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CNN SHOW: Larry King Live 9:00 pm ET January 10, 1994
Transcript # 1014-3
TYPE: Package
SECTION: News LENGTH: 2381 words
HEADLINE: Duran Duran stages a comeback.
BYLINE: LARRY KING;
HIGHLIGHT: While Duran Duran has never left the music scene since
the 80s, theirnew album and a lengthy world tour has brought them
back into the 90slimelight.
BODY:
KING: We're back on Larry King Live. Critics laughed more than a
decade ago when five English rockers burst on the scene with pink
hair, lace collars, and a new syntho-pop beat. But guess what? Time
has passed and Duran Duran is still around. The premier band of
the video generation is still chalking up top 10 hits and selling
out concert dates, and fine-tuning their sound for the 90s. Their
new album is simply, 'Duran Duran' from Capitol Records. Joining
us are Simon LeBon and Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran. You look-
SIMON LeBON, Duran Duran: Good evening. KING: How are you? How are
you guys?
NICK RHODES, Duran Duran: I want to tell you as well- the critics,
they're still laughing.
KING: They're still laughing at you, right?
Mr. RHODES: Yeah.
KING: How did this start? By the way, where did you get the name
from? Was is 'Barbarella?'
Mr. RHODES: Absolutely.
KING: That was a character in 'Barbarella?' Is that how the group
picked the name?
Mr. RHODES: John and I- actually were- we started the band in about
'79.
KING: This is John who?
Mr. RHODES: Taylor. The bass player. And we were doing a concert
and we only had a few days left to advertise our first gig, and
we still didn't have a name. And then we saw 'Barbarella' on television
and John went, 'I really like that. That's got something to it.
It sounds like it could be ours.' And it doesn't mean anything.
It's our name.
KING: Does anybody think it was related to the fighter?
Mr. LeBON: Yeah, I think so. When we came to the States and Roberto
Duran was fighting, I think that a lot of people's memories would
jolt when they saw this band, Duran Duran; where have I heard that
name from? I think that kind of helped us a little bit.
KING: Who got the idea for the collars and the hair and the- how
did that- did that evolve? How did that come about? Did five guys
sit down together and say. 'Let's come up with this blond hair thing?'
Mr. RHODES: I think it was just- at the time, when we started, it
was the scene that we were involved with. We came out of a club
in Birmingham, England, called the Rum Runner. And it was quite
a flamboyant sort of place. It was the beginning of the 80s and
it was after punk rock, and people really were looking for something,
I don't know, a little bit more bizarre, a bit more wacky, I suppose.
And it just seemed like fun at the time.
Mr. LeBON: I have to say that we're not all natural blonds.
KING: No kidding, Simon? But did you buy this idea right away? Did
you say, 'This is a good idea?' The red-blond, kinky kind of hair?
Mr. LeBON: Well, this is last week's blond. This is last week's
hairdo. This is hanging over to this week.
KING: No, but I mean the mode of dress, the type of act you were
and are?
Mr. LeBON: Well we came out of a very fashion-conscious scene. We
came out that kind of- the disco and the punk scene, and that was
very much in create- make a visual impression on people. And saying
something about the way you looked. Saying something about your
individuality, actually. And it just came naturally to us.
KING: Have you been together all these years? Has anyone left?
Mr. RHODES: We did lose a couple of members in the middle of the
80s, yeah. The original lineup lasted until about '85, around the
time of Live Aid, actually, was the last show we did together.
KING: And then new people came in?
Mr. RHODES: Yeah.
KING: Has the group always been a group? Has Duran Duran always
been around, always been entertaining?
Mr. RHODES: Absolutely.
KING: Always been in concert tours?
Mr. RHODES: Yes.
KING: All around the world?
Mr. LeBON: All around the world. We're doing a tour right now; it's
the longest tour we've ever done. We've been out for over a year.
Fourteen months, we're out now.
KING: Do you like that?
Mr. LeBON: Sure.
Mr. RHODES: Most days, we do. I mean obviously, the hardest thing
is the traveling. It's not the shows. The shows have been fantastic
everywhere. You know, it's a real pleasure.
KING: Do you always know where you are?
Mr. RHODES: No. No, I often wake up and think-
KING: What city you're-
Mr. LeBON: Then you get on stage and you go, 'Good evening... Detroit!'
Mr. RHODES: Detroit. Yes.
KING: Now this album. Tell me how this came about. This Duran Duran
for Capitol.
Mr. LeBON: Well, we've been making albums always through, and you
know, this was billed as a comeback, and it is a comeback. But all
the time that we had kind of a low period, we were making albums.
And we got together two years ago and we decided that we weren't
going to go into a big studio with a producer; that we were going
to do it at home, basically. We built a studio in our guitarist's
living room, which is about twice as big as this table, and we just
went ahead.
KING: why?
Mr. LeBON: Well, because that way, we have more control over it
and we didn't have all the outside influences that come- KING: And
Capitol had no problem?
Mr. LeBON: No. Not at all. No. They thought, hey, a cheap album.
That was a bonus for them, they thought.
KING: And it's also the title of your original album, right?
Mr. RHODES: Yeah. I think we really felt that it was time to call
something Duran Duran again, probably just to promote the name more.
KING: So you think you fit the 90s as well as you did the 70s?
Mr. LeBON: The 80s.
KING: Huh?
Mr. RHODES: The 80s.
KING: 80s? You started in the 70s, right?
[crosstalk]
Mr. RHODES: Yeah. We started very late 70s. But I mean, I think
we fit them better, you know.
KING: Better?
Mr. RHODES: Yeah. It's a much more mature band now. I think we write
better. Our range and skills have improved no end over the years.
KING: You have better musical acts?
Mr. LeBON: Yeah.
KING: We'll take a break and come back and take some phone calls
for Duran Duran. Their new album, they're in the midst of a long
tour. Where are you now, currently playing?
Mr. RHODES: We're in New York tomorrow and the day after and the
day after, and then I think the American tour finishes with Lafayette.
KING: Livingtson?
Mr. RHODES: Yeah.
Mr. LeBON: And then watch out, Europe.
KING: Watch out, Europe! We're seen in Europe. They know you're
coming.
Mr. RHODES: Yeah.
Mr. LeBON: Yeah.
KING: Okay. And the album is Duran Duran from Capitol, and we'll
take a break and come back with your phone calls. Don't go away.
[Commercial break]
KING: Let's go to your calls for Simon LeBon and Nick Rhodes of
Duran Duran. London, England. Hello.
7th CALLER: [London, England] Hello.
KING: Hi.
7th CALLER: I'd like to ask Simon and Nick; when Andy Taylor [unintelligible]
did he ever feel like giving up?
Mr. LeBON: I guess at one point or another, all three of us, me
Nick and John, had gone through ideas of giving up. But at that
time, I don't think either of the other two would have been thinking
the same thing. It was always like two against one, and then Warren
joined in. And Warren's a very positive force in the group and we
tend to kind of pull ourselves out of depressions like that.
KING: So it came close, but never broke up, right? Never near breaking
up?
Mr. RHODES: No, I mean, I think is, the thing is as well, when you
look at the options of everything else you've got to do. You go,
hey, do I want to be a mailman? Do I want to be this? And you go,
no. I like writing music. That's what we are. Music.
KING: Fayetteville, North Carolina for Duran Duran. Hello. Arkansas,
I'm sorry. Hello.
8th CALLER: [Fayetteville, Arkansas] Hi, this is Mark. Hi, Nick.
Hi, Simon.
Mr. LeBON: Hi.
Mr. RHODES: Hi.
8th CALLER: I can't believe I'm talking to you guys. I'm your biggest
fan. I'm from Arkansas. I was wondering if the album 'Liberty,'
when it came out, it did not receive much promotion, and on that
last clip which was played, you mentioned, 'Hate to Bite the Hand
that Feeds Me' from that.
KING: What's the question?
8th CALLER: Well, was there something- did they get in trouble in
the industry in some way, and why were they not promoted as much?
KING: Nick?
Mr. RHODES: Well, it's a funny thing, you know. I think whenever
you release a record, you hope that it's received well commercially.
You hope that people like it. You hope that people play it on the
radio, and more than anything, you hope that your record company
gets behind it. With that particular record, I don't think it was
the best of times for us. It was 1990. Everyone wanted to lock the
door to the 80s and throw away the key. And we released it and there
just wasn't a lot of general interest. You know, we still stand
by it and feel it was a good record. But it was a good stepping
stone for us to make to this record, too. So I mean, we learned
a lot from it, and I don't think we really have any regrets.
KING: Conyngham, Pennsylvania. Hello.
9th CALLER: [Conyngham, Pennsylvania] Hi. Hi Simon. Hi Nick.
Mr. RHODES: Hi.
Mr. LeBON: Hi.
9th CALLER: I'd like to ask you a question about your next coming
album. I've heard over a year ago that you were going to do an album
of covers and I'm wondering if you're still doing that, and if you
started any work on it yet.
Mr. LeBON: Yeah, well we've been working away at this ever since
we were working on the last Duran album. We just carried on recording
and we've just finished recording a track in New York with Grand
Master Flash and Mellie Mel [sp?], which is 'White Lines,' which
is-
KING: Who?
Mr. LeBON: Grand Master Flash and Mellie Mel [sp?].
[crosstalk]
KING: Grand Master Flash and Mellie Mel [sp?] I love 'em. What does
she mean by an album of covers?
[crosstalk]
Mr. RHODES: Songs of other people.
Mr. LeBON: Other people's songs. It's been great. It's been a great
experience for us, working with other people's music and seeing
how they write and- and I think it's bringing a lot to us as a group.
KING: Reston, Virginia. Hello.
10th CALLER: [Reston, Virginia] Hi guys. I am your greatest fan.
I saw you guys last night in concert. You were fantastic. I would
like to know, where do you get the inspiration to write your lyrics
and your music?
KING: Hardest thing to answer.
Mr. RHODES: Yeah. It is.
Mr. LeBON: It's difficult.
Mr. RHODES: I think by everything we're surrounded by, really. I
mean, personally, I'm a firm believer that one should reflect the
times. I think in the 80s, we had a very different perspective on
music, but it fitted in with exactly what was going on. In the 90s,
songs like 'Ordinary World' and 'Too Much Information' very much
reflect our point of view, our opinion, I suppose, of where the
world is at today and where we stand within it.
KING: Helmond, Holland. Hello.
11th CALLER: [Helmond, Holland] Hello. This is [unintelligible]
hi, Simon. Well, the thing is, I'd like to know, a few month ago,
I went to this [see them] in concert in Rotterdam.
Mr. RHODES: Yes.
11th CALLER: And unfortunately, very unfortunately, Simon, you had
cut short the concert.
Mr. RHODES: Yeah.
11th CALLER: [unintelligible] But the thing is-
KING: What's your question, ma'am?
11th CALLER: I just wanted to know what your feelings were at this
particular concert.
KING: What happened that night?
Mr. LeBON: Well, I was on stage, and the people- and it being at
end of a very long run of shows, and my voice actually gave out
while I was on stage, and I couldn't hold a note at all. And I just
had to say to the people, 'Look, this is not fair on you, and this
is not really fair on me, either. I can't continue.' And I think
it was the biggest blow to my self-esteem.
KING: Will you go back to Rotterdam, to give them another date?
Mr. RHODES: I hope so. We always try and re-schedule if we cancel.
We've been very lucky to not have to cancel many shows.
KING: Good meeting both of you. Continued good luck. See you on
the radio Wednesday. Our guests have been Simon LeBon and Nick Rhodes,
lead singer and keyboardist, respectively of Duran Duran. Some special
words about a very special man will follow these messages. Don't
go away.
[Commercial break]
KING: Tomorrow night on Larry King Live, our guest was to have been
Tip O'Neill. We promoted it, and he was going to plug his new book,
All Politics is Local. Instead, they held a funeral for Tip O'Neill
today, in his native North Cambridge, Massachusetts. The retired
House Speaker was 81 years old when he died last week. He was last
with us just over a year ago, around Thanksgiving of '92. Bill Clinton
had just been elected and Tip was thrilled to see the White House
back in Democratic hands.
TIP O'NEILL, Speaker of the House (Retired): [November 25, 1992]
I've been to every inaugural since Truman in 1948 and I'll be at
this one, God willing.
KING: Out there, no matter what the weather?
Spkr. O'NEILL: No matter what the weather. I've seen them all. Every
one since 1948.
KING: As a former speaker, you get invited up on the podium?
Spkr. O'NEILL: I think the three speakers- we have a special reserved
spot for us. KING: You just have that reserved spot forever.
Spkr. O'NEILL: Thank you, old pal.
KING: I think you've got a reserved spot with the Lord, too.
Spkr. O'NEILL: Happy Thanksgiving to you and all of America.
KING: Tip O'Neill. We will miss him. And as I told him that night,
we shall not see his likes again.
The preceding text has been professionally transcribed. However,
although the text has been checked against an audio track, in order
to meet rigid distribution and transmission deadlines, it has not
yet been proofread against videotape.
LOAD-DATE: January 12, 1994
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