A new book by a makes the case that one of the most popular bands of the 1980s was more than just a collection of pretty faces. And there鈥檚 hope that it could elevate the group right into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
When Lakewood author discovered Duran Duran and their album, 鈥淩io,鈥� it was well after the group's MTV heyday.
鈥淚 took 鈥楻io鈥� out of the library and dubbed it onto a cassette tape, which I still have to this day. I found 鈥楧ecade,鈥� which was their greatest hits record. So I kind of came to 鈥�80s Duran Duran and 鈥�90s Duran Duran at the same time.鈥�
The British group released its debut album in 1981, but their popularity skyrocketed the next year with the release of 鈥淩io鈥� and its singles, led by 鈥淗ungry Like the Wolf.鈥�
From there, the band notched a dozen hit singles through the mid-鈥�80s before experiencing a comeback with 1993鈥檚 鈥淥rdinary World.鈥�
鈥淗aving that comeback really proved to people that they were serious songwriters, they could escape the 鈥榖oy band鈥� tag, and they weren鈥檛 just an 鈥�80s relic. It really showed that they could move forward as musicians and as people.鈥�
And about 15 years later, Zaleski started pitching a book about 鈥淩io鈥� for the . Each edition focuses on one specific album and its impact and influence.
"I pitched this book many times. So, I believed in this book for a very long time. In 2018 they had another call for pitches and so I said, 'you know what? I wasn't going to pitch, but I'm gonna regret it if someone else pitches and gets that. I would never live it down. I'd be so mad.' Then I found in early 2019 that it was accepted. So from that point, I had about a year and a half to write the book."
No respect... except in Ohio
What she found was that the band hasn鈥檛 always been given the respect they deserve.
鈥淭hey were considered a boy band. They had a lot of young female fans. They were seen as kind of this prefab pop band who didn't play their own instruments or write their own songs, because they were on MTV and they were so visually oriented. I found archival research where people just called them a 'video band.' People thought they didn't even play live."
But that lack of respect didn鈥檛 extend to Northeast Ohio.
鈥淒uran Duran was always very popular in Cleveland -- and Northeast Ohio -- in general. MTV was actually in Akron from day one. When they came to America for the very first time in 1981, they . And they came back in 1982, before 鈥楻io鈥� was a big hit. WMMS was very supportive of them.
鈥淚t's so funny because Duran Duran are so influenced by Roxy Music and David Bowie; it makes sense that the city would really warm to them. That was one of the most interesting things in doing research and looking into old [stories] is how instrumental Cleveland was in supporting them early on.
鈥淟os Angeles and New York really embraced them as well very early on. K-Rock, the radio station in LA, has always been known as this really groundbreaking alternative rock station. So I think just because California is bigger, and they were very much associated with the New Wave, I think that's why.鈥�
Next stop, Cleveland?
Now, decades later, she鈥檚 hoping the book might raise Duran Duran's profile a little further and help get the band -- which includes lead singer Simon LeBon and bassist John Taylor -- into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
"They absolutely deserve to be in there. First off, and Simon and John inducted them. A lot of their peers -- like The Cure and Depeche Mode, who are obviously very different stylistically -- are in the Rock Hall.
鈥淛ust in terms of influence, too, I think one of the biggest things for Rock Hall induction is, 'does the band have an influence?' It was astounding to me how many musical movements have bands at the forefront that are Duran Duran or inspired by them. I think everyone knows, in the '90s, Courtney Love of Hole covered 'Hungry Like the Wolf.' But Smashing Pumpkins were fans. Korn, the new metal band, are fans. Blur has mentioned their band members are fans. I mean literally with every musical movement, pretty much there's someone who's a Duran Duran fan.
鈥淣ew Wave is finally starting to get its due as being influential, but also [with] really great musicians and songwriters. So, hopefully Duran Duran is next.鈥�
Bloomsbury Publishing which carry the 33 1/3 series, including Annie Zaleski's profile of "Rio."
