Notorious (Duran Duran song)

Updated on Jan 06, 2024

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B-side "Winter Marches On" Format 7" 12" Label EMI Capitol		Released 20 October 1986 Genre New wave funk rock
Length 3:58 (45 Mix) 5:14 (Extended Mix) 6:23 (The Latin Rascals Mix)

"Notorious" is the 14th single by Duran Duran. It was released internationally by EMI on 20 October 1986. "Notorious" was the first single issued from the album Notorious, and the first released by Duran Duran as a 3-piece band after the departure of Roger and Andy Taylor. It was a success worldwide, reaching #7 in the UK, and #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, behind "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles, and was a success in various other countries.

About the song

"Notorious" marked the debut of the new streamlined trio version of Duran Duran, as Andy Taylor and Roger Taylor had left the band by the time the album was released. In fact, the acrimonious nature of Andy Taylor's departure was reflected in the song to a certain degree. According to songwriter Simon Le Bon, the lyric "Who really gives a damn for a flaky bandit" was a direct dig at the guitarist.

As a trio, the band had enlisted the help of Nile Rodgers to take over production duties. His funk influences can be heard throughout the single - for example, the tempo and the use of The Borneo Horns brass section. Rodgers also played the guitar on the single.

Music video

The video for "Notorious" was shot on 23 September 1986 by directors Peter Kagan and Paula Greif, and bore an uncanny resemblance to the video the duo had filmed in June of that year for Steve Winwood's "Higher Love". The video was shot in black and white Super-8 with a hand-held camera, with quick cuts and changes of zoom and focus. It featured the three-piece band performing the song on a sound stage, with scantily clad dancers in the background choreographed by Paula Abdul.

The young model Christy Turlington appeared in outdoor scenes with the band. A still photo from this location was used as the cover of the album Notorious.

B-side and official remixes

For the first time, the B-side to the 7" single was not an original recording; "Winter Marches On" was an unaltered version of the Notorious album track. Before this, Duran Duran had always provided either completely original songs or previously unheard remixes on the B-side.

As a first for the band, "Notorious" was released as two separate 12" singles. The first had a Nile Rodgers produced "Extended Mix" while the second featured a remix by The Latin Rascals.

There are 3 official mixes of "Notorious":

Notorious (45 Mix) - 3:58 (Album Version, with a slightly edited middle 8 and outro)

Notorious (Extended Mix) - 5:14 (Album Version, with a one-minute dub intro added on)

Notorious (The Latin Rascals Mix) - 6:23 (Basically the Album Version, with a 1:10 dub intro and two brief remixed interludes spliced in)

and 1 DJ Remix

Disconet Remix 6:33 – 1:30 dub intro, with the rest of the song more comprehensively remixed and rearranged; in particular, the guitars and percussion are accentuated.

This version is available on the "Disconet Dance Classics Volume 3" CD.

As a perennially popular song in their back catalogue, "Notorious" appears in various Duran Duran megamixes, most notably:

"Notoriousaurus Rex (Master Mix)"

"Burning the Ground" and its B-side, "Decadance"

"DMC Megamix"

7": EMI. / DDN 45 United Kingdom

"Notorious" (45 Mix) - 3:58
"Winter Marches On" - 3:25

12": EMI. / 12 DDN 45 United Kingdom

"Notorious" (Extended Mix) - 5:14
"Notorious" (45 Mix) - 3:58
"Winter Marches On" - 3:25

also released on MC in New Zealand (EMI. / TC-GOOD 149)

12": EMI. / 12 DDNX 45 United Kingdom

"Notorious" (The Latin Rascals Mix) - 6:23
"Notorious" (45 Mix) - 3:58
"Winter Marches On" - 3:25

also released on MC (TC DDNX 45)

7": Capitol Records. / B-5648 United States

"Notorious" (45 Mix) - 3:58
"Winter Marches On" - 3:25

12": Capitol Records. / V-15264 United States

"Notorious" (Extended Mix) - 5:14
"Notorious" (45 Mix) - 3:58
"Winter Marches On" - 3:25

12": Capitol Records. / V-15266 United States

"Notorious" (The Latin Rascals Mix) - 6:23
"Notorious" (45 Mix) - 3:58
"Winter Marches On" - 3:25

CD: Part of "Singles Box Set 1986-1995" boxset

"Notorious" (45 Mix) - 3:58
"Winter Marches On" - 3:25
"Notorious" (Extended Mix) - 5:14
"Notorious" (The Latin Rascals Mix) - 6:23

Charts

When the track made its debut on Montreal radio station CHOM during the 20 October 1986 edition of the nightly radio show "Rock And Roll News," DJ Randy Renaud declared that by the next night, the song "Amanda" by Boston (which had been holding on to the number one spot on CHOM's charts for several weeks) could "kiss the number one spot goodbye." By the next night, CHOM had received enough requests for the song that it supplanted "Amanda" from the #1 spot on the stations nightly countdown show, "The Top Six At Six."

#2 Billboard Hot 100

#7 UK chart

#1 Italy

#1 Canada

#2 Spain

#2 Sweden

#4 Switzerland

#5 Germany

#1 European chart

#14 Austria

#37 France

#4 Norway

Covers and other appearances

Donnie Darko featured the song during a scene in which Donnie's sister's dance group perform at a talent show and Donnie burns down a motivational speaker's house.

Appears at the end of the trailer for the film Notorious

The Notorious B.I.G.'s 1999 posthumous rap hit "Notorious B.I.G." sampled the song.

Chic perform the song during their concert with Kimberly Davis and Folami on lead vocals.

Credits and personnel

Duran Duran

Simon Le Bon - Vocals

John Taylor - Bass

Nick Rhodes - Keyboards

Additional musicians

Warren Cuccurullo - Guitars

Andy Taylor - Guitars

Nile Rodgers - Guitars

The Borneo Horns - Horns

Curtis King - Background Vocals

Brenda White-King - Background Vocals

Tessa Niles - Background Vocals

Cindy Mizelle - Background Vocals

Production

Nile Rodgers - Producer

Duran Duran - Producer

Daniel Abraham - Engineer and Mixer

The Latin Rascals - Remixers

References

Notorious (Duran Duran song) Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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