Before Duran Duran conquered the 1980's with Simon Le Bon, they were an arty trio of Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and... Stephen Duffy.

Best known as singer with lush popstars The Lilac Time, Duffy left Duran Duran after four gigs in 1978.

But now, the REAL original line-up of Duran Duran are back. Rhodes and Duffy tell PS why a 16-year silence ended with them making an album based on the very first Duran Duran gig...
After meeting at a New York nightclub in 1982, Nick Rhodes and original Duran singer Stephen Duffy went 16 years before chancing across each other.

"I'm surprised we didn't run into one another," admits Nick, "The industry is so small, the law of averages said it was bound to happen one day."

Stephen adds: "We met again at a London fashion show. Nick's first words to me were 'Oh Stephen, why did you ever leave the band?'"

When Stephen Duffy met old schoolpal Nick Rhodes in 1998, he revealed he had a tape of their first ever gig as Duran Duran in Birmingham in 1978.

"Stephen is one of life's librarians," Nick smiles. "He'd even kept the slides for the gig backdrop, of a geography field trip he and John Taylor were on."

Although he'd never played the tape since it was recorded, Stephen adds: "I feel these kind of things come in handy. As it proves, I was right."

Once Stephen Duffy and Nick Rhodes played the tape of Duran Duran's first gig from 1978, they quickly agreed to make a whole album 'sounding as a Duran album would do if it was still 1978.'

"Half the songs on our album are ones from that gig," recalls Stephen.

Nick adds they would have got the gig's third member John Taylor in, but: "He wasn't around. Plus John was guitarist at the gig. And there's a good reason John became Duran's bassist instead..."

Nick Rhodes and Stephen Duffy's new album of songs based on Duran Duran's first gig was made in just twelve days.

"There was no record company breathing down our necks," beams Nick. "It was easy, though I work people pretty hard. 'Just ten more minutes' is six hours."

The album is released under the name The Devils. "I wanted us to be The Sea The Sea," says Stephen. "But the album sounds Goth. As Nick says there's nothing more goth than the devil."

Nick Rhodes and Stephen Duffy have made an album based around Duran Duran's first gig. Does Stephen miss the fame he could have had if he hadn't walked out on the band in 1978?

"I think people mean 'do I miss the money?' not the fame." Stephen retorts.

"I make enough money to be a musician for a living. I'm grateful I don't have to work on the bins or at a car factory like most of my family and school friends had to."

Dismissing reports that Duran Duran have been told to lose weight before being allowed a new record contract, Nick Rhodes reveals the band are yet to finish recording the new album.

"I can't even tell you song titles, as Simon Le Bon changes the lyrics on a daily basis," he laughs.

"We approach each album as a blank canvas. We may use a lot of the same colours, but we try to change sounds on every album."

Nick Rhodes and Stephen Duffy plan to make more albums together as The Devils and have set up their own record label called Tape Modern.

"It's not a boutique, we want to sign other bands," says Nick. "I want to hear the next Nirvana or Sex Pistols."

And live plans? "We'll wait until a second album," Stephen explains. "If we go on tour with just one album, we'd have to pad it out with Nick playing Rio on a kazoo for twenty minutes."

Devils' Dark Circles album out July 15th.


Thanks to Kris for the transcript!