29 november 2010, Simon interview, Duran Fashion identity 1980/2010 and Duran Zombies

November 28 | Exclusive | Journalist Buhle Mbonambi of the Sunday Tribune from South Africa has just interviewed Simon. The interview has been published in yesterday's edition of the newspaper.

He asks: You worked with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland in 2008 and this year you worked with the awesome Mark Ronson. What was it like working with people who most probably look up to Duran Duran?

Justin always said that it was midperiod Duran Duran songs which got him into music in the first place. Mark is definitely also a fan. And his approach to producing the album has come from a fan’s angle. He says that our first two albums, Duran Duran and Rio were perfect, but then somehow we went off the rails with Seven and the Ragged Tiger. No kidding! Duran Duran didn’t suffer from the traditional “difficult second album syndrome” like most bands do, because back when we started, in 1980, we had pretty much enough material for two albums. No, what we got was “difficult third album syndrome” – and we got it bad. Anyway, the point is that Mark has always stated his aim with us was to produce the perfect third Duran Duran album that never was, ie the album all the die-hard Duran fans want to hear and that captures the essence of who we are. And I can tell you, he reckons he’s succeeded.

Get a scan and read the full interview here

Simon yesterday was the first member of Duran to make it onto 'the August institution that is BBC Radio4' He recorded an interview for "Loose Ends". It was quite a relaxed informal chat. He talked about the new album and they also played a clip of All You Need Is Now. You can listen the interview here.

On the right a YouTube upload, courtesy of Lizardking Duran site, of the Today Show Weekend Duran interview aired on November 27. Check it out!

All You Need Is Now Video shooting

Over the latest two days the guys have made comments about the making of the All You Need Is Now video via twitter, here is what they said.

Simon: "It's cool, we were just walking along the embankment. We must look like a band or something"
Simon: "Out by the Tate Modern yesterday in failing light. Some guy yelled down to us in an accent from across the Atlantic "Hey, who are you guys?"
Simon: "I have a good feeling about this vid shoot: it's very raw, very London, very DD"
Simon: "I'm stepping in old man Thames, down by the slipways, just upstream from Putney bridge. Shooting my last few frames of vid w/ Nick Egan"
John: "Our thanks to Burberry - Nick and I both wore some great pieces yesterday for the video"
Dom: "Had a lot of fun filming the video for the new Duran single on Friday... and it's a great song!!"
Nick: "Shoot went really well. Filmed at Tate Modern and on wobbly Millennium Bridge, then back to our rehearsal space. Got some great footage"
On the right Nick filming with Nick Egan at the Brompton Cemetery [courtesy of DD's twitter] full size pic here

Duran Duran give EntertainmentAfrica.com a shout-out in conjunction with their South African tour! Check out this cool clip filmed on the set of AYNIN video here

Some more work in the studio today

Above pics were taken this morning outside the studio where Simon & Nick went to record final vocals for a Nick Hodgson track that will be on the physical release in February. According to the band this is the last set of vocals for All You Need Is Now.

Return Return in Duran Duran's Fashion Identity

I couldn't help but notice from the recent pictures taken on the set of the new Duran Duran video, the cool and dandy look of the guys... some elements which represented a visual trademark of the 'Duran-fashion-identy' in the early 80s have just made their return and we just love it. I hope to see more of this!

200 limited edition Dinos Chapman screen prints

The band says: "We've also been signing the 200 limited edition Dinos Chapman screen prints that he created of the band. Think they'll be up in the store soon. All numbered. Really happy with the way they turned out..."

This on the left is the original art created by Chapman last year, wonder if they'll be selling this one or the artist just made a new, totally different, image?

An article about last year's Rhodes-Chapman collaboration | Controversial Brit artist Dinos Chapman has teamed up with Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes to create a striking piece of original art, in anticipation of their headlining performance on the main stage at the Lovebox Festival on Saturday 18th July. Well known for his shocking and provocative works such as Hell (2000) and Death (2003), Chapman’s influence is clear in the highly original and striking image, which depicts the pop legends as ghostly faces overlooking a pack of marauding zombies. Nick Rhodes, the band’s keyboard player, worked with Chapman to produce the image, and is well-known for his appreciation of art, and has seen his own work included in exhibitions around the world.

Talking about Zombies...

Check out this cool picture featuring John Taylor, his wife Gela Nash-Taylor and Juicy Couture partner Pamela Skaist-Levy taken on Halloween 2009.

[Thanks to MJose Martínez for sending the pic]

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