duran duran



Never before has the Shakin' Stevens phrase 'Lipstick, Powder and Paint' immortalised in the 1985 song of the same name, applied so aptly to the career of Birmingham nouveau-fops Duran Duran.



From music promos chock-full of topless, pillow fighting models (Girls On Film) to the champagne swilling antics of Rio and the Mad Max apeing Wild Boys video, the Brummie fivepiece built their reputation through the medium of MTV, with more lipstick, eye-liner and frilly shirts on show than an Elton John birthday party. The band emerged as the first MTV superstars. (The only Grammy they ever won was for Best Video for Girls On Film!) They perfectly understood the synthesis of image, fashion and music that is the requisite of any self-respecting, pretentious pop band. The band's videos and innate sense of style helped them rocket between 1982-1986 from post punk, underground sensations to global pop pin-ups, epitomising the get-rich-quick excess of '80s Thatcherite Britain.



Inspired by David Bowie, Roxy Music, disco and punk and describing themselves as the Sex Pistols meeting Chic, schoolmates Nick Rhodes (keyboards) and John Taylor (guitar) formed Duran Duran in 1978 with their friends Simon Colley and Stephen 'Tin Tin' Duffy (who is now officially Robbie Williams' main songwriting partner). They took their name from a character in the seminal '60s sci-fi flick Barbarella and began playing gigs in local Birmingham clubs. Duffy would eventually leave to form The Lilac Time. A few Melody Maker classifieds later, the band lineup would settle on Taylor, Rhodes and new additions Andy Taylor (guitar), Roger Taylor (drums) and finally, former Dog Days punk singer and Birmingham drama student Simon Le Bon.