Aston Villa and Duran Duran?

[Walmley_Villa]

I was at the VP gig in the directors box - some of the Villa players were in there if I remember right. Support was from the late Robert Palmer. 

[Chris Jameson]

I was at the VP gig in the directors box - some of the Villa players were in there if I remember right. Support was from the late Robert Palmer. 

Bet the Duranies were furious he kept them waiting for their boys.

[peter w]

Yeah, they were wild.

[trevor fisher]

John Taylor's autobiography is worth reading, but I don't recall him mentioning the Villa. They came from Hollywood, ie the one near SOlihull on the southern border down by the Maypole. He and Nick Rhodes met when Taylor was 14 and Rhodes 13 I think, recruited the drummer from a brummy band and the lead guitarist from the north east. Le Bon was definitely a Birmingham University student, like Spencer Davis. They did not seem to have any real interest in football.

A great band, I wish I had not been so fixed on reggae in 1981. But I was also watching something else happening in Aston in 1980-82 and its still a great period. For music and Birmingham football. As for talent the Chic Maestro whose name escapes me loved working with the Durans. Says it all. Apart from Spandau Ballet, no other New ROmantic band of the period still stands up all these years later.

[Dave Cooper please]

Says it all. Apart from Spandau Ballet, no other New ROmantic band of the period still stands up all these years later.

Really?
Not Depeche Mode, OMD, Japan, Soft Cell, Heaven 17, Human League...I could go on.

[Tayls_7]

I was at the VP gig in the directors box - some of the Villa players were in there if I remember right. Support was from the late Robert Palmer.

I work at a place in Scarborough where Robert Palmer's dad, Les, worked for years.  There is a commemorative plaque in his honour. 

DD were ok in their day.

[rob_bridge]

Says it all. Apart from Spandau Ballet, no other New ROmantic band of the period still stands up all these years later.

Really?
Not Depeche Mode, OMD, Japan, Soft Cell, Heaven 17, Human League...I could go on.

Yes there are a few aren't there.

[UK Redsox]

Says it all. Apart from Spandau Ballet, no other New ROmantic band of the period still stands up all these years later.

Really?
Not Depeche Mode, OMD, Japan, Soft Cell, Heaven 17, Human League...I could go on.

A tongue-in-cheek comment on Depeche Mode from the second (or third; sometimes I have Blondie ahead of them) greatest band of all time

[Tony Erdington]

Says it all. Apart from Spandau Ballet, no other New ROmantic band of the period still stands up all these years later.

Really?
Not Depeche Mode, OMD, Japan, Soft Cell, Heaven 17, Human League...I could go on.

simple as ABC or even another brummie Tin Tin, but that was more for the clubbers I spose.

[Richard E]

Says it all. Apart from Spandau Ballet, no other New ROmantic band of the period still stands up all these years later.

Really?
Not Depeche Mode, OMD, Japan, Soft Cell, Heaven 17, Human League...I could go on.

We were debating on Facebook the other day whether Soft Cell count as "New Romantics." The majority view was that they didn't.   

[Brend'Watkins]

Says it all. Apart from Spandau Ballet, no other New ROmantic band of the period still stands up all these years later.

Really?
Not Depeche Mode, OMD, Japan, Soft Cell, Heaven 17, Human League...I could go on.

I wouldn't class new Romantic as a genre of music, it was just a look of the time for a short period which even Bowie aspired to in his Scary Monsters album. if you were to class a band as 'New Romantic' then Visage would fit the bill. One hit single, loads of make up and outfits that no other band dared at the time. What you have in DCP's list is bands who earlier on in their success coiffured their hair, wore a scarf or neckerchief and who played pop music. Durun Durun were the same, pop music improved by Nile Rogers' talented influence to create a catchy tune and destroyed by Le Bon's voice which was and still is reminiscent of a baby seal being clubbed to death when attempting to reach the high notes. 

[trevor fisher]

Nile Rodgers loved working with them, the best british band he worked with he once said, but he came along late when they were already hits. Every record in the first two years was a hit and the first one, girls on film I think, went to Number One in AUstralia.

that gave them the money for the videos, which personally I think are exercises in spending money without any artistic control, but with WHam made them enormous on MTV. Again, before Nile Rogers I think.

Nile is a genius, but mainly for picking talent to work with.And he does not always get it right. A few obvious blunders, but Duran Duran was not one of them. And they remain the last Brummy band to make it big though I am told there is a band based in Sutton that are biggish. But they were on the Premier show last week featuring the Baggies, so I have forgotten their name.

[peter w]

Says it all. Apart from Spandau Ballet, no other New ROmantic band of the period still stands up all these years later.

Really?
Not Depeche Mode, OMD, Japan, Soft Cell, Heaven 17, Human League...I could go on.

I wouldn't class new Romantic as a genre of music, it was just a look of the time for a short period which even Bowie aspired to in his Scary Monsters album. if you were to class a band as 'New Romantic' then Visage would fit the bill. One hit single, loads of make up and outfits that no other band dared at the time. What you have in DCP's list is bands who earlier on in their success coiffured their hair, wore a scarf or neckerchief and who played pop music. Durun Durun were the same, pop music improved by Nile Rogers' talented influence to create a catchy tune and destroyed by Le Bon's voice which was and still is reminiscent of a baby seal being clubbed to death when attempting to reach the high notes. 

Ahead of his time Marc Bolan became what would be termed New Romantic before his death as he tried to change his image as his popularity waned.

[robbo1874]

I was never really a fan of Duran Duran back in the day. Didn't really get the new romantic thing. But I appreciate their music more these days. It seems to have stood the test of time. I'll catch myself nodding along if a Duran song comes on in the pub or a shop.

[Dave Cooper please]

We were debating on Facebook the other day whether Soft Cell count as "New Romantics." The majority view was that they didn't.   

I use it as a catch-all term for most of the early 80's electronic music bands, in truth there was a lot of diversity but in my mind if they were popular amongst the Rum Runner crowd then they were New Romantics!

 Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret remains one of my top 30 albums of all time by the way, it's a work of genius.