Duran Duran

Duran Duran's debut single, 'Planet Earth' was an eye opener for people. Released at the end of March 1981, the song danced its way up to No.12 in the UK chart. The band's self-titled debut album remained in the chart for a breathtaking 118 weeks. Nick Rhodes (keyboard), John Taylor (Guitars), Roger Taylor (drums), Andy Taylor (guitars) and Simon LeBon (vocals) had arrived.
By this time, MTV was now beginning to have an impact. The Durans owe much of their success to this channel, that favored rotation of their catchy, provoking video clips.

Their second album 'Rio' (1982) was successful and by 1983 Duran Duran had become a phenomenon in the US also. With the release of their third album ' Seven and the Ragged Tiger', and it's No.1 hit single ('The Reflex') in both the US and the UK, Duran Duran had become the biggest pop sensation since the Beatles, and the incontestable New-Romantic icon worldwide. And because every good thing must end, in '85 John and Andy Taylor decided to form The Power Station with singer Robert Palmer, and their debut was quite a success.

So it happened that in February 1985, the Power Station made their live debut on Saturday Night Live, then John and Andy flew back to Britain to receive the Best British Music Video award at the BRIT's for "Wild Boys." In 1986 it looked like the fall down of Duran Duran, as the trio Nick Rhodes, Simon LeBon and Roger Taylor released 'Notorious', with pop trash material signaling the end of an era. This album was an odd hybrid of funk and pop. At the end of 80's 'Big Thing' came out with more noise, more experimentation, more boldness in it. It also marked drastic change in Duran Duran's make-up.


Tears for Fears

The "Tears For Fears" name was derived from the book "Primal Scream" by Arthur Janov, "tears as a replacement for fears". This duo of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith was heavily influenced by Janov's book. His primal scream therapy, and his theories were evident throughout their debut, 'The Hurting' (1983). Driven by catchy, infectious synth-pop, it became a big hit in their native England, setting the stage for international stardom with their second album, 1985's 'Songs from the Big Chair'. Just because of the Janov's form of mental therapy it wasn't surprising that one of their biggest hits was titled Shout.

On the strength of the singles Everybody Wants To Rule the World and Shout, the record became a major hit, establishing the duo as one of the leading acts of the second generation of MTV stars. In 1989 'The Seeds of Love' was released. The songs constantly draw parallels between the personal and the political, and it was exciting that such thought-provoking music was undoubtedly so widely heard. The singles Sowing The Seeds Of Love and Woman In Chains became hits.

But trouble, both professional and personal, was brewing between Roland and Curt by 1989. They went through a difficult break up after the Sowing the Seeds Of Love Tour wrapped. At the time, Curt was also going through a divorce from his first wife, Lynn. Roland continued with the Tears name.