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Duran Duran (1993 album)

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Duran Duran
Upper left: the Le Bons, centre: the Bateses (Rhodes), upper right: the Taylors, lower right: the Cuccurullos.
Studio album by
Duran Duran
Released15 February 1993 (1993-02-15)
Recorded1991–1992
Studio
Genre
Length63:34
Label
Producer
Duran Duran chronology
Liberty
(1990) 		Duran Duran
(1993) 		Thank You
(1995)
Singles from Duran Duran
  1. "Ordinary World"
    Released: 19 December 1992 (US)
  2. "Come Undone"
    Released: 29 March 1993 (UK)
  3. "Too Much Information"
    Released: 23 August 1993 (UK)[1]
  4. "Drowning Man (remix)"
    Released: August 1993 (US)
  5. "Femme Fatale"
    Released: 1993 (France)
  6. "None of the Above"
    Released: 1994 (Japan)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Calgary HeraldC[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Entertainment WeeklyD[5]
Music Week[6]
Philadelphia Inquirer[7]
Rolling Stone[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[9]
Select[10]

Duran Duran (commonly known as The Wedding Album[11]) is the seventh studio album and the second self-titled album by the English pop rock band Duran Duran, released on 15 February 1993 through Parlophone and Capitol Records.

Background[edit]

As the 1990s progressed, the once-certain popularity that Duran Duran enjoyed in the 1980s began to fade. Many critics began to write them off as a throwback to the new wave era, with some declaring their career "over".[12][13][14] During this period, the band found themselves struggling to adjust to the evolving music scene, which was being shaped by the rise of genres like hip hop, techno, and alternative rock. Keyboardist Nick Rhodes said in a 2013 retrospective piece:[15]

The '80s had ended and a lot of people wanted to lock the door and close Duran Duran in that decade, too, I think. At the end of the '80s, music changed considerably. We had grunge, techno and rave culture, which left us in a place where we felt we had to make ourselves relevant to the times. We weren't about to make a grunge or techno album, but we had our songwriting. We very much went back to basics.

Following the release of their studio album Liberty in 1990, Duran Duran faced worsening financial difficulties.[16] This was primarily attributed to poor album sales, lack of touring to promote Liberty, and excessive spending.[17][18] The album saw limited commercial success, peaking at number 46 in the US.[19] The singles "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" and "Serious" achieved only moderate to low success on the US and UK charts.[18] Despite reaching number eight in the UK, it wasn't enough to convince Capitol or EMI, Duran Duran's record labels, that the band was on the right track.[20] Nonetheless, Capitol did not completely abandon them, agreeing to provide financial support for a new album under strict supervision.

Recording[edit]

Duran Duran was recorded and produced mainly at American musician Warren Cuccurullo's home studio in Battersea, London, named "Privacy".[16]

Title and packaging[edit]

The band ultimately chose to self-title the album after describing themselves as having to go "back to the basics".[15] After its publication, the album became known alternatively as The Wedding Album, inspired by the album's cover art and to distinguish it from the band's 1981 album.[12]

British visual design artist Nick Egan designed the album cover in collaboration with bassist John Taylor, with additional help from Eric Roinestad.[15] Egan's design was unlike most of Duran Duran's previous album covers, as it went against the band's previous notion of arranging an expensive album cover photoshoot.[15] The artwork showcases a collage of the band members' parents' wedding photos with golden lettering of the band's name in the centre.[15] The lettering was embossed plastic made with a Dymo label printer and a chinagraph grease pencil on masking tape.[15] Egan cited American graphic artist Robert Rauschenberg as a source of inspiration for the collage, describing his work as "seemingly random images [laid] on top of each other with the faintest hint of off-register colour as if the whole thing were screen printed."[15]

Before they met, Taylor mentioned to American actor Billy Zane, who was visiting London, that he wanted Egan to design the band's new album cover.[15] Coincidentally, Zane was a close friend of Egan and his wife Lisa, and told Taylor that Egan was in London.[15] After Taylor got in contact with Egan, the two convened at Taylor's residence to outline the band's concept of using photographs from their parents' weddings.[15]

Release and singles[edit]

Recording of the album was completed in early 1992, with a planned mid-year release by Capitol Records in the United States.[11] However, Duran Duran's new management company, Left Bank, was distressed at the label's apparent lack of enthusiasm for the promotion of the album, and had it temporarily pulled from the release schedule. Left Bank manager Tommy Manzi told HitQuarters that this was due to industry resistance to the revival of the band, who he said would rather focus on "the next hip band".[13] Manzi said that industry insiders "laughed at" Left Bank while they worked on reviving the careers of not only Duran Duran but also Meat Loaf.[13] The album was subsequently shelved, and scheduled for release at some point in 1993.

During this hiatus, John Taylor returned to his wife in Los Angeles, while Le Bon, Rhodes, and Cuccurullo started working on cover songs for what would later become the Thank You album. Unexpectedly, copies of "Ordinary World" were leaked to radio stations in Jacksonville, Florida.[12][14][21] The band's own record label was suspected to have put out recordings of the song to gauge the response, as the band had lost popularity after a decade of success on the charts.[12][21] Surprisingly, the song received positive reception and became a hit at radio stations,[12][14] resulting in Duran Duran's record label advancing the song's release.[12] "Ordinary World" was released as a single on 19 December 1992[22] by Capitol Records and made its debut on record charts the following year, reaching number six in the UK[23] and number three in the US.[24]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Duran Duran, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Too Much Information" 4:56
2."Ordinary World" 5:39
3."Love Voodoo" 4:58
4."Drowning Man" 5:15
5."Shotgun" 0:54
6."Come Undone" 4:38
7."Breath After Breath"
4:58
8."UMF" 5:33
9."Femme Fatale"Lou Reed4:21
10."None of the Above" 5:19
11."Shelter" 4:25
12."To Whom It May Concern"Nick Rhodes4:24
13."Sin of the City" 7:14
Japan bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
1."Time for Temptation" (Alternate version)3:46
2."Stop Dead" (Edit)3:52
Special Edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
14."Falling Angel"4:35
15."Stop Dead"4:31
16."Time for Temptation"4:09
17."A View to a Kill"3:33
Bonus disc (UK tour edition)
No.TitleLength
1."Falling Angel"4:35
2."Stop Dead"4:31
3."Time for Temptation"4:09
4."Come Undone" (12" mix – Comin' Together)7:21
5."Ordinary World" (Acoustic version)5:07
6."Too Much Information" (David Richards 12" mix)4:14

Personnel[edit]

Adapted from the album's liner notes.[25]

Duran Duran
Additional personnel
Production
  • Duran Duran – production (all tracks), mixing (track 5)
  • John Jones – production (all tracks), engineering (all tracks except track 9), sub-mixing, mixing (track 5)
  • Tony Taverner – live drum session engineering (tracks 1, 2, 7, and 9)
  • Stuart Every – assistant live drum session engineer (tracks 1, 2, and 7)
  • David Richards – mixing (tracks 1–3, 6–8, and 10–13)
  • David Leonard – mixing (tracks 4 and 9)
  • Kevin Metcalfe – mastering

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for Duran Duran
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[46] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[47] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Duran Duran singles".
  2. ^ AllMusic review
  3. ^ Obee, Dave (21 February 1993). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  5. ^ Entertainment Weekly review
  6. ^ Jones, Alan (13 February 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums — Pick of the Week" (PDF). Music Week. p. 20. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  7. ^ Wood, Sam (27 April 1993). "A Trumpeter Breaks Out of Marsalis' Shadow". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  8. ^ Rolling Stone review
  9. ^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Duran Duran". The Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  10. ^ Collis, Clark (April 1993). "Duran Duran: Duran Duran". Select: 74. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  11. ^ a b Chiu, David (11 February 2023). "Duran Duran's Pivotal Comeback 'The Wedding Album' Marks 30 Years". Forbes. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "December 1992: Duran Duran Launch Comeback for the Ages with ORDINARY WORLD". Rhino Entertainment. 19 December 2022. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  13. ^ a b c "Interview with TOMMY MANZI, manager at Umbrella for Eagle-Eye Cherry, Neneh Cherry, Grant Lee Buffalo". HitQuarters. 7 May 2001. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  14. ^ a b c Duran Duran rediscovers success in the 'Ordinary World' of the '90s. The Baltimore Sun. 26 July 1993. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Reflections on Duran Duran's "The Wedding Album"". Duran Duran. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  16. ^ a b Zaleski, Annie (15 February 2023). "30 Years Ago: Duran Duran Makes a Comeback With the Wedding Album". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  17. ^ Power, Ed (3 April 2020). "No Thank You: why a reviled covers album almost sank Duran Duran". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 May 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  18. ^ a b Gerard, Chris (24 April 2015). "Duran Duran: Ranking their albums Worst to First". Metro Weekly. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  19. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 – Week of February 20, 1993". Billboard. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  20. ^ ""Official Albums Chart Top 100"". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  21. ^ a b Kent, Anderson (7 April 2023). Friday Song: "Ordinary World". The Geyser. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  22. ^ Zaleski, Annie (18 December 2022). "30 Years Ago: Duran Duran Begins a Second Act With 'Ordinary World'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  23. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100: 30 January 1993 – 5 February 1993". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 2 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  24. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 – Week of February 20, 1993". Billboard. Archived from the original on 5 June 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  25. ^ Duran Duran (booklet). Duran Duran. Parlophone. 1993. 0777 7 98876 2 0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  26. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Duran Duran – Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  27. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Duran Duran – Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  28. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0992". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  29. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Duran Duran – Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  30. ^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 10. 6 March 1993. p. 18. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  31. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  32. ^ "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste". InfoDisc (in French). Retrieved 13 January 2019. Select "DURAN DURAN" from the drop-down menu and click "OK".
  33. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Duran Duran – Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  34. ^ a b c "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 11. 13 March 1993. p. 24. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  35. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1993. 20. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  36. ^ デュラン・デュランのアルバム売り上げランキング [Duran Duran's album sales ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  37. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Duran Duran – Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  38. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Duran Duran – Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  39. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  40. ^ "Duran Duran Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  41. ^ "The RPM Top 100 Albums of 1993". RPM. Vol. 58, no. 23. 18 December 1993. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  42. ^ "1993 Year-End Sales Charts – Eurochart Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 51/52. 18 December 1993. p. 15. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  43. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1993" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  44. ^ "Top 100 Albums 1993" (PDF). Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 25. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  45. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1993". Billboard. Archived from the original on 13 January 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  46. ^ "British album certifications – Duran Duran – Duran Duran (Wedding) Album". British Phonographic Industry. 1 April 1983. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  47. ^ "American album certifications – Duran Duran – Duran Duran 2". Recording Industry Association of America. 18 June 1993. Retrieved 13 January 2019.

External links[edit]

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