QUINTET NOW A TRIO DURAN DURAN: ALMOST TOGETHER AGAIN
Published on MONDAY, January 19, 1987

Byline: By Robin Welles , Copley News Service

Duran Duran bassist-songwriter John Taylor on the hazards of fame: ''It's a bit of a freeze period in a way. One grows up, but you almost stop growing in some ways, because you're pampered, and there's a certain way you're treated. In some ways, you grow quicker, but in others, things just freeze and stop growing.''

And that's basically why the Duran Duran quintet separated for a while in 1985 with Nick Rhodes, Simon Le Bon and Roger Taylor doing the ''Arcadia'' album and John Taylor and Andy Taylor hooking up on the ''Power Station'' album.

''For the last 18 months we took ourselves out of it -- out of the kind of stardom that we had on the last Duran Duran tour, out of that whole kind of circus period that exists when you're on the road,'' John Taylor said.

Now they're back together -- well, at least vocalist Le Bon, keyboardist Rhodes and John Taylor are teamed up again on their fifth Capitol album called ''Notorious.'' Guitarist Andy Taylor played on four of the tracks before his departure.

Why did Andy Taylor leave?

''He basically just wanted to do something totally different,'' Rhodes said.

John Taylor has another view:

''He didn't love the band enough. There were a lot of insecurities that had gone on with him, I think. He felt that he didn't get enough attention. He'd be practicing every day and not realizing that you didn't get attention in a pop group by practicing every day.

''So now I think he's gone into the area of using what he's learned -- guitar playing -- and that gives him the right to stage center. To be in control of the music and the records, and working with people who will put him No. 1, not one of five.''

Drummer Roger Taylor also left early in 1985 and was replaced for the ''Notorious'' album by Steve Ferrone (Average White Band, Scritti Politti).

Trimmed to a trio for ''Notorious,'' Duran Duran's core group maintains that highly burnished, danceable style -- although John Taylor said that the changeover in guitarist and drummer naturally has resulted in a ''slightly different sound.''

There are no apparent problems that could break up the trio, Rhodes said. ''The three of us now are supporting each other when we're in the studio, because sometimes you can get stuck on one little thing, and there are two other people there to help you sort it out.''

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