Duran Duran...Remember them? Well, actually, they never split up! Admittedly, there
have been a few changes in the band's line-up over the years, but they're still going
strong. Last month they released a
Greatest Hits album, they've just finished a whistle-stop tour of the UK and a new single
and album will be out soon. We caught up with Nick Rhodes recently for a chat about the
80's, the 90's - and the band's plans for the future...
It's 3 years since your last album "Thank You" was out over here...
I know, people think "Where have they been?" -- well, actually we've been all
the way around the world! We made an album called "Medazzaland" in '97, although
it hasn't come out here yet.
Why?
Legal wrangles with the record company, but now it's all sorted out. However,
"Medazzaland" probably won't be our next album out. We're currently in the
studio working on a thing called "Hallucinating Elvis". "Medazzaland"
will probably come out after that.
When will "Hallucinating Elvis" by out?
We're aiming for May, I certainly hope we get it out by then, plus we've got a lot of odd
bits that we haven't put together that will make a 3rd album very quickly. You're going to
be seeing a lot more material coming out over the next 18 months or so than there has been
in the past few years. We've got a bit of time to make up for!
John Taylor's no longer with you...
Yes, John left in March '97, we were sad to see him go, but at the same time we've never
been frightened of change.
Why did John leave?
Well, John's living in L.A.. It was mainly geographical. He's got his family there -- his
daughter in particular. She goes to school there. He likes it in L.A. -- and we're very
much a London based band. It was getting very difficult commuting backwards and forwards
the whole time.
And, splitting up after he left was never an option?
No, he's doing his own thing and he seems very happy. We've got a bass player called Wes,
who's been with us for 2 years. He's great, so we're really happy.
Do you think there will be a chance of a reunion?
I can't see him joining us at the moment because we've moved somewhere completely
different. To be honest, John wasn't around much after '92, so we're kind of used to him
not being there. I do miss him -- I've known him since I was very young, but fortunately
it hasn't affected our writing very much.
Did you part on good terms?
Oh yeah -- absolutely. We wish him well with everything he does!
You've been around for nearly 20 years. What keeps you going?
Soul-creating things...playing shows, we enjoy what we do. I feel very lucky that we do
something we like for a living. Plus, I think we've got a long way to go yet!
Is each album a progression from the last one?
Sometimes, but I think the "Medazzaland" album is more relative to the 1st one
or "Rio" than the later stuff. It's as if it has come round in a circle -- but
we try to push tracks in different directions. I don't ever think our albums are just one
style.
How has the band developed during the 80's and '90s?
I think the 80's were very chaotic for us. It wasn't until '86 or '87 that we really
managed to learn to go in different directions a lot more. In the '90s...while there
haven't been as many albums, I think we've developed a very different sound now,
particularly with the "Medazzaland" album and the new one. It's carrying out a
different sort of area, but it's still Duran Duran -- I think Simon's voice very much
identifies that.
Does it annoy you that people often just associate you with the '80s?
Yeah, it's slightly irritating because the biggest hit we've had around the world was in
the '90s. "Ordinary World" off "The Wedding Album" wasn't No. 1 in the
UK, but it was No. 1 in most of the world, including
the U.S.. In fact, "The Wedding Album" is our most successful studio album to
date. The '80s revival thing obviously isn't helping, but people are bound to mention us,
because we released so many records then!
"Ordinary World" is probably my favorite Duran track, what about you?
Oh yeah, it's way up there with my favorites of everything we've done. We knew when
we'd written it that it was a special song. It was just one of those great moments when
everything (music and lyrics) matched perfectly. There's a very beautiful ballad on the
new album called "Someone Else, Not Me" which I suppose is in the vein of
"Ordinary World". It's the 1st song we've written since then that's got those
overtones.
And the Fans?
We're lucky in that not only do we have a lot of loyal people from earlier on, but people
have gone away and come back to us. We've also added a new audience around the world -- I
guess with "The Wedding
Album".
Finally, what about your plans for '99
Well, the single "Electric Barbarella" is out on January 11th and we'll see what
happens with that...and then as I said, hopefully the new album will be out in May, and if
all goes well, we'd like to tour the new
album.
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