As Duran Duran near the end of their most recent run of North American dates, the iconic four-piece have announced the reissue of their first five studio albums – Duran Duran, Rio, Seven and the Ragged Tiger, Notorious, and Big Thing. Long out of print, this exciting reissue marks the first time this collection will be available in the original 1LP and 1CD format, with remastered audio, since their initial release. The albums will be available via Warner Music on July 19.
Both 1LP and 1CD formats will feature the latest album remasters, with vinyl editions cut at Abbey Road Studios in London. The album artworks have been closely restored to the original sleeve designs, overseen by Malcolm Garrett, the visionary designer behind the band’s first three records.
Duran Duran’s first five albums – 1981’s Duran Duran, 1982’s Rio, 1983’s Seven and the Ragged Tiger, 1986’s Notorious, and 1988’s Big Thing – have defined the sound and style of generations. Their acclaimed singles like ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’, ‘Rio’, ‘Girls on Film’and ‘Save a Prayer’ consistently dominated singles charts around the world on their release, and continue to soundtrack the lives of millions of fans. The music and magic within these five records propelled the band to the very front of the global music scene, establishing Duran Duran’s status as cultural icons and one of the most influential groups of all time. Now, 16 studio albums deep into their recording career, and counting, Duran Duran are still performing many of these songs in packed arenas all over the world.
The five albums, which between them graced over 20 Top 10 album charts around the world, provide a rich cross section of Duran Duran’s formative years. Here we are reminded anew of their self-titled debut’s era-defining boldness. A record that completely solidified the signature sound of Duran Duran, whilst simultaneously soundtracking turn of the decade angst, and introducing a new British pop order. As opener ‘Girls on Film’ presented the first use of “found sound” in music with its instantly recognizable camera motor drive clicks, and the apocalyptic shock of ‘Planet Earth’ took hold, Duran Duran’s innovation was signalling what British pop music would do next.
The year between Duran Duran’s release and the dawn of the Rio era was shaped by huge artistic growth. The album elevated the band to global status and produced a trio of Top Ten hits in ‘Save A Prayer’, ‘Rio’ and ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’. The latter two birthed some of the first-ever music videos that fans all over the world would fall in love with as MTV launched them into heavy rotation, also helping the band reach super-stardom in the US and beyond.
These achievements set the stage for Seven and the Ragged Tiger, Duran Duran’s first UK #1 album. Truly global in its scope – recorded between studios in France, Australia and the Caribbean – the album paved the way for the Sing Blue Silver Tour, their biggest live outing yet, and saw the band’s debut #1 single in the US with ‘The Reflex’.
After their success working with Nile Rodgers to re-imagine ‘The Reflex’ and produce ‘The Wild Boys’ in the same year, Duran Duran turned to him to produce their next LP, Notorious. The band’s first outing as a three-piece, together they created a definitive Duran Duran album that captured the experimental spirit at the core of the band. Never a group to sit still creatively, Duran Duran expanded to a nine-piece, complete with horn section and backing singers, for the accompanying tour to the Big Thing album, presenting Duran Duran’s most exploratory work to date at that time.
The news of the reissues follows sold-out arena tours across the UK and North America through 2023 and 2024, the latest in a series of landmark achievements including Duran Duran’s capacity shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden, and three nights at the Hollywood Bowl, plus headlining London’s Hyde Park, performing at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace, and closing the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in their home town of Birmingham. All this was underpinned by their 2022 induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a moment truly cementing the multi-GRAMMY, BRIT Award and Ivor Novellowinners as one of the most successful and influential bands of all time.
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