Duran Duran
Duran Duran began their rise to fame at a Birmingham club named the "Rum Runner". The club was owned by their managers and mentors, brothers Paul & Michael Berrow. It was centred on the music and ostentatious fashion of the era, particularly dance & disco music, which had fused with punk and electronic to create the sound and look adopted by various "New Romantic" acts of the time. The band was heavily influenced by the 12 inch cuts of the day. Taylor says... "Anybody who is familiar with early DD (Duran Duran) will be aware of the Night Versions concept… the underlying influence of the 12" mix - Edwards & Rodgers - Giorgio Moroder … It was all part of the matrix - we tested our first hits on the dance-floor before going anywhere near the radio - it was the way you defined your style and who you were, through the club you were associated with - where you hung-out … I'm a rock fan, but the girls hung-out at the disco - I recommend a large portion of both."
The band signed to EMI Records in December 1980 only seven months after completing the line-up. Their debut single "Planet Earth" was released shortly after that, with their self-titled debut album, Duran Duran, released in June 1981. By 1983, the band was a global success story.
Read more about this topic: Andy Taylor (guitarist)