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Duran Duran announce new studio album with original lineup

NEW YORK, NY, June 15 /CNW/ - The original members of Duran Duran - Simon LeBon (vocals), Andy Taylor (guitar), John Taylor (bass), Roger Taylor (drums) and Nick Rhodes (keyboards) - have announced the impending release of their first new album together since 1983's multi-platinum 'Seven & the Ragged Tiger.' Epic Records will release the as-yet-untitled record worldwide in October 2004. Writing in the south of France and recording at Sphere Studios in London, the band members are currently working with producers Rich Harrison (Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Usher) and Don Gilmore (Good Charlotte, Linkin Park, Pearl Jam, Sugar Ray), thereby drawing on a unique combination of R&B and alternative rock experience.

The poignant "What Happens Tomorrow" and the electric/rock "Sunrise" (a version of which was featured on the 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' soundtrack), both of which the band members have played live since reuniting in 2003, are slated for inclusion on the new album. Other song highlights include the moody, noirish "Still Breathing" and the mischievous "Bedroom Toys." Stylistically adventurous, the album showcases the diverse influences and abilities of each band member, blending brash rock guitar with slick synths and LeBon's inimitable lyrics and melodies.

The album will also feature a one hour bonus DVD including live footage shot over two nights at London's Wembley Arena this past spring and exclusive behind-the-scenes video.

The announcement comes on the heels of a remarkable run of seventeen sold out arena dates in the UK and Ireland and a victory at the BRIT Awards where the band members were honored for their "Outstanding Contribution to Music." They've also received Lifetime Achievement Awards at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York and the Q Magazine Awards in London in the past year.

Writing and recording material between these triumphant tour dates and accolades, the band poured their rediscovered chemistry and creative energy into the new album. "When we decided to reunite, the first thing we did was head to France to test our chemistry. It became really clear that the magic was still there," explains LeBon. "Since then, playing together live has cemented it. We've really rediscovered an incredible musical relationship."

In 2003, Duran Duran celebrated their 25th anniversary and the reunion of the five founding band members with a run of tremendously successful sold-out shows. They played to screaming fans in the U.S. and Japan and filled vast stadiums in Australia and New Zealand. The tour dates marked the first time the original members had played together since Live Aid in 1985.

The New York Post called one show, "powerful and inventive," while the Village Voice declared, "(Duran Duran) swooned us to altitudes ecclesiastic."
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