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Violence of Summer (LTO)
120 violence of summer single song uk DD 14 duran duran vinyl discography discogs fan site website wiki
single by Duran Duran
B-side "Throb"
Released 23 July 1990
Recorded 1989-1990
Format 7", 12", Cassette, CD
Genre Rock, new wave, synthpop
Length 4:20 (Album Version)
3:30 (7" Mix)
3:18 (The Story Mix)
4:56 (Power Mix)
4:01 (Power Cutdown)
4:45 (The Dub Mix)
4:23 (The Rock Mix)
6:02 (Version Maxi)
Label Capitol, EMI
Writer(s) Duran Duran
Producer(s) Duran Duran
Chris Kimsey
Duran Duran

"Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" is Duran Duran's 21st single and the first from their album Liberty, released by Capitol-EMI on 23 July 1990.

About the song[]

"Violence of Summer" is a bright, cheerful chunk of pop, with ringing piano-like chords over a slick bass underpinning. Lyrically, the song plays with familiar Duran Duran themes: fleeting romance in the face of sexual politics, and mars-meets-venus peculiarities between the genders. Le Bon continues to set these preoccupations into more realist scenarios, challenging himself to leave behind the opaque mysticism of the band's first three albums.

Also worth noting lyrically, is this track's return to the blatant Americana of Notorious: "going South where her mother writes", and "breaking heads in the sugar shack", which references the cover art of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You".

During Liberty recording sessions, the song was originally known as "Live-in Lover" and featured the same music but completely different lyrics. A demo of this early version was bootlegged on the unofficial Didn't Anybody Tell You? compilation.

Music video[]

The end of the 1980s marked a profound change in Duran Duran's video fortunes. MTV's interest had shifted to younger bands, and their format was changing in any case. VH-1 was friendlier, but was more interested in the band's classic videos than in their current products. Duran Duran found it harder and harder to get a new video played where the public could see it.

The video for "Violence of Summer" was filmed in Paris by the young directing duo Big TV! (more conventionally known as Andy Delaney and Monty Whitebloom). The band, with paler skin and shorter hair than before, plays energetically on a set constructed to look like a bumper-car rig (mirroring the amusement park theme of the album sleeve), while models (including Tess Daly) in platinum blonde wigs hang about outside looking seductive. Newly muscular guitarist Warren Cuccurullo is almost unrecognizable to fans who were accustomed to his formerly waif-like appearance.

Chart positions[]

Despite the myriad of mixes and release formats, the single did not do well in the charts in most countries. In Argentina, the song was #1, and a huge summer hit.

Chart (1990) Peak
position
Argentina 1
Australia (ARIA) 59
Flanders 43
Canada Top Singles 82
Eurochart Hot 100 34
Germany 69
Ireland 21
Italy (Musica e dischi) 2
NDL Dutch100 43
Switzerland 29
UK 20
U.S Billboardhot100 64
U.S Billboard Alternative Songs 13
U.S Billboard Dance Club Play 36

"Violence of Summer" was not included on the Greatest compilation, partly due to its mediocre chart performance and possibly also due to the band's dislike of the track, as "Serious", the worse-performing single of the two, was chosen instead. However, the song's music video is indirectly included on the Greatest DVD, through the bonus Liberty electronic EPK.

Song versions[]

  • "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Album Version) - 4:20
  • "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (7" Mix) - 3:30
  • "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Story Mix) - 3:18
  • "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Power Mix) - 4:56
  • "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Power Cutdown) - 4:01
  • "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Dub Sounds of a Powerful Mix) - 4:45
  • "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Rock Mix) - 4:23
  • "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Version Maxi) - 6:02 - French cassette single
  • "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Hostile Takeover Mix) - 6:40 - by Steve Smith for Art of Mix DJ remix service
  • "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Hot Shop Digital Edit) - 5:54 - by Chris Cox for Hot Tracks DJ remix service (Rare)
  • "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Early 12" Mix) - 6:13 - bootleg, Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over) - Remixed
  • "Live-in Lover" (Demo) - bootleg, Didn't Anybody Tell You?

Track listing[]

7": Parlophone DD 14 (UK)

  1. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (7" Mix) - 3:30
  2. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Story Mix) - 3:18

12": Parlophone 12 DD 14 (UK)

  1. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Power Mix) - 4:56
  2. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" - 4:20
  3. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Story Mix) - 3:18
  • Released with a poster.

12": Parlophone 12 DDX 14 (UK)

  1. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Rock Mix) - 4:23
  2. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Dub Sounds of a Powerful Mix) - 4:45
  3. "Throb" - 4:25

CD: Parlophone CD DD 14 (UK)

  1. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" - 4:20
  2. "Throb" - 4:25
  3. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Power Cutdown) - 4:01
  4. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Story Mix) - 3:18

CD: Part of the "Singles Box Set 1986-1995"

  1. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (7" Mix) - 3:30
  2. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Story Mix) - 3:18
  3. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Power Mix) - 4:56
  4. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" - 4:20
  5. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Rock Mix) - 4:23
  6. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Dub Sounds of a Powerful Mix) - 4:45
  7. "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Power Cutdown) - 4:01
  8. "Throb" - 4:25

Personnel[]

Duran Duran are:

Lyrics[]

Hey!
Pick it up!
This'll get you out
Of your head!

China's hanging out by the railings on the motor shed
She goes with a real hip biker, he's a metalhead
She looks me up and down, talking dirty eyes
Sweet saying boy, baby I could lick you anytime

Keep it up
Hahaha!
That's right
Here we go again!

Bit later I'm gonna run into her 'round the back
While other guys break heads in the sugar shack
Don't give me a drink, I don't wanna get too stoned
Then we're gonna see who's gonna take who home

The violence of summer
A love's taking over
It starts with desire
Ends up under cover

Those lips will make me rise
You may look down but don't think twice (ooh hoo)
Slow death is on the way
So what man, I still want to play! (hey hey hey!)

Oooh-ohhh Yeeeahh
One-two!

This'll get you out, of your mind
This'll pick you up
Let's go

Maybe take a ride, going south where her mother writes
Before bad news catches up, we still got a little time
We leave it all so far away
One thing is sure, we shouldn't stay
I'll take it all, China gonna get the runaround
A run, a runaround

The violence of summer
A love's taking over
It starts with desire
Ends up under covers
China-na, China-na-na-na
China-na, China-na-na-na
China-na, China-na-na-na
China-na, China-na-na-na

The violence of summer
A love's taking over
It starts with desire
Ends up under cover

Love's taking over...

Story Mix[]

Get it(?)

So (Yeah!) the girl was standing there in the sun, 
In the late evening English Summer sun, 
Standing in the dirt, in the grease, in the sun 
In the dirt, in the grease, in the sun

He saw her standing there...
And she looked at him
And she looked into him
And she looks into his face
In the dirt, in the sun 

(laughter) Come on sun,
Aint you gonna show me, nothing but surrender?

And he knows... and he knows... 
Yeah he knows there's nothing he has(?) he can do
And so he walks away

And he's walking out down by the cool... fly... river bed
In the heat, of the late English Summer sun

Seven(?)
Another snack on metal dream
God...she's hot! (Auuughha Aaaaahh)

Then a bit later on that evening, 
The men, are in a circle, 
And drinking and sweating, and cursing 
And breaking their balls, 
In The Sugar Shack
In the hot, 
Metal Sugar Shack

And the music playin'
And the music playin' on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on
"Hey man I just gotta get outside 'cus I can't take this no longer" (Aaarrr)

"Hey China, what are you doing here?"
"In just waiting for you... "
"Come on boy - I can lick you any time" (Arrhh) (Get him)
"Come on let's get him."
"Come on give it to me."

Do-do-doop and stop! (C'mon)
Do-do do-do-doop (give it up) (Heee, hip-hip-heeee)
Do-do (give it up) do-do-doop and stop! stop! stop!
(Heee, hip-hip-heeeee) - Get up, Get up, Get up (Get up, Get up, Get up)

I gotta know, 
I've got to know ya, 
I said I've got to know you now
And I've got to know ya, 
And I've got to know you now
Yet I get to know you 
'Cmon, Let me take you out of here

Urgh Urgh (Give it up) Urgh (Give it up, give it up, give it up) Urgh.

See also[]

DURAN DURAN
Simon Le BonNick RhodesJohn TaylorRoger Taylor
Andy TaylorWarren CuccurulloSterling Campbell
DISCOGRAPHY
ALBUMS

Duran DuranRioSeven and the Ragged TigerArenaNotoriousBig ThingLibertyDuran Duran (The Wedding Album)Thank YouMedazzalandPop TrashAstronautRed Carpet MassacreAll You Need Is NowPaper GodsFuture PastDanse Macabre

COMPILATIONS and EPs

CarnivalDecade: Greatest HitsGreatestNight Versions: The Essential Duran DuranStrange BehaviourSingles Box Set 1981-1985Singles Box Set 1986-1995From Mediterranea With Love

SINGLES

"Planet Earth" • "Careless Memories" • "Girls on Film" • "My Own Way" • "Hungry Like the Wolf" • "Save a Prayer" • "Rio"• "Is There Something I Should Know?" • "Union of the Snake" • "New Moon on Monday" • "The Reflex" • "The Wild Boys" • "A View to a Kill" • "Notorious" • "Skin Trade" • "Meet El Presidente" • "I Don't Want Your Love" • "All She Wants Is" • "Do You Believe in Shame?" • "Burning the Ground" • "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" • "Serious" • "Ordinary World" • "Come Undone" • "Too Much Information" • "Perfect Day" • "White Lines" • "Out of My Mind" • "Electric Barbarella" • "Someone Else Not Me" • "(Reach Up for The) Sunrise" • "What Happens Tomorrow" • "Nice" • "Falling Down • "All You Need Is Now • "Girl Panic! • "Leave A Light On • "Pressure Off" • "Five Years" • "Invisible" • "More Joy" • "Anniversary" • "Tonight United" • "Give It All Up " • "Danse Macabre" • "Black Moonlight"

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