Red Carpet Massacre
Encyclopedia
Red Carpet Massacre is the 12th studio album by English pop rock
band Duran Duran
. It was released on 19 November 2007 in Europe, and on the 13th in the United States.
Most of the music on the current incarnation of the album was completed in late 2006 after the departure of band member Andy Taylor
, when music producer Timbaland
began working with the band.
For the week of 19 November, Red Carpet Massacre debuted at #36 on the U.S. Billboard 200
chart, selling about 29,000 copies in its first week. However, the following week the album fell to #116. For the week of 26 November, the album debuted at #44 in the UK, becoming the 2nd poorest UK Chart entry in the band's career, after Pop Trash
from 2000. The album entered the Italian chart at #10. As of 2 May 2008, the album has moved 88,000 copies in the U.S. The album spent only three consecutive weeks in the Billboard 200
chart.
It was the band's second and final album released with Epic Records
. The band parted ways with Sony Music in 2009.
between September 2005 and April 2006. Roger Taylor said in March 2006, "The record will be in some ways a homage to our roots as a band, more direct and a return to our dance and 'new wave' origins", and that they had brought fifteen tracks to near completion.
The record was provisionally titled Reportage
and expected in late May 2006 with a summer tour to follow, but as reported in Billboard
, the new album was delayed as guitarist Andy Taylor
had a falling-out with the rest of the band for unknown reasons, and eventually the material was shelved altogether in favour of recording Red Carpet Massacre.
In early October, vocalist Simon Le Bon
announced that the band had recorded three songs with famed hip hop producer Timbaland
, his protégé Nate "Danja" Hills and engineer Jimmy Douglass
at Manhattan Center Studios during September. Trade magazine Billboard
reported that one of those tracks was "Nite-Runner", featuring Justin Timberlake
, which at the time was expected to be the first single from the album. Two additional songs on which the band worked with Timbaland were titled "Skin Divers" and "Zooming In". Also mentioned were two other tracks: "48 Hours Later" and "Transcendental Mental", that were not used on the album.
did not perform at any of Duran Duran's October shows and had not participated during the New York sessions with Timbaland, and on October 25, a message posted on the band's site announced: "As of last weekend [...] the four of us have dissolved our partnership and will be continuing as Duran Duran without Andy, as we have reached a point in our relationship with him where there is an unworkable gulf between us and we can no longer effectively function together."
Dominic Brown
, who had taken Taylor's place at several previous missed concerts in the past, was hired as Duran Duran's guitarist, taking part in the recording sessions. Brown has since performed with the band as their full-time touring guitarist.
Taylor told Rolling Stone
magazine that he was in favour of a more electric sound, whereas Simon Le Bon wanted to go in a different direction involving people like Justin Timberlake
, and Timbaland
. In addition, Taylor wrote in his autobiography that in the renewed bickering between himself, Nick Rhodes and Simon LeBon grew worse, and it was not helped by Taylor's emotional state following the death of his father, later diagnosed as clinical depression.
According to Taylor's autobiography, the final straw came when he discovered that the band's management had not been able to secure a working visa for him to record in the United States. The other band members maintained that they fully expected him to show up for the recording session with Timbaland, but that he became incommunicado and was unreachable by phone or e-mail, leaving them no choice but to continue on without him.
Following the New York sessions in September, Duran Duran moved to Metropolis Studios in London with Danja and Douglass for the next sessions. According to tabloid newspaper The Sun, in March 2007 Duran Duran had one track left that needed a female vocal, and they were trying to arrange to work with Nelly Furtado
, Lily Allen
and/or Britney Spears
. Ultimately, a female vocal on the album never came to be, however.
In June, Duran Duran announced on their official website that they were recording yet another track with Justin Timberlake, titled "Falling Down
". However, it was "Nite-Runner" that the band decided to debut live at the much-anticipated fan-club only Hammerstein Ballroom
concert in New York City
on 17 June, and Le Bon was still touting it as the probable first single in a post to the band's official website. Several other album tracks ("The Valley", "Red Carpet Massacre", "Skin Divers" and "Box Full O' Honey") were played over the sound system at the concert, but were not performed live.
Following the New York concert and a listening party for the media at which the album title was announced, band members Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor went back to England to work on some mixes for the album and perform at the Concert for Diana
and the Live Earth
concerts in London. They completed one more recording session in New York and then returned to London to put the finishing touches on the album before its release.
Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor slammed Sony for turning the work on their 2007's album Red Carpet Massacre into "a nightmare". According to him, the record label wanted to make their record "a bit pop" and forced them to collaborate with Timbaland, which turned out to be a painful experience.
"We delivered an album to Sony that was a natural-sounding, almost rock album, and they were like: "We need something a bit pop, do you fancy doing a couple of tracks with Timbaland?" That whole project was a nightmare", he claimed.
Roger Taylor added: "The thing was, we got an opportunity to work with Timbaland, so we thought: "Great, let's go for it". When Timbaland saw the guitar and the bass and the drums come in to the studio, I think he was mortified, because everything's in a box for those guys".
This is slight at odds with the interviews with the band on the DVD which came with the Deluxe Edition of the album. In it they praise Timberlake, Timbaland as well as producer Danja.
has sold fewer copies.
B.
C.
D.
The Vinyl edition is limited to 2000 numbered copies and is pressed on red vinyl.
With:
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band Duran Duran
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 on 19 November 2007 in Europe, and on the 13th in the United States.
Most of the music on the current incarnation of the album was completed in late 2006 after the departure of band member Andy Taylor
Andy Taylor (guitarist)
Andy Taylor is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a member of Duran Duran and The Power Station....
, when music producer Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
began working with the band.
For the week of 19 November, Red Carpet Massacre debuted at #36 on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling about 29,000 copies in its first week. However, the following week the album fell to #116. For the week of 26 November, the album debuted at #44 in the UK, becoming the 2nd poorest UK Chart entry in the band's career, after 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...
from 2000. The album entered the Italian chart at #10. As of 2 May 2008, the album has moved 88,000 copies in the U.S. The album spent only three consecutive weeks in the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart.
It was the band's second and final album released with Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. The band parted ways with Sony Music in 2009.
Early sessions
The band did its initial recording for its follow-up to Astronaut with producer Michael PattersonMichael Patterson (producer)
Michael Patterson is an American record producer and mixer. He has worked on the critically and commercially acclaimed albums Midnite Vultures by Beck , Life After Death by Notorious B.I.G, the debut album by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, B.R.M.C. , and dark pop duo She Wants Revenge's first...
between September 2005 and April 2006. Roger Taylor said in March 2006, "The record will be in some ways a homage to our roots as a band, more direct and a return to our dance and 'new wave' origins", and that they had brought fifteen tracks to near completion.
The record was provisionally titled Reportage
Reportage (album)
Reportage is the provisional title of an album that the British band Duran Duran wrote and recorded as successor to their 2004 album Astronaut.Not to be confused with the Duran Duran Bootleg CD "Reportage Mountebank"....
and expected in late May 2006 with a summer tour to follow, but as reported in Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, the new album was delayed as guitarist Andy Taylor
Andy Taylor (guitarist)
Andy Taylor is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a member of Duran Duran and The Power Station....
had a falling-out with the rest of the band for unknown reasons, and eventually the material was shelved altogether in favour of recording Red Carpet Massacre.
In early October, vocalist 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:...
announced that the band had recorded three songs with famed hip hop producer Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, his protégé Nate "Danja" Hills and engineer Jimmy Douglass
Jimmy Douglass
Jimmy Douglass is an American four-time Grammy winning recording engineer and record producer, whose prolific career has spanned more than four decades.-Career:...
at Manhattan Center Studios during September. Trade magazine Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
reported that one of those tracks was "Nite-Runner", featuring Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, which at the time was expected to be the first single from the album. Two additional songs on which the band worked with Timbaland were titled "Skin Divers" and "Zooming In". Also mentioned were two other tracks: "48 Hours Later" and "Transcendental Mental", that were not used on the album.
Andy Taylor leaves the band
Andy TaylorAndy Taylor (guitarist)
Andy Taylor is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a member of Duran Duran and The Power Station....
did not perform at any of Duran Duran's October shows and had not participated during the New York sessions with Timbaland, and on October 25, a message posted on the band's site announced: "As of last weekend [...] the four of us have dissolved our partnership and will be continuing as Duran Duran without Andy, as we have reached a point in our relationship with him where there is an unworkable gulf between us and we can no longer effectively function together."
Dominic Brown
Dominic Brown
Dominic "Dom" Brown is a London-based guitarist and singer-songwriter who has worked with many popular musicians, including Duran Duran, Elton John, Lionel Richie and Take That. He has also done both studio and live recordings with Justin Timberlake, Liam Gallagher and the Sugababes, along with...
, who had taken Taylor's place at several previous missed concerts in the past, was hired as Duran Duran's guitarist, taking part in the recording sessions. Brown has since performed with the band as their full-time touring guitarist.
Taylor told Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine that he was in favour of a more electric sound, whereas Simon Le Bon wanted to go in a different direction involving people like Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, and Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
. In addition, Taylor wrote in his autobiography that in the renewed bickering between himself, Nick Rhodes and Simon LeBon grew worse, and it was not helped by Taylor's emotional state following the death of his father, later diagnosed as clinical depression.
According to Taylor's autobiography, the final straw came when he discovered that the band's management had not been able to secure a working visa for him to record in the United States. The other band members maintained that they fully expected him to show up for the recording session with Timbaland, but that he became incommunicado and was unreachable by phone or e-mail, leaving them no choice but to continue on without him.
Remaking the album
The band decided to rewrite the whole album following Taylor's departure. Fourteen songs had been completed for Reportage but according to Simon Le Bon: “When we sat down and listened to what we had done on our own, we didn’t feel we had a lead track, so we got in touch with Timbaland, who was the only producer out there that we knew we all liked."Following the New York sessions in September, Duran Duran moved to Metropolis Studios in London with Danja and Douglass for the next sessions. According to tabloid newspaper The Sun, in March 2007 Duran Duran had one track left that needed a female vocal, and they were trying to arrange to work with Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
, Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
and/or Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
. Ultimately, a female vocal on the album never came to be, however.
In June, Duran Duran announced on their official website that they were recording yet another track with Justin Timberlake, titled "Falling Down
Falling Down (Duran Duran song)
"Falling Down" is a single by English band Duran Duran from Duran Duran's 2007 album Red Carpet Massacre, and was sent to radio and available to download from iTunes USA on . It was recorded in two sessions in Blueprint Studios, Manchester and Sarm Studios, London...
". However, it was "Nite-Runner" that the band decided to debut live at the much-anticipated fan-club only Hammerstein Ballroom
Hammerstein Ballroom
The Hammerstein Ballroom is a two-tiered, 12,000 square feet ballroom located within the Manhattan Center Studios on 311 West 34th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America. It is known for its elegant appearance and excellent acoustical design...
concert in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on 17 June, and Le Bon was still touting it as the probable first single in a post to the band's official website. Several other album tracks ("The Valley", "Red Carpet Massacre", "Skin Divers" and "Box Full O' Honey") were played over the sound system at the concert, but were not performed live.
Following the New York concert and a listening party for the media at which the album title was announced, band members Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor went back to England to work on some mixes for the album and perform at the Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana was a concert held at the then new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday; 31 August that year brought the 10th anniversary of her death...
and the Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
concerts in London. They completed one more recording session in New York and then returned to London to put the finishing touches on the album before its release.
Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor slammed Sony for turning the work on their 2007's album Red Carpet Massacre into "a nightmare". According to him, the record label wanted to make their record "a bit pop" and forced them to collaborate with Timbaland, which turned out to be a painful experience.
"We delivered an album to Sony that was a natural-sounding, almost rock album, and they were like: "We need something a bit pop, do you fancy doing a couple of tracks with Timbaland?" That whole project was a nightmare", he claimed.
Roger Taylor added: "The thing was, we got an opportunity to work with Timbaland, so we thought: "Great, let's go for it". When Timbaland saw the guitar and the bass and the drums come in to the studio, I think he was mortified, because everything's in a box for those guys".
This is slight at odds with the interviews with the band on the DVD which came with the Deluxe Edition of the album. In it they praise Timberlake, Timbaland as well as producer Danja.
Singles
"Falling Down" was the first, and ultimately only single released from the album. "Skin Divers" was planned to be released as the second single. "Nite-Runner" was also planned to be the possible lead single from the album. It is unknown why it was shelved.Release and Reception
The album received mixed reviews from critics, and is second lowest-selling Duran Duran album in the band's history. Only Pop TrashPop 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...
has sold fewer copies.
Track listing
Deluxe Edition DVD
Consists of videos showing the making of the album.- "The Album"
- "The Artwork"
- "The Video" - the making of the "Falling DownFalling DownFalling Down is a 1993 crime-drama film directed by Joel Schumacher. The film stars Michael Douglas in the lead role of William Foster , a divorcee and unemployed former defense engineer...
" music video - "The Campaign"
- "The Out-Takes"
Vinyl Edition
A.- "The Valley" – 4:57
- "Red Carpet Massacre" – 3:17
- "Nite-Runner" (co-written, produced and featuring TimbalandTimbalandTimothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
& Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
) – 3:58
B.
- "Falling DownFalling Down (Duran Duran song)"Falling Down" is a single by English band Duran Duran from Duran Duran's 2007 album Red Carpet Massacre, and was sent to radio and available to download from iTunes USA on . It was recorded in two sessions in Blueprint Studios, Manchester and Sarm Studios, London...
" (co-written, produced and featuring Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
) – 5:41 - "Box Full O' Honey" – 3:10
- "Skin Divers" (co-written, produced and featuring TimbalandTimbalandTimothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
) – 4:24 - "Tempted" – 4:22
C.
- "Tricked Out" – 2:45
- "Zoom In" (co-written and produced with TimbalandTimbalandTimothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
& Danjahandz) – 3:25 - "She's Too Much" – 5:30
D.
- "Cry Baby Cry" – 3:57
- "Dirty Great Monster" – 3:40
- "Last Man Standing" – 4:05
The Vinyl edition is limited to 2000 numbered copies and is pressed on red vinyl.
Performances
Duran Duran are:- Simon Le BonSimon Le BonSimon 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:...
- vocals - John Taylor - bass
- Nick RhodesNick RhodesNick Rhodes is an English musician, is best known as the keyboardist of the pop rock band Duran Duran...
- keyboards - Roger Taylor - drums
With:
- Dominic BrownDominic BrownDominic "Dom" Brown is a London-based guitarist and singer-songwriter who has worked with many popular musicians, including Duran Duran, Elton John, Lionel Richie and Take That. He has also done both studio and live recordings with Justin Timberlake, Liam Gallagher and the Sugababes, along with...
- guitars - Simon Willescroft - saxophone on track 11
- Marcella AraicaMarcella AraicaMarcella Araica is an American recording and mixing engineer, who has recorded and mixed tracks for artists including Britney Spears, Madonna, Pink, Duran Duran and Keri Hilson.-Biography:...
- additional programming on track 1 - Terri WalkerTerri WalkerTerri Walker is an English R&B and soul singer–songwriter. Walker has released three albums in the United Kingdom, Untitled, L.O.V.E, and I Am. She also provided the majority of the vocals for Shanks & Bigfoot's debut album Swings & Roundabouts...
- additional vocals on track 6 - Jim BeanzJim BeanzJames David Washington, better known under his stage name Jim Beanz, is an American vocal producer, songwriter, musician, singer and record producer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, now working out of Philadelphia, signed to Timbaland Productions and Sunset Entertainment Group...
- additional vocals on tracks 3 & 10 - Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
- additional vocals on tracks 3 & 4 - TimbalandTimbalandTimothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
- additional vocals on tracks 3 & 6
Production
- Duran DuranDuran DuranDuran 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...
- producer - Danja - producer
- TimbalandTimbalandTimothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
- producer on tracks 3, 6 & 9 - Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
- producer on tracks 3 & 4 - Jim BeanzJim BeanzJames David Washington, better known under his stage name Jim Beanz, is an American vocal producer, songwriter, musician, singer and record producer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, now working out of Philadelphia, signed to Timbaland Productions and Sunset Entertainment Group...
- vocal production on tracks 5, 9, 10, 11 & 12 - Jimmy DouglassJimmy DouglassJimmy Douglass is an American four-time Grammy winning recording engineer and record producer, whose prolific career has spanned more than four decades.-Career:...
- producer, engineer, mixer - Matthew HagerMatthew HagerMatthew Hager is a multi platinum American record producer, musician and songwriterOriginally from Houston, Texas Hager now lives in Los Angeles. Before moving to Los Angeles, Hager studied at the prestigious Berklee College Of Music...
- engineer on "Falling Down" and mixer on "Cry Baby Cry"
Release history
| Country | Release date |
|---|---|
| United States | 13 November 2007 |
| Europe | 19 November 2007 |
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... |
36 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
44 | |
External links
- The Second Supper Review of Red Carpet Massacre