On 15th June 1981, Duran Duran released their debut album. According to This Day In Music, it reached #3 in the UK Albums Chart and stayed in the top 100 for
over 2 years (118 weeks, to be precise). It did pretty well in the USA, too: a peak of #10 in the Billboard 200 and a total of 87 weeks in that chart.
My uncle borrowed the album from his local library in London and, fully aware that home taping was killing music, recorded a copy to cassette and posted it to my brother, at his request. For some reason, he labelled the album 'Assorted Images' on the spine, named after the company that sleeve designer Malcolm Garrett worked for.
I liked the album a lot, but never really became a hardcore fan. Mrs. K, on the other hand...
I saw Duran Duran live for the first and only time when the original lineup reformed, released a new album (Astronaut) and toured it. Mrs. K and I saw them at Birmingham NEC on 18th April 2004, supported by Goldfrapp, and they were pretty good. It was a wonderful shared moment with her favourite band, growing up.
That said, that hardcore love is very focused. Mrs. K lost interest once Andy Taylor left the band in the 1980s and again when he departed once more after said album and tour. I jumped ship much earlier: my brother had Rio, which I also quite liked, but I don't think I heard third album Seven And The Ragged Tiger until I met Mrs. K many years later.
Today's 'selection' is a track-by-track recreation of the debut album, a mix of official videos, one fan-made mash up, a couple of TV appearances, one live performance and one audio clip from an early concert where no footage was available.
This one's dedicated to Andy Taylor and, of course, Mrs. K.
Mrs CC is also a fan!
ReplyDeleteOn a personal level, I was relieved that it wasn't Spandau Ballet instead!
DeleteThis much is True
DeleteTo cut a long story short, CC, I have to agree.
DeleteThink it's to my eternal shame that I have seen Spandau Ballet live but not DD. Never revisit SB but often listen to the first 2 DD albums which i still believe are v good. Also annoyed that DD did a warm up gig at the Trinity in Bristol a few years back and I missed it...
ReplyDeleteI do like a few of the early(ish) Spandau Ballet singles but far outnumbered by the dross. Duran Duran definitely preferrable (but I'd have to say that, wouldn't it?!)
DeleteWow, a DD warm up at the Trinity? Reminds me of INXS doing a gig at the Victoria Rooms in 1993. I was far too much of a musical snob to even try to get a ticket but in retrospect I think it would have been bloody great.