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duran2.net : frequently asked questions

how did duran duran get their name?

The band took their name from Roger Vadim's 1960's cult sci-fi classic film 'Barbarella', starring Jane Fonda. There was a character played by Milo O'Shea called Duran Duran.

what are all of the 'official' line-ups in duran duran?

The official line ups are:

Stephen Duffy, Simon Colley, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor (1978-1979)
Andy Wickett, Alan Curtis, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor (1979)
Jeff Thomas, Andy Wickett, Alan Curtis, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor (1979)
Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Andy Taylor (1980-1985)
Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor (1985-1990)
Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Warren Cuccurullo, Sterling Campbell (1990-1991)
Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Warren Cuccurullo (1991-1997)
Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Warren Cuccurullo (1997-2001)
Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Andy Taylor (2001-2006)
Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor (2006)

what are the full names and birthdates of duran duran members?

Simon John Charles Le Bon October 27, 1958 (Scorpio)
Nigel John Taylor June 20, 1960 (Gemini)
Nicholas James (Bates) Rhodes June 8, 1962 (Gemini)
Andrew Taylor February 16, 1961 (Aquarius)
Roger Andrew Taylor April 26, 1960 (Taurus)
Warren Bruce Cuccurullo December 8, 1956 (Sagittarius)

why did nick decide to change his last name from bates to rhodes?

According to Nick, the change was for 'aesthetic' purposes. It was decided before their first interview as Duran Duran by Nick and John. Nick asked what surname he should use and John suggested 'Rhodes'. And the rest is history.

who are the krush brothers?

Simon, Nick and John were The Krush Brothers. Their manager at the time dubbed them when they were playing surprise gigs to warm up for the Big Thing Tour.

what is the story behind 'say the word' song?

'Say The Word' was a track that existed as part of the original sessions for 'So Red The Rose'. It never reached lyric stage, hence it didn't make it onto the record. Duran Duran were then approached by Miramax, who wanted a new song for the movie 'Playing For Keeps'. So, it was at that time, that band wrote the lyric and completed 'Say The Word'. Several versions were mixed and not known which one was used in the final cut of the movie. A 12-inch version was released, which included every computation. Not certian if Roger is on that track because band ended up using Steve Jordan on a lot of the songs and sometimes it was even a combination of players.

what are the spoken words at the end of the song 'the chauffeur'?

The monologue is from a nature record that the band found. The man is talking about 'insects in the grass'.

what is simon saying at the beginning of the 'nightboat' video?

Simon is reciting Mercutio's speech from Romeo and Juliet.

duran2.net : jargon

acetate / lacquer

In the pre-tape era, the initial record, a metal 11-inch or 16-inch disc covered by a layer of lacquer, cut from a stylus that records electrical impulses from microphones into record grooves. By their nature, acetates are fragile and quickly wear out. Acetate 'dubs' were still manufactured in the LP era.

metal parts

The metal 'stampers' made from electroplated 'negatives' of the acetate, used to manufacture a side of a record.

test pressing

The initial in-house record made from metal parts manufactured to ascertain the quality of a record before it's manufactured. Also called an acetate dub.

mixed master tape

Before multitrack tapes, the term was used to denote a first-generation analog tape recording of a performance. In the multitrack recorder era, the mixed master is the mixed-down version of the performance first recorded on a multitrack tape, usually at 15 or 30 inches per second, as approved by the producer. There is some equalization introduced throughout the session at the control board to give appropriate (or wanted) tonal characteristics, reverb, echo, etc. Any analog copy of a first-generation master tape will exhibit incremental loss of high fidelity characteristics, much as a photocopied or laser image loses definition. Digital copies do not suffer such loss in quality and are clones of the master.

production master

An equalized, or EQ'd, analog master copy that includes further sound enhancement added at the mastering lab (usually added bass, treble, bandrange compression). It was often also mastered as saturated or 'hot' as possible without causing unattractive distortion. An EQ'd production master, the reasoning went, would compensate for the limitations of the vinyl format and 'punch through' on compressed-signal radio, especially AM. An LP era production master EQ'd for vinyl is unsuitable for the CD format without considerable remastering and will sound dull, shrill, peaky, or thin.

safety master

There are two types. Safties can be a first-generation master produced at the recording or mixing session by having a second tape recorder running concurrently. It is most often referred to as the initial copy of a master tape, which has a slight deterioration in sound from the original master.

session reel

The first tape on which all the recorded performances or 'takes' of a recording session are imbedded. With the released master performance included on the reel, it is the true master tape. With the master 'cut out', it then includes the 'alternate takes' (complete but not the first choice of the producer or artist) and other bits of recordings (breakdowns, false starts, rehearsals, etc). Initially, engineers recorded in monaural, or mono, on 1/4-inch tape with full-track or half-track machines. With the advent of stereo in the '50s, they began to use multitrack machines on wider (1/2-inch, 1-inch, or 2-inch) tape. Performances could then be mixed, giving engineers and producers wider choices as to the relative loudness, timbre, placement of instruments, and vocals as they mixed the multitrack down to a master. Session reels are often nicknamed the 'multitracks'. As high-fidelity equipment and formats changed and improved through the years, it has become important for engineers to be able to remix and re-equalize older recordings directly from the master tape or multitrack session reels to ensure quality. Alternate takes and other partial performances and material on a session reel can be of great interest to record buyers, as they may contain startling and valuable music and insights into an artist's process and development.

EMI Europe country codes EMI Europe Country Codes for serious vinyl LP collector. In most cases the EMI Codes are the first two letters of the records catalog no. These EMI Country Code were used to indicate the country in which the record was pressed.
0C = UK 1A = Holland 1C = Germany 1J = Spain 2C = France 2E = Austria 2J = Greece 3C = Italy	3E = Switzerland 4C = Belgium 4E = Sweden 5C = Holland 5E = Finland 6C = Denmark 6E = Denmark 7C = Sweden	7E = Norway 8E = Portugal 9C = Finland 10C = Spain 11C = Portugal 12C = Austria 13C = Switzerland 14C = Greece