New Mixes for the "New Album"

Within the My Mixes 2 & My Mixes 3 tabs--you can now listen to my brand new mixes; 'All You Need is Now ('N' then Mix)', & 'The Man Who Stole a Leopard (X'tended Roar Mix)'!

Enjoy these two extended versions from the new album "All You Need Is Now"--

my christmas gift to you all!

To all of those who are enjoying their float:

Pick one song and take a vote.

And if one song is way too less
Listen to two and try your best.

Read some quotes from Duran Duran,
Which I consider the greatest band.

Though a funny joke for once a week;
Still come by and take a peek.

Laughter, stories and so much more.
Art I drew and stuff galore!

This poem was written by DJ RootBeer.
Merry Christmas to all,

And a Happy New Year!

What I Think: Andy Taylor

Andy Taylor

Short Bio: British guitarist Andy Taylor rose to staggering heights of fame with Duran Duran in the mid-'80s. The son of a small-village fisherman, Taylor taught himself guitar, bass, and drums and began playing professionally at age 13. He'd already gigged with several bands (even releasing an A&M single, "Teenage Girls," with the group Motorway) when he answered a Melody Maker ad for a "live-wire guitarist" and hopped a train to Birmingham to audition for Duran Duran (Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor, and ultimately Simon Le Bon). The band's phenomenal video-fueled success shot Taylor and the other members into the teen heartthrob stratosphere.

Reference Site: http://music.aol.com/artist/andy-taylor/biography

My Opinion (on Andy): He is like me; down to earth and laid-back. Except for one thing: I don't own or play the guitar. Also, his accent is adorable (yes I can use that word, I'm not queer). His red jacket on "The Reflex" video is neat; I wouldn't mind owning that!

"Why-y-y-y-y don't you use it,
Try-y-y-y-y not to bruise it,
Buy-y-y-y-y time; don't lose it"

--a quote from the lyrics The Reflex

1984 Press Conference

Female Reporter: I wonder if I could ask you to tell me...
                           coming down the line; Andy, John,
                           Simon, Nick, Roger
                        ...when did you learn an instrument?
Andy: I learned to use my instrument... when I was...
John: *interrupted* Almost successful there?
Andy: ...five actually, but it was plastic at the time.
          But uh...but I...I got...I got a real one when I was eleven.
John: I was what you call, "a late developer".
      --I didn't pick up mine until I was about sixteen.
Simon: I was born with my instrument; and it just got
           used, sort of, again and again and again!
Nick: I started playing with mine when I was...
         *everyone laughs* ...seventeen.
Roger: Um! *Roger's thinking*
Andy: *interrupted* Roger still...
Simon: *interrupted Andy* Roger needs two hands for his!
           *everyone laughs hard*

What I Think: Roger Taylor

Roger Andrew Taylor

Short Bio: He was born in Birmingham, England and joined Duran Duran in 1979, and climbed with them to fame and fortune in the early 1980s. After their massive round-the-world tour in 1984, he was burned out and exhausted. He worked that year with Duran band mates Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes on the album So Red The Rose for their side project Arcadia, but that band never toured, and he did not participate in its promotion. He played a one-offshow with Duran at the Live Aid benefit concert in Philadelphia, but at the end of 1985, temporarily retired to the English countryside with his wife and children.

In 1994, he joined Duran Duran in France to play drums on a couple of tracks for the covers album Thank You.

In 1997, after his children were grown, Taylor began flirting with the music industry again. He briefly formed the band Freebass, which produced a single but never got a record deal.

In 2001, Taylor rejoined Duran Duran, as all five of the original members reunited to record new material.

Reference Site: http://www.biographybase.com/biography/Taylor_Roger.html

My Opinion (on Roger): He is a great drummer. I prefer his drumming in the "My Own Way (night remix)"--damn... that bass, and drum beat! But his drum moves in the "Planet Earth" video are to die for! :)

What I Think: John Taylor

Nigel Taylor (aka John Taylor)

Short Bio: Nigel John Taylor is most well known for his bass work in the popular band Duran Duran, which he also co-founded. As schoolboys, he and Nick would sit around and daydream about the band they would one day front. It was then that they finalized a timeline for the band: they were to play Hammersmith Odeon by 1982, Wembley Arena by 1983, and Madison Square Garden by 1984. They managed to accomplish their goal, and also became one of England's biggest acts worldwide.

Reference Site: www.imdb.com/name/nm0852616/bio

My Opinions (on John): His bass skills are out of this world. And his look: Suave and sophisticated; he could have been the next James Bond... if Simon hadn't stepped in (no offense).

Simon was forced to push 3 buttons--"Beep! Beep! Beep!"
Hot French Women: "Excuse me, aren't you..."
Simon: "Bon, Simon Le Bon!" lol

Did I forget to mention, John looks great in a hat!? :)

What I Think: Nick Rhodes

Nick Bates (aka Nick Rhodes)

Short Bio: Nick Rhodes was born in Mosley, a suburb of Birmingham, England, son of Sylvia and Roger Bates. Rhodes began playing guitar while still in school, sharing the aspiration of becoming a lead guitarist with neighborhood friend, John Taylor. Soon after, Rhodes also began teaching himself to play keyboards on a WASP synthesizer. Rhodes left school at sixteen, his first and only occupation outside of a band being as the disc jockey for the Rum Runner dance club in Birmingham, where he and Taylor established the core that would evolve into Duran Duran.

Reference Site: www.imdb.com/name/nm0005353/bio

My Opinion (on Nick Rhodes): He plays a mean keyboard. I didn't know he worked with Kajagoogoo--who knew! :) lol His hair do!? Let's not go there. He's part of a perfect new wave group; so I got to give him props for that. :) What else? I guess his hairdo is okay, so forgive me people! I'm not that big on Nick--so don't hate me for that!

What I Think: Simon Le Bon

Simon Le Bon

Short Bio: Singer, songwriter. Born on October 27, 1958, in Bushey, England. As the lead singer of Duran Duran, Simon Le Bon became one of the leading pop icons of the 1980s. As a child, he sang in a church choir but was even more interested in acting. Le Bon started out as a model and appeared in commercials and plays, according to People magazine. After graduating high school, he spent some time in Israel, working on a kibbutz. Le Bon returned England where he studied drama at the University of Birmingham.

Reference Site: www.biography.com/articles/Simon-Le-Bon-263868

My Opinions (on Simon): Great wardrobe; in fact, I give him 8/10 Stars! I loved his outfit in the 'The Reflex' video--the black-and-white jacket is to die for. And those gloves; AWESOME!!!

His outfit on the first Duran Duran album called, 'Duran Duran' (go figure); is pretty dang cool!
It's puffy, and almost overboard--but heck, I care not! lol

Duran Duran: What got me into them!?

Well, a while back in the Summer of 2002; I first heard their music (not knowing who did the songs). I first heard, "A View to a Kill"--me, and my sisters liked it very much (I have five sisters, by-the-way). Then next, "Union of the Snake"--I recorded this song on tape. I actually heard "Come Undone" first (sometime in 1998 or '99) but it feels like I never even heard it then; though I know I did. I also heard "Girls on Film" and "The Reflex"--but not too sure in what order.

I've already mentioned about when, and why I mixed music (stated in my post 'Intro'); but not so much about what I used to do so. I had this crappy 5-Disk changer, which played music in stereo quite nicely. It played it in "Wide Stereo", as a matter of fact, but it quit working the first two weeks I've used it. I used it to record CD tracks onto tape--to produce my mixes. Hard?: Yes!
Did I enjoy it?: Yes, as well! Would I ever do it again?: No (computer software is much easier)!

I started to like Duran Duran music since June of 2003--liked them ever since! Their style of fashion, mixed with their passion for music; made me crave them even more. So, to this day, I do--and who knows, maybe beyond that!