Notorious (Duran Duran song)

"Notorious"
Single by Duran Duran
from the album Notorious
B-side"Winter Marches On"
Released20 October 1986 (1986-10-20)[1]
RecordedJune–September 1986
StudioAbbey Road (London)
GenreDance-rock[2]
Length
  • 4:19 (album version)
  • 4:03 (7-inch version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Duran Duran singles chronology
"A View to a Kill"
(1985) 		"Notorious"
(1986) 		"Skin Trade"
(1987)
Music video
"Notorious" on YouTube
Alternative cover
The Latin Rascals official remix cover
The Latin Rascals official remix cover

"Notorious" is a song by the English pop rock band Duran Duran, released internationally by EMI on 20 October 1986 as the first single from their fourth studio album of the same name. It showcased a new direction for Duran Duran with a funk rock sound.

It was the first single released by Duran Duran as a trio as Roger Taylor and Andy Taylor had both left the band by the time it was released. "Notorious" was a commercial success worldwide, reaching number seven on the UK Singles Chart and number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, and the top ten in many other countries.

Background

[edit]

"Notorious" marked the debut of the new three-piece trio of Duran Duran, as drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Andy Taylor had left the band by the time the single was released. The band had enlisted the help of Nile Rodgers of Chic fame to help produce the album. The single showcased a new sound for Duran Duran reaching for light funk, heavy on bass and brass sections.

Rodgers played guitar on the song, in addition to drummer Steve Ferrone and the Borneo Horns. In a 2011 interview, lead singer Simon Le Bon said of the song's distinctive riff, "I remember him playing some notes up the neck of his guitar and it was a riff. That was the first time that any of us had ever heard it. We just said, 'Man, we've got to have that.'"[3] The abrupt nature of Andy Taylor's departure was reflected in the song; according to Le Bon, the lyric "Who really gives a damn for a flaky bandit" was a diss at the guitarist.[citation needed]

Critical reception

[edit]

In a contemporary review, Billboard praised the song's production calling it "Anglo-funk, sharp, tidy, made for dancing."[4]

Donald A. Guarisco of AllMusic said, "The lyrics are as wordplay-driven as most Duran Duran hits usually were but show hints of a defensive posture towards gossip-mongers and the group's nay-saying critics via lines like "Fools run rings to break up something they'll never destroy" and "Spare your seedy judgments/Who says they're part of our lives?" Overall, these lyrics create an urban feel that bleeds over to the music, which intercuts staccato verses with a bright, soulfully up-tempo feel with a chorus that suffuses its singalong hooks with a jazzy sense of swing."[5]

Commercial performance

[edit]

"Notorious" was a massive commercial success internationally. It debuted at number 14 and peaked the following week at number 7 in the UK Singles Chart, and also performed very well in the US, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also a success in other countries reaching the top 10 in Sweden, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, New Zealand, the Netherlands and did even better particularly in Italy, where it went to number 1 for 4 consecutive weeks, becoming one of the best-selling singles of 1986 in the country.

Music video

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The music video for "Notorious" was shot at a warehouse in Manhattan by directors Peter Kagan and Paula Greif and was released on October 23, 1986, weeks before the album which saw heavy rotation on MTV.[6] The video was shot in black and white Super-8 with a hand-held camera, with quick cuts and changes of zoom and focus featuring the three-piece band and Nile Rodgers performing the song on a sound stage, with scantily clad dancers in the background choreographed by Paula Abdul.[7]

The video bore an uncanny resemblance to the videos the duo had filmed for Steve Winwood's "Higher Love" and Scritti Politti's "Perfect Way". The young model Christy Turlington appeared in outdoor scenes with the band, with a still photo from this location being used as the cover for the Notorious album.

B-side and official remixes

[edit]

For the first time, the B-side to the 7″ single was not an original recording; "Winter Marches On" was an unaltered version of the Notorious album track. Before this, Duran Duran had always provided either completely original songs or previously unheard remixes on the B-side.

As a first for the band, "Notorious" was released as two separate 12″ singles. The first had a Nile Rodgers-produced extended mix while the second featured a remix by the Latin Rascals.

There are 3 official mixes of "Notorious":

  • "Notorious" (45 mix) – 4:04 (album version, with a slightly edited middle 8 and outro)
  • "Notorious" (extended mix) – 5:14 (album version, with a one-minute dub intro added on)
  • "Notorious" (The Latin Rascals mix) – 6:23 (basically the album version, with a 1:10 dub intro and two brief remixed interludes spliced in)

As a perennially popular song in their back catalogue, "Notorious" appears in various Duran Duran megamixes, most notably "Notoriousaurus Rex (Master Mix)", "Burning the Ground" and its B-side, "Decadance".

Formats and track listings

[edit]

7″: EMI / DDN 45 United Kingdom

[edit]
  1. "Notorious" (45 mix) – 3:58
  2. "Winter Marches On" – 3:25
  • The "45 mix" is essentially the album version, with a slightly edited middle 8 section and outro.

12″: EMI / 12 DDN 45 United Kingdom

[edit]
  1. "Notorious" (extended mix) – 5:14
  2. "Notorious" (45 mix) – 3:58
  3. "Winter Marches On" – 3:25
  • Also released on MC in New Zealand (EMI / TC-GOOD 149).

12″: EMI / 12 DDNX 45 United Kingdom

[edit]
  1. "Notorious" (The Latin Rascals mix) – 6:23
  2. "Notorious" (45 mix) – 3:58
  3. "Winter Marches On" – 3:25
  • Also released on MC (TC DDNX 45).

7″: Capitol / B-5648 United States

[edit]
  1. "Notorious" (45 mix) – 3:58
  2. "Winter Marches On" – 3:25

12″: Capitol / V-15264 United States

[edit]
  1. "Notorious" (extended mix) – 5:14
  2. "Notorious" (45 mix) – 3:58
  3. "Winter Marches On" – 3:25

12″: Capitol / V-15266 United States

[edit]
  1. "Notorious" (The Latin Rascals mix) – 6:23
  2. "Notorious" (45 mix) – 3:58
  3. "Winter Marches On" – 3:25

CD: The Singles 1986–1995 box set

[edit]
  1. "Notorious" (45 mix) – 3:58
  2. "Winter Marches On" – 3:25
  3. "Notorious" (extended mix) – 5:14
  4. "Notorious" (The Latin Rascals mix) – 6:23

Personnel

[edit]

Duran Duran

Additional musicians

  • Steve Ferrone – drums
  • Nile Rodgers – guitars
  • The Borneo Horns – horns
  • Curtis King – background vocals
  • Brenda White-King – background vocals
  • Tessa Niles – background vocals
  • Cindy Mizelle – background vocals

Technical

Charts

[edit]

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 20 October 1986
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
 EMI [1]
United States 27 October 1986 Capitol [6]
[edit]

References

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  1. ^ a b "DURAN DURAN RELEASE NOTORIOUS SINGLE: ALBUM IN NOVEMBER: WORLD TOUR IN 1987". EMI. 20 October 1986.
  2. ^ Gerard, Chris (19 August 2013). "Classic album revisited: Duran Duran's "Notorious"". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  3. ^ Collis, Clark (18 March 2011). "Duran Duran: Their favorite collaborators". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Reviews". Billboard. 1 November 1986. p. 71. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  5. ^ Guarisco, David A. "Notorious – Duran Duran". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DURAN DURAN RELEASE NOTORIOUS SINGLE; ALBUM IN NOVEMBER; WORLD TOUR IN 1987". Capitol. 24 October 1986.
  7. ^ Amsbry, Kitty (1 November 2010). "Notorious:Revisited / part 4 / final chapter". Gimme a Wristband!. Archived from the original on 9 November 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  8. ^ Top 100 (Kent Music Report) singles and albums peaks to 12 June 1988: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. p. 97. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. ^ "Duran Duran – Notorious" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  10. ^ "Duran Duran – Notorious" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  11. ^ "Duran Duran – Notorious" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  12. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Notorious". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 6 April 2024. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Duran Duran" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
  14. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 47, 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  15. ^ "Duran Duran – Notorious" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  16. ^ "Duran Duran – Notorious". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  17. ^ "Duran Duran – Notorious". VG-lista. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  18. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  19. ^ "Duran Duran – Notorious". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  20. ^ "Duran Duran – Notorious". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  21. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 – Week of January 10, 1987". Billboard. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Dance Club Songs – Week of January 24, 1987". Billboard. Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  24. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Duran Duran – Notorious" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  25. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1986". Ultratop. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  26. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1986". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  27. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1986". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  28. ^ "1987 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 99, no. 52. 26 December 1987.
  29. ^ "Making Duran Duran: Notorious". Classic Pop. 5 July 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
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