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The Wild Boys Branch Out
Teen Magazine, April 1985
Cookie Amerson.
Catching up with the meteorically successful members of Duran Duran is no easy task. These globe-trotting glamourguys
have been popping up everywhere lately. There's no doubt about it: The boys are busy both personally and professionally.
Check out the latest as we check in with the fast-paced Fabulous Five!
You'd think the guys would have enough to do just simply being members of a mega-popular band like Duran Duran. Yet
Nick Rhodes, Roger Taylor, Andy Taylor, John Taylor and Simon le Bon have drawn upon a seemingly endless energy
source and stepped away from the stage long enough to make things happen in their personal lives.
Settling into domestic life quite nicely are Nick and Roger. Keyboardist Nick recently married his long-time girlfriend, Julie
Ann, and the two went off on a fabulous honeymoon. They cruised around the Greek Islands on a private boat. Drummer
Roger Taylor also opted for wedded bliss and married a contemporary ballet dancer student named Giovanna. Their
wedding took place in Italy, and afterward the couple honeymooned in Egypt. After returning to England, the two began
moving into their new home in London--a move that was complicated because fans formed an uninvited welcoming party
around their new abode. "All the papers kept printing my address,' Roger complains. "There were kids out there before I'd
ever moved in. I'd just bought the house--and I went 'round to see it and there were kids sitting on the doorstep.'
Guitarist Andy Taylor also has been undergoing changes on his home front. He recently became a proud papa and claims that
fatherhood is great. Andy plans to encourage his baby son should he choose to play a musical instrument someday and adds,
"Obviously, I'd like him to play guitar.' That probably comes as no surprise to Andy's fan following.
Equally, it comes as no surprise that there have been no rumors of upcoming weddings for Simon or John. These two seem
to be in hot pursuit of other adventures. Simon recently took to the high seas as he and some friends and his brother Jonathan
spent two months aboard a yacht on the Mediterranean. They participated in some races and even on one happy occasion
won one.
John is into adventure as well, but of a different kind: He's searching for new musical frontiers in the form of solo music
projects. Actually, John's in danger of losing his playboy image as he becomes absorbed in his new musical directions and
takes on more of a workaholic image instead.
Among other projects, John teamed up with fellow Duranie Andy to form a new band called Power Station. All the members
of Duran Duran are quick to emphasize that this project in no way forecasts a Duran Duran breakup. It was simply a musical
exploration for the two who teamed up with vocalist Robert Paimer and Chic drummer Tony Thompson to make the recently
released LP that was produced by Bernard Edwards and called Power Station. This Capital Records album was released in
March. It's a departure from the mainstream, synthesized music that characterizes Duran Duran. It features a powerful,
hard-rock sound that may only hint of the musical talent not yet fully tapped by John and Andy.
The first single from Power Station is entitled "Some Like it Hot' and features John playing bass, Andy on guitar, Tony
Thompson on drums and Robert Palmer's singing. These four will play together only once outside of the recording studio
when they tape a guest appearance on "Saturday Night Live.' Though they won't be touring, you can expect that the same
formula of glamour and high style characteristic of Duran Duran videos will be applied to those of Power Station.
Along with Duran Duran's live LP, Arena (which featured the single "The Wild Boys'), Power Station is expected to help
curb some of the criticism regarding their music that the band has been drawing recently. Critics have been attacking the
members' musical abilities and claim that they hide their weakness behind slick commerical packaging, exotic locations,
special effects and grease paint. One English magazine went so far as to state bluntly, "The worst thing about their success is
that they don't deserve a penny of it.'
Others even began to question whether the members actually played their own instruments--a charge which irritated the
quintet.
"Yes, it's true there are people who think we don't play our own instruments,' says John. "People think we're puppets.'
The criticism didn't stop with Duran Duran's musical abilities--it ventured into the realm of Duran Duran videos.
It's a well-known fact that the Fabulous Five charted new territory when it came to videos by orchestrating new
cinematographic techniques, innovative storylines and intriguing locations in their filming. For example, the band members
chose the beautiful Carribean island of Antigua for producing both "Rio' and "Night Boat.' They then spent a great deal of
money recording, promoting and packaging their videos with spectacular results. But because of this, Duran Duran found that
their musical influence was upstaged by their videos.
"Last year, we spent five months recording, six weeks touring and exactly two weeks making videos. And everywhere we
went, nobody asked us about our records or our musical tastes. They asked us where we were going to film our next video.
We got tired of being asked about our videos!' laments John.
And so it appears that the members of Duran Duran are setting out to explore and broaden their musical ranges in an effort to
get serious recognition as musicians--although John sarcastically speculates: "I suppose if we started getting good reviews we
might stop selling records!'
In an effort to evolve musically, the popsters became involved in yet another project, an 87-minute documentary called Blue
Silver. This effort highlighted their 1984 U.S. tour and offered a close-up look at the guys in rehearsals, during interviews and
backstage as well as during their performances on stage. It was a big hit on MTV and has been a hot-selling video cassette
across the country.
Also on the musical horizon, the group was recently involved in producing, writing and performing the title song for the 14th
James Bond movie, called A View To Kill. The movie will star Roger Moore, Tanya Roberts of Sheena and "Charlie's
Angels' and singer Grace Jones. The film's scheduled for release around the end of May and the title song should hit the
airwaves shortly before the film's out.
Perhaps the most daring change of direction for Duran Duran is a new feature film project. The whole thing is very hush-hush,
but it has been desribed as being a classic good-versus-evil action feature. The film will mark the dramatic acting debut of all
five muscians amid fantastic settings and spectacular costumes. The as-yet-untitied production will be directed by noted rock
video-maker Russel Mulcahey, the director of Duran Duran's first musical video, their single "Planet Earth.' This feature is
pegged for a tentative September release, perhaps not so coincidentally also the time their next album is expected to be
issued. Who knows? Maybe Duran Duran's next album will be the soundtrack album for their feature.
Around that same time, details of their next world tour will also be announced. Though dates and locations are not set ap
press time, it has been decided that Duran Duran's next tour will originate in the United States.
At that time, fans can determine if the band's new directions have made a change in their sound. The members have noted
that it will be more rock "n' roll, not heavy metal, but music with more of an edge. John explains: "I think as musicians, as a
band, we're developing. The pop aspects of the band are still there, but they're more disguised, more subtle . . . I think
everyone in the group is working toward making the sound more direct, more powerful: playing less, saying more.'
Critics still attempt to dismiss the group as the "Band Without A Message,' but such shots do nothing to diminish Duran
Duran's incredible international success and courageous explorations into new areas of pertormance. There's no question that
the criticism has only fueled the band members' desire to branch out in new directions and discover a brave, new musical
world for themselves!
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