DURAN DURAN--GRATITUDE WITH ATTITUDE

From Playgirl October 1995; Interviews by Charmian Carl

For an impressive and enduring 15 years, Duran Duran has been comprised of lead singer Simon le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and bass player John Taylor. Warren Cuccurullo, whose credits include playing with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa, joined the fold about four years ago as lead guitarist. Spending a week with Duran Duran is like spending a week in an amusement park. These four gorgeous rockers have a sultry sexiness and an almost impish quality that can lead one’s libido on a hear- stopping roller coaster ride.

The band’s self-titled 1981 debut album ushered them to the top of the charts. In 1982, their smash hit “Hungry Like The Wolf” made them a household name. Duran commanded the ‘80s with one hit song after another, and in 1992 found multi- platinum success with Duran Duran (The Wedding Album). Most of the work for their latest release, Thank You, was done while on their 1993-94 tour. “We recorded whenever we could find the time and wherever we could find a studio,” explains Simon le Bon. “Thank You is a long-awaited collective labor of love from Duran Duran, adds Nick Rhodes.

Having enjoyed some truly magical time with them during their recent visit to Los Angeles, I found that their experience and success have brought each of them a unique understanding of life, love, sex and rock ‘n’ roll--deliciously topped off with some very naughty senses of humor....

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Nick Rhodes’ shocking blond hair, luminous blue (Playgirl error, NOT mine--Laurie) eyes and eclectic style are utterly compelling, while Warren Cuccurullo’s strong Brooklyn roots and leather clothing help define his raw sexuality without apology. Talking with the two together was a lesson in precision-like improvisation--the obvious result of years of creating music and art together. Nick is the yin to Warren’s yang, and as much as they appear opposites, their conversation, opinions and jokes seem innately synchronized.

PLAYGIRL: Do you think you’ll ever get tired of touring?

Warren: Hotels and airplanes, yeah. But there are some things you don’t get tired of, like the adulation and the girls. (laughs) For me, it’s a vice I’d have a hard time giving up.

You both have steady girlfriends. How do you keep your relationships together through all the distractions?

Warren: I’ve been with my girlfriend for eight years now, and I have a stepson. (Wry smile) It doesn’t mean I don’t like signing autographs. I love women!

Nick: And girls’ bottoms. (laughter)

Warren: I have a unique situation in that my girlfriend doesn’t want to live in London. She and my stepson live in our house in Rio. I’ve got my job to do so they can have good lives.

Nick: I find it important to have stability. I tend to be very monogamous anyway. When I find someone I love, I just become incredibly attached. I’m a person who will wait for years to pick out the right person.

Warren: There are always girls hanging around our homes. It’s hard enough to see someone who’s attractive catch your eye walking down the street. We have these pretty women just waiting for us--for sex essentially.

Can women get pretty raunchy?

Warren: In my roving days when I was a young puppy here in L.A., and working with Frank Zappa, I’d go to bars and try so hard to pick up women and play the game. I always thought how great it was that all girls had to do was go up to a guy and ask for sex, and they wouldn’t get slapped in the face. But now we have to be extra careful with all those germs roaming around.

What kind of woman attracts you?

Nick: I like a woman with kind of pussycat eyes. Beautiful eyes and sleek bones. My girlfriend Madeline’s a pussycat.

Warren: I’m very enticed by women visually. I’ve never met a beautiful woman who has turned me off.

What can immediately turn you off about a woman?

Nick: Fat ankles.

Warren: Yeah, that’s horrible. Stop the insanity! You see a lot of it in England!

When did you lose your virginity?

Nick: Oh, God. I was very young. It was a bit boring, really. I never really discuss it. I don’t usually discuss sex. That’s why I brought Warren.

Well, Warren, you’ve had time to think.

Warren: What do you want to know? (laughs) Sex has been really important to me for a very long time. I clearly remember the first time I masturbated, and I was very active orally years before I had intercourse.

Are you very sexually driven?

Warren: Yeah, I don’t know why. Catholic school, television...Can I lie down now and talk about it? (laughs)

Did you ever feel guilty about sex?

Warren: Not really. The other motivation was always drugs and alcohol. It always makes you feel freer to do things you wouldn’t normally do--but I never got it up the ass. Yeah, sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.

Warren, I just noticed the design on your T-shirt. It’s a huge vagina, or should I say labia?

Warren: (Laughs) Yeah. I should’ve worn my cock necklace, too. Umm...I just love vaginas.

Most men seem to dislike the word vagina. Does it bother you?

Warren: Why’s that? I like it.

Maybe because it sounds too technical?

Warren: Pussy is the best word for vagina. It sounds delicious.

And for penis?

Warren: Cock sounds the most healthy.

Nick: (Smiling) I’m perfectly happy with either of them.

Warren: Oh, really?

Nick: The word!

What’s the most sexually outrageous thing a fan has ever done?

Warren: Well, there was that dressing room in Sacramento...This girl just showed up and used everything possible in the room for sex. I told her later she shouldn’t do that to herself. She was actually a nice girl with a lot of problems.

Nick, you seem to be the shy one here.

Nick: Not really. I just like to watch. (laughs)

Warren: He likes to photograph things.

Sexual situations?

Nick: No, portraits mostly. I like to make somebody look better than they think they look. I think it’s exciting committing someone to celluloid.

Do you consider yourselves artists?

Warren: People always ask us how we come up with the music we play, but it’s easy. I tell them it’s the same for someone who’s a natural writer. Like Quentin Tarantino. He’s got a real ear for street language. He makes the word “motherfucker” sound rhythmic and poetic. It’s easy for him. Then the ultra-conservative end of America starts screaming that it’s complete pornography.

Would either of you ever ponder a face lift?

Warren: I don’t think so. A penis extension would be great, but you know...

Do you need a penis extension?

Warren: No, I don’t. If I wanted to get it in my mouth, I would.

You’re really on the edge, Warren.

Warren: Hey, baby, this is a woman’s magazine. I think it’s horrible that women feel exploited. PLAYGIRL has been around for a long time. Women can look at men and watch pornography now. I love pornography. Whoever wants to derive enjoyment out of it, can. It’s not just for men anymore.

What about the perception that women who enjoy sex are sluts?

Warren: If we believed in public perception, we would’ve stopped playing a long time ago. All that really matters is how you relate to people in your life and time. The only thing you need to know is who you are and why you do certain things.

Why do you relate to women so well?

Warren: I forgot to tell you--I’m wearing garters under this. (laughs) I feel 25, but I’ve lived a lot. The one thing that age brings you, other than wrinkles, is wisdom.

Nick: I think it’s important to keep a perspective at all times. In our industry you see such extremes. I saw a guy last night with the longest cigar I’ve ever seen. And I’m thinking, My God, he must have a very long limo! (laughs) Everything in this business is larger than life and superanimated. To pick through all the people and the things they say, and come out doing and thinking the right things, becomes a real obstacle course. If you get through it, it’s like getting a prize at every level.

What do you think of all the sex scandals that come out of Britain?

Warren: What about the scandals in America? The information generated out of Europe is much more enlightening than what you read in the U.S.

Nick: The sex scandals in Europe mostly revolve around the Royal Family and the Church. But you basically become public domain when you move out of the private world. It’s almost the price you pay for fame. It always spurs a lot of fantasies when the cheap gutter is exposed.

Wasn’t a member of Parliament found dead on his kitchen table recently? he was naked except for some garters, and he had asphyxiated himself with an orange that was still stuck in his mouth.

Nick: (Shakes head) You wouldn’t know to look at him, would you? See what happens when you attempt to get a little creative. (laughs)

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It’s not easy to describe Simon le Bon. You can see the complexities churning in his tiger-like eyes. He’s a voracious reader and quite cerebral, yet he oozes sensuality and earthiness in a powerful and mesmerizing way. In conversation, his long, agile body moves in compliance with yours. When he emphasizes a point, he often leans in so closely you can feel his breath on your skin.

PLAYGIRL: What were you like during your teens?

Simon: It was quite a difficult time. I was, in fact, the last guy in my school to be wearing short trousers. I was the last guy to get hair around my balls. I was the last guy to get a big dick. Actually, no, that’s not true. Some of them never got big dicks. I was one of the last guys whose voice broke. My voice didn’t even break, it just slowly changed over a period of four to five years. I was still speaking in a squeaky high voice at 14 and 15. I was a really late developer.

How did this affect your interaction with girls?

It was quite terrifying. It meant a lot of experimentation with girls.

Have you stopped experimenting?

Not exactly.

You’re married to Yasmin, a beautiful model. Do you both agree on an open relationship?

No, we don’t have an open relationship. Flirt, don’t squirt. (smiles)

Do you get jealous when she flirts?

No, because at night, she’s going to come home to me. I used to be racked by jealousy when I was around 16. God, I remember what one girl put me through--and she wasn’t even my girlfriend. When I came out of it, I told myself I would never let that happen to me again. It’s the most negative, destructive, pointless emotion I’ve ever felt.

Do you think jealousy demonstrates love?

I think it’s a sign of insecurity. It’s that feeling when someone pulls the plug out of the bath and you start going down heavy. It’s not so nice. The water starts to drain away.

Who is your idea of a beautiful woman?

To be the woman for all ages--not necessarily right now? Sophia Loren’s body; her tits in particular. Bridget Hall’s animal eyes and Christy Turlington’s softness. Naomi Campbell’s physical strength. I love that. To me, the most attractive quality in somebody is strength, because strength tends to work with design in building a very efficient body. And efficiency is what looks attractive to me. Sharks look great because they’re so we designed.

And what do you find beautiful beyond the physical?

Waiting to enter the soul...just happiness more than anything else--happiness, fun, a sense of humor. I just love laughing.

When did you first know you were going to be a musician?

My parents used to leave the radio on in my cot. One of my earliest memories was hearing a piece of music. I knew I could hear the musical development of it and the emotional impact it would have if it went to a different chord. I would anticipate that it would go to a particular chord next, and it did.

You’ve mentioned that music inspires sensuality.

To me music and sex were very closely related. In fact, my first sexual fantasy involved a film that had Can-Can girls in it. Rita Hayworth was the star. I dreamed I was climbing inside Rita Hayworth’s dress until I was finally on her legs. I didn’t know it was bad, I just knew it was good. The Can-Can music was very much a part of the arousal. There’s just a similar feeling to sex and music.

What is the most intense sexual experience you’ve ever had?

It was in a hotel in Madrid. We took each other further than either of us had ever been before. It just went on forever.

You took each other further physically, emotionally, or spiritually?

All of those things. I haven’t done it lately. It makes a big difference. Actually, I believe the word “fuck” means love. It’s being misused and it’s a good word. We should say it a lot. I think sex is a tender thing and an expression of love anyway. I don’t care what anybody says. Nobody says that they don’t have any feelings whatsoever when they’re having sex. Otherwise, I think they’re just being ignorant to themselves. It could be that it’s just me who’s like that. I can’t get inside anybody’s head. I can only say what I want to feel.

Can you honestly say that you’ve felt love for everyone you’ve had sex with?

At some point, yes. Yes. It’s a loving tenderness.

Are orgasms better when you’re in love?

I don’t know. I can never remember orgasms. They have this effect of wiping my memory clean. That’s the beauty of living right in the present. That for me is the ultimate. I couldn’t describe an orgasm right now.

Do you prefer sex when you’re in love or when it’s raunchy?

I like it both ways, actually.

How about getting really raunchy with someone you love?

(Big grin) Yeah, that’s really great, isn’t it?

What’s something you’d like to do that you haven’t done yet?

I’d like to disappear on a boat for a year--without a phone. I’d like to do it before I’m too old, when I can take the heavy sea. I wouldn’t take the family, but I’d take my wife.

What about your unfulfilled sexual fantasies?

There are no sexual fantasies. Well...actually when I was growing up, my dad had a big stack of Playboys in his wardrobe closet, the ones from the ‘60s. And I seemed to have developed a bit of a fetish for girls in Santa suits.

This interview will come out before December, so you could have yourself a very
jolly Christmas.

(Laughs) Gosh!--I like veils as well. I had this really big sexual fantasy of an Indian girl in a sari and she comes undone from her wrapping, like a sweet.

I see you’re reading Rimbaud. Who is your favorite philosopher?

Aldous Huxley. He believed in living here and now, not spending time with your head floating around in the future, or your emotions up the asshole of the past. It is really important to live right now because then you’re actually living.

Do you believe in God?

Yes, but it’s not a human God. It doesn’t have human ideas, and it certainly doesn’t have morals. That to me is something that has been imposed on us as part of a politico-religious plan to shape the destiny of humanity. It’s greedy and very patriarchal.

Do you think we exist after death?

Souls maybe, but not consciousness.

Are you afraid of losing your memories?

Death is like turning off a computer in a way. When the electricity goes off for good, the memory is wiped. To me, memory is the consciousness, electricity is the soul.

Do you have any remorse or regrets?

Guilt or regrets, no. Remorse? God, yes...When my best friend David, died from a drug related accident in 1987...If only I had called him up the night before like I said I was going to, maybe he would have come out with me instead of his old junkie friends. I still feel him with me. I dedicated a little bit of me to him when I did a song called “Do You Believe In Shame?” It finishes, “Do you believe in love? Do you believe in life? Because I believe a little part of you and me will never die.” I think about him every day. He was my very, very best friend.

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John Taylor is often considered the most classically handsome of the group. He’s the kind of guy you get a mad crush on, but he never quite lets you in--which makes you want him all the more. His expressions are sexy but soulful. It’s easy to find yourself filled with a strong desire to take him in your arms and hold him tightly until he finally opens up his very private world to you.

PLAYGIRL: When you married your wife, Amanda DeCadanet, was it spur of the moment?

Amanda was well-pregnant by that point. I wasn’t altogether convinced of the necessity of the act, but she was. One sees so much pain in marriage. It doesn’t seem to have that magical spell. I don’t know whether it ever did, you know? Does marriage ever have to be a magical spell?

I suppose it’s better that way. You have to work at keeping it alive.

I’m glad I did it now. I love...I like being married. Essentially it’s about the way you and your partner feel. Marriage can mean an awakening, and I like anything that involves an awakening of one’s self. It is a concept made solely by the two people involved. As far as living together is concerned, if you’re going to be co-dependent, then you’re obviously going to care what other people think. Marriage is becoming less and less relevant.

How do you deal with all the traveling and the women who want you?

Honesty, diligence. I’m not really interested in having lots of dalliances. I’ve been there and seen it. I’m really interested in maintaining a monogamous lifestyle. It’s really, really a task-and-a-half. It’s the most underestimated thing you’ll ever do in your life. There are temptations everywhere. You’ve just got to turn on the TV or pick up a magazine and you’re seeing somebody more successful, better looking and with better looking kids. It must be hell for some people, because it’s difficult for me, and I have an amazing life.

Do you miss the conquests, the new lovers?

I miss them like I miss cocaine. In some sick way, yes. But it’s not what my life’s about. I miss it like I miss a good steak.

Does society force monogamy on us?

I think one man can fulfill all of a woman’s needs and vice versa. I’ve had a lot of guys tell me that if I’m monogamous, I’ll be the first one who was. I’m like, I’m going to do it--I’m going to be the first fucking sex symbol who got a wife and didn’t fuck around.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Well, I believe in it like I believe in God. By answering that question, I put a check in the box next to optimist.

Do you prefer having sex with someone you’re in love with?

Definitely. But, having said that, the best sex can be with somebody you just met a half-an-hour before.

Someone you’ll never see again?

I don’t know. If you’re having the best sex you’ve ever had, it would be tough to never see them again, wouldn’t it?

What makes it the best sex ever for you?

When you forget everything else and time stands still. You just feel. It’s like transcending time.

Do you also like earthy, down and dirty sex?

Definitely.

Is it necessary to work at love?

You can have great sex with someone even after several years. It’s like any other aspect of the relationship. You can meet someone you really hit it off with and you want to be with them every hour of the day--and then it slows down. Then the work starts, and that’s where the love begins. Love doesn’t really come until the obsession is gone.

Tell me about your first love.

My first obsession. I remember being obsessed by a girl in school. I’d get on the phone with her everyday and talk about her boyfriends. Masochistic, you know?

Was it love or lust?

I definitely lusted for her. I was just looking to pry myself away from my mother. That’s what we’re all looking for. I didn’t have anyy brothers or sisters, so I had very little experience with girls. I didn’t know how to communicate with them.

What do you wish for your daughter Atlanta when she grows up?

I’d like her to feel good about herself and believe in herself. Just have a good strong sense of who she is.

How do you feel about the state of the planet?

I think it’s a fucking mess. People are being sold too many fake dreams. There’s too much television, too much media. It’s a decadent society. I don’t know whether we’re in our last throes, but it’s like the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. It’s not owning up--that’s for sure.

Do you believe you have some kind of responsibility because your life is so high profile?

I don’t think anything can be done about the past. We can only look to the future. The first job I did with Duran after I got sober was a photo session at the Hilton Hotel in London. The photographer was saying, “Come on. I want you all to hold cocktail glasses.” I was like, “No. I’m not going to do this anymore.” I bought that shit. I had a drug problem because I thought it was cool. It’s not cool and I didn’t want to give people the impression that it was. I’ve got a long way to go to get my own life straight. Yet, it seems fairly straight at the moment. I’m trying to really discover my own spirituality.

It’s amazing that you seem so shy after all these years of women and fame.

I’m very shy. That’s why I had to take so many drugs.

Do you have a good sense of yourself now?

I’m working on it.

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