Duran Duran keyboard player Nick Rhodes would love for the group to record a Halloween album.
The Ordinary World group returned to the charts in 2021 with their 14th album ‘Future Past’ and are in the midst of recording its follow-up now.
In support of that record, the four-piece played a pair of Halloween-themed shows in Las Vegas, where they appeared in costume and performed covers of Spellbound by Siouxsie And The Banshees, Ghost Town by The Specials, and Rick James’ Super Freak.
When it comes to the prospect of going all-in on a spooky set of tracks, Nick Rhodes told Record Collector: “We had so much fun doing that Vegas show.
“I love the idea of a Duran Duran Halloween album, as it’s one of those crazy ideas where people go, ‘Why would you do that?’ Well, it’s precisely because it’s so different from anything else we’ve done.”
In the meantime, the group’s forthcoming project reunites them with founding member Andy Taylor who has been battling stage four prostate cancer for five years.
The illness forced him to miss the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, but he’s since returned to recording with the band.
In a statement on social media, Duran Duran said: “Duran Duran are thrilled to confirm a special new music project is in the works, set for release later this year on BMG.
“The new recordings will feature extended Duran Duran family and friends, old and new, including our former band mate Andy Taylor, who will join us on guitar on a few tracks.
“Simon, Nick, John and Roger look forward to seeing you all out on the road this year!”
Official word from the group comes after bassist John Taylor let slip news of the recording, revealing during the Unforgettable Evening in LA event last week: “When he dropped the bomb two days before the Hall of Fame, it was really shocking and terribly sad. We’re working on an album right now that is going to be coming out at the end of the year and he’s playing guitar.
“Had he come to LA and just gone on the TV show, we probably wouldn’t have even thought about it. That [the album] happened as a result of this.”
Of the project, he added: “There’s a lot of cover songs on the album, songs meaningful to us when we were kids. So having him be a part of that project is great.
“LeBon is flying to Ibiza to work with Andy. I kind of wish I was there. I think it’ll be great,” added John. “It’ll be really profound for them. They haven’t been in the studio together in maybe 10 to 20 years.”
