In 1978 Nicholas James Bates (a.k.a. Nick Rhodes) and John Taylor, moved by their passion for music and pop culture, formed Duran Duran in Birmingham, England. Their first line up was guitar, keyboard, bass, clarinet and a drum machine. After a couple of changes they recruited Roger Taylor (no relation to John). Roger drummed in several local punk bands before joining in.  With Roger in the band and John switching from guitar to bass, the Duran Duran sound began to crystallize.  They mixed punk, rock and disco. This gave them a unique identity. After playing local clubs for some time, it wasn't long before they began to develop a cult following. It wasn't until after numerous changes of personnel, that Andy Taylor (no relation to John or Roger) arrived to the band. He was recruited via a music paper advertisement that read "looking for guitarist with over 600 gigs experience". At that time, a club called The Rum Runner  became their base of operations. The club gave them a place to rehearse, but more important, it kept them in touch the cutting edge music of the time. It was at this moment that they had their identity and a strong unique sound, but they were still missing a singer. It is actually through a barmaid's recommendation, that a drama student from London, Simon Le Bon joins Duran Duran.

Duran Duran can definitively be regarded as the pioneer video band of the eighties. Certainly, they were not the first artist to use video as a promotional tool, but they were pioneers in exploring the medium to it's fullest extent. Their first videos proved both innovative and controversial. Their videos developed into a more polished and sophisticated stories, portraying a jet-set like and adventurous atmosphere. This  strategy proved to be very successful, making them the premier act of the eighties. Videos made Duran Duran's music very popular but they also diverted the attention from their talent as musicians. This was in fact very frustrating to them because they always wanted recognition as a great band not as video icons. After all, Duran Duran emerged with great force because of their creative writing and their musical talent.

Duran Duran success is all about evolution. They have taken numerous chances and have stayed true to their values; an attitude that led them to many changes over the years. They began as a very successful quintet, then became a trio, again a quintet, then a quartet,  and now back to a trio. It has been a long journey but they have proved to be original, creative, faithful to their music and loyal to their fans. They have struggled through tough times only to conquer adversity. Twenty years after their birth, John has left the band to pursue a solo project. Andy and Roger still do some occasional work but live a more private life. And fortunately,  Nick and Simon continue Duran Duran with Warren, who has collaborated with them since 1986 and has become a major force in their present sound and image.

Today, a year before the new millennium, get ready for a new Duran Duran. A Duran Duran for the 21st century, with a new sound and a fresh image. Their album Medazzaland, reflects a sound and a sense of humor not present in their work before. Last November the band embarked in a short promotional tour of the UK called the Greatest & Latest Tour. They also went back to the studio and have been working on a new album, tentatively called Hallucinating Elvis. This album should be out sometime in the 1999. In the meantime, EMI/Capitol released: Duran Duran - Greatest, a record and video compilation from Planet Earth to Electric Barbarella. So, keep your eye on Duran Duran in 1999, there is still a lot of music to come.