dark Phase),” which is a particularly spooky rendition of “New Moon on Monday” (1983). It’s supposed to be an interactive picture disk experience, with instructions on the liner notes to “view under a strobe light set to 30Hz in a dark room.” I do not have a strobe light so tried it with a bright light and phone (other options listed)…I couldn’t get the lighting right, apparently, because you’re supposed to see this.

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Duran Duran “The Wedding Album”

sfilzen — Thu, 22 May 2025 18:19:50 +0000

Duran Duran “The Wedding Album” 1993. Today, May 22nd, is my and Joe’s anniversary – 26 years! And it’s World Goth Day..while Duran’s seventh studio LP (actually named Duran Duran but everyone knows it as The Wedding Album) is not at all gothy, the record is still perfect today. This is a reissue on gold vinyl – I think the vinyl release was pretty limited back in ’93. It went to #4 in the UK and to #7 in the US. I really wasn’t listening to much D2 in ’93 and certainly not any new material so I’m mostly familiar with this record in retrospect. But it does have what is now one of my favorite all-time Duran songs, “Ordinary World.” Live, it’s magic and I think they’ve performed it at every concert I’ve been to. It was the first single released from the LP and hit the top 10 virtually everywhere in the world. It’s a near perfect song: sad and sophisticated, glorious and anthemic. The second single released, “Come Undone,” is sexy as hell; it also was a hit going to #7 in the US and #13 in the UK. I’m actually not too familiar with a couple of the other singles they released from The Wedding Album: the rocker “Too Much Information” (#35 UK, #45 US), “Drowning Man” (only released as a single in the US) and “None of the Above” (Japan-only). However, the cover of Velvet Underground’s “Femme Fatale” I clearly am familiar with – it was only released as a single in France. That track, and its video, do happen to be quite gothy.

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Duran Duran “Private Confessions”

sfilzen — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 18:23:09 +0000

Duran Duran “Private Confessions” 2025/1984. Limited edition bootleg on Mind Control Records. It’s Earth Day today so I needed to spin the best song for the holiday: “Planet Earth,” which appears on this unlicensed FM broadcast recording of Duran Duran at Madison Square Garden on March 21st, 1984. I’m fairly certain I have other versions of this same concert on vinyl somewhere in my collection; this release definitely hits the highlights, including many of their hits from Duran Duran, Rio and Seven and the Ragged Tiger. The sound quality is decent though it’s a bit heavy on the high end: I could really have used more of John’s beefy bass and Roger’s thundering drums, and Simon’s voice sounds forced at times. In fairness to Simon, he was competing with thousands and thousands of batshit crazy screaming teenage girls. “New Moon on Monday” is particularly wonderful, with a cute intro by Simon in which he dedicates the tune to the fellas in the audience who came to the concert “with the express purpose” to meet girls (lol good luck – all those girls are hoping to go home with a Duran!). “Save a Prayer” is lovely, as always, but Nick’s keyboards are way too low in the mix until the very end when they get a bit wonky. And of course “Planet Earth” is mostly fabulous with Simon asking the audience to prove they’re into it by dancing and screaming (I’m guessing he was obliged) and his super-high energy singing; but the ubiquitous 80’s sax is too high in the mix for my tastes though and the saxophonist totally fucked up a note or two. “Careless Memories” is as urgent as ever (their performance of this one is particularly excellent). The encore “The Chauffeur” is absolutely haunting.

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Duran Duran “Duran Goes Dutch”

sfilzen — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 18:03:43 +0000

Duran Duran “Duran Goes Dutch” 1987. Recorded live at the Ahoy in Rotterdam on May 7th, 1987 while on The Strange Behavior tour. Promotional only, 5 song EP. The promo live EP was re-issued in 1988 as a bonus CD with the Japanese Big Thing limited edition album. I’m f**king sad and miserable today (reading this and not sure why? Check the post date) and literally nothing will make it better. I could consume a couple dozen cookies and curl up in the fetal position, but I have shit to do (and don’t want to feel sick) so I thought I’d go to the warm comfort of vintage Duran. However….

This is the era of D2 when both Andy and Roger had left the band, so we have Warren Cuccurullo on guitar and Steve Ferrone on drums, along with Simon, John and Nick. I definitely miss Roger’s thundering sound and Andy’s more straightforward rock-n-roll attitude. There are three songs from Notorious (released November ’86), “Notorious,” “Vertigo” and “American Science.” Also included are two older tracks: a pretty wacky version of “New Religion” with a shrieky sax solo that I find a bit jarring, plus Simon goes full-on rap (it’s kinda funny). And then there’s one of the oddest versions of “Hungry Like the Wolf” I’ve ever heard. It starts out with a hair metal mini guitar solo, a full horn section and Simon changed the structure of the vocals completely. I’m so flummoxed by his singing I can’t even find the words to describe it. These videos aren’t from the Rotterdam show but both pretty close to what’s on the EP (from a concert in Rio on The Strange Behavior tour):

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Duran Duran “Danse Macabre”

sfilzen — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 22:12:09 +0000

Duran Duran “Danse Macabre” 2023. “Smog” variant. Today, June 20th, is bassist John Taylor’s birthday (b. 1960); D2’s 16th studio LP was released on Simon’s birthday (October 27th) but my special fan club pre-order got lost in the mail last year so I didn’t get a copy until mid-November (the fan club version finally arrived, about 2 months late) so I saved it for John’s. Danse Macabre went to #57 in the US and to #4 in the UK; besides being notable for a Duran Duran release (!), it’s also notable that it’s the first record since 2004 to feature Andy Taylor on guitar (not on all tracks).

As the title suggests, Danse Macabre is dark and a bit spooky (it’s a Halloween party-themed record), with remakes of two very old Duran songs: “Nightboat” (from their first album Duran Duran, 1981) and “Secret Oktober 31st” (originally just “Secret October,” b-side to “Union of the Snake,” 1983), vaguely Harry Potter’d up, plus a remake the 1993 The Wedding Album track: “Love Voudou.” The majority of the LP are covers, most of which are terrific picks: “Paint It Black” (Rolling Stones), “Spellbound” (Siouxsie and the Banshees), “Supernature” (an electro-disco number from ’77 by Cerrone), an extra-funky “Psycho Killer” (Talking Heads)” and “Ghost Town” (The Specials). The best cover, though, combines the Duran original “Lonely in Your Nightmare” (an absolutely gorgeous song from Rio) with Rick James’ “Superfreak” which equals “Super Lonely Freak.” The cover I’m not familiar with (and less crazy about) is “Bury a Friend” (Billy Eilish) but I do appreciate the band’s drive to always look forward even while glancing back.

There are a couple of new compositions on the album: “Black Moonlight” is fantastic and features long time collaborator Nile Rodgers, the title track – also great – “Danse Macabre,” and the LP closer “Confession in the Afterlife.”

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