Q&A with SIMON LEBON

Magazine: Rolling Stone, March 23, 1995
By CHRIS MUNDY

Perhaps more than any other band -- A Flock of Seagulls? Haircut One Hundred? The Thompson Twins? -- Duran Duran captured the '80s. So now that the lads have awaked from their extended career nap, wiped the drool off the shoulders of their Armani suits and begun making hit records in the '90s, it seems only natural that they should pay a debt of gratitude. Hence Thank You, a new collection of covers that runs the gamut from Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel's "White Lines' to Elvis Costello's 'Watching the Detectives' In case you're wondering how it sounds, dose your eyes and imagine really hard. You already know. And while he may have seemed deadly serious in the "Hungry Like the Wolf' video, singer Simon LeBon actually has a bit of a sense of humor. Really.

You cover "911 Is a Joke," by Public Enemy. What insight do you think you bring to the American black urban experience?

Well, I don't think you have to be standing in shit to know what it smells like. There's an important message there, and it's a very powerful piece of music.

Are there songs of yours that you'd like to have other people cover?

I'd love to see "All She Wants Is" covered by Barry White. Wow.

He could just talk it.

Exactly. [Doing a Barry White imitation] "All . . . she . . . wants . . . is."

Have you heard that Hole cover ["Hungry Like the Wolf" in concert?

[Excited] They do? [More excited] Brilliant. I hope they record it.

What's your most decadent memory of the '80s?

We didn't even know the '80s were decadent until somebody told us later. We were working our tits off. I guess changing studios three times during recording was our ultimate decadence. The chateau in the South of France wasn't working, so we went to Montserrat, and that wasn't working either.

Tough life.

Yeah. We ended up in this small studio in Australia.

Was there a point where you felt like your career was over and you'd never get it back?

Oh, God, yeah. Every single member of the band felt that for considerable lengths of time. But it never happened to more than one of us simultaneously, so the others were always able to pull one another out of it.

What was the worst part of it for you personally?

After Big Thing, because it was actually a good piece of music, and it didn't do the business. "Do You Believe in Shame' was such a lovely song and it just fizzled away.

Was it all an image problem? What's the most common misperception about the band?

That we spend hours in front of the mirror, that we're all style over content.

Well, you sported some very stylish outfits.

But that doesn't mean you don't take your music seriously, does it?

Did you ever look at Nick Rhodes and say, "Hey, Nick, what's with all the makeup?"

I said that on average about three times a week. He never really answered the question. If you'll notice, he just gradually phased it out bit by bit.

Do you have a favorite Madonna incarnation?

Yes, I do. I actually liked her when she was a bit fatter. I liked that puffy fat that was on her. I found that very attractive.

When you recorded the Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was there anyone who was a prima donna?

There were people who weren't capable of singing but I'd be treading on dangerous legal ground if I were to name them.

Come on, what the hell . . . .

No, really. There was a very funny half an hour when somebody was trying to hit a couple notes and just kept missing. But nobody was being a prima donna.

How do you spend your free time? It's tough to imagine you at home with a bag of chips and the remote control.

I don't sit around. I swim a lot, and I go running. I ride a motorcycle. I see friends, go to movies.

Would you be more interested in the royal family or the O.J. trial?

The OJ. trial.

Why?

Violence, murder. There's not much murder on the agenda in the royal family at the moment.

Do you have a favorite Elvis movie?

I'm afraid it's really boring, but it's King Creole.

Boring? Elvis sings "Trouble" to Walter Matthau on top of the bar to prove he's really a singer.

Isn't it incredible? I also like that scene in [Jailhouse Rock] when he sings a song and then fights the guy into the jukebox. [Makes punching sounds] It's so violent. Really, really sick. I like that.

You're no stranger to cheering on violence.

It's good fun. I'm a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino. He's the guy who turned me on to the whole violent side of Elvis.

You've actually hung out with Quentin Tarantino?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He was flirting with the idea of making some videos with us. It didn't happen, but we came out of it buddies. He's a one-man show.

Who'd you rather see perform: Slayer or Ace of Base?

Ace of Base -- because they have girls in the group.

Hey, you're a married man.

So? No harm in seeing what's on the menu.

What's the worst pickup line you've used?

Oh. [Laughs] The worst was "I saw your photograph in a portfolio, and I thought we might get on rather well." I ended up marrying her.

So what's your theory on why rock stars harry models?

Because they can. [Laughs] It's the same answer to the question "Why to dogs lick heir balls?"

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