Chapter 2 : Development
Duffy took the songs and brought them to his new band, The Subterranean
Hawks, while his old Duran buddies had to start from scratch after his departure.
Big Store, Hawks Don't Share & Aztec Moon Rich all have been adapted by The
Hawks.
Andy Wickett, formerly frontman of TV Eye and now out of job, was recruited by
Nigel and Nick. The three of them started rehearsing, and soon decided that they
needed a live drummer.
Roger Taylor, who'd previously played in The Ripper Band, Crucified Toad (1977)
and The Scent Organs (1978/1979), was encouraged by Andy Wickett and luckily
agreed to come over and play with them.
With Roger on board, who already has had some regional success and also played
at Barbarella's with The Scent Organs, Nigel switched to bass guitar and became
the driving force along with him. They rehearsed in Andy's squat at Cheapside, a
street in the industrial part of Digbeth in Birmingham, while The Hawks rehearsed
downstairs in the same house.
The new line-up from June/July to September/October 1979 was:
Nigel Taylor (John Taylor) - guitar, bass
Dior Bates (Nick Rhodes) - synthesizer
Roger Taylor - drums
Fane (Andy Wickett) - lead voice
This Duran Duran incarnation was ready to cut their
first demo. They recorded four songs in September of
1979 with Bob Lamb, former drummer with The Steve
Gibbons Band, in his home studio.
The song titles on that demo cassette have been:
See Me, Repeat Me
Reincarnation
Girls On Film
Working The Steel
These particular demo recordings have been
released by Andy Wickett on CD-R in July of
2004, and years later, in January of 2016, on
CD and 12" vinyl through Cleopatra Records.
Another bunch of demos from September 1979 has
been published on 12" and as a digital EP by
Cleopatra/Bandcamp. This release came out of
nowhere and has another rare and interesting gems
demoed at Bob Lamb's studio.
The demos on that additional EP are:
Dreaming Of Your Cars
Love Story
X Disco
To The Shore
Not long after these demos have been finished, the quartet found Alan Curtis, who
had previously played with London Pride, as a full-time guitarist.
This five-piece line-up lasted until winter of 1979:
Nigel Taylor (John Taylor) - bass
Dior Bates (Nick Rhodes) - synthesizer
Roger Taylor - drums
Fane (Andy Wickett) - lead voice
Alan Curtis - lead guitarist
 
They played these gigs together:
Oct. 11th - The Golden Eagle, Birmingham
Together with the band Au Pairs.
Nov. 14th - University (Cellar Bar), Birmingham
Nov. 15th - University (Cellar Bar), Birmingham
Nov. 25th - Red Star Club
Nov. 25th - (Star Social Club), Birmingham
Together with the bands Vision Collision and The Detectives.
Initially planned for Nov. 18th, but postponed to Nov. 25th.
Dec. 8th - Little Lakes Caravan Park, Bewdley
The relationship with Andy Wickett then began to fray. Nigel, Nick and Roger
couldn't imagine taking the long ride to success with him, and Andy wanted to go
more into dub reggae. Consequently, Andy left for a band called Xpertz.
|
About This Document
This document refers to the years
of formation (1978 until 1980)
It was compiled and
developed by
Ansgar Thomann
in dedication to
the 40th anniversary
of Duran Duran's birth
This first draft of Girls On Film was
co-written by Andy Wickett, who
later got paid by Tritec for the
confirmation that he has no interest
in any of the Duran Duran musical
works or compositions.
Stevie's Radio Station , a TV Eye
favourite, was also rehearsed by
Duran Duran when Andy Wickett
was on board. The chorus chords
from this TV Eye song plus the
verse chord structure and tempo
from See Me, Repeat Me morphed
to what would become the song Rio
several years later.
Dreaming Of Your Cars was initially
another TV Eye tune, written by
Andy Wickett.
Love Story became Khanada,
X Disco evolved into Late Bar and
To The Shore is only a very early
sketch of the incomparable beauty it
became when Simon Le Bon got
involved.
|
