Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Duran Duran (1993 album)

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Released
  
11 February 1993

Length
  
63:34

Release date
  
11 February 1993

Recorded
  
1991–1993

Artist
  
Duran Duran

Label
  
Capitol Records

Duran Duran (1993 album) cpsstaticrovicorpcom3JPG500MI0002003MI000

Producer
  
John Jones and Duran Duran

Genres
  
Rock music, Pop rock, Alternative rock, Soft rock

Similar
  
Duran Duran albums, Rock music albums

Duran Duran (commonly known as The Wedding Album) is the seventh studio album and the second self-titled album by Duran Duran, released on 11 February 1993.

Contents

After dwindling commercial success in the early 1990s, Duran Duran returned to the UK Top Five and US Top Ten with this album, which has been certified Gold in the UK and Platinum in the US. The singles "Ordinary World" and "Come Undone" reached the US Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.

The cover art by Nick Egan features wedding photos from the parents of the four band members.

Background

Recording of the album was completed in early 1992 with an impending release by Capitol Records in the United States. Duran Duran's new management company, Left Bank, was distressed at the apparent lack of enthusiasm for the album and had it pulled from the release schedule. Manager Tommy Manzi later told HitQuarters it was the industry that were unenthusiastic about the return of the band rather than the music consumer. 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 because they would rather focus on "the next hip band" than perceived "old" acts. As it happened, the album reached No. 4 in the UK Albums Chart, their highest charting album since 1983's Seven and the Ragged Tiger.

In the UK, three singles from the album reached the Top 40 including "Ordinary World" (#6), "Come Undone" (#13) and "Too Much Information" (#35). Four singles taken from the album charted in the US: "Ordinary World" (#3), "Come Undone" (#7), "Too Much Information" and "Drowning Man". "Breath After Breath", a collaboration with Milton Nascimento, was released only in Brazil, "None of the Above" in Japan and "Femme Fatale" (cover of The Velvet Underground song) in France. The song "Sin of the City" is about the Happy Land arson fire that killed 87 people trapped in an unlicensed social club in New York City on March 25, 1990.

During the hiatus while waiting for the album to be released, the band began working on what would become the Thank You album, with John Jones, and a Warren Cuccurullo-derived riff of "First Impression" led to the rapid inclusion of the song "Come Undone".

Frank Zappa (who died months later) and Lou Reed were collaborators in the post-production of the album.

Track listing

All tracks written by Duran Duran, except where noted.

Personnel

Duran Duran

  • Simon Le Bon – lead vocals
  • Warren Cuccurullo – acoustic and electric guitars
  • Nick Rhodes – keyboards
  • John Taylor – bass guitar
  • Additional personnel

  • John Jones – co-producer, engineer, programming, keyboards, guitar, vocals
  • Milton Nascimento – vocals on track 7 ("Breath After Breath")
  • Steve Ferrone – drums on tracks 1 ("Too Much Information") and 2 ("Ordinary World"), percussion on track 10 ("Femme Fatale")
  • Vinnie Colaiuta – drums on track 7 ("Breath After Breath")
  • Dee Long – additional keyboards on track 11 ("Shelter")
  • Bosco – percussion on track 7 ("Breath After Breath")
  • Lamya – backing vocals on track 3 ("Love Voodoo")
  • Tessa Niles – backing vocals on track 6 ("Come Undone")
  • Karen Hendrix & Jack Merigg – vocal samples on track 4 ("Drowning Man")
  • Production

  • Produced by Duran Duran and John Jones, except "Come Undone" and "Femme Fatale" produced by Duran Duran
  • All instruments and vocals recorded by John Jones, except "Femme Fatale" (recorded by Tony Taverner), and drums on tracks 1, 2, and 7, recorded by Tony Taverner and assisted by Stuart Every
  • Mixed by David Richards, except "Drowning Man" and "Femme Fatale" (mixed by David Leonard) and "Shotgun" (mixed by Duran Duran and John Jones)
  • Songs

    1Too Much Information4:56
    2Ordinary World (single version)5:40
    3Love Voodoo

    References

    Duran Duran (1993 album) Wikipedia