Good music is all that we scare about
DURAN duran want to “own Halloween” with their new album, danse Macabre. The 80s survivors and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees aren’t interested in the congested Christmas song market. Instead, their 16th album is the soundtrack to a fun party during the spooky season. Nick Rhodes revealed the album, out today, was sparked by a Halloween gig last year in Las vegas. The keyboard player, 61, revealed: “We had a blast that night. “We played six covers and the audience didn’t know what to expect next. There are already loads of Christmas records, so we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to own Halloween?’” Nick, singer Simon Le Bon, 64, bassist John Taylor, 63, and drummer Roger Taylor, 63, have written new tunes and also created a Halloween playlist of covers including the Rolling Stones’ Paint it Black, Siouxsie and the Banshees’ Spellbound, The Specials’ Ghost Town and current single Psycho Killer by Talking Heads. Roger said: “This album is much more spontaneous than much of our recent work. “The energy of the Halloween performance seemed to spill into the entire writing and recording process. “It reminded me of how we worked in the early days of the band. The process started the same way — with four people in a room.” For fans, the album also sees the return of original guitarist Andy Taylor, 62, who quit in 2006 after the five original members had reformed. He was due to play with them last year at the Hall of Fame event but revealed he had prostate cancer. He plays on Psycho Killer and re-recorded versions of debut album track Nightboat and the band’s best B-side, Secret Oktober 31st. Andy said: “I loved playing on the record. “We’re not like the Gallaghers. We’re all in a good place with each other. They’re helping enormously with what I’ve got to go through.” The new album also sees the return of Warren Cuccurullo, who was the guitarist on songs such as Ordinary World. Other guests include band pal Nile Rodgers and victoria de Angelis of Måneskin, who plays guest bass on Psycho Killer. John said: “She’s probably the most important electric bassist out there right now. “I met a couple of the guys from Måneskin at a party and they said, ‘You’ve got to meet our bass player’. She’s such a dynamo.” The band also cover Billie eilish’s Bury a Friend. Nick said: “We thought it would be nice to do a contemporary track. We’re huge Billie eilish fans and we love her first album. This was unique for us.” duran duran have gone from the world’s biggest band in the early 80s to splitting into groups The Power Station and Arcadia, to members leaving and fans deserting to their current return to the top. And there’s plenty more to come from the Birmingham band. Nick said: “There is always a new challenge. Five or 10 years ago, you could’ve asked, ‘Are you ever going to make a Halloween album?’, and the thought never would’ve crossed our minds. “We seized the moment and turned it into something special and unique.” ●Danse Macabre is out today.