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Post by Kiffa on Mar 24, 2024 17:37:07 GMT -5
OK, let's get hypothetical here...
Imagine, if you will, a world in which the members of Duran Duran never get back together after the side project cornucopia of 1985/1986. John and Andy, emboldened by the opportunity to contribute solo songs to movie soundtracks, both embark on solo careers in earnest. Simon and Nick (and perhaps Roger, see more below) decide that they want to carry on making music together, but for legal reasons, they are unable to use the name 'Duran Duran' to do so. Having already released an album as Arcadia, they decide to continue under this name.
How do you think this would have gone? Would they have continued with the distinct aesthetic that they established for So Red The Rose? Where would their music go? Would their sound (which I have always considered different from that of Duran, YMMV) have drifted back to the point that it was essentially just Duran Duran under another name? Would they have continued to bring in heavy-hitter collaborators? Would the whirlwind of attention surrounding them during the mid-80s become manageable enough that Roger may have decided to remain involved? Would So Red The Rose somehow be less special if it wasn't a one-and-done?
Just me thinking out loud, but I'm interested in hearing others' opinions.
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velve
Baby Member - Not many posts!
Posts: 4
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Post by velve on Mar 24, 2024 17:58:57 GMT -5
I like So Red The Rose. It was such a perfect record. It had to me the original lineup magic to my ears. It would have been pretty cool to see what another Arcadia album would sounded like, I guess in a way that's what Medazzaland kinda is with Warren's input.
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Post by giannis on Mar 24, 2024 18:05:20 GMT -5
John's involvement in Notorious was crucial. without John at that time the other two would never record a DD album as a duo even if they could use the name DD.
in this alternate reality all dd members except Roger would try to establish a solo carrier. with no success of course. Even if Arcadia chose to release another album that would be a flop.
in this alternate reality the fab 5 reunion would happen before 1990 and WC would never be in DD.
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Post by astronaut42 on Mar 26, 2024 12:03:25 GMT -5
It would have been very tricky as Arcadia due to the lack of name recognition. A second album would have been possible, but it would have taken more publicity/marketing to generate hit singles
Notorious was a perfect marriage of Arcadia and PS.
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Post by maddog on Mar 27, 2024 10:45:51 GMT -5
I love Arcadia but I'm more interested in what could have been if the band had acted on the momentum of the massive hit that was A View to a Kill. They were at the top of their game as a 5 piece band. Their management should have fought harder to get the boys back into the studio for immediate follow-up instead of all of the side projects and global adventuring. Looking at you Simon. I've always wondered if we would've gotten 1 more DD album with the original line-up had they delayed Arcadia, etc and gone back into the studio right after Live Aid. I definitely think it would've been a bigger hit than Notorious and any of the side projects. As it was all happening I loved all of it. It was cool as a teenager to have all of these different projects coming out from my favorite band. But in the back of my mind I'll always wonder what could've been. Especially if it meant some of John and Andy's solo material would've gotten worked into that DD album. Maybe they could've even done some vocals?
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Post by astronaut42 on Mar 27, 2024 13:22:11 GMT -5
Agreed. They just burned that lineup out.
However, they also liked to change things up so it all worked out in the end.
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Post by andre005 on Mar 27, 2024 16:31:47 GMT -5
I love Arcadia but I'm more interested in what could have been if the band had acted on the momentum of the massive hit that was A View to a Kill. They were at the top of their game as a 5 piece band. Their management should have fought harder to get the boys back into the studio for immediate follow-up instead of all of the side projects and global adventuring. Looking at you Simon. I've always wondered if we would've gotten 1 more DD album with the original line-up had they delayed Arcadia, etc and gone back into the studio right after Live Aid. I definitely think it would've been a bigger hit than Notorious and any of the side projects. As it was all happening I loved all of it. It was cool as a teenager to have all of these different projects coming out from my favorite band. But in the back of my mind I'll always wonder what could've been. Especially if it meant some of John and Andy's solo material would've gotten worked into that DD album. Maybe they could've even done some vocals? But it was Roger and his nervous breakdown that put an end to it! I think it was on Roger and his sanity that was key in splittering..he just couldn't take it anymore....glad he is back with the band..
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Post by aftertherain on Mar 27, 2024 16:52:30 GMT -5
I love Arcadia but I'm more interested in what could have been if the band had acted on the momentum of the massive hit that was A View to a Kill. They were at the top of their game as a 5 piece band. Their management should have fought harder to get the boys back into the studio for immediate follow-up instead of all of the side projects and global adventuring. Looking at you Simon. I've always wondered if we would've gotten 1 more DD album with the original line-up had they delayed Arcadia, etc and gone back into the studio right after Live Aid. I definitely think it would've been a bigger hit than Notorious and any of the side projects. As it was all happening I loved all of it. It was cool as a teenager to have all of these different projects coming out from my favorite band. But in the back of my mind I'll always wonder what could've been. Especially if it meant some of John and Andy's solo material would've gotten worked into that DD album. Maybe they could've even done some vocals? But it was Roger and his nervous breakdown that put an end to it! I think it was on Roger and his sanity that was key in splittering..he just couldn't take it anymore....glad he is back with the band.. Sure it didn’t help with RT needing a break due to health issues However a bonafide guitarist missing from a band who has been trying to be taken seriously by critics (especially in the USA market) hurt the band way more and beyond repair What gets me is DD could do no wrong since early 83 to mid 85 and the timing of the split was indeed THAT crappy. Sure NMOM wasn’t a No1, 2 or 3 yet still it was top 10 everything else for DD was turning to gold I guess with better management and communication AT coulda began his solo singing guitar in hand career and been a DD member too why not others had done it yet I imagine ATs solo deal woulda been more lucrative for him had he given 100% to his new deal
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Post by maddog on Mar 28, 2024 8:42:31 GMT -5
I love Arcadia but I'm more interested in what could have been if the band had acted on the momentum of the massive hit that was A View to a Kill. They were at the top of their game as a 5 piece band. Their management should have fought harder to get the boys back into the studio for immediate follow-up instead of all of the side projects and global adventuring. Looking at you Simon. I've always wondered if we would've gotten 1 more DD album with the original line-up had they delayed Arcadia, etc and gone back into the studio right after Live Aid. I definitely think it would've been a bigger hit than Notorious and any of the side projects. As it was all happening I loved all of it. It was cool as a teenager to have all of these different projects coming out from my favorite band. But in the back of my mind I'll always wonder what could've been. Especially if it meant some of John and Andy's solo material would've gotten worked into that DD album. Maybe they could've even done some vocals? But it was Roger and his nervous breakdown that put an end to it! I think it was on Roger and his sanity that was key in splittering..he just couldn't take it anymore....glad he is back with the band.. I know that but that happened a year later. I'm saying before Roger leaving. Before Andy started even working on any of his solo tracks. If they had gone back into the studio IMMEDIATELY after Live Aid. What would have happened then? I just wonder what that music would have sounded like? Maybe more like AVTAK than Notorious? I'm sure even if they had done this that Andy and Roger would still have eventually left the band. But we could've gotten one more album from the original line-up had they stayed focused.
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Post by theprocess on Mar 28, 2024 9:27:54 GMT -5
I love Arcadia but I'm more interested in what could have been if the band had acted on the momentum of the massive hit that was A View to a Kill. They were at the top of their game as a 5 piece band. Their management should have fought harder to get the boys back into the studio for immediate follow-up instead of all of the side projects and global adventuring. Looking at you Simon. I've always wondered if we would've gotten 1 more DD album with the original line-up had they delayed Arcadia, etc and gone back into the studio right after Live Aid. I definitely think it would've been a bigger hit than Notorious and any of the side projects. As it was all happening I loved all of it. It was cool as a teenager to have all of these different projects coming out from my favorite band. But in the back of my mind I'll always wonder what could've been. Especially if it meant some of John and Andy's solo material would've gotten worked into that DD album. Maybe they could've even done some vocals? Deep in the heart of DD, they know this is 100%. In 1985 DD had the world at their feet. They had the market The Police had tapped into just before they split and which U2 picked up on when DD had their ego wars. The Berrows completely blew it in my opinion. DD were still, for all intense and purposes, kids. Nick was only 23 in 1985. Decent management would have got them focussed. DD had 3 albums in 4 years that set the world on fire. They did in the USA what no other UK band had achieved and a new album in late 85 would have cemented them as the most significant band of the era. What kind of management let things get to the stage that the band split down the middle, record separarte albums with two factions of the band and send the lead singer around the world in a boat for a year. No wonder that Roger had a breakdown. This is the definition of commercial suicide. Some Like It Hot / Get It On should have been a stand alone single. The PS album doesn't offer much beyond that, and the tour was the worst in LA 'rawk' music with the abhorrent Des Barres. If it had only been a single, I doubt Arcadia would have happened. If there had been a 1985 album, its likely it would have been produced by Nile or Bernard. They would have toured the world in 86 and been able to take a long break.
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