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Duran Duran / As The Lights Go Down

By Paul Sinclair

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73

Duran Duran will participate in Record Store Day 2019 with a coloured vinyl live release As The Lights Go Down.

This is a three-sided live album (side four is etched) pressed on pink/blue vinyl and features a recording from the Oakland Coliseum in California from 1984. Duran Duran played three nights at the venue(12, 13, 15 April ’84) as part of their massive Sing Blue Silver world tour and given that RSD19 is on 13 April, this becomes a well-timed 35th anniversary release.

Although the concerts were filmed for TV specials they’ve never been officially released, physically (there was a digital version issued in 2010). The band aren’t specific about which shows are used for this album (at least not at the moment); the official word is simply that “tracks from these extraordinary live shows will be officially available in the form of a limited edition double vinyl LP.”

Speaking about the release John Taylor said “Our friends at Warner Music came up with this idea and I can tell you we are all quite excited about it! It’s a beautiful package and the vinyl mastered version is really the bomb!”

Nick Rhodes added “I rarely look back over my shoulder but listening to the mastered version of this album, it motivated us to recently play the song ‘The Seventh Stranger’ for the first time since 1984. Things only got stranger because when we rehearsed it sounded the same as when we wrote it and when we last performed it… I think this record captures the spirit of who Duran Duran were then and still reflects who we are now.”

Rhodes isn’t joking with that statement about not looking back over his shoulder. It is now almost NINE years since Duran Duran reissued any of their albums or put out any kind of archival product at all (save for the odd Record Store Day release). With even the normally reluctant Kate Bush revisiting her back catalogue, Duran Duran need to pull their finger out of the reissue dyke and let expanded deluxe editions flood the market. The band’s entire 1990’s output (including the unreleased-in-the-UK Medazzaland) is now so neglected that surely there’s a case for alerting social services. I’ve said it before – and the evidence is irrefutable – here is a band who have fallen out of love with releasing records; the process of issuing physical product. All they appear to enjoy doing now is gigging and vaguely ‘being in the studio’.

Anyway… back to As The Lights Go Down. The audio for this RSD vinyl set has been newly remastered and the album is presented in a gatefold sleeve featuring the photography of Denis O’Regan (whose recent Bowie Ricochet book, you may be aware of).

As The Lights Go Down will be available from 13 April 2019. It will be available in the UK and the USA and is limited to 5,500 units. Good luck in those queues!

LP1 (Blue)
Side One
1. Tiger Tiger / Is There Something I Should Know? (Live) [2018 Remaster]
2. Hungry Like the Wolf (Live) [2018 Remaster]
3. Union of the Snake (Live) [2018 Remaster]
4. New Religion (Live) [2018 Remaster]

Side Two
1. Save a Prayer (Live) [2018 Remaster]
2. Rio (Live) [2018 Remaster]
3. The Seventh Stranger (Live) [2018 Remaster]
4. The Chauffeur (Live) [2018 Remaster]

LP2 (Pink)
Side One
1. Planet Earth (Live) [2018 Remaster]
2. Careless Memories (Live) [2018 Remaster]
3. Girls on Film (Live) [2018 Remaster]

Side Two
Etched

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73 Comments

73 thoughts on “Duran Duran / As The Lights Go Down”

  1. Paul, about which shows were used for this release. This show was released online in 2010 (as you mention) but also released as a fanclub-release DVD in 2016. Discogs has the following notes from the DVD : “Recorded live at Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California, USA – April 14, 1984 & N.E.C., Birmingham, UK – June 13, 1984.”

    As you mention ab0ve DD did three shows in Oakland on 12,13 & 15 April 1984. Interestingly though, setlist.fm also lists 14 April 1984 with the following note : “Special afternoon set for a limited number of fans to shoot a concert video.”

    2. No, they have not been nominated and it is a travesty! John and Simon gave a speech when inducting ROXY MUSIC in the RRHoF, February 2019. Duran Duran are more than deserving to take their rightful place in the Hall.

  3. This looks like yet another tester from a label or content owner to see how well a ‘limited’ product does in the secondary market to see if it’s worth releasing again in larger form or quantities. My girfriend who loves DD saw this and said ‘neat, but why don’t they just put out the whole shows?’. I guess some old music business habits die hard, and slowly. Cynical-sounding I know, but honestly in this day & age anyone producing any physical music product should just go ‘all or nothing’, especially in this care where the band & label have a chance to really treat a particular decades’ worth of recordings properly if they would just get started and start a campaign properly. Fingers crossed…..

  4. …speaking of 90’s Duran Duran…

    “Thanksgiving Live – The Ultra Chrome, Latex and Steel Tour” just popped up on the US iTunes store. It appears to be the complete show (it even includes to Opening Music + Intro before Medazzaland)

    I managed to get the vinyl release that corresponded with the last record store day, but I was under the impression it may not have been a totally legit ‘official’ release

    1. It was legit. It was pressed by a consortium who owned the live rights. DDHQ weren’t very happy about it though. In fact I think Pleasure Island was a far superior release (musically) than the ‘official’ release which was Budokan.

  6. Couldn’t agree more with you regarding the neglect of their 90’s catalog. I’ll be honest though and say that I’m not sure how economically viable it would be for the label to do it. I’m a massive fan of theirs and love their 90’s output but I’ve never personally spoken to another fan who liked that period. In most cases it turns out they really hadn’t listened to much from the era and just skipped it out of hand and never doubled back. Either way, this post is the largest collection of people I’ve ever heard of expressing love for the period, sad as that is. I’m in the States though and the 90’s material might have been bigger in Europe.

    If what I suspect is true and economics are to blame then I wouldn’t mind a reissue of their classic era again, even minus the bonus content to some extent. The last round was sound awful, even worse than the original pressings which weren’t perfect to begin with. My point being that if it’s not going to work financially for the 90’s era to be revisited then at least get the 80’s era improved sonically. In the era of terrible sounding digital tracks it really pains me that what’s out there now could end up being all she wrote.

    1. There are dozens & dozens of SDE edition released every year that probably don’t sell that much, but, there must be money to be made otherwise they would’nt be taken on by the likes of Rhino etc etc. I would love to know how much the box sets I judge to be the benchmark of quality like TFF & Simple Minds actually make! If Duran Duran don’t give their 90’s output proper reissue respect I will be really pissed off! I believe the era for this sort of thing is now! There will come a day when the music loving punter won’t be looking to buy these sort of things because they will be the generation who refuses to pay for music!

  7. Unfortunately / fortunately for the band. I think a proper SDE of the 90’s stuff would sell more than a new album. There’ a huge amount of demo’s out there from 1990 -1997 as well as countless remixes & this is literally crying out to be released & perhaps more importantly reassessed by the wider public & music media. I think the band would welcome a reassessment of this time period! It’s long overdue! I was lucky enough to have been in New York when “Medazzaland” was released so was able to acquire it on CD. They went “alternative” ‘ it was a great album. I don’t want Vinyl, I don’t much care for downloads unless I have to so come on Duran Duran, give us what we want, we actually pay for your music!!!!!!

  8. “The band’s entire 1990’s output (including the unreleased-in-the-UK Medazzaland) is now so neglected that surely there’s a case for alerting social services. ”

    ^ Very good turn of phrase there.

  9. You have every right to be mad at Duran Duran, Paul. The band needs to get their act together and give the fans reissues. If they do not care then I can purchase another artist’s reissues.

    1. Exactly. There was me thinking I was the only one disappointed that there was no 25th Anniversary fanfare for The Wedding Album last year.

      The wrong people are in charge of marketing and social networking over at DDHQ.

  10. For Record Store Day, this is nice. It is a nice item but not “essential” or new or rare content, so it fits the bill, I guess. I just wish they would stop with the etching thing. Put on some of the other recordings as bonus tracks… nobody needs to stare at a blank side of vinyl for too long. I’ve seen this from Human League, Depeche Mode, and more… but I don’t know who really cares for this sort of thing.

    I am glad to see DD are progressing on the new album.

    I do wish they would have continued with the album box sets from Liberty onward, in some fashion… though it is true that we got most of the b-sides on the boxes of singles… but those have all been out of print for a while now… and they kept the real b-sides for the Wedding Album off of that box set, too. At least one would think the Wedding Album in deluxe form would do well with b-sides, remixes and a dvd of videos and a live show. I would buy it, easy. I think most Duranies would.

    1. Etching has precedent in duranworld with the 1988 Ltd 12” of I Don’t Want Your Love and the 1987 Japan EP Strange Behaviour though, agree its a complete waste of time (and vinyl) and probably adds £s to the price..

  11. I hope to see the Dvd of this concert, it was issued as a bonus Dvd on the deluxe edition of “Seven and the Ragged Tiger” but is out of print and have crazy price on ebay and discogs

  12. I understand wanting blowouts of the band’s albums, but there should be no complaints about a deluxe edition from this particular era. The 2010 box set of Seven and the Ragged Tiger was very well done. Disc 1 was the album. Disc 2 was the B-sides, mixes and some live performances. Disc 3 was a high-quality DVD of this very show featured above, along with the music videos and Top of the Pops performances. There was a poster and high-quality pics of the members to boot. The band and label basically already gave you what you’re requesting.

    1. Agreed… it was pretty good. I think the Girls on Film audio error on the deluxe of the debut was the nadir of the reissues, but despite different packaging and some naff decisions here and there (Putting ‘2CD special edition’ on the front of the iconic Rio cover) the 1980s have been reasonably well covered. As I mentioned in the post, they have literally done NOTHING with the 1990s…

      1. I totally agree. As a life long Duran Duran fan (I’m serious), I have been longing for remastered /deluxe sets of their post 1980’s albums. Last year was the 25th anniversary of the ‘Wedding Album’ yet no remastering/deluxe sets were released. Medazzaland also deserves a rerelease especially since their UK label at the time (EMI) refused to release it. Music from that era is enjoying a significant comeback so it seems like they are missing an opportunity to showcase some of the lesser known material.

      2. I know we complained about Girls on film at the time, but now when I listen to it, I think that maybe we were just presented with what was originally meant to be the start of the album version (which ended up being cut). I’m used to it now and prefer that to the more common expurgated version.

        1. The glitch on Girls on film wasn’t the only problem on that reissue. The mastering is horrible on the main album the second disc wasn’t too bad. Slightly off topic one thing that really pissed me off was i have the second singles box set which contains that copy control crap which means i can’t rip the discs. So i paid £30 for a box of coasters basically.

      3. Paul, the “content” may have been good but the 2010 remastering and sound of 1 and 3 were terrible and the 2009 remastering of Rio was not much better! The original vinyl sounds far better in all three cases.

        For vinyl fans what they need to do is put out a half speed mastered (well mastered) vinyl box set like the Police/Chic/Roxy (with 24/96 WAV downloads) covering all the studio albums and an album of non-album singles or single versions (e.g. MOW, Reflex, WB & AVTAK)

        1. Yes, and for non-vinyl fans, given that they’ve already milked the 80s why not do CD+Blu-ray sets like XTC. Decent remasters, and gather previously unreleased bonus tracks on the blu-ray element. The inertia of band/label are so frustrating.

  13. I can’t believe this will be any different from the audio thats on the original Lights go down TV special or subsequent DVD release. So that will be all the “visual audio cues”.

    You all know the story. For the Arena movie, the Oakland concert was filmed and then only so much of the live concert footage was used for the movie. Subsequently the live concert footage was put back together for the 57 minute TV special.

    Depeche Mode did the same thing with the 101 movie and the Rose Bowl concert footage. Guess it was a “thing” back then …

  15. It seems Duran Duran do not give a damn to the remaster reissue program. The first album will be 40th in 2020. Let’s wait for something to happen to the whole back catalogue then.

  18. Most DD fans are a bit older and hence still buying cd’s as opposed to getting into the digital thing. At least looking at myself and my friends, we are the 80’s crowd that loved DD back then and still buying CD’s today.
    Anyway, sounds like DD will not be putting out any SDE’s any time soon. Shame, and missed opportunity, as probably half of this community would buy their stuff no questions asked.

    2. I also belong to the 80’s crowd that loved DD back then and I am also buying CD’s. It is time that DD puts out SDE’s of their albums. What are they waiting for ?

      I hope that this live-album will also be released on CD !!!

  19. If they go to the trouble of making great artwork, why not release the whole concert, in order! The people who presumably will buy this are serious DD fans & completists & if I bought records still that is what I want. As for the last lot of reissues in the little boxes ( going way back in ancient history… ) for “Notorious” & “Big thing” , they were great! Great extras & never released on DVD concerts & postcards. Could’be been more comprehensive ( band documentary of the time period / replica tour programmes / demos ) but nonetheless, pretty good. This is a band with a lot of collectors who would buy a well done boxset to the standard of the Tears for Fears & Simple Minds recent ones. Maybe, just maybe it’s all being kept back for next years 40th anniversary. I hope to god they don’t cock that up because if they do, they might as well pack it in.

  20. Torn between ‘its a new Duran product’ and ‘but its something they’ve already released and I bet it will be £40 and itll be at least 2x on eBay, I hate RSD x 10….’. At least Warners are showing some interest but I think the ‘Ask Katy’ response was a nail in the coffin – they just aren’t bothered. Such a shame when the average Duranie needs more of the 1980 demos, the original SATRT / ITSISK mixes, Don’t Look Back, the Arcadia missing instrumental, the missing Big Thing album remixes in the can – and that’s before Reportage and the rest of the 1990-now period!

  21. I’m looking forward to this. Taped the show off the telly back in the day and subsequently transferred it to DVD. It was a good set list, albeit with the video for The Reflex dropped in.
    If it is close to the £30 mark then that’s the nature of the beast; it won’t stop me buying it. From the rumours about this year’s releases, this might be one of the diamonds in the rough

  22. God we need a decent Singles collection. All the singles in their UK single versions in chronological order over 2 CD’s. Mastered properly. Obviously that would include the excellent and very long forgotten ‘Burning the ground’!

  23. The problem is that the digital version is completely ripped from the audio of the As the Lights Go Down live show as found on the Ragged Tiger boxset. As such you get the annoying interludes and extra audio missing such as tiger roars and policemen etc, as seen on the film. I’ve got a funny feeling they wont have gone back to the existing audio. They never fixed the missing first note on the Seventh Stranger Arena reissue, never fixed Girls on Film and so on. Hopes are not high.

      1. Totally agree. I actually thought Paper Gods was going to be the grand finale. The icons being an ode to past glories. “Let’s call it a day while we’re on a high guys”.

        Thank God they didn’t. Imagine being remembered as the band who gave us Rio, Wild Boys, Planet Earth, The Chauffeur, Ordinary World etal..and then closes the book with crap like Dancephobia. What a legacy to leave.

  25. Two consecutive RSD releases from Duran Duran might mean that Warner might be interested in reissuing all their back catalogue? Hopefully they could start from scratch, taking care of the audios, artworks, and the still-to-be expanded/reissues of their 90s albums. It would be a dream come true for all Duran Duran fans and collectors.

  26. There are certain bands and artists who, while their peak period might’ve been in the 80s or 90s, seem to think they’re still relevant and current and don’t wish to dwell on the past. Springsteen churns out so many new albums, yet his fans probably wish he would slow down! And does anybody really go to see the Stones to hear new material? But I guess it’s something the band feel they need to do to justify still going. They must tire of only playing old hits and they want to move on and do something new.

    For some, it’s welcome. Each new Sparks album just gets better and better. And The Divine Comedy have continued to produce solid material, long after the 90’s hits dried up. But for the likes of Duran Duran, I feel, whether they like it/accept it or not, their fans will always love their 80’s and 90’s material and will be lukewarm to their new offerings. And their fan base are of the generation that would still buy a CD reissue, not just stream on Spotify. They’re fools to themselves.

  27. Whatever I want to buy on RSD is too damn expensive so I always go home empty-handed.

    It’s supposed to be a boost for record shops. In reality it just leads to an undignified scramble to post things on eBay.

    If this was £14.99 or even £19.99 I might consider it. But I bet it’ll pop up at between £34.99 and £40, so again too rich for me.

  28. Has anyone noticed that the record sleeve design is very similar to New Order’s Procession/Everything’s Gone Green 7″ Single released back in 1981?

    1. It’s a direct lift of the cover for their Sing Blue Silver book (see link below). I’m hoping Assorted Images’ Malcolm Garrett approved it’s re-use or is at least credited on the LP as the original designer. I’ve been in the position of some of my LP/CD designs being reworked years later for re-releases and the designers stole all the credit for themselves and it was only when I saw the thing on the shelves that I knew about it. It stings let me tell you!

      https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Om1axvG9L._SX352_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

  29. They should go back and redo the reissue campaign from scratch starting next year or the year after, the CD/DVD combo the remastering was shot to bits, tinny and shrill just like the Spandau one’s (done by the same tone deaf person).

    Not sure what fan base Duran will be aiming towards in next 20 years as most of us and them won’t be here anymore and what legacy will they have left? None perhaps. I guess they don’t care and in the end the fans won’t care.

  30. Doing quality reissues, vinyl and otherwise would be strongly advised. If not directly by the band, then appoint someone who is a fan, runs a website and knows a thing or two about writing liner notes and going through the archives to achieve a fan worthy product.

  31. Nick Rhodes looking as comfortable behind a stack of keyboards as Andy Fletcher ever did…

    I have the digital reissue from a wee while back, it is perfectly fine I guess. Shall we have a raffle to guess the price? Put we down for £39.99…see you in the queues

  32. I had the Madison Square Gardens concert from Radio 1,on tale for years & I’ m sure I have it on CD too. Bootleg of course! Now can we please have all the 90’s albums reissued / re packaged in all singing all dancing box sets?!I suspect that’s what the fans REALLY want if anyone connected with the band actually pays any attention… Yes, that means CD box sets!

  33. It’s a bit of a weird one this as the album is pretty much the same as the reissued “Arena” live album. The order of the tracks is different as is the actual mix (percussion is much higher in the mix), but essentially the same album. However, the reissued and remastered Arena album (with bonus tracks RIO and Girls On Film) was really poor. The sound quality was like a wet blanket, unlike As The Lights Go Down.

    With regards to DD reissues, a question was posed by a fan on their website (“Ask Katy” section) where they asked about the later material receiving a reissue on CD:

    Those Special Edition CD/DVD’s that the band put out for the first five albums were amazing! Do the boys plan to release these same Special Editions for their remaining albums? Adam P. Cray

    “Hello Adam, we have always tried to meticulous about our packaging and especially re-packaging wherever we do control the releases. Regarding CDs, as the format is now fading, it is unlikely that record labels will do many special editions. In fact, vinyl is much more likely at this stage. Personally, I still love beautiful products. Even though the world consumes most music digitally now, there is nothing quite like a records so I am at least happy this format is growing in popularity again , particularly amongst audiophiles. Nick”

    Disappointing to say the least. As we know, there is still life in the old CD, especially Super Deluxe editions. My disappointment also applies to their recent output; collaborations with “hip” artists that do nothing but dilute the band’s sound and that take an age to produce. Two albums in nearly ten years is pretty poor. At least an EP or two would be nice. As a long-time fan of the band, my love for them is slowly fading.

      1. I believe that’s to do with the Warren Cuccurullo era. The band are attempting to bury that chapter of their history – even though that period gave us Ordinary World the band can’t stand Warren. Even when they promote their 90’s stuff there is no mention of Warren, their greatest guitarist and song writer.

        I interviewed Simon Le Bon in 1993, during Duran’s second coming and he said as much that Warren was integral with The Wedding Album..”He gave the band confidence in themselves”.

        They are losing their stalwart following – that’s the truth.

    2. I don’t know where they get they idea that those special edition CD/DVD’s were amazing from. The mastering on them was a joke and in particular the first album where they managed to screw up Girls On Film which was big news at the time. They also did the same with those Spandau Ballet reissues as well. As for this release the audio is available on the Ragged Tiger DVD and can be ripped quite easily and it’s in PCM stereo.

  34. This is certainly a very nice looking release for Duran Duran vinyl collectors for RSD –
    hopefully it’s not too expensive like a lot of these RSD releases often are.

    Aren’t these 11 live performances the same recordings that were previously issued on
    different editions of the Arena live album? – ie. I think it’s essentially the same tracks
    as the 2004 remastered Arena CD, minus the Wild Boys studio recording…

    1. Yep, but sounds better. Less muddy. At least compared with the Arena reissue from the 00s. The original Arena on LP had excellant sound. Even the cassette sounded great!

      2. Yeah I received the original XDR cassette with the foldout insert for Xmas ’84!
        The sound was definitely great, I listened to that tape over & over for years…

        I don’t know what happened with the remastered Arena issued in 2004; but then
        Duran’s music hasn’t always been well served by the various remastering & reissues,
        so I’m pleased to hear that WTLGD is an improvement over the 2004 Arena CD.

        I would dearly love a lavish & comprehensive box-set of the 1980-85 ‘golden age’! –
        but I’d also settle for nice super deluxe releases of the individual ’80s albums…

  35. Yes, I did question Paul’s comment that the audio of as the lights go down had never been released. It was released digitally and in fact is still available on iTunes for £6.99.

  36. It DOES look superb but like you say Paul – why not revisit the whole back catalogue? Don’t they want our money?? Also why are these releases usually only vinyl?? Record shops sell CD’s too so make it available on CD too! In fact make it an across the board vinyl/CD/DVD/BR release available everywhere! (NOT vinyl and CD in one package though please!) I hate these ‘hipster’ releases!

  38. Track listing doesn’t seem too different to the ‘Arena’ album. Would’ve liked at least a couple of different tracks (New Moon On Monday, The Reflex)

  39. I also want the Dvd!!!
    (the one in the deluxe edition of “Seven and the Ragged Tiger” is out of print and on ebay and discogs the price is crazy for this edition)

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