Simon LeBon - vocals; Nick Rhodes - synthesizer, keyboards; Andy Taylor - guitar, vocals; John Taylor - bass, vocals; Roger Taylor - percussion, drums; Charmaine Burch - vocals; B.J. Nelson - vocals; Raphael Dejesus - percussion; Andy Hamilton - saxophone
It was two years in between appearances for Duran Duran at the Hammersmith, Odeon in London, and the band was at its popularity pinnacle when they returned in 1984. This show, recorded for the King Biscuit Flower Hour radio concert series, was also taken from the tour that yielded the band's live Arena album. There are only two songs on this recording ("Rio" and "Girls On Film") but it's enough to hear the excitement that was in the hall that night.
The group had a number of charted songs in the early '80s, including "Rio," "Hungry Like The Wolf," "Make Me Smile" and the memorable "Girls On Film" (which exploded after MTV put the provocative music video into heavy rotation).
Duran Duran became superstars and remain a solid recording and touring act because they were never afraid to take chances, and unlike so many of the other, now-forgotten pop bands to come out of the new wave area, they had a solid front man (LeBon) and strong material. It's safe to say that when this show was recorded, this quintet from Birmingham were certainly at the top of their game.
Duran Duran remained chart-topping, pop superstars through most of the 1980s. The band, however, would splinter in the early 1990s. It was not until 2002 that the original line-up reformed. They stayed together through the end of 2006, when John Taylor left once again. They have carried on as a quartet.