Interview: Duran Duran Bassist John Taylor Talks About The Band's Biggest Hits

A key member of the '80s supergroup opens up about their breakthrough records and long-lasting legacy.

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Complex Original

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When people look at the pop culture of the ‘80s and the early ‘80s, Duran Duran looms just as large as John Hughes films and neon clothing. Thirty years ago, the band from Birmingham, England, had had MTV on lock with their smash hit “Hungry Like The Wolf.” The band still plays to packed houses around the world, and just released a new live DVD Diamond In the Mind, which dropped last week.

 ”We went through a phase where we wanted to distance ourselves from the history,” said Duran Duran bassist John Taylor when we caught up with him for an interview. “It also felt like history wanted to distance ourselves from our history. But it sort feels like the way the culture is today. It’s like everything is happening all at once. And that seems to kind of benefit us, but at the same time, we constantly have to do things. We just can’t all go to bed for a year and expect the name to stay in the public eye. We have to keep doing things to activate it.” 

On that note, we asked him to talk about Duran Duran's legacy and break down the stories behind some of their signature hits. “It’s kind of like… you are sort of curating your history, your legacy, you know?" Yes we do. 

Interview by Ernest Baker (@newbornrodeo)

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“Girls On Film” (1981)

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“Planet Earth” (1981)

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“Hungry Like the Wolf” (1982)

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“Rio” (1982)

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“Union of the Snake” (1983)

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“The Reflex” (1984)

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“Wild Boys” (1984)

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“Notorious” (1986)

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“White Lines” (1995)

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Duran Duran’s Influence On Fashion And Films

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Playing Coachella 2011

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Dealing With Critics

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Duran Duran’s New Songs Compared To The Old Ones

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Duran Duran’s Legacy in 2012

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