Duran Duran

[Bap De La Bap]

Ok - my re-intro to Japan ( I only remember Ghosts when I was a kid) came a few yrs back when watching TOTP2 (uk vintage music show) - 'Quiet life' came on and the 1st thing I thought (sorry!) was
'Duran Duran', they were all over the radio when I was a kid and had very catchy pop tunes as you know and this reminded me of 'their' sound.

I mentioned to a girl I know (whos a few yrs older than me) - whats the difference between the 2 bands, because based on that track alone I couldn't tell?
She said that I need to listen to their albums because theres a lot more to them than that track, so I bought the albums 'Quiet Life' & 'Assemblage' (vinyl) from Oxfam that week and she was (obviously) totally right.

So excuse my ignorance and please dont make me explain what the huge differences is between a Duran Duran album & a Japan album!!!

What I need to know is, If 'Quiet Life' came out in 1979 and D.Ds 1st album came out a few yrs later.Did they try and steal that song and then base their whole sound on it?

Plus (if you were there?) was this 'known' on the scene or was there any beef?

[heartofdavid]

Mind if I answer this from a different perspective?

I've been a Japan fan from their beginnings and only got into Duran in the last two years. (DD just never caught my attention earlier, weren't part of the music my friends listened to, etc.)

Anyway, I don't hear a similarity at all in DD's early material to Japan. They came from a different musical angle. DD were influenced by Japan, they've mentioned their admiration often, but they were from a dance/disco background, that's what they were interested in during their Rum Runner days and incorporated that into their sound strongly, something Japan never did.

DD did ask Japan to produce their first album and were turned down; I've heard conflicting stories about why ranging from Mick and Rich making a joke out of it to David stating he was ignorant of them asking but would have turned them down anyway because he wasn't interested in producing any artists, was too involved with his own music.

Personally, I think DD is a great band who over the years have recorded in a broad range of styles.

[Bap De La Bap]

Thankyou, thats a good answer but

"Anyway, I don't hear a similarity at all in DD's early material to Japan. They came from a different musical angle. DD were influenced by Japan, they've mentioned their admiration often, but they were from a dance/disco background"

'Quiet Life' the song follows the same disco patterns as any D.D song, remember I'm only talking about 1 track only, you've pretty much cleared it all up anyway but If I play 'Quiet Life' to anyone who has never heard 'Japan' they instantly think its Duran Duran.

Contrary to what you might think I dont hate Duran Duran, if you say they were influenced by them could it not be that this is the one tune that
they thought epitomised the essence of what they wanted to capture?

[heartofdavid]

Contrary to what you might think I dont hate Duran Duran, if you say they were influenced by them could it not be that this is the one tune that they thought epitomised the essence of what they wanted to capture?

Don't think my answer implied that you might hate Duran (I hope not!). But being influenced by someone doesn't, IMO, necessarily equate to sounding like someone or even wanting to, just like say a painter could be influenced by Picasso but his/her paintings don't show that.

Yeah, there are similarities in the keyboard sound, I can hear that, but the rhythm sections I think are very different, and Duran emphasized the guitar more than Japan did. But that keyboard sound was also the sound of the times, many bands had that type of keyboard sound as found in Quiet Life; I don't think Japan pioneered that but they put their own unique twist on it and then progressed beyond it.

I think Duran had a clear intention to be a pop band with mass appeal, something that Japan (perhaps David most strongly) didn't want (although I'm sure they wanted to be succesful), and the paths their development took show that.

[godisinthesilences]

just to clear things up abit as a HUGE duran fan and a great Japan fan.... I do hear similarities in the synth lines most of all. It was Nick Rhodes in fact who was soooooo into enjoying Japan's music. Duran was influenced more by disco, heavy rhythm and also heavily driven guitar. The bass line being more funk driven as Chic was a huge influence on John Taylor at the time.
But getting back to similarities. I actually have noticed almost an identical synth pattern in at least one of duran's earlier efforts. Their first album was completed in 1980, but didn't start to really make a dent until 1981. They became huge in the USA beginning in 1982 with the release of the second album Rio, but were very well known underground since at least mid 1981. In 1981 they did a small club tour of the usa which helped to build their following. I have been a huge duran fan since late 1982 and they actually are the ones who introduced me to Japan.

[Poisoned_Apathy]

Well, I'm a huge fan of both two bands. I think I can't add more to what gods and heart had said, but that I totally agree with them.
I can hear a lot of Japan influences on Duran's first album, but I agree with them. Duran had a different point of view. Not only because they were more into disco, but also I've heard them talk about Blondie or The Sex Pistols between their influences and i think that's very recognicible too on their first albums.Anyway, I think both two bans¬°ds are great in their own styles ang genuinity.

My case is the same that gods. Duran also introduced me into Japan...but 20 years later

[godisinthesilences]

D2 did a tour where they were the back up band for blondie in the very very early 80s. I bet that was something to see!!!

[kinki]

I am not as huge a DD fan as the rest of you (eg; I have 'The best of DD...' but have ALL Japan's albums in various formats - so THERE! ) and indeed rather looked down on them at the time as I considered them (in my adolescent know-all way) as an inferior Japan...

But it sounds like it's worth listening to their early stuff and now you mention it there IS a bit of a similarity between 'Quiet Life' and some of DD's songs....

hmmmm....

[kinki]

I am not as huge a DD fan as the rest of you (eg; I have 'The best of DD...' but have ALL Japan's albums in various formats - so THERE! ) and indeed rather looked down on them at the time as I considered them (in my adolescent know-all way) as an inferior Japan...

But it sounds like it's worth listening to their early stuff and now you mention it there IS a bit of a similarity between 'Quiet Life' and some of DD's songs....

hmmmm....

[godisinthesilences]

hey kinki.... actually they are just a more commercially oriented band than japan are. I think Japan in many ways is abit more intellectual.. at least from a tin drum stand point.
I would never compare the two bands in sort of the same format. One is definately a pop band and japan... well i wouldn't consider them as pop.
Now, as I said I'm a HUGE duran fan, but it is a much different enjoyment i get from their music. It has great intensity but touches me in a different way.
I would suggest you get their first album (it is self titled). I think it is one of my all time favourites of theirs. I love Rio as well, but not the more famous of the songs from it such as rio, save a prayer and hungry like the wolf. Lonely in your nightmare and hold back the rain are my all time favs from that lp. I finally have gained a much better appreciation for their 3rd lp seven and the ragged tiger. Back when it came out i didn't feel it had the guitar strength of the other two. Andy Taylor's guitaring is very emotional and that is one of the major enjoyments to me of duran duran. I stopped following the band soon after warren cuccerillo took over for andy... i felt his guitaring was just too cold and electronic sounding. No guts to it. When the group reformed in 2003 with the original line up they created a sound much more passionate than I would say it has been in nearly 20 years. Astronaut was a solid effort, but I imagine the lp they will release in the coming year will top it 200 fold.

Ok well that is my duran's worth of input. LOL sorry for rambling on and on.

[Poisoned_Apathy]

I'm with you, gods... Though I think we have talke about it in another thread... Anyway, I agree with you. Duran are a pop band and that's what I love from them. The fun.

I love their first lp so much!! I think it's really worth listening.

Lonely in your nightmare and hold back the rain are my all time favs from that lp.

The same for me!! Except that I love The Chauffeaur soooo much!!
And I love 'Seven...' too. Nobody seems to like it as much as the other ones, but I really love it...don't know exactly why.

I stopped following the band soon after warren cuccerillo took over for andy... i felt his guitaring was just too cold and electronic sounding.

I don't like Cuccurullo, but I still think that they made great songs during the late 80's and the 90's. I love albums like 'Big Thing' or 'The wedding album'. But I think their last two albums before the reunion are two of their best efforts.
Astronaut is a great album. Well constructed and balanced. But I can't wait for the next one...

[lastgoldstar]

Yeah, there are similarities in the keyboard sound, I can hear that, but the rhythm sections I think are very different, and Duran emphasized the guitar more than Japan did.

I think Duran had a clear intention to be a pop band with mass appeal, something that Japan (perhaps David most strongly) didn't want (although I'm sure they wanted to be succesful), and the paths their development took show that.

Agreed with all of the above. The keyboard sounds are not unalike, but I honestly don't hear any other similarities. Like gods said, Duran had the funk thing going on with their sound.

And it's been said, but I also wouldn't be a Japan fan without being
introduced to them through Duran.

But I think their last two albums before the reunion are two of their best efforts.

Mmm, I think so too. Very experimental I never liked Cuccurullo either, although I think he's a great guitarist, his sound just never fit too well with Duran's.

[Bap De La Bap]

Yeah the 1st album has -Waiting for the Nightboat- and -Tel Aviv- which are pretty cool, as is 'waiting for the sound of thunder-.

All the answers to this thread are cool but Kinki I liked yours very much, I did want to hear what somebody would've thought at the time, rather than now as an adult with all the musical knowledge we learn.

Duran Duran were produced by Nile Rodgers at one point so theres the Chic connection, which was dominant in a lot of Pop acts being produced by him and bernard edwards back then.

[Poisoned_Apathy]

Yeah the 1st album has -Waiting for the Nightboat- and -Tel Aviv- which are pretty cool, as is 'waiting for the sound of thunder-.

All the answers to this thread are cool but Kinki I liked yours very much, I did want to hear what somebody would've thought at the time, rather than now as an adult with all the musical knowledge we learn.

Duran Duran were produced by Nile Rodgers at one point so theres the Chic connection, which was dominant in a lot of Pop acts being produced by him and bernard edwards back then.

mmm I couldn't give that point because I wasn't born ...
I think Chic were an influence in Duran before Nile Rodgers produced the album 'Notorious', which is their most funky album, in my opinion. I've heard John Taylor talk about how the first bass lines he ever learned were from Chic.

[heartofdavid]

Nick used to DJ in the very early days and played a lot of Chic music, definite early influence. They've always had that funky edge in their music, best heard on "Notorious."

Japan were into Motown; the covers of Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye.