"The Chauffeur" | |
---|---|
Song by Duran Duran | |
from the album Rio | |
Released | 10 May 1982 |
Recorded | 1982 |
Genre | |
Length |
|
Label | EMI |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) | Colin Thurston |
Music video | |
"The Chauffeur" on YouTube |
"The Chauffeur" is a song by English pop rock band Duran Duran. [4] It is the ninth and final song on their second album Rio , released on 10 May 1982.
The lyrics of the song were first written by Simon Le Bon as a poem, which he later used when he was auditioning for the band in 1980. The lyrics were later used in "The Chauffeur". [5] [6] [7]
"The Chauffeur" has been described as a dark-gothic romantic track with the help of keyboards from Nick Rhodes when recording of the song first started. [7] [8] [9] AllMusic reviewer Donald Guarisco wrote that "Simon Le Bon croons the lyrics in a lascivious fashion against a purely electronic soundscape composed of icy synthesisers and throbbing drum machines" and that the song "avoids conventional pop song structure in favour of staccato phrases that meander high and low in a dreamy fashion". [10] British music magazine Classic Pop described the song as a "sinister synth-infused comedown". [7]
The song was highly received by critics and gained popularity despite never being released as a single. Some even consider it to be one of the band's best. [7]
In a review of "The Chauffeur", AllMusic reviewer Donald Guarisco praised the song, calling it "one of the finest" and a "hypnotic ballad that has assumed an almost mythic status among the group's fans". He also wrote that the song "provided a stylish finale for the group's successful Rio album". [10] The A.V. Club's Stephen Erlewine described the song as a standout from Rio and ranked it the sixth-best song from Duran Duran's catalogue. [8] Gold Derby called the song "poetry and sex put to music, hypnotic and beautiful". [9]
The accompanying music video for "The Chauffeur" was directed by Ian Emes and draws inspiration from the 1974 film "The Night Porter". [10] [11] [12] The video features a woman in an erotic costume is driven in an Austin Princess limousine by a uniformed chauffeur. Elsewhere, another woman dresses herself carefully in lingerie and walks through the streets of London towards a rendezvous in an abandoned multi-storey car park. The chauffeur, (Perri Lister), then removes her chauffeur uniform to reveal a topless blonde in an open-bust corset and performs a sensuous dance to the accompaniment of the instrumental coda of the song.
Due to the content of the music video, it was blocked from appearing on MTV. [10] [13] [14]
The song has been covered by many notable artists. American alternative metal band Deftones covered the song on their 2005 compilation album B-Sides & Rarities and was later featured on their 2011 compilation album Covers . [15] [16] The song was featured on the 2010 soundtrack album Greenberg by James Murphy. [10] American alternative rock band Warpaint covered the song as part of a Duran Duran tribute album in 2014. [17] [18] [19]
7-inch: EMI / EMI 5346 United Kingdom
7-inch: EMI / EMI 5346 United Kingdom
Note: Two different versions of this single were available in the UK, both with identical sleeves and labels.
CD: Part of Singles Box Set 1981–1985
Duran Duran
Technical
Duran Duran are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled in May 1980 as Rhodes, Taylor, singer Simon Le Bon, guitarist Andy Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor.
Rio is the second studio album by the English pop rock band Duran Duran, released on 10 May 1982 through EMI. Produced by Colin Thurston, the band wrote and demoed most of the material before recording the album at AIR Studios in London from January to March 1982. The band utilised more experimentation compared to their debut album, from vibraphone and marimba to the sound of a cigarette being lit and cracking ice cubes. Andy Hamilton played a saxophone solo on "Rio".
Nick Rhodes is an English keyboardist and producer, best known as a founding member and the keyboardist of the band Duran Duran.
Simon John Charles Le Bon is a British singer. He is best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the new wave band Duran Duran and its offshoot Arcadia. Le Bon has received three Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. He also received an O.B.E. from King Charles III in 2024.
Duran Duran is the debut studio album by the English pop rock band Duran Duran, released on 15 June 1981 through EMI. Produced by Colin Thurston, it was recorded in London and Oxfordshire between December 1980 and January 1981. The instrumental tracks were recorded quickly, but vocalist Simon Le Bon initially struggled to sing in the studio, leading to discussions about replacing him before EMI employee Dave Ambrose intervened.
Duran Duran is the seventh studio album and the second self-titled album by the English pop rock band Duran Duran, released on 15 February 1993 through Parlophone and Capitol Records.
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"Hungry Like the Wolf" is a song by English new wave band Duran Duran. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Colin Thurston for the group's second studio album, Rio (1982). The song was released on 4 May 1982 as the band's fifth single in the United Kingdom, and 8 June 1982 in the United States. It reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart, and received a platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
"Too Much Information" is a song by English rock band Duran Duran, released in August 1993 by Parlophone and Capitol as the third single from their seventh studio album, Duran Duran (1993). In the United Kingdom, it became the band's third top-40 single from the album, while in North America, it peaked at numbers 45 and 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, and number 26 in Canada. The accompanying music video for "Too Much Information" was filmed by British director Julien Temple in Santa Monica on 27 August and featured the elaborate stage setup designed for the band's 1993 Dilate Your Mind tour.
"Rio" is the seventh single by English rock band Duran Duran. It was first released as a single in Australia, in August 1982, followed by a UK release on 1 November 1982.
"A View to a Kill" is a song by the English pop rock band Duran Duran, released on 7 May 1985. Written and recorded as the theme for the James Bond film of the same name, it became one of the band's biggest hits. It is the only James Bond theme song to have reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100; it also made it to number two for three weeks on the UK Singles Chart while stuck behind Paul Hardcastle's "19". The song was the last track recorded by the most famous five-member lineup of Duran Duran until their reunion in 2001 and was also performed by the band at Live Aid in Philadelphia, their final performance together before their first split.
"Ordinary World" is a song by English rock band Duran Duran, released in December 1992 by Parlophone, EMI and Capitol as the first single from their self-titled album (1993), commonly known as the Wedding Album. The ballad, both written by the band and co-produced with John Jones, reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Top 40/Mainstream chart, the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, and the Italian Singles Chart. It also peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 2 in Iceland and Sweden, and No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart. The song's music video was directed by Nick Egan and filmed in California.
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