|
Blitz
By HELEN BALLARD
BRITISH SUPERGROUP DURAN DURAN is back together again with a new
album _ but this time there are only three Duranies. Keyboardist
and founding member Nick Rhodes confirmed drummer Roger Taylor
had left the band for good and guitarist Andy Taylor, who played
on three tracks for the new album, would not perform with the band
again.
Rhodes said the band had expected Roger would leave but Andy's
departure was a shock. Roger had been ill and wanted to spend more
time at his country home with his wife.
""Roger wanted to get out of the music business altogether,"
Rhodes said. ""He was not happy going on tours and spending
so much time recording in the studio, doing interviews and publicity
shots.
""At first we tried to persuade him to come back but we realised
that wasn't what he wanted.
""I think it is important to let people do what they want to
do." Rhodes said Andy Taylor's departure was untimely
but the band had no animosity toward him.
""We knew he was working on a solo album when we started to record
Notorious (the latest album) so we asked him to come into the studio
when he had finished his solo work," he said. ""Andy said
that was OK but after a few weeks he didn't turn up. The next week
he said he'd come but didn't.
""This dragged on for a while until it got to the point where
we realised he wasn't coming back to finish the album.
""Later, he said he didn't want to be in Duran Duran anymore, that
he wanted to do more solo projects.
""We all wish the best for him. You can't have hard feelings when
you've spent five years with someone and had so many good times."
The three remaining Duran Duran members _ Simon Le Bon, Rhodes
and John Taylor _ will begin a world tour which kicks off in Australia
late February. The band will be joined by drummer Steve Ferrone
who has worked with the Average White Band, Scritti Politti and
recently Chaka Khan. Guitarist Warren Cucurillo (Missing Persons,
Frank Zappa), described by Rhodes as rock's best-kept secret,
also will tour with the band.
Rumors that Duran Duran would never tour again were rife earlier
this year when the band went off the road to pursue separate solo
projects. Andy and John Taylor formed Powerstation, which had a
hit with Marc Bolan's Get It On, while Le Bon, Rhodes and
Roger Taylor formed Arcadia. Arcadia released an album How Red The
Rose which featured special guests Sting and Dave Gilmour from Pink
Floyd.
""To me, Duran Duran never disbanded," Rhodes said.
""It was important to take time off to do different things _
but we always said we would come back.
""Unfortunately, we lost Roger and Andy along the way."
Rhodes said the new Duran Duran line-up was stronger than
before with the new album Notorious marking a return to the band's
early style of dance music. Le Bon, who recently achieved his life-long
ambition to sail his yacht in the Whitbread race, had put aside
his seafaring exploits and made Duran Duran his number one priority.
""We want to put energy back into our records," Rhodes
said.
""With Seven And The Ragged Tiger (their last studio album) we
worked too long trying to produce a fine delicate sound so that
all spontaneity was lost.
""The sound on this album is raw and chunky _ a return to the
club sound."
Notorious is the first single from the album. Rhodes said
the song was written as an ode to the media, which he said tried
to destroy the band on several occasions.
""Some people think any press is good press but we are not necessarily
advocates of that," he said. ""We've always been wary of
what people write. All we want to do is to write songs, make music
and entertain people.
And what of Duran Duran's squeaky-clean, teenybopper image? Would
the band still market itself as the pop idols of the 80s? After
all, John Taylor is the only remaining bachelor in the band and
even Rhodes, the youngest member at 26 years, has outgrown the fresh-faced
teenage image.
""We've always cared about the way we look. We are not the sort
of band that can go on stage wearing jeans and a T-shirt," Rhodes
said.
""But records are the most important thing for the band now.
We've been known to spend hours making sure the type on the record
label is right."
|
