Duran Duran (1993 album)

	Duran Duran
album by Duran Duran
Released	11 February 1993
Recorded	1991-1992
Studio	Privacy Studio, London, UK
Genre	Alternative rock, pop rock, soft rock
Length	63:34 minutes
Label	Capitol, EMI
Writer(s)	Duran Duran, Milton Nascimento, Lou Reed
Producer(s)	Duran Duran; John Jones
Duran Duran

Duran Duran (commonly known as The Wedding Album) is the seventh studio album and the second self-titled album by Duran Duran, released by Capitol-EMI on 11 February 1993.

About the album

The album was recorded almost entirely at Privacy Studio in the living room of Warren Cuccurullo's house in Battersea, London. After the relatively poor showing of Big Thing and Liberty, the funding of this album was more tightly controlled by EMI than their previous work. However, the label was very pleased by the early composition "Ordinary World", immediately sensing a potential hit single.

Recording of the album was completed in early 1992, with a planned mid-year release by Capitol Records in the United States. However, Duran Duran's new management company, Left Bank, was distressed at the label's apparent lack of enthusiasm for the promotion of the album, and had it temporarily pulled from the release schedule.

During this hiatus, John Taylor returned to his wife in Los Angeles, and Le Bon, Rhodes and Cuccurullo began working on a few cover songs for what would later become the Thank You album. At one point, Warren played a slow guitar riff derived from the earlier Duran Duran song "First Impression", which sparked the quick creation of the song "Come Undone". This was rapidly included in the upcoming album.

Release

A copy of "Ordinary World" was leaked to a Florida radio station late in 1992, and listener demand soon led to its early release in several markets. The band, long ignored in Los Angeles, was invited to play at the KROQ Acoustic Christmas show on the strength of the song's popularity.

The album itself was released early in 1993, and its swift commercial and critical success came as a surprise to many who considered Duran Duran to be a purely "eighties" phenomenon who had already faded to oblivion. Success hinged on the Adult Contemporary singles "Ordinary World" and "Come Undone". Some critics seemed to consider the band as a modern act for the first time, and to re-evaluate their back catalog as deeper and more significant than that of a throwaway "teeny-bop" band.

Both the band and the record label seemed to be caught by surprise by the sudden success. Bassist John Taylor, who had begun recording solo material on the side and was considering leaving the band, agreed to stay instead.

In 1994, to commemorate their UK tour, the album was reissued with a second disc of B-sides and remixes.

The front cover artwork was designed by Nick Egan and features wedding photos from the parents of the four band members.