This year sees the 40th anniversary of Duran Duran’s iconic Rio album – the band’s 1982 opus, which featured indelible hits such as Hungry Like The Wolf, My Own Way and, of course, the album’s title track. But the Birmingham four-piece, founded in 1978 by Nick Rhodes and John Taylor, are far more than just one record. In their time together, the New Romantic heroes have released 15 albums, amassed a swathe of chart hits, and embarked on dozens of acclaimed tours.
One of the first bands whose rise was linked inextricably to the launch of MTV, Duran Duran also have a deep catalog of brilliant music videos – the most famous of which, for 1981’s Girls on Film, won a Grammy award. Perhaps because of this association, the band had major success in America, accruing nine top-10s over the course of their career. To this day, the band’s single A View to a Kill is the only Bond theme to ever reach the top of the US charts.
Although they can rest on their laurels now, the soon-to-be Rock & Roll Hall of Famers (they’re being inducted on November 5) are far from classic pop nostalgists: last year, they released their fifteenth album, Future Past, which included collaborations with Mark Ronson, Graham Coxon, Tove Lo and Chai; performed at the Queen’s platinum jubilee concert; and performed at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. On November 3, the band’s new concert film A Hollywood High will be released in Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision formats – another milestone in the band’s history.
Now, you’ve got a chance to ask Rhodes every question you’ve ever wanted answered about Duran Duran, his solo career and his general status as a pop legend. Perhaps you want to know if he still has the old cassette recorder the band used to demo their earliest tracks, or if he genuinely does own the Duran Duran name, as Andy Warhol claimed in his diaries? Or what his favourite Duran Duran musical motif is, or what he enjoyed about his work with the Dandy Warhols? Maybe you’re a fan of his side project Arcadia, and want to grill him about a potential revival?
Post your questions for Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes in the comments by noon on 25 October.
