The first 33rpm 33 years ago

33 years ago Duran Duran released their first album; critics and fans equally praised the album with ALL MUSIC GUIDE saying later, “Duran Duran’s eponymous debut artfully coalesced the sonic and stylistic elements of the burgeoning new romantic movement they were soon to spearhead.”

The original album was recorded in London at several studios during 1980 and 1981. … read more

Duran Duran performed at the White Nights of St. Petersburg Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 12, 2014.

The White Night Festival is an annual international arts festival during the season of the midnight sun. This particular part of the festival also featured young, up-and-coming artists from around the world, and is telecast on Channel One Russia. Duran Duran opened the evening and performed three songs:… read more

Beach towel?
Baseball hat to keep the rays out of your eyes?
Mug for your iced coffee?

CHECK!

The Duran Duran Web Shop has all that, plus some great DEALS throughout July!

Check out the Duran Duran Web Shop for the skinny!

… read more

Pretty clever Q&A featured on the Duran Duran VIP Fan Community website – here’s an excerpt!

Rory McCartney is an insanely talented art director who has now worked on not one, but two Duran Duran releases via Vinyl Factory – ALL YOU NEED IS NOW and A DIAMOND IN THE MIND.

How did you get involved with working with The Vinyl Factory?

What’s a typical day like for you ?

What is the first Duran Duran release… read more

I had an email recently from ITN News asking for a comment on some research that had been done to find the least musical town in the UK. Apparently, the research had informed them that town was Redditch in Worcestershire, very close to where I grew up, and where I went to school. This is Middle-England, for those of you not hot on U.K geography.

I hate it when important media wastes its time on stuff like this, so I was both incensed… read more

MARCHING WITH THE BAND

Before record shops, buying music meant sheet music. The industry developed alongside printing technology in the 15th century, and by the Industrial Revolution the printed music industry was booming, as the burgeoning middle class purchased pianos, with sing-a longs a favourite social activity for families and friends, from traditional hymns to the day’s top hits.

The invention of… read more

On Saturday 14th June, John Taylor joined around 100 family members and carers in Bristol, UK for a unique one day festival hosted by charity Developing Health & Independence (DHI). The day was held to raise awareness of and improve the lives of families and carers of problematic drug and alcohol users.

John shared his own personal experiences with addiction and its impact on others. John has long been supportive… read more

Duran Duran’s Bass Guy takes a minute from the UK to wish himself a Happy Birthday…(just kidding!!)

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Firstly a HUGE thank you to everyone for the wonderful birthday messages!

The big day this year was a particularly eventful, fun and at times surreal one…It coincided with my good friends John and Phoebe’s wedding day. Not only was I an usher, but I was part of a super-group of musicians who are mutual friends of John and Phoebe’s.

This included Simon, Nick Mason and Guy Pratt from Pink Floyd, and Gary… read more

“That night in Manchester … was a great night. One of the best. Ever. I love Manchester, but I never loved it more than the two hours I spent playing bass onstage that night.

You know, I wanted to call this album ‘CITY UNITED’ but the other Duran boys didn’t go for it. I’m happy it’s on vinyl. There was a time when everything was on vinyl and it was no big deal, now it has to be a really,… read more

Keyboardist, photographer, designer, collector, list-maker, absurdist, Simpson’s fan…it’s Nick Rhodes birthday!

… read more

June 8th – it’s Nick Rhodes’ birthday!

Click HERE to listen to his thank you message to the fans.

… read more

This amazing piece of memorabilia was donated for auction to help Jimi’s Angels Dog Rescue continue to save lives by contributing to the medical needs of discarded dogs.

Bark n’ Bitches retail & Jimi’s Angels Rescue is dedicated to rescuing homeless and abandoned animals, primarily dogs from high-kill shelters, the city streets and owners who can no longer care for them. These high kill shelters… read more

FOR EVERY PERSON grappling with drug and alcohol misuse, it’s estimated that at least five others are affected – husbands, wives and partners, mothers, fathers, siblings, children, grandchildren, friends, employers – each of these has their own story to tell about how they are effected.

The DHI Reach Out one day event in Bristol, UK – now in its 7th year – will offer a unique opportunity for families and loved… read more

AND THE AWARD GOES TO….

One of the most revered items to collectors worldwide is an authentic sales certification Award, also known as the Gold or Platinum Record. These awards are made in very small numbers, and due to the rarity of them coming onto the open market, they can be very expensive.

There are two main types of sales awards. The first is an award that is presented by a music industry trade association. Some… read more

Hand crafted by The Vinyl Factory as a limited edition of only 2000 copies worldwide, with a diamond dust screen-printed gatefold sleeve housing two 180-gram records, ‘A Diamond In The Mind’ will be released on vinyl on 25 May, 2014.

Speaking from the studio in London, where the band are working on their new album, founding member and keyboardist, Nick Rhodes said “I still find it thrilling when we release a record… read more

Nile Rodgers was honoured with the International Music Summit Legends Award today (May 21) at Ibiza’s Hard Rock Hotel. Simon Le Bon flew in from London to help honour – and surprise – Nile, as well as discuss his incredible work with Duran Duran over the years. Simon was joined by DJ Pete Tong and Seymour Stein.

IMS partner Ben Turner said: “Our love affair with Nile goes on, and we are delighted… read more

On Sunday, May 18th, Death or Glory Records in Redditch (UK) hosted their second band forum, which is organized for local bands and artists to meet and discuss the local music scene, network and offer advice to each other. The event, hosted by the shop, announced that they are continuing to increase levels of local music being sold in the store, have signed two bands to its label and that they are starting to manage a local… read more

Lori Majewksi and Jonathan Bernstein are the co-authors of the book, MAD WORLD, released on April 15th. For those who aren’t up to speed, MAD WORLD is an oral history of new wave artists, including Duran Duran, that defined the 1980s. Nick Rhodes contributed the foreword to the book, and there’s a terrific chapter on Duran Duran’s “Girls on Film.” Lori is also an avowed Duran Duran fan,… read more

A few months ago in London, Nick shot The Bloom Twins for UNTITLED magazine. Said stylist Sabina Emrit in her blog: “Their vibe is different, a little dark, a little mysterious and I love that. And the fact that they are twins, and models, well it’s just the perfect combo. They were an absolute pleasure to work with as was Mr Rhodes.”

The latest issue of UNTITLED, featuring the pictorial, is on sale now,… read more

I have to report that I’m in a pretty exotic location (again) for my birthday ..in the Maldives right down in the Indian Ocean, a mere stone’s throw from Sri Lanka . Plenty of memories flooding in ..remembering that life changing 10 days in 1982 when we filmed the videos for “Hungry Like The Wolf,” “Save A Prayer” and “Lonely In Your Nightmare.”

I would possibly have… read more

Live Bootlegs!

Like them or not, unofficial recordings (a/k/a bootlegs) have always been an interesting phenomena for collectors, and Duran Duran fans are no exception. The live sets highlighted in this Collector’s Corner have been around for quite awhile and are worth a second (or third!) look.

For the most part with these early vinyl releases, the source were special radio shows that were eventually released… read more

We were holding this exciting news because we were hoping to give you full details when we announced, but as word has leaked out, catching us rather off guard, we wanted to confirm… yes it’s true, the extraordinarily talented John Frusciante has indeed been doing some work from his home base in California on our new album. The tracks have been going back and forth via the internet, and we are thrilled with the results.… read more

Probably one of Duran Duran’s best known fans, Andy Golub, a/k/a Durandy, has been a vocal supporter for as long as we can remember. He’s also an avid collector – of Duran Duran posters. Slowly but surely, Andy has built up a collection that seems to rival no one else – it is pretty spectacular.

Andy and his fiance Christine Born recently compiled some of his most excellent finds in a book called… read more

The Duran Duran webshop has some cool new goodies for the Spring!

The latest:

*Back in stock for the special 3Oth Anniversary of “The Reflex” special edition White “Reflex” design vintage Tee!

*NEW Duran Duran logo Black and Gold Rhinestone shirt, featuring intricate Rhinestone detail front!

*NEW deluxe metallic finish Duran Duran logo black mug!

*Back by popular demand – baby gear… read more

DIAMOND DUST PRINTED GATEFOLD SLEEVE DOUBLE HEAVYWEIGHT 180-GRAM VINYL TO BE RELEASED 25 MAY, 2014 – – PRICE: £30.00

Responding to public demand, the members of Duran Duran are set to release their first live album on vinyl in more than a decade – as a stunning limited edition with The Vinyl Factory.

Recorded during their 2011 world tour, ‘A Diamond In The Mind’ bristles with classic Duran hits including… read more

DD.com’s cameras were lucky enough to grab 30 seconds with Simon for a bit of an album update. Album or song titles? No…very charming frontman? YES!

… read more

At the end of each year, the ASK KATY section of the site receives an influx of emails asking if there will be a Duran Duran official calendar coming. To this day it remains a popular item for fans. For those who may not know, the first official calendar was released in winter 1982 via the band’s fan club at the time, and then launched to the public through a small ad campaign in the UK music press.

The next year, the band put out… read more

Simon has recently been interviewed for an upcoming ABC Australia TV program celebrating Countdown’s 40th anniversary.

Countdown ran on Australian TV from 1974-1987 and was hosted by Ian “Molly” Meldrum. Molly regularly interviewed Duran Duran, among other artists, and formed a great rapport with the band. The guys sang on Countdown, hosted the show and also attended the Countdown Music & Video Awards… read more

Nick and John recently had a visit to the Studio from Roland Lamb, the founder of ROLI. ROLI is a design-led technology start-up based in London that make hardware and software products and services designed to increase the bandwidth of interaction between people and technology.

Nick and John were delighted to meet the team who created and developed the Roli Seaboard, which is “…a revolutionary new keyboard… read more

Every month the Duran Duran Fan Community features a Q&A with someone notable in the Duran Duran community. Last month night life impresario Nick Valentine, who recently published a book called CLUBS, DRUGS AND CANAPES , sat down for an interview. An excerpt can be found below:

1. Were you always interested in entertainment? In the book in mentions you and your brother had a band…

I have been obsessed with … read more

On March 6th, Roger flew to Zurich to DJ a very special event – the launch of the Swiss edition of L’Officiel Magazine.

“Twas a great night …having such a good time that I ended up spinning well into the early hours, a great event and I love Zurich, lovely crowd, great city! I played the 12″ mix of “The Reflex” around 1am which ‘rocked the room’!”

… read more

Two great events:

March 15th, 2014, 2pm, Bloomingdales in Century City, LA

Join best-friends and co-founders of Juicy Couture, Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor, to celebrate the launch of their new California Cool label Pam & Gela. Take home a gift with your purchase.* Y.E.S. Contemporary Sportswear on 2

March 20, 2014, 6pm, Bloomingdales on 59th Street in New York City, NY

Join fashion mavens and co-founders… read more

Last year the first single from Koishii & Hush’s debut album, Odyssey, came out. “C’est Tout est Noir,” a collaboration with John Taylor, was released on January 8th, 2013. K&H were not only Duran Duran fans, but very influenced by the band’s sound, so it was admittedly quite exciting for them to work with someone they’d looked up to musically. With remixes of the single available on … read more

“Excuse me. Aren’t you…?”

1985 brought Duran Duran one of their biggest hits in the form of the 14th James Bond theme, “A View To A Kill. ”

Written for the Bond movie of the same name, and starring Roger Moore, Christopher Walken and Grace Jones, the track hit the charts all over the world. Accompanied by a a great video directed by Godley & Creme (who also filmed the video for “Girls… read more

Simon Le Bon and Dom Brown performed in London at “A Night for Nick,” benefit on February 27th, honouring the late Nick Milligan and his 8 year old daughter Emily who died last summer in a tragic boating accident. Nick was a good friend of Simon and Yasmin Le Bon.

Monies raised from this event will go straight to the Cornish Air Ambulance who helped to save Nick’s wife Victoria’s life, as well as their 3 other children… read more

Enjoy the exclusive opportunity to visit the Duran Duran in their studio in London! Check out the band’s writing and recording room, hang out with members of the band and take home a Duran Duran swag bag!

Bid now to support the David Lynch Foundation and win a studio visit with Duran Duran!

… read more

Rhodes + Krassner’s (drum roll please) Oscar Picks of 2014!!!

This could be the first year Nick ended up seeing more films than Katy – but she still saw most of them, and both of them have a lot to say so….

THE BALCONY IS NOW OPEN!

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Nominees:
John Ridley (“12 Years a Slave”)

Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke & Richard Linklater (“Before Midnight
”)
Terence… read more

The Duran Duran VIP Fan Community is very happy to announce the release of a brand new GOLD level package!

The package features all of the exclusive content, contests and pre-sale ticketing opportunities included in the SILVER level (a $35 value) PLUS:

- An exclusive NEW T-shirt designed by Patty Palazzo featuring a gold foil design
- Stylish multi-compartment messenger bag with brand new Duran Duran logo on flap
- Heavy-duty… read more

This week in London, Duran Duran recorded with the Voce Chamber Choir and the London Youth Chamber Choir, led by their Musical Director Suzi Digby OBE.

The two choirs came together on Monday evening with members of the band to record vocals on several new songs on Duran Duran’s upcoming studio album. The session took place at St. Gabriel’s Church in Pimlico.

Voce Chamber Choirs, who most recently worked … read more

Duran Duran’s John Taylor shares his Recovery story to launch the inaugural issue of Intervene magazine .

Copies are not usually available to buy individually, but since we have received some queries, they have arranged for Duran Duran fans to purchase copies at a special rate of £5 including p&p. The funds go to the production of the magazine and the charity, The Addiction Recovery Foundation.

The print… read more

Congratulations to TV Mania Buenos Aires for winning the TV Mania franchise contest with their entry “Just Very.”

The runners up are:

Second place — TV Mania Singapore with “Beautiful Clothes Nightmarket Mix”

Third place — TV Mania STaRMaN with “Paramount (BSSF Mix)”

Fourth place — TV Mania Chicago with “Beautiful Clothes (Midway Remix)”

Fifth place … read more

This just in from….

“We are delighted to announce that John Taylor of Duran Duran, will be appearing at the London Bass Guitar Show on our Main Stage at 3pm on Sunday 2 March, discussing his autobiography, “In The Pleasure Groove: Love, Death And Duran Duran,” playing his signature Peavey bass and regaling us with tales from his unique career. We can’t wait to welcome him to the show: info… read more

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK

Posters. A much-talked about topic on Duran Duran’s social media as of late, with the publication of Andrew Golub’s terrific new book, BEAUTIFUL COLORS: THE POSTERS OF DURAN DURAN. With such momentum, what better topic for the Collector’s Corner to dive on in to?

Speak to any fan and it seems that a poster on their bedroom wall is a typical rite of passage, be it for a music artist, sports team… read more

Last week, Simon, John, Dom and Anna Ross flew to Courchevel – the beautiful ski resort located in the commune of Saint-Bon-Tarentaise in the French Alps – where they performed an acoustic set at a private event, in fulfillment of their amfAR pledge that raised close to $900,000 for the charity’s HIV/AIDS work.

The band headlined amfAR’s annual Cinema Against AIDS gala last year, which was… read more

Every month the Duran Duran Fan Community features a Q&A with someone notable in the Duran Duran community. Last month Orla Clarke, who worked on the last Duran Duran tour and now is employed at their management company, sat down for an interview. An excerpt can be found below:

1. Where was the 1st place you traveled to?

The very glamorous city of Blackpool, my Aunt brought me as a surprise when I was twelve. It was my … read more

A 2014 New Year’s video from Duran Duran!

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As Duran Duran’s Facebook page reaches 2 million LIKES on New Year’s Day, John Taylor sent a thank you to the fans who made it possible!

Watch his message here!

… read more

In honor of the New Year, John Taylor has teamed up with Manimal for a cool ‘mix tape’ to play at your party. Dance away 2013 courtesy of JT!

We wish you all a very happy New Year. See you in 2014!

1. ERIC WHITACRE “Sleep”
-INTRO BY JT-
2. STALLEY “PETRIN HILL PEONIES”
3. HARLEIGHBLU “ENOUGH NOW”
4. ALUNA GEORGE “JUST A TOUCH”
5. GHOST LOFT “SECONDS”… read more

* Imagine if you could re-create some of the best moments from seminal Duran Duran videos: Lawyer (and fan!) Marc Weitz did just that. He loved the band’s trifecta of videos filmed in Sri Lanka and decided to travel there himself to see the sites he watched over and over again on MTV…to follow is his travelogue of the experience

FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF DURAN DURAN IN SRI LANKA

by Marc Weitz

As a traveler,… read more