Duran Duran 2015 | This year is going to be memorable for Duran Duran and their fans as the band is going to release their new record.

The band has recently finished mixing their new album and they just signed a worldwide deal with Warner Bros. Records. "Warner heard the record and wanted to sign Duran Duran right away" commented Roger Taylor about the fantastic deal, a contrat that gives the band a lot of credit for the hard work done over two last years.

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Mr Hudson says
“After just over a year of work on Duran Duran’s latest album, I’m thrilled to see them sign to Warners.
Can’t wait for y'all to play it at maximum volume and for us to see the songs we toiled over come to life on stage. If you’d told me back in the day that id be producing a Duran Duran record…”

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The record company has organized a great listening party to celebrate the new entry in the Warner family. They rolled out the red carpet for the band and they even had balloons, with the Duran Duran logo printed on them, outside of the building. Everyone at Warner came out to meet them and the guys were obviously very pleased as they haven't had such a warm welcome, or a proper listening party, since the early days with EMI.
John was so enthusiastic that he not only played the first single from DuranN°14, according to fans attending the event, he also played three more songs to staff behind closed doors.

listening party pics by Colleen John

On the left, the band playing at at a fundraiser at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel for the David Lynch Foundation.

"I am thrilled to welcome Duran Duran into the Warner Bros. family," said Warner Bros. Records President Dan McCarroll. "This is an iconic, enduring band that continues to make brilliant, timeless pop music. The combination of Duran Duran, Nile Rodgers, Mark Ronson and Mr Hudson is a dream team, and the songs they have created together for this new record are as fresh and compelling as anything in the band's long career. All of us at WBR are looking forward to working with Simon, Nick, John, and Roger as they begin this exciting new chapter."

At Village Studios in Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of Nile Rodgers

The first single from the new album is "Pressure Off" featuring vocals from R&B star Janelle Monáe; The songs sees a team of producers: Mark Ronson and Nile Rogers, the latter is credited both, for playing guitars and for producing the vocals.
The Janelle Monáe part was recorded in LA with Rodgers in early February: Simon flew to Los Angeles, while John was already there. On February 8th they both shared the love for longtime collaborator at pre-Grammy festivities honoring the Chic star and producer. The same week the trio went to the studio with Janelle and recorded the vocals.

Pressure Off came quickly, thanks Nile's energy injection in the studio |

The song came very quickly, in just one day... it all started from Nile's funky and groovy guitar riff, Mark constructing a drum part to it and John playing along the bass. It took a a couple of months to get the vocals, keyboards and mixing.

Unfrtunately there are a few clips of the songs floating around the web, recorded at the Vineyard listening party... the band, obviously, isn't very happy about it as they don't want people judging the song based on those crappy-sound leaked videos, they ruin all the magic and the work the band has done in the studio to get the best sound. There will be a proper clip of the song on duranduran.com as soon as the band has the final remix.

Super Team | This album has a super production, including the talented Mr Hudson, and a full list of surprising collaborators: the former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, contributions from the Voce Chamber Choir and London Youth Chamber Choir, italian violinist Davide Rossi, Lindsay Lohan [Lindsay's contribution is more of a spoken word part].

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"Lindsay was in the studio with the boys from 6.30pm right through until 1am.
They wanted to make sure they got the vocals on point."

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more recently Kiesza has been added to the list... during an interview she revealed that she was recently in the studio recording with the band. “I just worked in the studio with Duran Duran, which was really fun. That was really cool”.

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"I did a song with Duran Duran, they never officially named it yet. I did write a little bit on it and I'm singing on it.
That was amazing.

Kiesza, Billboard

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The name of Steve Jones was included in the list of collaborators of the official Sonar Festival press release, but when I asked to the guys last month, they told me they weren't sure that track was going to end up on the album. According to Roger and Katy, there are also more unannounced surprises in the album, such as a a great guest appearance by someone with the initial "B".

The article above is from The Daily Mirror, it includes the the photo that Lohan posted on Instagram. In the photo Lindsay and her sister with Simon and Nick. The picture was posted with a caption: "Recording with some greats!!!"

A source told the Mirror: "Lindsay was in the studio with the boys from 6.30pm right through until 1am. They wanted to make sure they got the vocals on point."

"Lindsay's contribution is more of a spoken word part, while Ali is singing on the track – the sisters will feature on the same song, which they thought was really cool."

She is believed to have spent almost seven hours in the studio to perfect her contribution.

The new album "feels stronger” and will be more “natural sounding.” There might be some refreshing surprises on lyrics as well, it will be a bit of departure from their earlier songs, “There are some twisted love stories in there, as you get older you see these things do get a bit twisted.”
Simon Le Bon, Rolling Stone India, March 2015

Started in March 2013 and completed in March 2015 |
The making of DDN°14, final chapter | Two years in the making, the new Duran Duran album promises to be the hottest album of 2015. The upcoming album will be released in September as part of a new worldwide deal the band signed with Warner Bros. Records while the first single, "Pressure Off," featuring vocals from R&B star Janelle Monáe will be released next month... last time I've met the guys, in late March, they told me it would be out in May/June [John] or June/July [Nick]... but things might have changed in the last few weeks, since the deal with Warner has been announced, so the new single could reach our ears sooner than we think!

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"It's going to be amazing. We've been working on it for two years and, it's a real epic, actually: it's going to be
an epic record. It's a real broad
sound that we have on this record."
John Taylor, March 2015

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Mixing with the master of sound Stent | Duran Duran has officially finished mixing on the new album on Sunday, March 22th. The band reconvened in the studio in London with Stent on March 18th for a short but very intense final session of work.

During this final episode in the studio, back in March, the band mixed four songs on Wednesday 18th, three on Thursday 19th, and the remaing tracks between Friday 20th and Sunday 22th. On Sunday Simon and Kiesza, assisted by Mr Hudson, recorded vocals for one of the songs.

In March, during the final mixing session, I was in London and met the guys. It was exciting to be there, more than ever... I felt the enthusiasm for being just a few steps from completing the work... the very end of a long creative process that involved more than four minds.

In the backstreets of Battersea, the area where is located the recording studio, the excitement was palpable in the band and in the fans hanging around the studio. Such a great sense of anticipation in the air.

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This album has taken awfully long time, commented Nick on the making of Duran14, "We always start quite quickly in the beginning and we go 'We gonna get this done in a few months,' then of course we don't, reality kicks in, then everything slows down, and we are never prepared to let anything go untill it reaches the standard that we all require, and we spend more and more time in the studio. This time, I have to say, it's really been worth it.

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On March 19th, Nick told me "We've recorded 20 songs, but only eleven will make it to the album" [...] "Eleven is a good number!"

I asked if the album has a one word title and, with a smile, Nick said "it's a two word title"... we had laugh when I said "some fans thought it was called 'The Never Ending Story'" and he said that someone in the band would agree.

Nick is looking forward to the projects around the album: video, presentation, album cover... he said that there won't be a picture of the band on cover, "who want to see the zillion picture of the band?"

"Two of my favourite ppl in the whole world;
Nick Rhodes & Spike Stent, getting deeper, deep in the mix."
Photo by Simon Le Bon, December 2014

On March 19th, I had a nice chat with John too, I said "I'm sure this album is going to surprise a lot of people, so many talented people involved", and he said: "Yeah, this album is so special, miles away from the last one, it's on another level, I can't believe the first single has eight writers in the credits!".

Both, Nick and John were pleased to say that the album will be out on a major label [Warner Bros, it was announced a few weeks later]. Talking to John I said: "This album deserves all the support that a major label can give in terms of promotion" and he said happily: "It is on a major!".

in a recent interview John said "the new record is like Duran in extremis. It’s like everything you ever wanted from a Duran record".
“We didn’t go in trying to capture a particular style, it’s a more organic process. But it does have all the ingredients of a classic Duran album – danceability and great lyrics and hocks, as well as atmospheric parts.”

"We've got different collaborators on different songs," said John to Billboard, "and they are also sort of intermixing, you know? I don't really want to talk about that, yet: the various formulas and the various interactions that are happening..."

Back in September, after the short break the guys had after the intense August sessions with Mark Ronson and Nile Rodgers, the band returned to the studio. In those days Nick and John told me that they aimed to finish three songs per week and send them over to Spike for the mix.

So they did... it was good to meet John happy and satisfied for having finished and sent to Spike the third track of the week! "Another song finished and sent to mixing!" he exclaimed coming out from the studio one friday evening of September.

During the last period of 2014, things became more intense as the guys wanted to finish the first stage of the mixing process before Christmas, so they spent 10 to 12 hours a day at the studio everyday, overseeing the mixes with Stent.

According to my files, their last recording day of 2014 was December 11th, that day Simon recorded vocals for one last song. After that day, the guys kept meeting but they basically did mixing sessions.

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"We've just kind of done what's come to us, and what's been instinctive.
So, it's going to be a great record."

John Taylor, early 2015

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Speaking to ABC Radio a few months ago, John said this new project isn't going to harken back to the band's classic '80s sound "Not really, no. It's very much in the moment". "Of course it's always going to sound like Duran Duran. "You know, with the four of us playing and singing on the record, it's undeniable a Duran Duran record, but we've not really referenced ourselves as much on this record. We've just kind of done what's come to us, and what's been instinctive. So, it's going to be a great record."

"Every album we've made is just about going into a room jamming as a band with Simon on the mic and just playing for hours and hours and hours and seeing what comes out. We play for like six or eight hours every day and we might get one really cool thing. That would kind of get put aside to be worked on later then we'd do another full day of jamming and it would come out really cool. That's really how we do albums. As much as a band like 30 years [ago] would have recorded, much like The Beatles would have written songs. Just jamming in a room.
The hardest part of the whole thing is actually when it came to the finishing of the album because then, of course, you have to get to lyrics and mixing."

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That's just the way Duran Duran make records. It takes a long time. We're all perfectionists in a way. And we won't release anything until it's absolutely right.

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About the single release | "We are talking about May/June" said John last time I saw him [March], while Nick said June/July. Even Simon, who generally doesn't like to talk about the business side of things, has been heard mentioning a early summer release for the single.

Roger sounds more optimistic and lead us to think that we might hear the new single in May, we don't know yet in which format, it could be released on radios and as digital download first, or just a clip on the official website, it all depends on how Warner wants to market the prodouct and the impact that wants to generate... but we are there! It's really just matter of weeks, "Pressure Off" will land on planet earth not later than July!

Back in March, Nick told me that if the single is out in May they might play it in the upcoming festivals, but a different view seems to emerge from the band's recent comments, it seems unlikely that the new single will be played live in June because it was used a lot technology in the recordings and the band needs to rehearse properly before they present the new music live to an audience. It's not difficoult to understand why, it's part of the band policy as John explains: "When you're coming out with something new, you want people to hear it really the way that it's meant to be heard. And that's probably not going to be a first-time live performance."

"Nick wanted to take as long as it took, no rush, just make a great record no matter how long it took" Roger Taylor

Battersea, London, Fall & Winter 2014 | The guys spent most of 2014 in the studio in Battersea, where they rented a production suite to produce their new album... the mixing process is now finsihed and album is officially wrapped.

The grandmaster mixer, Mark Spike Stent, started his work on the tracks in September and ended in December 2014, just before Christimas. They restarted in March with a final mixing sessions, as I said at the beginning of this report, from march 18th to 22th.

John's comments about the mix, back in December, were quite positive: "We feel good about the first level of mixes we just finished with Spike." and he seemed enthusiastic about the final work when I chatted with last month.

The Making of a Masterpiece: final chapter | Over the last months I have met the guys a few times. For this report I've tried to collect my personal memories and mixed them with the relevant news about the making of this album. As usual, I also collected news surfacing from reliable sources, so I hope to provide a detailed picture of the latest months of work on Duran Duran #14.

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"On our new album, I have once more used almost entirely vintage analog synthesizers"

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Back in December, Nick told me that the recording and mixing process was going to be completed in January 2015, he said the album was basically done but he still needed to fiddle with a few things on a couple of tracks, "but it will be just me".

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"Attention to detail it's something I have a complete obsession with. I can fiddle with something for ages and ages that I feel changes the whole track and nobody else will hear what I'm doing."
Nick Rhodes

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In December I asked Ben to write something for us, a little message, a thought about his experience on working with Duran Duran, whilie he was writing the date on the paper he said: "I don't wanna put '2015' on anything releated to this album", but a second later he jocked about having brought new toys [instruments] in the studio and Nick wanted to 'play' with them so they had to start the album all over again. History tells that he reconvened with Duran in the studio in March for one more session.

Ben, not only is a gifted and out of the ordinary talented musician, he's a very intense human being, down to earth, funny and kind guy [Not to mention that he speaks italian quite well!]. Surely one of the best collaborators the band ever had.

So glad I had the pleasure to chat with him in a few occasions, the level of the conversation has always been so interesting and entertaining... Hat off to Mr Hudson!

Pictures: below, Simon in Venice, September 2014. On the left Nick and Nefer at the Royal Accademy, November 2014.

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"The album is brilliant, we have go too much music we need to edit some down..."
Simon, December 2014

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On December 5th, Simon, with the supervision of Mr Hudson, recorded what was supposed to be the last vocal* for this album. I had the pleasure to see Mr Le Bon that day, he told me that Nick still wanted to work on one more song but in his opinion they "already have enough stuff", he also added "I don't want put out a 14 album track, "I wanna do a 9 album track". "We need to cut some tracks off and leave the strongest songs". **

*history tells that it wasn't his last recording, as he recorded at least two more tracks [or part of them] in February and March.

** 11 sounds like a good compromise between 9 and 14.

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"I love being in the studio, because our creative process still excites me more than anything else that we do,
I love the live shows and the video projects but being in the studio is the art and soul of it for me."
Nick, December 2014

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Q&A courtesy Electronic Beats

One memorable line in a film or song:

“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I’ve watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain . ...Time to die.” Or something like that.

Three things I haven’t done yet:
Crashed a helicopter; walked out when someone wanted to present me with an award; sex for money.

decisions I regret:

No regrets.

Five things I used to believe:
Politicians; fortune cookies; activists; angry young men; anybody with an ax to grind who, by the way, will inevitably turn out just to be somebody with a chip on their shoulder. Nice guys can finish first!

I wouldn’t touch it with a 10 foot pole:

The poisoned chalice that is reality TV, celebrity press and general self aggrandizement in the name of personal vanity. You can all kiss my ...~

Shower spin | interview

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Translation by Svetlana and Salvo

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In the shower room of a London theatre RS spoke with Duran Duran's keyboard player and ideologist Nick Rhodes about the upcoming Duran Duran album

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February 2015 | We met Nick Rhodes in the shower room of London Wilton’s Music Hall theatre. Water is not running, one of the band’s founders, in all his glory is there, waiting. His hair perfectly done and his eyeliner is so sharp that would make envious a professional makeup artist.

Nick is the only one of the quartet who is still devoted to the “wild boys” image. He’s still the same alien who joked about buying The Chrysler Building, during a RS interview 30 years ago.

The shower room is not a choice, it’s the only quiet place in the building, and you can hear John Taylor’s voice, behind the wall, giving an interview to the British television. Dominic Brown plays guitar in the next room.

We are about to chat with the founder and ideologist of the band [he owns the rights to the band's name] just before the band’s first concert of the year.
Formal reason of our meeting is the release of the 14th Duran Duran album which is almost ready.

“It will be done by the end of March” says Rhodes, smiling. In one and half year, they have recorded around 20 tracks, and after being filtered by the band, only 11 songs perfectly go with each other. >>

During a chat with Nick, back on December 4th, I asked about the album vibe and, sonically speaking, if it sounded organic. He was happy to answer that question, he said that it sounds quite electronic... he also added that the new album is the strongest record they have made since The Wedding Album.

He felt that the attention to the songs, the structure of them, the arrangements and the lyrics is something they have curated in way they haven't done in a long time, probably since their 1993 album. It might sound obvious to you, but he said THE NEW SONGS are actually something he feels particulary proud of.

The Wedding Album comparison came up in the discussion because - he told me- they probably hadn't taken so much care and time of the whole writing and recording process since that period... I felt all his pride and enthusiasm for these songs through his eyes and smile. I would have listened to him talking about the musicality and the care they had put on album sound for hours, pity these fan-encounters are always so short.

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"We've worked really hard on the songs and the arrangements, and the lyrics and the musicality and everybody's parts and all the sounds."

Nick Rhodes

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According to Nick, John Frusciante's guitar is on three tracks and two of them are ballads. There's also an Electronic Dance Music style song too.

Source ajc.com | Tell us about your collaboration with Duran Duran. How did that come about? Simon was apparently in a gym watching TV on a treadmill and my video came on and he really, really liked it. His management reached out to a friend of mine, and he put the idea out there. I was like, I can’t say no to Duran Duran – they like, made the ‘80s!

Did you actually record in the same space with them?

I was in the studio with all of them. They’re so young at heart, it feels like they’re still teenagers. They’re really educated about music. Duran Duran all started talking music theory to me. I was like, wow, I have to start using my brain!

It sounds like the song will be on their new album. I’m sure we’ll work together again, maybe even for my album. We sort of thought we should do something in the studio and start from scratch.

I heard some stuff from their new album and it’s going to be amazing. They still really love what they do. They’re not in it for money, but because they genuinely love music. They’ve spent three years working on this album. source

“The guys are legends! They made the ’80s.” I’m a huge fan. I couldn’t say no. To me, I usually don’t get choked up about working with celebrities but I was really excited to work with them. And I went out of my way, in the middle of my U.K. tour when I was even sick, I got on a train and took it into London just to get in the studio with them. It was really, really important to me. And what made it even better was that they were really cool, amazing people … I think we’re going try and do some more collaborations — things just went so well, we all just really connected. source

With age, Simon Le Bon finds that “imperfections start to become more interesting than the perfections”

The new album has a super production | producers are Nile Rodgers, Mark Ronson and Mr. Hudson and, least but not last Joshua Blair.

Ronson and Rodgers have surely provided some funky sound to the album: “The stuff we did with Nile was really exciting,” Ronson says. “One of the songs we worked on definitely has a Notorious vibe” reports news.com.au They both have been quoted by the media as the main producers on this album, but they actually worked on three tracks only... and, according to my files, only two were finished.

It all come full circle, a funky circle! | This comes as no surprise to all of you friends of duranasty.com e-zine, you will clearly remember that, back in late 2012, we reported about Nick's intention to move in a funky direction with the new Duran album.

It seems it was already written, before they even reconvened in the studio for their first session [back in March 2013], this quote is in fact from late 2012:

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According to a recent interview to Nick, the band hadn't really talked about the new direction the album might take but Nick thinks "it would have to be a logical continuation of All You Need Is Now," Maybe, says Rhodes, "something a little more funk... something with one's eye on Notorious actually..."

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Picture on the left, courtesy of Mr Hudson: "in the studio with Nile Rodgers & Duran Duran and yes, that's the hitmaker on my lap!"

"Ben Hudson has produced some of
the true highlightsof the album" Nick Rhodes

E' tutto Ben quel che finisce Ben! [All's well that ends well] A huge role on the making of this album has been actually played by Ben Hudson, costant producer and a real creative force over the latest 12 months creative process, his contribution to the writing and recording sessions has been above all expectations, the guys themselves have only fantastic words to describe the work that this guy has done with them.



"We have had a great team with us", elaborates Nick during a recent Katykafe, so that sort of ups the game a little when you got Nile and Mark working on a few tracks and Ben Hudson, who has for me produced some of the true highlights of the album... we enjoyed our time with Ben and i'm sure we're going to be doing plenty of other things with him.

Duran & Mr Hudson: the real essence of Duran Duran V.2015

On a personal level, I just can't wait to listen - more than anything else on this record- the tracks that Duran & Mr Hudson wrote together, I'm sure those songs represent, more than anything else, the essense of Duran Duran Version 2015.

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“Nile is an endless source of brilliant ideas”. Mark Ronson

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It has been ten years since Nile Rodgers last worked with Duran Duran, but long-time friends and collaborators went back in the studio, with Ronson, in August 2014 to create some new tracks.

"Nile was very happy to be part of the project, to reconnect with Duran Duran after the astronaut album, which is the last time we worked together" said Simon recently.

“[Duran Duran and I] are still amazingly great friends to this day, says Rodgers, my career with Duran is probably the longest spiritual partnership I have had with any artist", said Rodgers to Noise 11.
The superproducer worked with the group on the hits The Reflex and The Wild Boys, as well as subsequent albums Notorious and Astronaut.

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“The record is coming along great, I couldn't be happier to be working with my band again. They're like my second CHIC”
Nile Rodgers

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A few months back, Nick Rhodes commented on the sessions with Nile back in August: "We wrote three tracks together, two of them will certainly made up on the album, the third is still on the bench as we didn't have time to develope it because we also had few shows*. Nile has a great writing ability and Mark brings sort of modern hand over everything so bethween them was quite a cool combination, old school meets new school..."

* Over the summer and in the fall of 2014, the guys played some shows, they performed at the White Nights of St. Petersburg, the Fashion Rocks, and two shows in Austin: the Grand Prix weekend and the Dell World Convention.

"Nile really elevated my playing" John Taylor

A few months back, on the fancommunity site, John Taylor commented on his work with Nile Rodgers : "On a personal creative level, going back to the studio with Nile and with Mark sort of producing was amazing, I really enjoyed playing with Nile somehting funky".

"When you're with Nile, you just play along with him, after two days with him my fingers were covered in bandage, and I just thought he really elevated my playing... he's so inspiring working with, he's a total musician."

"He really was inspiring and I'm still feeling that, I'm feeling in the music we did together, and I'm feeling how it changed me, how it changed my attitude, and make me wanna embrace that side of myself rather than put it back at the queue sometimes..."

"He's such a giving guy, he never makes you feel like stupid, any band band member, any musician can say the same thing, he never speaks down to you, he is like the perfect teacher, with the great skills, 'cos he just make you feel [when you play with him] like you are at his level, that's a tremendous gift that he has and I think that's probably what has made such a great producer back in the days..."

Dreaming of "Nile and Duran live on a big stage" "Nile was a massive experience", said John, I hope to take the songs we wrote together to the stage, I'd love the opportunity to play the songs that we've written with Nile on a big stage somewhere. [pic: Simon and Nile on stage at Madison Square Garden in 84]

Davide Rossi, composer arranger producer | He's the man behind the string arrangements on the new Duran Duran album.

The interview was given on January 10th 2015 and released within the new duranasty.com update, fully dedicated to "the making of the new Duran Duran album" [April 2015].

Interview by Salvo | editor and webmaster of duranasty.com

Can you tell us how your collaboration with Duran Duran has started?

I was in LA and I got a text message from John Taylor… literally out of the blue.

Did you know any of the band members personally before you got involved in the new Duran album?

I was in a band called Goldfrapp and in 2003 we supported Duran for their arena tour in the UK, so yes, I met the whole band personally… even Andy Taylor was with them at the time.

We have heard that you've made arrangements for four Duran Duran tracks, can you tell us something about these songs? How would you define the sound? Are they ballads?

I actually recorded six arrangements for them. I thought they sounded fresh and modern, new and yet very much like Duran tracks, if you know what I mean.

There’s something quite specific about their sound, in my opinion, which goes throughout their whole career, and I was happy that they maintain that character about themselves.
Too many artists these days want to sound like someone else.

You've worked for many solo artists and band such as Coldplay, Goldfrapp, Culture Club and The Verve, just to mention a few... can you tell us about the way you work on the arrangements? Do you prefer to work closely with the artists or on your own?

I usually like to be with the artist in the same room, during the start of a project. You get a feeling of what’s needed and what they’re looking for.

Sometimes that’s not possible, so you can only talk on the phone, sometimes it’s just emails. It varies a lot.

When I get my ideas down, I really get the best by being on my own. I worked out a way to play and record everything myself.

That gives me the possibility to really concentrate and to zone out… or zone in?... whichever you prefer.

Also, after I give my ideas to listen to the artist, I can be flexible and change things very quickly on the fly, that’s a huge advantage

Did you get get any instruction from the band about the kind of sound or feeling they wanted in those songs or you were left completely free to add your personal touch like a painter would do on a painted canvas missing that particular color?

Yes I did. They gave me liberty to try things out of course, knowing what I do I suppose, but I had a lot of cues from them.

Did you get any feedback from the guys about the work you did for them?

Yes of course… they all said they loved it! hehe!

I went to visit them at the studio and they were really really nice and charming, and I also got the odd telephone feedback from John and sometimes from Roger.

Joshua was the guy I was communicating the most, being the producer he was the guy when things needed to be done and signed off.

You play acoustic violin, electric violin, viola and violectra, so what gear you used on the Duran Duran tracks?

I mostly used the acoustic violins, violas, cellos and double bass. I only used my electric ones on one track to double an already existing orchestration in order to try something different.

Is there a song from the Duran Duran catalogue that you like in particular?

There’s quite a few to be honest. They wrote so many great hits, although I must say that I grew up loving their first two albums.

I change my mind constantly about music, but if I have to choose one right now at this moment it could be Sound of Thunder from their first album.

What's your next musical project and what's in store for you in 2015?

I have a lot of writing to do for my solo album and also co-writing with a guy called Matt Hales of Aqualung.
Working with Coldplay for their album number 7 and with my band with ex-Verve members called Black Submarine. Plus other projects… the list is always long, fortunately!

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"They gave me liberty to try things out of course, knowing what I do I suppose, but I had a lot of cues from them"

Davide Rossi,
January 2015

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Simon, September 2014 | Click on the pictures to get a larger version

From the Metro 60 seconds interview

What lessons has your career in the music industry taught you?

"That you never really stop. We never sit back and regard it all from some place of success - there’s something that makes us want to go out and make another record. I thought by this point I’d be singing on a beach with my fourth wife, with my potential fifth wife bringing me drinks, and lording it over all and sundry but it’s not the case. It’s hard work.
The fact is, we all want to do it and we see other people in the public consciousness and we want to be there too. We want to get back in the gutter and slug it out.

"We could not be happier to be making this deal with Warner Bros"
John Taylor, March 2015

Early this year, the band was in discussions with a number of labels for the release of their new album, Warner seemed the best option for many reasons.

In January and February the band had to make decisions, "first we have to find a home" said Nick back in December in the Kafe, "We have to decide who is going to release the album, which is a nice position to be in actually... so it's good to be able to sort of choose our destiny certainly differently than last the album. I think we are in the right track so far but there's still a lot to do over the coming months... I'd like this one to be planned carefully..."

"We could not be happier to be making this deal with Warner Bros., and are looking forward to working on our forthcoming album release with not only their US team but also everyone else within the Warner family around the world," said John after signing the global deal.

"Would you release the record yourselves?" asked Metro magazine to Simon back in February.

"It’s tougher. We’re used to investment and promotion. It’s an aspect of the business we don’t want to do ourselves as it can take over everything and you can lose sight of the artistry. Our job is to write the songs, record them and perform them. We don’t see ourselves as businessmen."

He continues, "We’ve had deals that have been good and others that didn’t work so well. We’ve done short-term deals because we wanted freedom."
"We can’t go to a record company and say: “We’re going to do an album’ - you have to present music to them. Well, that’s if you’re us. I’m sure if you’re Lady Gaga they’ll give you what you want. We’re different.

Click here to get a scan of the Metro article

Five years ago [as reported on this site in June 2010], when the band was looking for a deal for their then new album 'All You Need Is Now', John commented:

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"I'd like to be reunited with our catalogue,
I know the catalogue is with EMI,
I think that's the best way for us,
we are gonna try to make that happen".

John Taylor, June 2010

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History tells us that it didn't happen.. the band partnered with Apple, giving iTunes Store the exclusive right to sell the album for its first three months. Then, the group signed a deal with S-Curve Records to issue an expanded version of 'All You Need Is Now' to all retailers and they got a deal also with Edel in some other european countries.
So we are all particulary happy to see the band signed under a major and reuntied with their catalogue .

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"We are excited that this deal means we will be reunited with our catalogue after years apart - and in that sense it really feels a little like coming home."

John Taylor, Late March 2015

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"Reuniting with our catalogue
was just icing on the cake"
Roger Taylor, April 2015

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"Am very much looking forward to the release of the new album and the subsequent tour.
We are gelling more than ever now onstage and have a great rapport.
A lot has happened over the last 10 years and it’s been great getting to know the guys on a personal level."
From Dom Brown's 1oth anniversary blog on the band's official site.

Congratulations to our sax player, Simon Willescroft, and his beautiful bride Carolyn (in the pic).
The couple got married in February. Wishing them love and happiness!

In the picture Dom , Salvo, Roger and Simon Willshcroft in Venice, September 2014

"Putting the album out always generates the excitment for what we do obvioulsy,
we want to play some shows and starting this cicle." Nick Rhodes

In the picture, Nick looking at the timetable display at the airport in Venice... Are the guys ready to embark on a new world tour?

New dates | Festivals

June 20, 2015
Sonar Festival, Barcelona

June 27, 2015
Night at the Park
The Hague, Netherlands

June 28, 2015
Killarney Festival
Kerry, Ireland

September 11, 2015
Bestival, Robin Hill Park, Isle of Wight

JOKING WITH NICK ABOUT DOING MULTIPLE SHOWS IN THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE

Touring | One day, back in October, I asked Nick if they were already planning and taking decisions for the 2015/16 tour so I suggested that it would be a lot easier for the fans if they will play multiple concerts in the same city... I was in a kidding mode of course...
Well, it turned out that he thought it wasn't a bad idea and he confessed that he would love to do something like that! So, I suggested "five shows in London", for example, joking about "being the center of..." he didn't let me finish the sentence and he said [laughing] "the center of the universe"... he continued "twenty concerts in London, that's want I want to do!" and we all burst out laughing...

Nick was obviously jocking but I wouldn't be surprised if the tour will be different this time around, with more than one show in the same city... considering how exhausting were the last two legs of the All You Need Is Now Tour.
The band might change their tour-strategy: more shows in fewer cities, allowing fans to attend more than one show and making things easier for the group in terms of physical energies spent travelling around.

According to some fans, who have met the Nick during the band's recent stay in Los Angeles, they might "play Rio in its entirety this tour", and they might even play 'I'm Looking Lor Cracks In The Pavement', Nick said he likes that one very much.

Italian newspaper lasicilia.it, reports that Duran Duran is one of the artists competing to get a concession to play at the greek anphitheatre in Taormina, Sicily. We have already posted about Nick's intention to play there, [it's one of the most wanted venues in Italy]. Negotiation started
in 2012, but for logistical reasons the weren't finalized.
Duran Duran is still listed among the artists that wants to play there.
It's something that might happen in Summer 2016.

"We love creating with Nick! He is just incredible!
He's got sooooo many keyboards to play with! It is just like heaven."
The Bloom Twins

Bei Incubi Book, coming out this year?!

At the end of November 2013 [As reported on this site], aI asked Nick about his photo projects and his intention to dedicate more time to his photography work [book and exhibitions]... He said "the Bei Incubi book is actually a development from that exhibition and is definitely something that will be out this year." According to John [Classic Pop interview], Nick has actually a book trilogy planned over the next few years.

Well... the news is that The Vinyl Factory, a few months back, posted this message on Instagram: "Excited about our upcoming collaboration with Duran Duran's ‎NickRhodes… Bei Incubi!" This was the caption for the above image that could be the logo for this new editorial project.

Bein Incubi book: It's based on the exhibition, it has been designed by Rori McCartny, who did the All You Need Is Now art. "Its an interesting combination: it's a photographic book but it also includes a silkcreen print, a 7" vinyl record with some tracks that Nick wrote specifically based on the story... a big movie poster.

It will be availbale through the Vinylfactory website, through duranduran.com and probably a few stores [NY, London, Paris, LA]. It's going to be a Limited Edition, around three hundred copies.

In the coming weeks Nick will be working on two projects: he will be producing the Bloom Twins [he shot them for a fashion magazine back in May] and he will do some more work with John on their Musical.

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"John and I are gonna try finish our musical off and also organize the other things, I'm quite excited about that." Nick

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Nick has already done some work with the Bloom Twins in early February. The ukrainian twins, Anna and Sonia, told me "We love creating with Nick! He is just incredible! He's got sooooo many keyboards to play with! It is just like heaven. We are not planning to play those tunes in the coming shows. But we will definitely let you know, once they're out! Check out their website

According to this post on the unofficial Duran Duran Message Board the [provisional?] title for their work is "Opera - 2020 Vision" and is classified as Dramatic Work and Music or Choreography

 

Our friend Faby, long time Duran fan and journalist at Ultra Brit [if you read spanish, check out her recent Duran Duran article], was in London a few months back and didn't miss to visit the Geneu in-store, at 65 New Bond Street, and sent us the pictures [on the right] she took.

The store, on New Bond Street, invites people to give a saliva swab, from which DNA is extracted. This is analysed for genes that effect the way skin ages, and store staff then “prescribe” bespoke anti-ageing serums.

 

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"When Chris told me about the moment when he was holding a microchip and decided to put a drop of DNA on it and turn it on, it sent a shiver down my spine," says Rhodes. "He was looking into using it in skincare and licensing the technology out to beauty brands. I told him not to do it. This was such a game-changing idea that it deserved to be quickly developed."

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In-store photos by Faby Torras

Click on the pic to get a larger version

Duran Duran star Nick Rhodes: It’s hard to find real talent online.
Online sites like YouTube are making it harder to find real talent

Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes believes the internet is making it harder and harder to find the real music stars of the future.

The keyboardist, 52, says websites such as YouTube allow everyone to publish music without having to hone their craft on the live circuit.

it’s much harder to find the gems among the stones.

“Things are enormously different to when we started,” Rhodes told the Standard.
“We came from a traditional background - a group of friends who loved music who chiselled away to get the sound we wanted, playing the small shows until someone listened.

“Now, because everyone has the same opportunity to get themselves heard, it’s much harder to find the gems among the stones.

“The internet is an astonishing way to connect with an audience, but there are so many people trying to do it that it’s very, very hard to rise to the top.”

Back in September, the guys came to Venice to play at Sir Charles Dunstone's 50th birthday party. The local newspaper reported "At the party, Duran Duran played a live show, Simon Le Bon is a long time friend of the family [and he has been sailing on board of Sir Dunstone's Hamilton yacht over the years].

Nick and Nefer attend The Divine Marchesa Exhibition in Venice
Eccentric, transgressive, incredibly rich, stylish, Luisa Casati turned herself into a work of art.
She became the perturbing and surprising representation of modernity and avantgarde.

I met the guys leaving Venice, they were fab as usual, in that particular occasion I asked Nick if he had a chance to visit any of the dozens exhibitions in town and if he had any suggestions, he was really enthusiastic about the spectacular Luisa Casati exhibition, La Divina Marchesa, held at Palazzo Fortuni. He told me "Luisa Casati, that's all you need to see". The exibition is now over, but for all of you, Nick fans and art lovers, you can check out the catalogue of the exhibition here.
The exihibition surrounded visitors by the atmosphere in which the most fascinating noblewoman of Venice used to live: a real living legend, dark lady, muse of the Symbolists, Fauves, Futurists and Surrealists, she was also an important art collector and philantropist.
I can really see why Nick and Nefer enjoyed the exhibition so much: it was an homage to her through paintings, drawings, jewels, sculptures, photographies and dresses [borrowed from international private collections and museums]. Luisa Casati is still inspiring many artists and the haute couture, all elements of an extra-ordinary figure that undoubtedly captured the attention of Nick and Nefer.

Pictures: above, Nefer and Nick were so nice to pose for me just minutes before
they left Venice. Below, the card signed by Nick with his special Art suggestion.

Click on the thumbnails to get larger and readeable scans

WALLPAPERS

WARNERDURAN LOGO

Want a new wallpaper for your computer? Check out these two: "the fabulous team" and "the band with Mazda". If you like the Warnerduran logo I created, feel free to use it as profile picture on your social pages.