Medazzaland
Encyclopedia
Medazzaland is the ninth album by British pop rock group Duran Duran
. It was released by Capitol Records
on in the U.S., where it reached #58 on the Billboard album chart. It was never officially released in Europe.
The album is the follow-up to the poorly-received covers
album Thank You
, and bassist John Taylor left the band in January 1997 before recording was complete. With only three members remaining – Nick Rhodes
, Simon Le Bon
and Warren Cuccurullo
– Duran Duran wrote and recorded several new tracks for the album, and re-recorded songs previously done with Taylor. His work remains on only four songs.
The dismal performance of the album led in part to the dissolution of the band's contract with EMI
after almost two decades. EMI gave the band ownership rights and the master tapes to the Medazzaland album, as well as several unreleased audio and videotapes of their 1995 and 1997 concerts. It was rumoured that the band would independently release the album in the UK, but they went on to sign with Hollywood Records
and released Pop Trash
instead. Medazzaland is only available in Europe as an import or digital download.
s in an attempt to get some songs onto popular movie soundtrack album
s. Paramount Pictures
eventually put "Out of My Mind" on the soundtrack for the Val Kilmer
film The Saint
. The single featured future Medazzaland track "Silva Halo" as a b-side, along with a discarded album track, "Sinner or Saint", the title referencing the movie.
In March 1997, the soundtrack and single for "Out of My Mind" were released internationally on Virgin Records
, marking the first time a Duran Duran release had been released on an imprint other than EMI/Parlophone/Capitol. The single peaked at #21 on the UK charts in May.
The music video for "Out of My Mind" was filmed by director Dean Karr
at Krumlov Castle in the city of Český Krumlov
, in the Czech Republic
. http://www.duranduran.sk/stories/fanstories_KrumlovENG.html
," (a nod to the film Barbarella
, from which the band took their name) was released on September 16 in the United States, and peaked at #52 on the Billboard Hot 100
on November 1.
It was touted as the first ever song available for digital purchase/download on the internet, and a handful of different mixes were created for the song. An 'exclusive' Dom T remix was made available for download in the US for 99 cents by the company Liquid Audio. However, this pioneering move annoyed many American retailers as they saw it as infringing on their retail territory and they either refused to stock the album or provided little to no promotion of the disc.
The music video, directed by Ellen Von Unwerth
, involved a robot sex doll
and had to be mildly censored before receiving airplay on MTV
or VH1
; by the time the modified video was delivered, the song had already fallen off the charts.
and Japan
. Due to poor sales, plans for a UK release were pushed back, and, later, shelved indefinitely. It has since never been physically released in any other area of the world, although in July 2008, the album was made available to buy digitally through iTunes Store
in Europe and the US.
This album was also available in Mexico, both in CD and cassette formats, and in Brazil.
The album's title was inspired by Le Bon's treatment with the mind-altering drug midazolam
during dental surgery, leaving him in a disconnected state for some time afterwards.
The music varies widely, from the sleazy bounce of "Electric Barbarella" and the dissonant "Big Bang Generation", to the bitter austerity of "Silva Halo" and the simple acoustic sweetness of "Michael You've Got a Lot to Answer For", concluding with the self-deprecating swagger of "Undergoing Treatment". Overall, the album has a heavily-layered, processed feel, with clear influences from the electronica
genre of the late 1990s. The back of the album cover features a defaced version of the iconic Rio
album sleeve.
Other notable songs on the album include "Medazzaland", the first Duran Duran song to feature Nick Rhodes, not Simon Le Bon, on vocals, and "So Long Suicide", a reaction to the death of Kurt Cobain
, among other things. The song "Buried in the Sand", with lyrics by Rhodes, was written about John Taylor's departure from the group. Le Bon has said that the song "Michael You've Got a Lot to Answer For", was written for his good friend Michael Hutchence
, former lead singer of the band INXS
. Hutchence died just a month after the album's release.
, Simon Le Bon
and Warren Cuccurullo
unless otherwise stated.
Bonus tracks:
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
. It was released by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
on in the U.S., where it reached #58 on the Billboard album chart. It was never officially released in Europe.
The album is the follow-up to the poorly-received covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
album Thank You
Thank You (Duran Duran album)
Thank You is a covers album by Duran Duran released in April 1995, their follow-up to 1993's Duran Duran . It did well on the charts , but was received very negatively by critics...
, and bassist John Taylor left the band in January 1997 before recording was complete. With only three members remaining – Nick Rhodes
Nick Rhodes
Nick Rhodes is an English musician, is best known as the keyboardist of the pop rock band Duran Duran...
, Simon Le Bon
Simon Le Bon
Simon John Charles Le Bon is an English musician, best known as the lead singer, lyricist and musician of the band Duran Duran and its offshoot, Arcadia.-Early life:...
and Warren Cuccurullo
Warren Cuccurullo
Warren Bruce Cuccurullo in Brooklyn, New York is an American rock musician who worked with Frank Zappa, was a founding member of Missing Persons, and has been a long term member of Duran Duran. He also has some notoriety in the porn industry after making nude appearances in a magazine and...
– Duran Duran wrote and recorded several new tracks for the album, and re-recorded songs previously done with Taylor. His work remains on only four songs.
The dismal performance of the album led in part to the dissolution of the band's contract with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
after almost two decades. EMI gave the band ownership rights and the master tapes to the Medazzaland album, as well as several unreleased audio and videotapes of their 1995 and 1997 concerts. It was rumoured that the band would independently release the album in the UK, but they went on to sign with Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
and released Pop Trash
Pop Trash
"Last Day on Earth" directs here. For the 2009 song by Kate Miller-Heidke, see The Last Day on EarthReleased in 2000, Pop Trash is Duran Duran's tenth album. The album marked their first release not under Capitol Records/EMI, with whom they'd been signed since 1981. It was also the last to...
instead. Medazzaland is only available in Europe as an import or digital download.
"Out of My Mind"
Prior to the album's release, the band shopped some of the tracks around Hollywood movie studioMovie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
s in an attempt to get some songs onto popular movie soundtrack album
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
s. Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
eventually put "Out of My Mind" on the soundtrack for the Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer
Val Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a...
film The Saint
The Saint (film)
The Saint is a 1997 film based on the character of Simon Templar created by Leslie Charteris in 1928 for a series of books published as "The Saint." The film stars Val Kilmer, Elisabeth Shue and Rade Šerbedžija...
. The single featured future Medazzaland track "Silva Halo" as a b-side, along with a discarded album track, "Sinner or Saint", the title referencing the movie.
In March 1997, the soundtrack and single for "Out of My Mind" were released internationally on Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, marking the first time a Duran Duran release had been released on an imprint other than EMI/Parlophone/Capitol. The single peaked at #21 on the UK charts in May.
The music video for "Out of My Mind" was filmed by director Dean Karr
Dean Karr
Dean Karr is an American photographer and music video, commercial, and film director.-Official biography:Director/Photographer Dean Karr's signature style, often copied but never...
at Krumlov Castle in the city of Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, best known for the fine architecture and art of the historic old town and Český Krumlov Castle...
, in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. http://www.duranduran.sk/stories/fanstories_KrumlovENG.html
"Electric Barbarella"
The lead single, "Electric BarbarellaElectric Barbarella
"Electric Barbarella" is the 29th single by Duran Duran, and the first official single from the album Medazzaland. In 1997, the single and album were released only in the United States; "Electric Barbarella" was not issued as a single in the UK until January 1999 on the back of the late 1998...
," (a nod to the film Barbarella
Barbarella (film)
Barbarella is a 1968 Franco-Italian science fiction film based on Jean-Claude Forrest's French Barbarella comics. The film was directed by Roger Vadim and stars Jane Fonda, who was Vadim's wife at the time.-Plot:...
, from which the band took their name) was released on September 16 in the United States, and peaked at #52 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
on November 1.
It was touted as the first ever song available for digital purchase/download on the internet, and a handful of different mixes were created for the song. An 'exclusive' Dom T remix was made available for download in the US for 99 cents by the company Liquid Audio. However, this pioneering move annoyed many American retailers as they saw it as infringing on their retail territory and they either refused to stock the album or provided little to no promotion of the disc.
The music video, directed by Ellen Von Unwerth
Ellen von Unwerth
Ellen von Unwerth is a photographer and director, specializing in erotic femininity. She worked as a fashion model for ten years herself before moving behind the camera, and now makes fashion, editorial, and advertising photographs.Ellen von Unwerth found fame when she first photographed Claudia...
, involved a robot sex doll
Robot fetishism
Robot fetishism is a fetishistic attraction to humanoid robots; also to people acting like robots or people dressed in robot costumes. A less common fantasy involves transformation into a robot...
and had to be mildly censored before receiving airplay on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
or VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
; by the time the modified video was delivered, the song had already fallen off the charts.
Album release
The album was eventually released on October 14, 1997, in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Due to poor sales, plans for a UK release were pushed back, and, later, shelved indefinitely. It has since never been physically released in any other area of the world, although in July 2008, the album was made available to buy digitally through iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
in Europe and the US.
This album was also available in Mexico, both in CD and cassette formats, and in Brazil.
The album's title was inspired by Le Bon's treatment with the mind-altering drug midazolam
Midazolam
Midazolam is a short-acting drug in the benzodiazepine class developed by Hoffmann-La Roche in the 1970s. The drug is used for treatment of acute seizures, moderate to severe insomnia, and for inducing sedation and amnesia before medical procedures. It possesses profoundly potent anxiolytic,...
during dental surgery, leaving him in a disconnected state for some time afterwards.
The music varies widely, from the sleazy bounce of "Electric Barbarella" and the dissonant "Big Bang Generation", to the bitter austerity of "Silva Halo" and the simple acoustic sweetness of "Michael You've Got a Lot to Answer For", concluding with the self-deprecating swagger of "Undergoing Treatment". Overall, the album has a heavily-layered, processed feel, with clear influences from the electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
genre of the late 1990s. The back of the album cover features a defaced version of the iconic Rio
Rio (album)
Rio is the second studio album by the British rock band Duran Duran, originally released worldwide on 10 May 1982. It reached #2 in the UK and #1 in Australia....
album sleeve.
Other notable songs on the album include "Medazzaland", the first Duran Duran song to feature Nick Rhodes, not Simon Le Bon, on vocals, and "So Long Suicide", a reaction to the death of Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
, among other things. The song "Buried in the Sand", with lyrics by Rhodes, was written about John Taylor's departure from the group. Le Bon has said that the song "Michael You've Got a Lot to Answer For", was written for his good friend Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian musician and actor. He was the founding lead singer-songwriter of rock band :INXS from 1977 to his death in 1997, a period of twenty years. Hutchence was a member of short-lived pop rock group Max Q and recorded solo material which was released...
, former lead singer of the band INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
. Hutchence died just a month after the album's release.
Track listing
All tracks written by Nick RhodesNick Rhodes
Nick Rhodes is an English musician, is best known as the keyboardist of the pop rock band Duran Duran...
, Simon Le Bon
Simon Le Bon
Simon John Charles Le Bon is an English musician, best known as the lead singer, lyricist and musician of the band Duran Duran and its offshoot, Arcadia.-Early life:...
and Warren Cuccurullo
Warren Cuccurullo
Warren Bruce Cuccurullo in Brooklyn, New York is an American rock musician who worked with Frank Zappa, was a founding member of Missing Persons, and has been a long term member of Duran Duran. He also has some notoriety in the porn industry after making nude appearances in a magazine and...
unless otherwise stated.
- "Medazzaland" (John Taylor, Rhodes, Le Bon, Cuccurullo) – 3:53
- "Big Bang Generation" (Taylor, Rhodes, Le Bon, Cuccurullo) – 4:44
- "Electric Barbarella" – 5:19
- "Out of My Mind" – 4:20
- "Who Do You Think You Are?" – 3:27
- "Silva Halo" – 2:28
- "Be My Icon" – 5:15
- "Buried in the Sand" – 4:19
- "Michael You've Got a Lot to Answer For" – 4:09
- "Midnight Sun" (Taylor, Rhodes, Le Bon, Cuccurullo) – 3:41
- "So Long Suicide" – 4:39
- "Undergoing Treatment" – 3:05
Bonus tracks:
- "Ball and Chain" (Taylor, Rhodes, Le Bon, Cuccurullo) – 3:58 (Japan bonus track)
Personnel
Duran Duran are:- Simon Le Bon - vocals
- Warren Cuccurullo - guitar (plus bass on tracks 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12)
- Nick Rhodes - keyboards (plus vocals on track 1)
Other credits
- John Taylor - bass on tracks 1, 2, 10 and 13
- Steve Alexander - drums
- Anthony J. RestaAnthony J. RestaAnthony J. Resta is an American record producer and musician. A multi-instrumentalist, he is a known for his use of vintage audio gear in creating expansive sonic atmospheres. He has earned twelve RIAA certified gold and multi-platinum awards and has been featured in many articles for his...
- drums, programming, mixing, additional production - Tim GarlandTim GarlandTim Garland is a British jazz saxophonist, composer and band-leader. He is also known for his innovative bass clarinet playing and for his prolific output as composer, blurring the boundaries between modern jazz and classical concert music.As a performer, he has worked widely both in Britain and...
- treated soprano sax solo - Talvin SinghTalvin SinghTalvin Singh Matharoo , is a producer and composer and tabla player, known for creating an innovative fusion of Indian classical music and drum and bass...
- tabla and santoor - Jake Shapiro - cello
- Sally Stapleton, Madeleine Farley - background vocals