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Rio (Duran Duran album)

January 06, 2023

Rio is the second studio album by English new wave band Duran Duran, released on 10 May 1982 through EMI Records. The band wrote and demoed most of the material before recording the album at AIR Studios in London from January to March 1982. Colin Thurston returned from their 1981 self-titled debut studio album as producer. The band utilised more experimentation compared to the debut, from vibraphone and marimba to the sound of a cigarette being lit and cracking ice cubes. Andy Hamilton played a saxophone solo on "Rio".

Rio
Studio album by
Duran Duran
Released10 May 1982 (1982-05-10)
RecordedJanuary–March 1982
StudioAIR (London)
GenreNew wave
Length42:38
LabelEMI
ProducerColin Thurston
Duran Duran chronology
Singles from Rio
  1. "Hungry Like the Wolf"
    Released: 4 May 1982
  2. "Save a Prayer"
    Released: 9 August 1982
  3. "Rio"
    Released: 1 November 1982

A new wave album with musical elements ranging from dance to synth-pop, Rio is mostly composed of fast, upbeat numbers, along with a couple slower synthesiser-based ballads. Lead vocalist Simon Le Bon's obtuse lyrics cover topics from chasing one's dreams to pursuing a love interest. Bassist John Taylor conceived the album title, which the band felt represented the optimistic and exotic tone of the album. The cover artwork, painted by Patrick Nagel and designed by Malcolm Garrett to resemble 1950s cigar packaging, is considered one of the greatest of all time.

Duran Duran shot music videos for many of the album's tracks, all of which helped spearhead the 1980s MTV revolution. Accompanied by three worldwide hit singles, Rio peaked at number two in the United Kingdom and remained in the chart for 110 weeks. Initially unsuccessful in the United States, the album was remixed, as commissioned by Capitol Records, to better match American radio at the time; the remixed album spent 129 weeks on the Billboard chart and peaked at number six. The band toured the US and Europe throughout the latter half of 1982.

Despite its commercial success, Rio initially received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, who commended the melodies but were mostly distasteful towards the lyrics. Nevertheless, retrospective reviewers consider Rio Duran Duran's best work and praise its timelessness, instrumentation and band performances. With the album, Duran Duran were forerunners in the Second British Invasion of the 1980s, helping ensure the success of other English artists throughout the decade. It has since made appearances on best-of lists and has been reissued several times.

Background and development

Duran Duran released their self-titled debut studio album in June 1981.[1] Aided by the album's highly successful third single "Girls on Film", the album peaked at number three in the UK and remained in the charts for over two years.[2] With the album, Duran Duran had established themselves as one of the biggest new pop groups of 1981.[1] Around July, their management instructed them to start writing songs for their second studio album.[3] Like their debut studio album, the band spent time writing at the Rum Runner in Birmingham—their resident nightclub—as according to Rhodes, "We didn't have very big budgets, we were on time constraints, and we felt that that was the best way to develop our songwriting."[4] Nevertheless, the band's label, EMI Records, doubled their budget for the second studio album.[5] Feeling pressure in England, the band briefly withdrew to a secluded château in France to continue writing.[6] Keyboardist Nick Rhodes later stated:[7]

When we went into the rest of the writing to prepare the Rio album, we hadn't really had time to think about the success that we'd achieved with the first album. We'd already moved on, and we'd got some songs that we thought were as good, if not better, than some of the songs on the first album already.

On 28 August 1981,[8] Duran Duran recorded demos of several songs that would appear on their next studio album, including "Last Chance on the Stairway", "My Own Way", "New Religion" and "Like an Angel", at the basement studio of EMI's Manchester Square building.[a][4] According to bassist John Taylor, the demo of "Last Chance on the Stairway" was identical to the final studio album version, while "My Own Way" and "New Religion" both had different arrangements.[b][9] This version of "My Own Way" was dance-inspired and featured bursts of electric guitar, a different bassline and pattering percussion. Dissatisfied with this version, the band rerecorded the song during the official sessions.[4] An early version of "The Chauffeur" was also taped with German sound engineer Renate Blauel.[10]

 
 
Several tracks were written in collaboration by guitarist Andy Taylor (left, in 1985) and keyboardist Nick Rhodes (right, in 2012).

Both "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Save a Prayer" were the result of collaborations between Rhodes and guitarist Andy Taylor; Rhodes began on synthesiser, which Andy used to fashion into guitar riffs. The latter later commented, "When we wrote 'Hungry', I knew we had the album right."[4] The band taped demos of "Save a Prayer" and "Lonely in Your Nightmare" at engineer Bob Lamb's home studio in Birmingham.[9] Having taped demos with Lamb before recording their debut studio album, Duran Duran cherished their work with Lamb, with Roger describing him as "like a father figure in those early days". The band would use the material recorded with Lamb for reference during the proper sessions, particularly for the sequenced-based tracks "Save a Prayer" and "The Chauffeur".[4]

Duran Duran continued promotional appearances and live performances throughout September and October 1981, including their first American tour.[11] With EMI wanting a new single,[12] the band returned to England and taped a new version of "My Own Way", boasting a disco and American R&B-influenced production,[9] with "Like an Angel" as the B-side. Released on 16 November 1981 in England only, the single peaked at number 14 and spent 11 weeks on the chart.[1] However, Rhodes disliked the single-only release: "It was the only time we actually sat down and said, 'Ok, we've got to write a hit single now'."[12] The band underwent the Careless Memories tour in December, which featured 17 sold-out dates,[1] including three shows at the Birmingham Odeon with Talk Talk, before taking a holiday break.[7]

Recording

The recording sessions for Rio commenced in January 1982 at London's AIR Studios and lasted six to eight weeks. The members rented apartments in close vicinity to AIR during the duration of the sessions. Colin Thurston returned from their debut studio album as producer and engineer.[4][5][10] The band were excited to record at AIR, having previously demoed "Girls on Film" there in July 1980. Founded by former Beatles producer George Martin, the studio boasted high-tech equipment that Rhodes, in particular, was thrilled to experiment with.[c] Spending large amounts of time learning production techniques with Thurston, the keyboardist was purportedly the first to arrive and last to leave.[6]

[Rio] was such a lovely, simple record to make. It wasn't massively overlaid with different tracks, or different edits. It was just literally as it was played.[4]

—Roger Taylor, 2021

According to John, all of the songs, except for "The Chauffeur", were fully arranged before recording began; "Rio" had been played during multiple sound checks. Recording followed the same template as the debut studio album, with the bass, drums and synthesiser parts recorded first, followed by guitar, keyboard overdubs and vocals.[9] The band recalled recording going by relatively easily.[4] Drummer Roger Taylor recorded his parts quickly and returned to Birmingham with his girlfriend, while John and Andy spent time at the Embassy Club on Old Bond Street during the sessions.[5] While at AIR, Paul and Linda McCartney, who were recording the former's album Tug of War (1982) in the adjacent studio, would stop by on occasion to say good night, a gesture Rhodes described as "very surreal";[4] John also listened back to a mix of the finished album with Paul.[9]

 
 
The sessions saw lead vocalist Simon Le Bon (left, in 2014) experiment with vibraphone and marimba, while drummer Roger Taylor (right, in 2011) used electronic drums over his acoustic set.

Having defined the majority of the arrangements before recording began, the band spent time sharpening their individual performances and also experimented with different sounds.[4][8] John played fretless bass on "Lonely in Your Nightmare",[6] while lead vocalist Simon Le Bon added vibraphone to "New Religion" and a marimba interlude to "Last Chance on the Stairway". In addition, the latter features the sound of a cigarette being lit and clinking glasses, both of which were done by Rhodes,[8] while "Hungry Like the Wolf" opens with a giggle from Rhodes's then-girlfriend Cheryl.[6] With Thurston, Roger melded accents from his Simmons' electronic drum kit to multiple tracks, hooking up the electronic tom-toms to his acoustic set. He explained in 2021: "I'd play an acoustic drum kit and just lay the Simmons over the top. [...] And I'm glad that we did that. ...it was great to have something modern coming through as part of the kit, but it didn't completely dominate the sound."[4]

Saxophonist Andy Hamilton plays the solo on "Rio".[6] Hamilton had previously contributed to the "night version" of Duran Duran's "Planet Earth" and played with Duran Duran on their 1981 European tour dates. He mostly improvised his part: "Luckily with 'Rio', there were only really two chords for most of the solo; it was only at the end where it changed. It wasn't that I had to negotiate overloads of chords. With 'Rio', I just played the first thing that came into my head and hoped that it worked."[4] Rhodes oversaw Hamilton's part, which he later described as "more of an integral melody within the song rather than a solo", leading it to be played the same way during concert performances.[4] The track's opening was created when Rhodes dropped metal rods onto the strings of the studio's grand piano and flipped the tape over, reversing the sound.[4]

"The Chauffeur" was created on the spot in the studio. During downtime, Rhodes retreated to an auxiliary studio room with Blauel, their tape operator, and crafted a track using keyboards and synthesisers. He also used the sound of an ice cube cracking and a conversation about nature for extra effects. Le Bon accompanied him and brought lyrics inspired by a 1979 visit to a kibbutz in Israel, further adding a melody on an ocarina.[4] The final track features no contributions from the three Taylors. The band also recorded an acoustic version without Rhodes, which appeared as a B-side to "Rio". The keyboardist later quipped, "I guess that was my punishment for have created an entirely electronic track."[4]

Mixing

The band were contracted to finish mixing the album by the end of March 1982 and were due to fly to Sri Lanka to film music videos before their tour of Australia commenced on 15 April. However, with the record still unfinished, Le Bon, John and Roger flew to Sri Lanka while Rhodes and Andy stayed in London with Thurston to make some last-minute tweaks; according to biographer Steve Malins, the trio worked for 48 hours straight. Once completed, Rhodes and Andy flew to Sri Lanka, the former listening to and analysing Rio the entire ride.[4][10][13][14]

Music and lyrics

It's a much more inward-looking album than the first album, [...] I think that Rio was much more about ourselves responding to each other, and the experiences that we were having, rather than what was going on outside us.[15]

—John Taylor on Rio

Musically, Rio is a new wave album[16][17][18] that contains elements of dance,[19] post-punk,[20] rock, disco, synth-pop and gothic rock.[8][21] According to author Stephen Davis, EMI wanted the band to change direction from their debut studio album, desiring more of a rock-edged dance groove, telling Thurston: "Think Led Zeppelin and Talking Heads having a baby and calling it Duran Duran."[6] The band's influences at the time included Roxy Music,[22][19] David Bowie, Japan, pre-Dare Human League and 1970s UK guitar rock.[8] AllMusic's Donald A. Guarisco, in particular, retrospectively compared the title track's instrumental to the Roxy Music releases Flesh and Blood (1980) and Avalon (1982), even associating Hamilton's saxophone solo to Andy Mackay's contributions to Roxy Music.[23] Rhodes later described the album's sound as "elegant punk".[10]

Of the album's nine tracks, its first seven ("Rio" to "Last Chance on the Stairway") are faster and more upbeat numbers, while the last two ("Save a Prayer" and "The Chauffeur") are slower and atmospheric synthesiser-based ballads.[10][24][25] Discussing the band members' playing on Rio in Ultimate Classic Rock, author Annie Zaleski described the rhythm section of John and Roger as "formidable" and "locked into grooves with nimble precision", with Rhodes' synthesisers adding "artsy textures" and Andy's "blazing guitar acrobatics" bringing "ferocity and heft" to the tracks;[8] Malins highlights "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "New Religion" as showcasing Andy's guitar.[10] The album's production is sparser than that of the debut studio album, although Rhodes felt its bouts of studio experimentation made the album definitively theirs: "It sounds like us – I don't think it sounds like anybody else."[10]

Le Bon turned to his experiences on their first American tour for inspiration in writing the album's lyrics.[6] In a nod to artists such as Joy Division and the Doors' Jim Morrison, the lyrics of Rio touch on topics from chasing one's dreams and finding one's place in the world, to pursuing a love interest and providing solace to a friend—mainly using dark and poetic words.[8][10] While the title track paints a picture of a girl named Rio with a "cherry ice cream smile" that is "too lovely to resist";[23] "Save a Prayer" concerns a couple's love affair that ends too soon and "The Chauffeur" conveys images of restive driving and attractive women.[24][25] Malins writes that Le Bon's lyrics are sometimes full of the "most obtuse tongue-twisters", with "New Religion" being presented as "a dialogue between the ego and the alter ego", but he does find the line "No time to worry cause we're on the roam again" in "Hold Back the Rain" perfectly encapsulates the album's "high spirits".[10] However, Guarisco argued that Le Bon's "stream-of-consciousness" lyrics on tracks like "Rio" and "The Chauffeur" primarily add to the tracks' personalities rather than mean anything "in the literal sense".[23][25]

Title and packaging

 
Bassist John Taylor (pictured in 2014) devised the album's title.

John Taylor came up with the album's title in 1981 during the band's non-stop worldwide tour in support of their debut studio album. Taylor, who had never left England before, was taken by the glamour and excitement of the road which included stops in Los Angeles, New York City, Paris and Berlin.[4] While visiting Brazil, he particularly became fascinated with the idea of exotica, stating in his memoir: "Rio, to me, was shorthand for the truly foreign, the exotic, a cornucopia of earthly delights, a party that would never stop."[9] The other band members liked the title, feeling it encapsulated the "more optimistic" tone of the entire album. Le Bon later said: "The word looks great, sounds great and makes people think of parties, rivers – it's Spanish for river! – foreign places and sunshine."[10]

Duran Duran themselves do not appear on the front cover of Rio, which was a stylistic departure from their debut studio album and most albums at the time; the band felt that photographs and the music videos would suffice. Instead, the cover artwork for Rio is a portrait of a woman with striking make-up, a large smile and black hair.[10][15] It was painted by artist Patrick Nagel, who was commissioned by the band after Paul Berrow discovered his work while browsing a Playboy magazine; Nagel was a regular contributor to the magazine at the time.[15][26] Creating what would become known as the artist's trademark style, Nagel presented two options: a woman with a flower in her hair sitting sideways and the chosen shot of a woman smiling. Rhodes later recalled, "We all said instantly: 'Yes, that's it. That's the cover."[15] Author Elena G. Millie described her as the "quintessential" 1980s woman: "elegant and sophisticated, alluring but cool, stark but sensual, mysterious, contradictory and utterly contemporary".[26]

Malcolm Garrett, who had designed the cover artworks for the band's singles and debut studio album,[1] had "no more than a week" to complete the final sleeve design. Garrett, who had yet to hear the title track at that point, stated: "In the same way that 'Planet Earth' made me think of airlines, Rio made me think of cigars and cigar packaging. The whole idea of something Latin and something Cuban and South American."[15] Disliking album sleeves at the time having a plain image on the front and nothing on the back, Garrett wrapped the painting around the front and back of the sleeve, later clarifying it was a conceptual choice: "You've got to go through the picture to get to the album."[27] Like cigar packaging, initial pressings had a physical sticker sealing the LP shut,[27] a design choice that was pasted directly onto the sleeve for later reissues. For the title's typeface, Garrett used a retro style that was also evocative of 1950s cigar packaging.[15] He received credit on the sleeve itself with "Assorted Images" integrated into the design. Duran Duran loved the finished design, with Rhodes later stating that "it just seemed to represent everything we wanted at that point."[15] Duran Duran would become closely associated with the sleeve's image over the course of their career.[28] The original drawing hung at Paul Berrow's office at the Rum Runner before the band stole it on their way to appear on Top of the Pops, after which the members each took turns hanging it in their respective houses or apartments.[10]

Garrett subsequently used the sleeve to establish a distinctive system of visual elements that provided "conceptual continuity" across Rio's advertising, tour materials, merchandise and singles, which he also supervised.[27] He later stated in 2000: "What we were doing with music then was always about creating and defining a visual world in which the fans operated and could come to understand."[29] Nagel's second rejected image later debuted on the Japanese single release of "My Own Way", released months ahead of Rio, in a mix-up between the band and the Japanese label. Rhodes later said: "No one had told the Japanese label that we hadn't actually bought that one."[30]

A lyric sheet and a band portrait appears in the LP liner.[28] Deliberately incongruous to the album title, the band chose to be photographed on the top of the British Petroleum Building, the tallest building in London at the time, against a modern nighttime skyline.[15] The band used the same wardrobe from the photo shoot—Antony Price suits—for the subsequent music videos.[28] Photographer Andy Earl recalled: "Because their music was so electronic, I wanted to try and create that energy in the picture. Just before the end of the exposure, I kicked the tripod, and that's what gives it this fizzy, electronic and glamorous look. Which, to me, captured the music and what they were all about."[15]

Promotion

Music videos

Music videos were shot for six of Rio's nine tracks. Russell Mulcahy, who had directed "Planet Earth", worked with the band on videos for "Hungry Like the Wolf", "Save a Prayer" and "Lonely in Your Nightmare" in Sri Lanka,[d] a video for "Rio" in Antigua a few weeks later and one for "The Chauffer" in London without the band's involvement; another video had been made for the single version of "My Own Way".[31] Former film student Marcello Anciano acted as storyboard artist and art director for all the videos.[10] The Sri Lanka videos emphasised the exotic location; "Hungry Like the Wolf" saw Le Bon cast as an Indiana Jones-type character, while "Save a Prayer" utilised elephants and found the band atop a mountain inspecting stone temples.[e][14] While there, Rhodes and John Taylor felt homesick, while Andy contracted a fever from the water, requiring his hospitalisation on his return to England. Andy was "very run-down" for the subsequent Australian and Japanese tours throughout the second half of April 1982 and had an oxygen mask at the side of the stage for the shows.[10][13][32] He fully recovered for the "Rio" shoot, which found the band sailing aboard yachts.[f][33]

Duran Duran earned a massive advance from EMI to film the videos, particularly the Sri Lanka ones, said to range between £30,000 and £55,000.[g] The label had strong faith in the band and wanted videos prepared in advance before Rio's release.[31] Both the band and EMI had ambitious plans for promotion and devised the release of a full-length video album consisting of the best songs from both Duran Duran (1981) and Rio.[10][31] Le Bon had declared the medium's importance in an interview with Smash Hits earlier in the year, stating, "I take video very seriously. I see it as an artform. Most people see it as a promotional device. [...] Videos are the 'talking pictures' of today's music industry."[10] Rhodes and Roger Taylor also spoke about it to the Associated Press in late-summer 1982.[31] Nevertheless, other band members were more reserved, particularly John.[34]

Although video albums originated as early as 1979, EMI's parent corporation, Thorn, intended for the proposed Duran Duran album to sell exquisitely in the VHS and home video markets. At the time, Britain saw the significance of music videos and, with programmes such as Top of the Pops in their native Britain, audiences were accustomed to watching bands perform on television.[31] In America however, music videos still played a lesser role in promotion, as American labels felt they were insignificant compared to radio. MTV, which launched in August 1981, would soon provide a shift in this perspective, primarily due to the videos of British bands they would play on the channel. One of MTV's original VJs, Alan Hunter, later stated that while American artists, such as Rod Stewart, took more literal approaches when producing videos, "the music of the young New Wave romantics [such as Duran Duran] lent itself better to a more ephemeral interpretation, or a little looser interpretation."[31] Commenting on the more stylised videos of England at the time, MTV director of promotion and artist relations John Sykes said:[31]

[English videos] looked like television commercials—highly styled television commercials, because [English bands] understood the platform. And that's why when Duran Duran came over, they basically paved the way for other artists, because they really set a tone and painted a picture that no one had ever seen before in this country.

Release

As the band were shooting the "Rio" video, EMI issued "Hungry Like the Wolf" as the lead single from the album on 4 May 1982.[35] Duran Duran mimed to the song on Top of the Pops nine days later. Entering the UK Singles Chart at number 35, it reached the top ten by the end of May,[15] and peaked at number five in late June.[10][36] Its accompanying video received frequent rotation on MTV by early July.[31]

Shortly after the lead single, EMI issued Rio on 10 May 1982.[8][20] It debuted at number four and peaked at number two by 22 May, behind the Madness greatest hits compilation album Complete Madness (1982).[15][35] Rio remained in the UK chart for 110 weeks, including 96 consecutive weeks until March 1984. Additionally, a tour EP generated publicity in Australia, with "Hungry Like the Wolf" and Rio both reaching the top ten.[15] In interviews, Duran Duran disassociated themselves with New Romanticism, with John Taylor insisting the band wanted to set themselves apart from "any broader movement", drawing comparisons to Spandau Ballet and Ultravox.[35]

Initial European tour dates were delayed to September 1982 due to Andy falling ill.[35] Instead, the band toured the US throughout July, attracting their largest audiences to date, later opening for Blondie for several dates throughout August.[37][38] "Save a Prayer" was released in England as the second single on 9 August 1982, backed by a remix of "Hold Back the Rain", which peaked at number two in the UK a couple of weeks later.[39] Before commencing the European tour, EMI issued An interview with Simon Le Bon as a 7" picture single, composed of interviews the singer made with Smash Hits and The Face.[40] During the tour, John injured his hand while in Munich, forcing the cancellation of several dates. He fully recovered before a month-long UK tour that commenced on 30 October. Two days later, "Rio" was released as a single in England and America, backed by "The Chauffeur" in the former and "Hold Back the Rain" in the latter, reaching number nine in the former by mid-November;[25][40] It failed to chart in the US as a single until 1985 as part of the live album Arena.[15]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Contemporary reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
The Philadelphia Inquirer     [41]
Record Mirror     [42]
Smash Hits5½/10[43]
The Village VoiceC−[44]

Rio received mixed-to-negative reviews on release. Critics commended the melodies but were mostly distasteful towards the lyrics.[h] Robin Denselow, in particular, mused in The Guardian: "Why do bands with no lyrical skill insist on printing their ghastly efforts on inside record sleeves?"[22] He meanwhile deemed the music "melodic, disposable pop to a best-selling formula".[22] A writer for Record Mirror bluntly described Rio as "thoroughly competent and yet bereft of the soul, passion and wit that makes a great record."[42] Allentown, Pennsylvania newspaper The Morning Call was also negative, finding the album "a pain in the butt to sit through".[47] NME's Paul Du Noyer found a lack of artistic differentiation from their debut studio album, stating, "What they've done is spin out the formula, quite efficiently."[45] Deeming Rio "a sweet, lumpy pudding of a noise", he concluded: "In its own blandly unambitious way, I guess, it's a perfect record. In other ways, it's boring as hell."[45] Meanwhile, Robert Christgau of The Village Voice deemed the LP "Anglodisco at its most solemnly expedient," feeling that "it lacks even the forced cheerfulness" of Haircut 100, and that "if it had as many hooks as A Flock of Seagulls (not bloody likely) it still wouldn't be silly enough to be any fun."[44] By late 1983, The New York Times had dismissed Duran Duran as soulless, musically derivative[48] and typical of the "frivolous dance-oriented synthesizer pop made by [British] fashion-conscious groups" that MTV had helped to popularise.[49]

Other reviewers were warmer to the record. Writing for Smash Hits, Fred Dellar gave praise to the first three tracks, commenting that they "had me jotting down theories about the new golden age of pop", but by the LP's end, it turned into "yet another well-dressed but not totally satisfying album".[43] In The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jack Lloyd wrote that Rio "indicates a strong feel for the pop market" and gave positive mentions to the instrumentation and accessible music.[41] A writer for Billboard agreed, describing the album as "catchy, melodic and accessible", with tunes hewing toward "bright and sassy pop".[50] A particularly positive review came from Melody Maker, wherein Steve Sutherland proclaimed Rio "the true culmination of the much-misunderstood New Romanticism – energetic, proud, enthusiastic, joyous; something to escape FULLY into." He expressed excitement in seeing where the band would go next.[46] Ira Robbins was also positive in Trouser Press, finding the music showcased the young band as an emerging and creative talent: "Even when Duran Duran aims for the b.p.m. crowd, they display enough musical perspicacity to avoid tedium."[19]

American remix

Rio's success in the UK, Australia and Japan initially went unmatched in the US.[51] Duran Duran's American label, Capitol Records, issued Rio through its Harvest subsidiary. This release debuted at number 164 on Billboard's Top LPs & Tape chart for the issue dated 5 June 1982,[50] eventually stalling out at number 122 in July before dropping out entirely by August.[15] Executives at Capitol, who primarily targeted straightforward rock artists such as Bob Seger, attributed geography, size and what they viewed as zero hit singles to Duran Duran's initial struggle to break in the States.[15][35] One executive even stated: "The only way you could break an album or a band was through radio—no other way."[15]

Discussing the band's lack of initial American success, Zaleski states that the radio landscape in 1982 was "competitive, but bland".[15] At the time, Billboard magazine wrote that advertisers primarily wanted to appeal to the 25- to 54-year-old demographic, resulting in music that was "softer, more conservative or just plain older". Furthermore, radio stations were skeptical of new and different sounds.[15] Radio consultant Lee Abrams argued that the new wave movement was initially aligned to punk rock, which lacked appeal to Americans, who wanted more uplifting beats and lyrics and polished sounds. Abrams observed that bands such as the Police and U2, who would go on to have massive US success, both had slow starts there: "The fact that those bands, among others, were perceived by American radio as new wave, thus punk, hurt their initial impact."[15] Nevertheless, various English bands began enjoying chart success in America that year; in July, Soft Cell reached the top ten with "Tainted Love", while the Human League were at their second week at number one with "Don't You Want Me" (both 1981).[15] Zaleski says that Duran Duran stood out in terms of fashion and overall look.[15]

With dwindling fortunes, Capitol ordered the band remix the album to better align with American radio, under the promise of more promotion.[8][52] With staff producer David Kershenbaum, the band remixed four songs: Rio's "Hold Back the Rain", "My Own Way", "Hungry Like the Wolf" and Duran Duran's "Girls on Film".[53] According to Davis, Kershenbaum's goal was to "make Duran Duran sound like Van Halen on an American pickup truck radio."[52] Andy Taylor states in his memoir that the new mix "gave the album a smoother, cleaner sound that went down better with US audiences", who were used to "slightly more precise sound" than what was developed in the UK.[5] John was unhappy with the remix, believing it represented the death of the band's original vision: "That was the end of Duran Duran, our original idea—an underground club band."[35] Additionally, due to a lack of notice and a financial falling out with Paul Berrow, Thurston parted ways with the band, making Rio his final work with the group.[54]

Capitol collected the remixes and released them as an EP in late September 1982 called Carnival. Packaged with several photos of the band and liner notes, Carnival earned Duran Duran radio play throughout the US, reaching at number 98 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart in early October.[52] Following the success of the Kershenbaum remixes, Capitol changed their marketing strategy, selling Duran Duran no longer as a New Romantic band but instead as a dance band. Additionally, Capitol commissioned Kershenbaum to remix the entire first side of the Rio album,[55] while the band toured the UK. In November,[56] Capitol issued the remixed Rio and "Hungry Like the Wolf" single in the US, the latter peaking at number three by Christmas. With all three music videos garnering heavy airplay on MTV and nationwide chart success, marketing executives pushed radio DJs to refer to Duran Duran as "the Fab Five".[i][57] The remixed Rio charted at number six on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart in March 1983 and went on to spend 129 weeks on the chart.[58][59]

Influence and legacy

The success of Rio electrified the already-rising Second British Invasion.[17][58][60] Alongside their contemporaries the Human League, A Flock of Seagulls, Culture Club and Thomas Dolby, Duran Duran reigned the American pop charts throughout 1983 and led to the rise of other would-be successful British acts, including Tears for Fears, Eurythmics, Naked Eyes and the Rhodes-discovered Kajagoogoo.[60] With Culture Club and Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran created a teen "hysteria" similar to Beatlemania during the first British Invasion.[61] Additional UK acts, including Wham!, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Pet Shop Boys and Dead or Alive, would find American success in the ensuing years, alongside other bands who originated in small clubs like Duran Duran—the Cure, Depeche Mode, the Psychedelic Furs and Echo & the Bunnymen. Bowie, Duran Duran's idol, also found massive commercial success in 1983 with Let's Dance.[60]

According to Zaleski, Rio's "sonic approach—blasing electric guitars blended with moody synthesisers—became the dominant template for mainstream 1980s rock"; bands such as INXS used Duran Duran and Rio as a basis for their edgier and funkier sound.[60] Discussing the album's impact, Yahoo! Music's Lyndsey Parker pondered: "Was there ever any album that embodied all things grand and glamorous about the escapist, excessive, exotic, erotic, aspirational '80s more than Duran Duran's Rio?"[62] Beyond the 1980s, artists who have replicated Rio's include the Killers, Mark Ronson and the AFI/No Doubt supergroup Dreamcar.[62]

Three decades after its release, John Taylor still held the album in high regard, stating in his 2012 memoir: "The writing on Rio is fantastic, all out. Essential Duran Duran." He also had high praise for the band's musicianship: "Every one of us is performing ... at the absolute peak of our talents. There is no showboating. Every part is thoughtful, considered, part of a greater whole."[9] Rhodes later admitted in 2022 that Rio was tough to top: "It's something that's been a double-edged sword for us, because it was such a powerful record, and perhaps the images from the videos stuck in people's minds. Then it came to the end of the 1980s, and people wanted to close the door on us."[62] Nevertheless, John felt Rio helped the band establish longevity beyond the 1980s, leading to a career spanning 15 albums and more than 100 million record sales. Speaking to Yahoo! Music, John stated: "It's been such an amazing journey, and I think Rio is probably the reason why we're still getting to do what we do today, basically. This is the album that put us on the map — and has kept us there."[62]

Retrospective appraisal

Professional ratings
Retrospective reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [63]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music     [64]
Pitchfork7.3/10[21]
PopMatters8/10[65]
Q     [66]
Record Collector     [58]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide     [67]
Spin Alternative Record Guide9/10[68]
Uncut8/10[69]

Retrospective reviews have been far more positive, with several critics declaring Rio Duran Duran's finest work.[j] Beyond the 2000s, commentators agreed the album has aged well,[k] with AllMusic's Ned Raggett declaring that "its fusion of style and substance ensures that even two decades after its release it remains as listenable and danceable as ever."[63] Zaleski argued that the band's use of basic instrumentation—guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals—ensured Rio sounded more timeless than other albums of the time. She summarised: "Rio was a testament to the band's chemistry and ambition, and how quickly they evolved as musicians."[8] In The Quietus, John Freeman concluded that over 30 years after its release, Rio "encompasses all anyone needs to know about Duran Duran".[20] In 2015, Record Collector's Mark Elliot deemed it a "seminal 80s classic" and a record that displays a band figuring out their sound, growing in confidence and "setting to conquer the world".[58]

Other reviewers have given praise to the band. Writing for Q magazine, Paul Moody viewed Rio as reinitiating Duran Duran's status as "a national pop treasure".[66] Pitchfork's Tom Ewing, who found the band simply copied their influences on their debut and their follow-up studio album Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983) a disappointment, stated that Rio "is where the band's hunger for success really catalyzed its mix of rock, disco, and heartthrob pop".[21] Uncut magazine's Wyndham Wallace found the album "confirms [the band] packed a significant punch",[69] while Robbins wrote in Trouser Press:[53]

Rio fulfills the band's potential and its pinnacle, displaying stronger songwriting and far more intricate arrangements. The music's clearly danceable, but brilliantly listenable as well. Le Bon handles tantalizing melodies and obtuse lyrics with confidence (if not profound ability), while honestly proficient musicianship by the other four defines each song's character differently. There isn't anything less than good, and "Rio", "Last Chance on the Stairway" and "New Religion" are startling in their melodic excellence.

Rio may have been [Duran Duran's] apex, but they were hardly a flash in the pan. What's more, anyone who dives into Rio will be rewarded many times over with an album that may be an iconic statement of its times but also resonates to this day.[72]

—Chris Ingalls, PopMatters, 2021

The band members' performances and instrumentation have been highlighted,[70] with Raggett stating that "the quintet integrates [their] sound near-perfectly throughout".[63] PopMatters' John Bergstrom observed that "not even nearly 30 years of cultural change have been able to budge the careful juxtaposition between Andy Taylor's power riffing and Simon Le Bon's willfully artful lyrics and vocals, or the brilliant interplay between the awesome, seriously funky rhythm section of John Taylor and Roger Taylor, and Nick Rhodes' atmospheric, arpeggiated synthesizer framework. Together, it all created all kinds of energy and just the right amount of camp."[65] Despite its praise, several commentators have taken issue with Le Bon's lyrics, arguing they lack literal meaning and range from "absurd" and "sublime", but agree that the singer's confident vocal performances offer bouts of connotation.[l]

Rio's cover artwork has been deemed iconic and one of the greatest of all time by VH1 and Billboard.[m] In 2006, Ernest Simpson of Treblezine wrote: "Rarely does an album cover truly fit the style and attitude within, with maybe only the Clash's London Calling [1979] as the most obvious example. But Rio's Patrick Nagel-painted cover not only encapsulated the slick new wave of the stylish band, but also the early '80s in general."[70] Reflecting on the artwork in his 2021 book Please Please Tell Me Now, Davis states that the decline of the "classic album art" era began following the release of Rio.[28]

Rankings

Rio has made appearances on several best-of lists. In 2000, Q magazine placed Rio at number 98 in their list of the 100 Greatest British Albums ever,[76] while The Word ranked it number 24 is a similar list of the 50 best British albums in 2008.[77] Meanwhile, Pitchfork named it the 95th best album of the 1980s in 2002.[78] A year later, NME ranked Rio the 65th greatest album of all time.[10] A decade later in 2013, BBC Radio 2 placed it at number three in a list compiling their "Top 100 Favourite Albums of All Time".[79] In lists compiling the best new wave albums, Ultimate Classic Rock and Paste placed it at numbers 4 and 24, respectively.[16][17] Despite its acclaim, Malins finds that Rio is often not as highly revered as other records of the time, such as ABC's The Lexicon of Love, the Human League's Dare and Simple Minds' New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84).[10]

The album was included in the 2018 edition of Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[80] Based on its appearances in professional rankings and listings, the aggregate website Acclaimed Music lists Rio as the 13th most acclaimed album of 1982, the 125th most acclaimed album of the 1980s and the 798th most acclaimed album in history.[81]

Reissues

Rio was first released on CD in early 1984 and was one of the first CDs issued by EMI in the UK and the US.[56] The album's first major reissue by EMI was released on 3 July 2001.[82] This release contained Enhanced CD material featuring the music videos for "Rio", "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Save a Prayer", plus memorabilia and a link to the band's official website. The European limited-edition booklet cover used an alternate version of the Nagel cover painting. The original CD version was used rather than the original LP version. EMI stated that this was due to master tape research issues as a result of there being multiple different versions of the album.[56]

Rio was again reissued as a two-disc Collectors Edition on 7 September 2009 in the UK,[83] and 6 October 2009 in the US.[84] This edition includes the original LP release tracks and the US Kershenbaum remixes, along with several other tracks that were either previously unavailable officially on CD, or were only available on Singles Box Set 1981–1985 (2003). This reissue received mixed reviews. Commentators felt the bonus tracks were mostly disposable and not worth the price tag, although some welcome the presence of several "night versions" and the US mixes.[21][71] Ewing concluded: "The 2xCD package is probably best used as a way of recreating whichever version of Rio floats your nostalgia yacht."[21] The release was packaged with the Live at Hammersmith '82 DVD, which Record Collector's Joel McIver felt was superior to Rio.[71] On 23 June 2015,[85] Parlophone repackaged this edition as a two-disc set, featuring the US album mixes, demos, assorted B-sides and five remixes.[58]

Track listing

All songs written and arranged by Simon Le Bon, Andy Taylor, John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Rio"5:33
2."My Own Way"4:51
3."Lonely in Your Nightmare"3:50
4."Hungry Like the Wolf"3:41
5."Hold Back the Rain"3:59
Total length:21:14
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."New Religion"5:31
7."Last Chance on the Stairway"4:21
8."Save a Prayer"5:33
9."The Chauffeur"5:10
Total length:20:35

Notes

  • The US LP reissue uses the US Album Remixes of "Rio", "Lonely in Your Nightmare", "Hungry Like the Wolf", and "Hold Back the Rain", along with the Carnival remix of "My Own Way". Later pressings of this reissue use the Night Version of "Hungry Like the Wolf", mixed by Colin Thurston.
  • The original CD and 2001 Enhanced CD reissue use an edited version of the video mix of "Lonely in Your Nightmare", an alternate mix of "Hold Back the Rain", and the UK single edit of "Save a Prayer".

Personnel

Album credits adapted from AllMusic:[86]

Duran Duran

Additional musicians

Production and artwork

  • Colin Thurston – production and engineering
  • Renate – technician
  • Malcolm Garrett – sleeve design
  • Patrick Nagel – illustration
  • Andy Earl – photography
  • David Kershenbaum – remixing (tracks 1–5 on US LP reissue)
  • Nick Webb – mastering (UK LP)
  • Wally Traugott – mastering (original US LP)
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering (US LP reissue)
  • Tony Cousins – remastering (2001 Enhanced CD reissue)
  • Steve Rooke – remastering (2009 2-CD Collectors Edition)

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Rio
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[101] Platinum 50,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[102] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[103] Gold 30,316[103]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[104] Platinum 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[105] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[106] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ^ The same building on the cover of the Beatles' Please Please Me (1963).
  2. ^ Author Annie Zaleski states that this version of "New Religion" was similar to the final version on Rio.[4]
  3. ^ The band would later return to AIR to record most of 1986's Notorious.
  4. ^ The location was chosen by the band at the insistence of Paul Berrow, who had recently holidayed there.[28]
  5. ^ Davis comments the Duran Duran videos became one of the final pieces of imagery to show the island nation's "paradise-like" state before the start of the decades-long Sri Lankan Civil War that erupted in 1983.
  6. ^ A video for Duran Duran's "Night Boat" was also shot around this time.
  7. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[10][31][34][13][14]
  8. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[19][22][41][45][46]
  9. ^ Mirroring the Beatles during the height of Beatlemania.
  10. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[20][63][17][21][70][71]
  11. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[20][63][65][62][16]
  12. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[10][63][69][53][73]
  13. ^ Iconic:[15][62][20] Best-of lists:[74][75]

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  3. ^ Davis 2021, pp. 113–116.
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  5. ^ a b c d Taylor 2008, chap. 4.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Davis 2021, pp. 137–142.
  7. ^ a b Zaleski 2021a, chap. 1.
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  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Malins 2013, chap. 5.
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Sources

External links

January 06, 2023
duran, duran, album, second, studio, album, english, wave, band, duran, duran, released, 1982, through, records, band, wrote, demoed, most, material, before, recording, album, studios, london, from, january, march, 1982, colin, thurston, returned, from, their,. Rio is the second studio album by English new wave band Duran Duran released on 10 May 1982 through EMI Records The band wrote and demoed most of the material before recording the album at AIR Studios in London from January to March 1982 Colin Thurston returned from their 1981 self titled debut studio album as producer The band utilised more experimentation compared to the debut from vibraphone and marimba to the sound of a cigarette being lit and cracking ice cubes Andy Hamilton played a saxophone solo on Rio RioStudio album by Duran DuranReleased10 May 1982 1982 05 10 RecordedJanuary March 1982StudioAIR London GenreNew waveLength42 38LabelEMIProducerColin ThurstonDuran Duran chronologyDuran Duran 1981 Rio 1982 Seven and the Ragged Tiger 1983 Singles from Rio Hungry Like the Wolf Released 4 May 1982 Save a Prayer Released 9 August 1982 Rio Released 1 November 1982A new wave album with musical elements ranging from dance to synth pop Rio is mostly composed of fast upbeat numbers along with a couple slower synthesiser based ballads Lead vocalist Simon Le Bon s obtuse lyrics cover topics from chasing one s dreams to pursuing a love interest Bassist John Taylor conceived the album title which the band felt represented the optimistic and exotic tone of the album The cover artwork painted by Patrick Nagel and designed by Malcolm Garrett to resemble 1950s cigar packaging is considered one of the greatest of all time Duran Duran shot music videos for many of the album s tracks all of which helped spearhead the 1980s MTV revolution Accompanied by three worldwide hit singles Rio peaked at number two in the United Kingdom and remained in the chart for 110 weeks Initially unsuccessful in the United States the album was remixed as commissioned by Capitol Records to better match American radio at the time the remixed album spent 129 weeks on the Billboard chart and peaked at number six The band toured the US and Europe throughout the latter half of 1982 Despite its commercial success Rio initially received mixed to negative reviews from critics who commended the melodies but were mostly distasteful towards the lyrics Nevertheless retrospective reviewers consider Rio Duran Duran s best work and praise its timelessness instrumentation and band performances With the album Duran Duran were forerunners in the Second British Invasion of the 1980s helping ensure the success of other English artists throughout the decade It has since made appearances on best of lists and has been reissued several times Contents 1 Background and development 2 Recording 2 1 Mixing 3 Music and lyrics 4 Title and packaging 5 Promotion 5 1 Music videos 5 2 Release 6 Critical reception 7 American remix 8 Influence and legacy 8 1 Retrospective appraisal 8 2 Rankings 9 Reissues 10 Track listing 10 1 Notes 11 Personnel 12 Charts 12 1 Weekly charts 12 2 Year end charts 13 Certifications 14 Notes 15 References 15 1 Sources 16 External linksBackground and development EditDuran Duran released their self titled debut studio album in June 1981 1 Aided by the album s highly successful third single Girls on Film the album peaked at number three in the UK and remained in the charts for over two years 2 With the album Duran Duran had established themselves as one of the biggest new pop groups of 1981 1 Around July their management instructed them to start writing songs for their second studio album 3 Like their debut studio album the band spent time writing at the Rum Runner in Birmingham their resident nightclub as according to Rhodes We didn t have very big budgets we were on time constraints and we felt that that was the best way to develop our songwriting 4 Nevertheless the band s label EMI Records doubled their budget for the second studio album 5 Feeling pressure in England the band briefly withdrew to a secluded chateau in France to continue writing 6 Keyboardist Nick Rhodes later stated 7 When we went into the rest of the writing to prepare the Rio album we hadn t really had time to think about the success that we d achieved with the first album We d already moved on and we d got some songs that we thought were as good if not better than some of the songs on the first album already On 28 August 1981 8 Duran Duran recorded demos of several songs that would appear on their next studio album including Last Chance on the Stairway My Own Way New Religion and Like an Angel at the basement studio of EMI s Manchester Square building a 4 According to bassist John Taylor the demo of Last Chance on the Stairway was identical to the final studio album version while My Own Way and New Religion both had different arrangements b 9 This version of My Own Way was dance inspired and featured bursts of electric guitar a different bassline and pattering percussion Dissatisfied with this version the band rerecorded the song during the official sessions 4 An early version of The Chauffeur was also taped with German sound engineer Renate Blauel 10 Several tracks were written in collaboration by guitarist Andy Taylor left in 1985 and keyboardist Nick Rhodes right in 2012 Both Hungry Like the Wolf and Save a Prayer were the result of collaborations between Rhodes and guitarist Andy Taylor Rhodes began on synthesiser which Andy used to fashion into guitar riffs The latter later commented When we wrote Hungry I knew we had the album right 4 The band taped demos of Save a Prayer and Lonely in Your Nightmare at engineer Bob Lamb s home studio in Birmingham 9 Having taped demos with Lamb before recording their debut studio album Duran Duran cherished their work with Lamb with Roger describing him as like a father figure in those early days The band would use the material recorded with Lamb for reference during the proper sessions particularly for the sequenced based tracks Save a Prayer and The Chauffeur 4 Duran Duran continued promotional appearances and live performances throughout September and October 1981 including their first American tour 11 With EMI wanting a new single 12 the band returned to England and taped a new version of My Own Way boasting a disco and American R amp B influenced production 9 with Like an Angel as the B side Released on 16 November 1981 in England only the single peaked at number 14 and spent 11 weeks on the chart 1 However Rhodes disliked the single only release It was the only time we actually sat down and said Ok we ve got to write a hit single now 12 The band underwent the Careless Memories tour in December which featured 17 sold out dates 1 including three shows at the Birmingham Odeon with Talk Talk before taking a holiday break 7 Recording EditThe recording sessions for Rio commenced in January 1982 at London s AIR Studios and lasted six to eight weeks The members rented apartments in close vicinity to AIR during the duration of the sessions Colin Thurston returned from their debut studio album as producer and engineer 4 5 10 The band were excited to record at AIR having previously demoed Girls on Film there in July 1980 Founded by former Beatles producer George Martin the studio boasted high tech equipment that Rhodes in particular was thrilled to experiment with c Spending large amounts of time learning production techniques with Thurston the keyboardist was purportedly the first to arrive and last to leave 6 Rio was such a lovely simple record to make It wasn t massively overlaid with different tracks or different edits It was just literally as it was played 4 Roger Taylor 2021 According to John all of the songs except for The Chauffeur were fully arranged before recording began Rio had been played during multiple sound checks Recording followed the same template as the debut studio album with the bass drums and synthesiser parts recorded first followed by guitar keyboard overdubs and vocals 9 The band recalled recording going by relatively easily 4 Drummer Roger Taylor recorded his parts quickly and returned to Birmingham with his girlfriend while John and Andy spent time at the Embassy Club on Old Bond Street during the sessions 5 While at AIR Paul and Linda McCartney who were recording the former s album Tug of War 1982 in the adjacent studio would stop by on occasion to say good night a gesture Rhodes described as very surreal 4 John also listened back to a mix of the finished album with Paul 9 The sessions saw lead vocalist Simon Le Bon left in 2014 experiment with vibraphone and marimba while drummer Roger Taylor right in 2011 used electronic drums over his acoustic set Having defined the majority of the arrangements before recording began the band spent time sharpening their individual performances and also experimented with different sounds 4 8 John played fretless bass on Lonely in Your Nightmare 6 while lead vocalist Simon Le Bon added vibraphone to New Religion and a marimba interlude to Last Chance on the Stairway In addition the latter features the sound of a cigarette being lit and clinking glasses both of which were done by Rhodes 8 while Hungry Like the Wolf opens with a giggle from Rhodes s then girlfriend Cheryl 6 With Thurston Roger melded accents from his Simmons electronic drum kit to multiple tracks hooking up the electronic tom toms to his acoustic set He explained in 2021 I d play an acoustic drum kit and just lay the Simmons over the top And I m glad that we did that it was great to have something modern coming through as part of the kit but it didn t completely dominate the sound 4 Saxophonist Andy Hamilton plays the solo on Rio 6 Hamilton had previously contributed to the night version of Duran Duran s Planet Earth and played with Duran Duran on their 1981 European tour dates He mostly improvised his part Luckily with Rio there were only really two chords for most of the solo it was only at the end where it changed It wasn t that I had to negotiate overloads of chords With Rio I just played the first thing that came into my head and hoped that it worked 4 Rhodes oversaw Hamilton s part which he later described as more of an integral melody within the song rather than a solo leading it to be played the same way during concert performances 4 The track s opening was created when Rhodes dropped metal rods onto the strings of the studio s grand piano and flipped the tape over reversing the sound 4 The Chauffeur was created on the spot in the studio During downtime Rhodes retreated to an auxiliary studio room with Blauel their tape operator and crafted a track using keyboards and synthesisers He also used the sound of an ice cube cracking and a conversation about nature for extra effects Le Bon accompanied him and brought lyrics inspired by a 1979 visit to a kibbutz in Israel further adding a melody on an ocarina 4 The final track features no contributions from the three Taylors The band also recorded an acoustic version without Rhodes which appeared as a B side to Rio The keyboardist later quipped I guess that was my punishment for have created an entirely electronic track 4 Mixing Edit The band were contracted to finish mixing the album by the end of March 1982 and were due to fly to Sri Lanka to film music videos before their tour of Australia commenced on 15 April However with the record still unfinished Le Bon John and Roger flew to Sri Lanka while Rhodes and Andy stayed in London with Thurston to make some last minute tweaks according to biographer Steve Malins the trio worked for 48 hours straight Once completed Rhodes and Andy flew to Sri Lanka the former listening to and analysing Rio the entire ride 4 10 13 14 Music and lyrics EditIt s a much more inward looking album than the first album I think that Rio was much more about ourselves responding to each other and the experiences that we were having rather than what was going on outside us 15 John Taylor on Rio Musically Rio is a new wave album 16 17 18 that contains elements of dance 19 post punk 20 rock disco synth pop and gothic rock 8 21 According to author Stephen Davis EMI wanted the band to change direction from their debut studio album desiring more of a rock edged dance groove telling Thurston Think Led Zeppelin and Talking Heads having a baby and calling it Duran Duran 6 The band s influences at the time included Roxy Music 22 19 David Bowie Japan pre Dare Human League and 1970s UK guitar rock 8 AllMusic s Donald A Guarisco in particular retrospectively compared the title track s instrumental to the Roxy Music releases Flesh and Blood 1980 and Avalon 1982 even associating Hamilton s saxophone solo to Andy Mackay s contributions to Roxy Music 23 Rhodes later described the album s sound as elegant punk 10 Of the album s nine tracks its first seven Rio to Last Chance on the Stairway are faster and more upbeat numbers while the last two Save a Prayer and The Chauffeur are slower and atmospheric synthesiser based ballads 10 24 25 Discussing the band members playing on Rio in Ultimate Classic Rock author Annie Zaleski described the rhythm section of John and Roger as formidable and locked into grooves with nimble precision with Rhodes synthesisers adding artsy textures and Andy s blazing guitar acrobatics bringing ferocity and heft to the tracks 8 Malins highlights Hungry Like the Wolf and New Religion as showcasing Andy s guitar 10 The album s production is sparser than that of the debut studio album although Rhodes felt its bouts of studio experimentation made the album definitively theirs It sounds like us I don t think it sounds like anybody else 10 Le Bon turned to his experiences on their first American tour for inspiration in writing the album s lyrics 6 In a nod to artists such as Joy Division and the Doors Jim Morrison the lyrics of Rio touch on topics from chasing one s dreams and finding one s place in the world to pursuing a love interest and providing solace to a friend mainly using dark and poetic words 8 10 While the title track paints a picture of a girl named Rio with a cherry ice cream smile that is too lovely to resist 23 Save a Prayer concerns a couple s love affair that ends too soon and The Chauffeur conveys images of restive driving and attractive women 24 25 Malins writes that Le Bon s lyrics are sometimes full of the most obtuse tongue twisters with New Religion being presented as a dialogue between the ego and the alter ego but he does find the line No time to worry cause we re on the roam again in Hold Back the Rain perfectly encapsulates the album s high spirits 10 However Guarisco argued that Le Bon s stream of consciousness lyrics on tracks like Rio and The Chauffeur primarily add to the tracks personalities rather than mean anything in the literal sense 23 25 Title and packaging Edit Bassist John Taylor pictured in 2014 devised the album s title John Taylor came up with the album s title in 1981 during the band s non stop worldwide tour in support of their debut studio album Taylor who had never left England before was taken by the glamour and excitement of the road which included stops in Los Angeles New York City Paris and Berlin 4 While visiting Brazil he particularly became fascinated with the idea of exotica stating in his memoir Rio to me was shorthand for the truly foreign the exotic a cornucopia of earthly delights a party that would never stop 9 The other band members liked the title feeling it encapsulated the more optimistic tone of the entire album Le Bon later said The word looks great sounds great and makes people think of parties rivers it s Spanish for river foreign places and sunshine 10 Duran Duran themselves do not appear on the front cover of Rio which was a stylistic departure from their debut studio album and most albums at the time the band felt that photographs and the music videos would suffice Instead the cover artwork for Rio is a portrait of a woman with striking make up a large smile and black hair 10 15 It was painted by artist Patrick Nagel who was commissioned by the band after Paul Berrow discovered his work while browsing a Playboy magazine Nagel was a regular contributor to the magazine at the time 15 26 Creating what would become known as the artist s trademark style Nagel presented two options a woman with a flower in her hair sitting sideways and the chosen shot of a woman smiling Rhodes later recalled We all said instantly Yes that s it That s the cover 15 Author Elena G Millie described her as the quintessential 1980s woman elegant and sophisticated alluring but cool stark but sensual mysterious contradictory and utterly contemporary 26 Malcolm Garrett who had designed the cover artworks for the band s singles and debut studio album 1 had no more than a week to complete the final sleeve design Garrett who had yet to hear the title track at that point stated In the same way that Planet Earth made me think of airlines Rio made me think of cigars and cigar packaging The whole idea of something Latin and something Cuban and South American 15 Disliking album sleeves at the time having a plain image on the front and nothing on the back Garrett wrapped the painting around the front and back of the sleeve later clarifying it was a conceptual choice You ve got to go through the picture to get to the album 27 Like cigar packaging initial pressings had a physical sticker sealing the LP shut 27 a design choice that was pasted directly onto the sleeve for later reissues For the title s typeface Garrett used a retro style that was also evocative of 1950s cigar packaging 15 He received credit on the sleeve itself with Assorted Images integrated into the design Duran Duran loved the finished design with Rhodes later stating that it just seemed to represent everything we wanted at that point 15 Duran Duran would become closely associated with the sleeve s image over the course of their career 28 The original drawing hung at Paul Berrow s office at the Rum Runner before the band stole it on their way to appear on Top of the Pops after which the members each took turns hanging it in their respective houses or apartments 10 Garrett subsequently used the sleeve to establish a distinctive system of visual elements that provided conceptual continuity across Rio s advertising tour materials merchandise and singles which he also supervised 27 He later stated in 2000 What we were doing with music then was always about creating and defining a visual world in which the fans operated and could come to understand 29 Nagel s second rejected image later debuted on the Japanese single release of My Own Way released months ahead of Rio in a mix up between the band and the Japanese label Rhodes later said No one had told the Japanese label that we hadn t actually bought that one 30 A lyric sheet and a band portrait appears in the LP liner 28 Deliberately incongruous to the album title the band chose to be photographed on the top of the British Petroleum Building the tallest building in London at the time against a modern nighttime skyline 15 The band used the same wardrobe from the photo shoot Antony Price suits for the subsequent music videos 28 Photographer Andy Earl recalled Because their music was so electronic I wanted to try and create that energy in the picture Just before the end of the exposure I kicked the tripod and that s what gives it this fizzy electronic and glamorous look Which to me captured the music and what they were all about 15 Promotion EditMusic videos Edit Music videos were shot for six of Rio s nine tracks Russell Mulcahy who had directed Planet Earth worked with the band on videos for Hungry Like the Wolf Save a Prayer and Lonely in Your Nightmare in Sri Lanka d a video for Rio in Antigua a few weeks later and one for The Chauffer in London without the band s involvement another video had been made for the single version of My Own Way 31 Former film student Marcello Anciano acted as storyboard artist and art director for all the videos 10 The Sri Lanka videos emphasised the exotic location Hungry Like the Wolf saw Le Bon cast as an Indiana Jones type character while Save a Prayer utilised elephants and found the band atop a mountain inspecting stone temples e 14 While there Rhodes and John Taylor felt homesick while Andy contracted a fever from the water requiring his hospitalisation on his return to England Andy was very run down for the subsequent Australian and Japanese tours throughout the second half of April 1982 and had an oxygen mask at the side of the stage for the shows 10 13 32 He fully recovered for the Rio shoot which found the band sailing aboard yachts f 33 Duran Duran earned a massive advance from EMI to film the videos particularly the Sri Lanka ones said to range between 30 000 and 55 000 g The label had strong faith in the band and wanted videos prepared in advance before Rio s release 31 Both the band and EMI had ambitious plans for promotion and devised the release of a full length video album consisting of the best songs from both Duran Duran 1981 and Rio 10 31 Le Bon had declared the medium s importance in an interview with Smash Hits earlier in the year stating I take video very seriously I see it as an artform Most people see it as a promotional device Videos are the talking pictures of today s music industry 10 Rhodes and Roger Taylor also spoke about it to the Associated Press in late summer 1982 31 Nevertheless other band members were more reserved particularly John 34 Although video albums originated as early as 1979 EMI s parent corporation Thorn intended for the proposed Duran Duran album to sell exquisitely in the VHS and home video markets At the time Britain saw the significance of music videos and with programmes such as Top of the Pops in their native Britain audiences were accustomed to watching bands perform on television 31 In America however music videos still played a lesser role in promotion as American labels felt they were insignificant compared to radio MTV which launched in August 1981 would soon provide a shift in this perspective primarily due to the videos of British bands they would play on the channel One of MTV s original VJs Alan Hunter later stated that while American artists such as Rod Stewart took more literal approaches when producing videos the music of the young New Wave romantics such as Duran Duran lent itself better to a more ephemeral interpretation or a little looser interpretation 31 Commenting on the more stylised videos of England at the time MTV director of promotion and artist relations John Sykes said 31 English videos looked like television commercials highly styled television commercials because English bands understood the platform And that s why when Duran Duran came over they basically paved the way for other artists because they really set a tone and painted a picture that no one had ever seen before in this country Release Edit As the band were shooting the Rio video EMI issued Hungry Like the Wolf as the lead single from the album on 4 May 1982 35 Duran Duran mimed to the song on Top of the Pops nine days later Entering the UK Singles Chart at number 35 it reached the top ten by the end of May 15 and peaked at number five in late June 10 36 Its accompanying video received frequent rotation on MTV by early July 31 Shortly after the lead single EMI issued Rio on 10 May 1982 8 20 It debuted at number four and peaked at number two by 22 May behind the Madness greatest hits compilation album Complete Madness 1982 15 35 Rio remained in the UK chart for 110 weeks including 96 consecutive weeks until March 1984 Additionally a tour EP generated publicity in Australia with Hungry Like the Wolf and Rio both reaching the top ten 15 In interviews Duran Duran disassociated themselves with New Romanticism with John Taylor insisting the band wanted to set themselves apart from any broader movement drawing comparisons to Spandau Ballet and Ultravox 35 Initial European tour dates were delayed to September 1982 due to Andy falling ill 35 Instead the band toured the US throughout July attracting their largest audiences to date later opening for Blondie for several dates throughout August 37 38 Save a Prayer was released in England as the second single on 9 August 1982 backed by a remix of Hold Back the Rain which peaked at number two in the UK a couple of weeks later 39 Before commencing the European tour EMI issued An interview with Simon Le Bon as a 7 picture single composed of interviews the singer made with Smash Hits and The Face 40 During the tour John injured his hand while in Munich forcing the cancellation of several dates He fully recovered before a month long UK tour that commenced on 30 October Two days later Rio was released as a single in England and America backed by The Chauffeur in the former and Hold Back the Rain in the latter reaching number nine in the former by mid November 25 40 It failed to chart in the US as a single until 1985 as part of the live album Arena 15 Critical reception EditProfessional ratingsContemporary reviewsReview scoresSourceRatingThe Philadelphia Inquirer 41 Record Mirror 42 Smash Hits5 10 43 The Village VoiceC 44 Rio received mixed to negative reviews on release Critics commended the melodies but were mostly distasteful towards the lyrics h Robin Denselow in particular mused in The Guardian Why do bands with no lyrical skill insist on printing their ghastly efforts on inside record sleeves 22 He meanwhile deemed the music melodic disposable pop to a best selling formula 22 A writer for Record Mirror bluntly described Rio as thoroughly competent and yet bereft of the soul passion and wit that makes a great record 42 Allentown Pennsylvania newspaper The Morning Call was also negative finding the album a pain in the butt to sit through 47 NME s Paul Du Noyer found a lack of artistic differentiation from their debut studio album stating What they ve done is spin out the formula quite efficiently 45 Deeming Rio a sweet lumpy pudding of a noise he concluded In its own blandly unambitious way I guess it s a perfect record In other ways it s boring as hell 45 Meanwhile Robert Christgau of The Village Voice deemed the LP Anglodisco at its most solemnly expedient feeling that it lacks even the forced cheerfulness of Haircut 100 and that if it had as many hooks as A Flock of Seagulls not bloody likely it still wouldn t be silly enough to be any fun 44 By late 1983 The New York Times had dismissed Duran Duran as soulless musically derivative 48 and typical of the frivolous dance oriented synthesizer pop made by British fashion conscious groups that MTV had helped to popularise 49 Other reviewers were warmer to the record Writing for Smash Hits Fred Dellar gave praise to the first three tracks commenting that they had me jotting down theories about the new golden age of pop but by the LP s end it turned into yet another well dressed but not totally satisfying album 43 In The Philadelphia Inquirer Jack Lloyd wrote that Rio indicates a strong feel for the pop market and gave positive mentions to the instrumentation and accessible music 41 A writer for Billboard agreed describing the album as catchy melodic and accessible with tunes hewing toward bright and sassy pop 50 A particularly positive review came from Melody Maker wherein Steve Sutherland proclaimed Rio the true culmination of the much misunderstood New Romanticism energetic proud enthusiastic joyous something to escape FULLY into He expressed excitement in seeing where the band would go next 46 Ira Robbins was also positive in Trouser Press finding the music showcased the young band as an emerging and creative talent Even when Duran Duran aims for the b p m crowd they display enough musical perspicacity to avoid tedium 19 American remix EditRio s success in the UK Australia and Japan initially went unmatched in the US 51 Duran Duran s American label Capitol Records issued Rio through its Harvest subsidiary This release debuted at number 164 on Billboard s Top LPs amp Tape chart for the issue dated 5 June 1982 50 eventually stalling out at number 122 in July before dropping out entirely by August 15 Executives at Capitol who primarily targeted straightforward rock artists such as Bob Seger attributed geography size and what they viewed as zero hit singles to Duran Duran s initial struggle to break in the States 15 35 One executive even stated The only way you could break an album or a band was through radio no other way 15 Discussing the band s lack of initial American success Zaleski states that the radio landscape in 1982 was competitive but bland 15 At the time Billboard magazine wrote that advertisers primarily wanted to appeal to the 25 to 54 year old demographic resulting in music that was softer more conservative or just plain older Furthermore radio stations were skeptical of new and different sounds 15 Radio consultant Lee Abrams argued that the new wave movement was initially aligned to punk rock which lacked appeal to Americans who wanted more uplifting beats and lyrics and polished sounds Abrams observed that bands such as the Police and U2 who would go on to have massive US success both had slow starts there The fact that those bands among others were perceived by American radio as new wave thus punk hurt their initial impact 15 Nevertheless various English bands began enjoying chart success in America that year in July Soft Cell reached the top ten with Tainted Love while the Human League were at their second week at number one with Don t You Want Me both 1981 15 Zaleski says that Duran Duran stood out in terms of fashion and overall look 15 With dwindling fortunes Capitol ordered the band remix the album to better align with American radio under the promise of more promotion 8 52 With staff producer David Kershenbaum the band remixed four songs Rio s Hold Back the Rain My Own Way Hungry Like the Wolf and Duran Duran s Girls on Film 53 According to Davis Kershenbaum s goal was to make Duran Duran sound like Van Halen on an American pickup truck radio 52 Andy Taylor states in his memoir that the new mix gave the album a smoother cleaner sound that went down better with US audiences who were used to slightly more precise sound than what was developed in the UK 5 John was unhappy with the remix believing it represented the death of the band s original vision That was the end of Duran Duran our original idea an underground club band 35 Additionally due to a lack of notice and a financial falling out with Paul Berrow Thurston parted ways with the band making Rio his final work with the group 54 Capitol collected the remixes and released them as an EP in late September 1982 called Carnival Packaged with several photos of the band and liner notes Carnival earned Duran Duran radio play throughout the US reaching at number 98 on Billboard s Hot 100 chart in early October 52 Following the success of the Kershenbaum remixes Capitol changed their marketing strategy selling Duran Duran no longer as a New Romantic band but instead as a dance band Additionally Capitol commissioned Kershenbaum to remix the entire first side of the Rio album 55 while the band toured the UK In November 56 Capitol issued the remixed Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf single in the US the latter peaking at number three by Christmas With all three music videos garnering heavy airplay on MTV and nationwide chart success marketing executives pushed radio DJs to refer to Duran Duran as the Fab Five i 57 The remixed Rio charted at number six on the Billboard Top LPs amp Tape chart in March 1983 and went on to spend 129 weeks on the chart 58 59 Influence and legacy EditThe success of Rio electrified the already rising Second British Invasion 17 58 60 Alongside their contemporaries the Human League A Flock of Seagulls Culture Club and Thomas Dolby Duran Duran reigned the American pop charts throughout 1983 and led to the rise of other would be successful British acts including Tears for Fears Eurythmics Naked Eyes and the Rhodes discovered Kajagoogoo 60 With Culture Club and Spandau Ballet Duran Duran created a teen hysteria similar to Beatlemania during the first British Invasion 61 Additional UK acts including Wham Frankie Goes to Hollywood Pet Shop Boys and Dead or Alive would find American success in the ensuing years alongside other bands who originated in small clubs like Duran Duran the Cure Depeche Mode the Psychedelic Furs and Echo amp the Bunnymen Bowie Duran Duran s idol also found massive commercial success in 1983 with Let s Dance 60 According to Zaleski Rio s sonic approach blasing electric guitars blended with moody synthesisers became the dominant template for mainstream 1980s rock bands such as INXS used Duran Duran and Rio as a basis for their edgier and funkier sound 60 Discussing the album s impact Yahoo Music s Lyndsey Parker pondered Was there ever any album that embodied all things grand and glamorous about the escapist excessive exotic erotic aspirational 80s more than Duran Duran s Rio 62 Beyond the 1980s artists who have replicated Rio s include the Killers Mark Ronson and the AFI No Doubt supergroup Dreamcar 62 Three decades after its release John Taylor still held the album in high regard stating in his 2012 memoir The writing on Rio is fantastic all out Essential Duran Duran He also had high praise for the band s musicianship Every one of us is performing at the absolute peak of our talents There is no showboating Every part is thoughtful considered part of a greater whole 9 Rhodes later admitted in 2022 that Rio was tough to top It s something that s been a double edged sword for us because it was such a powerful record and perhaps the images from the videos stuck in people s minds Then it came to the end of the 1980s and people wanted to close the door on us 62 Nevertheless John felt Rio helped the band establish longevity beyond the 1980s leading to a career spanning 15 albums and more than 100 million record sales Speaking to Yahoo Music John stated It s been such an amazing journey and I think Rio is probably the reason why we re still getting to do what we do today basically This is the album that put us on the map and has kept us there 62 Retrospective appraisal Edit Professional ratingsRetrospective reviewsReview scoresSourceRatingAllMusic 63 The Encyclopedia of Popular Music 64 Pitchfork7 3 10 21 PopMatters8 10 65 Q 66 Record Collector 58 The Rolling Stone Album Guide 67 Spin Alternative Record Guide9 10 68 Uncut8 10 69 Retrospective reviews have been far more positive with several critics declaring Rio Duran Duran s finest work j Beyond the 2000s commentators agreed the album has aged well k with AllMusic s Ned Raggett declaring that its fusion of style and substance ensures that even two decades after its release it remains as listenable and danceable as ever 63 Zaleski argued that the band s use of basic instrumentation guitar bass drums keyboards and vocals ensured Rio sounded more timeless than other albums of the time She summarised Rio was a testament to the band s chemistry and ambition and how quickly they evolved as musicians 8 In The Quietus John Freeman concluded that over 30 years after its release Rio encompasses all anyone needs to know about Duran Duran 20 In 2015 Record Collector s Mark Elliot deemed it a seminal 80s classic and a record that displays a band figuring out their sound growing in confidence and setting to conquer the world 58 Other reviewers have given praise to the band Writing for Q magazine Paul Moody viewed Rio as reinitiating Duran Duran s status as a national pop treasure 66 Pitchfork s Tom Ewing who found the band simply copied their influences on their debut and their follow up studio album Seven and the Ragged Tiger 1983 a disappointment stated that Rio is where the band s hunger for success really catalyzed its mix of rock disco and heartthrob pop 21 Uncut magazine s Wyndham Wallace found the album confirms the band packed a significant punch 69 while Robbins wrote in Trouser Press 53 Rio fulfills the band s potential and its pinnacle displaying stronger songwriting and far more intricate arrangements The music s clearly danceable but brilliantly listenable as well Le Bon handles tantalizing melodies and obtuse lyrics with confidence if not profound ability while honestly proficient musicianship by the other four defines each song s character differently There isn t anything less than good and Rio Last Chance on the Stairway and New Religion are startling in their melodic excellence Rio may have been Duran Duran s apex but they were hardly a flash in the pan What s more anyone who dives into Rio will be rewarded many times over with an album that may be an iconic statement of its times but also resonates to this day 72 Chris Ingalls PopMatters 2021 The band members performances and instrumentation have been highlighted 70 with Raggett stating that the quintet integrates their sound near perfectly throughout 63 PopMatters John Bergstrom observed that not even nearly 30 years of cultural change have been able to budge the careful juxtaposition between Andy Taylor s power riffing and Simon Le Bon s willfully artful lyrics and vocals or the brilliant interplay between the awesome seriously funky rhythm section of John Taylor and Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes atmospheric arpeggiated synthesizer framework Together it all created all kinds of energy and just the right amount of camp 65 Despite its praise several commentators have taken issue with Le Bon s lyrics arguing they lack literal meaning and range from absurd and sublime but agree that the singer s confident vocal performances offer bouts of connotation l Rio s cover artwork has been deemed iconic and one of the greatest of all time by VH1 and Billboard m In 2006 Ernest Simpson of Treblezine wrote Rarely does an album cover truly fit the style and attitude within with maybe only the Clash s London Calling 1979 as the most obvious example But Rio s Patrick Nagel painted cover not only encapsulated the slick new wave of the stylish band but also the early 80s in general 70 Reflecting on the artwork in his 2021 book Please Please Tell Me Now Davis states that the decline of the classic album art era began following the release of Rio 28 Rankings Edit Rio has made appearances on several best of lists In 2000 Q magazine placed Rio at number 98 in their list of the 100 Greatest British Albums ever 76 while The Word ranked it number 24 is a similar list of the 50 best British albums in 2008 77 Meanwhile Pitchfork named it the 95th best album of the 1980s in 2002 78 A year later NME ranked Rio the 65th greatest album of all time 10 A decade later in 2013 BBC Radio 2 placed it at number three in a list compiling their Top 100 Favourite Albums of All Time 79 In lists compiling the best new wave albums Ultimate Classic Rock and Paste placed it at numbers 4 and 24 respectively 16 17 Despite its acclaim Malins finds that Rio is often not as highly revered as other records of the time such as ABC s The Lexicon of Love the Human League s Dare and Simple Minds New Gold Dream 81 82 83 84 10 The album was included in the 2018 edition of Robert Dimery s book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 80 Based on its appearances in professional rankings and listings the aggregate website Acclaimed Music lists Rio as the 13th most acclaimed album of 1982 the 125th most acclaimed album of the 1980s and the 798th most acclaimed album in history 81 Reissues EditRio was first released on CD in early 1984 and was one of the first CDs issued by EMI in the UK and the US 56 The album s first major reissue by EMI was released on 3 July 2001 82 This release contained Enhanced CD material featuring the music videos for Rio Hungry Like the Wolf and Save a Prayer plus memorabilia and a link to the band s official website The European limited edition booklet cover used an alternate version of the Nagel cover painting The original CD version was used rather than the original LP version EMI stated that this was due to master tape research issues as a result of there being multiple different versions of the album 56 Rio was again reissued as a two disc Collectors Edition on 7 September 2009 in the UK 83 and 6 October 2009 in the US 84 This edition includes the original LP release tracks and the US Kershenbaum remixes along with several other tracks that were either previously unavailable officially on CD or were only available on Singles Box Set 1981 1985 2003 This reissue received mixed reviews Commentators felt the bonus tracks were mostly disposable and not worth the price tag although some welcome the presence of several night versions and the US mixes 21 71 Ewing concluded The 2xCD package is probably best used as a way of recreating whichever version of Rio floats your nostalgia yacht 21 The release was packaged with the Live at Hammersmith 82 DVD which Record Collector s Joel McIver felt was superior to Rio 71 On 23 June 2015 85 Parlophone repackaged this edition as a two disc set featuring the US album mixes demos assorted B sides and five remixes 58 Track listing EditAll songs written and arranged by Simon Le Bon Andy Taylor John Taylor Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes Side oneNo TitleLength1 Rio 5 332 My Own Way 4 513 Lonely in Your Nightmare 3 504 Hungry Like the Wolf 3 415 Hold Back the Rain 3 59Total length 21 14 Side twoNo TitleLength6 New Religion 5 317 Last Chance on the Stairway 4 218 Save a Prayer 5 339 The Chauffeur 5 10Total length 20 35 Notes Edit The US LP reissue uses the US Album Remixes of Rio Lonely in Your Nightmare Hungry Like the Wolf and Hold Back the Rain along with the Carnival remix of My Own Way Later pressings of this reissue use the Night Version of Hungry Like the Wolf mixed by Colin Thurston The original CD and 2001 Enhanced CD reissue use an edited version of the video mix of Lonely in Your Nightmare an alternate mix of Hold Back the Rain and the UK single edit of Save a Prayer Personnel EditAlbum credits adapted from AllMusic 86 Duran Duran Simon Le Bon lead vocals vibraphone on New Religion ocarina on The Chauffeur marimba on Last Chance on the Stairway 8 Nick Rhodes keyboards synthesizers sound effects backing vocals on Last Chance on the Stairway John Taylor bass guitar backing vocals Andy Taylor guitars backing vocals Roger Taylor drums percussionAdditional musicians Andy Hamilton tenor saxophone on Rio Production and artwork Colin Thurston production and engineering Renate technician Malcolm Garrett sleeve design Patrick Nagel illustration Andy Earl photography David Kershenbaum remixing tracks 1 5 on US LP reissue Nick Webb mastering UK LP Wally Traugott mastering original US LP Stephen Marcussen mastering US LP reissue Tony Cousins remastering 2001 Enhanced CD reissue Steve Rooke remastering 2009 2 CD Collectors Edition Charts EditWeekly charts Edit Weekly chart performance for Rio Chart 1982 1983 PeakpositionAustralian Albums Kent Music Report 87 3Canada Top Albums CDs RPM 88 1Dutch Albums Album Top 100 89 40Finnish Albums Suomen virallinen lista 90 3New Zealand Albums RMNZ 91 2Norwegian Albums VG lista 92 13Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 93 9UK Albums Chart 36 2US Billboard Top LPs amp Tape 59 6 Year end charts Edit 1982 year end chart performance for Rio Chart 1982 PositionAustralian Albums Kent Music Report 94 24New Zealand Albums RMNZ 95 16UK Albums BMRB 96 51983 year end chart performance for Rio Chart 1983 PositionCanada Top Albums CDs RPM 97 9New Zealand Albums RMNZ 98 38UK Albums Gallup 99 20US Billboard Top LPs amp Tape 100 13Certifications EditCertifications for Rio Region Certification Certified units salesAustralia ARIA 101 Platinum 50 000 Canada Music Canada 102 2 Platinum 200 000 Finland Musiikkituottajat 103 Gold 30 316 103 New Zealand RMNZ 104 Platinum 15 000 United Kingdom BPI 105 Platinum 300 000 United States RIAA 106 2 Platinum 2 000 000 Shipments figures based on certification alone Notes Edit The same building on the cover of the Beatles Please Please Me 1963 Author Annie Zaleski states that this version of New Religion was similar to the final version on Rio 4 The band would later return to AIR to record most of 1986 s Notorious The location was chosen by the band at the insistence of Paul Berrow who had recently holidayed there 28 Davis comments the Duran Duran videos became one of the final pieces of imagery to show the island nation s paradise like state before the start of the decades long Sri Lankan Civil War that erupted in 1983 A video for Duran Duran s Night Boat was also shot around this time Attributed to multiple references 10 31 34 13 14 Attributed to multiple references 19 22 41 45 46 Mirroring the Beatles during the height of Beatlemania Attributed to multiple references 20 63 17 21 70 71 Attributed to multiple references 20 63 65 62 16 Attributed to multiple references 10 63 69 53 73 Iconic 15 62 20 Best of lists 74 75 References Edit a b c d e Malins 2013 chap 4 Davis 2021 pp 110 112 Davis 2021 pp 113 116 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Zaleski 2021a chap 2 a b c d Taylor 2008 chap 4 a b c d e f g Davis 2021 pp 137 142 a b Zaleski 2021a chap 1 a b c d e f g h i j k Zaleski Annie 10 May 2022 40 Years Ago Duran Duran Release the Masterful Rio Ultimate Classic Rock Archived from the original on 16 May 2022 Retrieved 9 June 2022 a b c d e f g Taylor 2012 chap 33 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Malins 2013 chap 5 Davis 2021 pp 117 121 a b Davis 2021 pp 131 133 a b c Taylor 2008 chap 5 a b c Davis 2021 pp 146 150 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Zaleski 2021a chap 3 a b c Zaleski Annie 19 October 2021b Top 40 New Wave Albums Ultimate Classic Rock Archived from the original on 30 October 2021 Retrieved 13 September 2022 a b c d Stiernberg Bonnie 13 October 2020 The 50 Best New Wave Albums Paste Archived from the original on 1 October 2017 Retrieved 13 September 2022 Hunt El 17 September 2020 The story of new wave in 15 classic albums NME Retrieved 13 September 2022 a b c d Robbins Ira August 1982 Duran Duran Rio Trouser Press No 76 pp 41 42 a b c d e f Freeman John 8 May 2012 Cherry Ice Cream Smiles Duran Duran s Rio Revisited The Quietus Archived from the original on 10 June 2022 Retrieved 9 June 2022 a b c d e f Ewing Tom 14 October 2009 Duran Duran Rio Collector s Edition Live at Hammersmith 82 Pitchfork Archived from the original on 10 February 2021 Retrieved 11 June 2016 a b c d Denselow Robin 28 May 1982 Rebel Rousers The Guardian p 12 Archived from the original on 1 September 2022 Retrieved 9 June 2022 via newspapers com subscription required a b c Guarisco Donald A Rio Duran Duran AllMusic Archived from the original on 13 September 2022 Retrieved 13 September 2022 a b Guarisco Donald A Save a Prayer Duran Duran AllMusic Archived from the original on 21 July 2019 Retrieved 13 September 2022 a b c d Guarisco Donald A The Chauffeur Duran Duran AllMusic Archived from the original on 13 September 2022 Retrieved 13 September 2022 a b Millie Elena G October 1985 Nagel The Art of Patrick Nagel St James Press ISBN 0 912383 11 9 a b c Robb John 20 February 2021 Malcolm Garrett speaks to Paul Hanley about his ground breaking artwork for Duran Duran Louder Than War Archived from the original on 21 April 2022 Retrieved 31 December 2021 a b c d e Davis 2021 pp 144 145 Meet the Creators Malcolm Garrett a career in design Ditto tv October 2000 Archived from the original on 17 February 2022 Retrieved 4 January 2022 Pop Art Duran Duran Classic Pop Magazine 3 June 2021 Archived from the original on 27 May 2022 Retrieved 31 December 2021 a b c d e f g h i Zaleski 2021a chap 4 Davis 2021 pp 151 154 Davis 2021 pp 155 157 a b Taylor 2012 chap 35 a b c d e f Davis 2021 pp 157 160 a b Duran Duran official chart history officialcharts com Official Charts Company Archived from the original on 23 March 2019 Retrieved 10 June 2022 Davis 2021 pp 161 163 Reesman Bryan 23 May 2017 Nothing Captured the MTV Revolution Better Than Duran Duran s Rio The Observer Archived from the original on 10 June 2022 Retrieved 9 June 2022 Davis 2021 pp 163 165 a b Davis 2021 pp 167 171 a b c Lloyd Jack 18 June 1982 Albums The Philadelphia Inquirer p 34 Archived from the original on 31 August 2022 Retrieved 9 June 2022 via newspapers com subscription required a b Sunie 15 May 1982 Duran Duran Rio EMI EMC 3411 PDF Record Mirror p 18 Archived PDF from the original on 29 May 2022 Retrieved 29 May 2022 via worldradiohistory com a b Dellar Fred 13 26 May 1982 Albums Smash Hits 4 10 23 a b Christgau Robert 28 June 1983 Christgau s Consumer Guide The Village Voice Archived from the original on 25 February 2020 Retrieved 30 July 2017 a b c Du Noyer Paul 22 May 1982 New Suits amp Blandies NME p 36 a b Sutherland Steve 15 May 1982 Flying Down to Rio Melody Maker p 18 Righi Lea 4 September 1982 Review of Duran Duran Rio The Morning Call p 67 Archived from the original on 14 September 2022 Retrieved 14 September 2022 via newspapers com subscription required Palmer Robert 25 December 1983 Energy and Creativity Added up to Exciting Pop The New York Times Archived from the original on 17 February 2022 Retrieved 2 January 2022 mostly recycled black funk and reggae rhythms Holden Stephen 11 September 1983 Christmas Comes Early in Pop Music The New York Times Archived from the original on 17 February 2022 Retrieved 2 January 2022 a b Top Album Picks PDF Billboard 5 June 1982 p 62 Archived PDF from the original on 20 August 2022 Retrieved 12 July 2022 via worldradiohistory com Davis 2021 pp 166 168 a b c Davis 2021 pp 166 167 a b c Robbins Ira Duran Duran Trouser Press Archived from the original on 13 August 2022 Retrieved 13 August 2022 Davis 2021 pp 147 158 Puterbaugh Parke 12 May 1983 Duran Duran The little girls understand Rolling Stone No 395 pp 62 65 a b c Duran Duran Rio durancompilations com Archived from the original on 26 May 2022 Retrieved 18 March 2021 Davis 2021 pp 167 174 a b c d e Elliot Mark 15 July 2015 Rio Duran Duran Record Collector No 443 Archived from the original on 13 August 2022 Retrieved 13 August 2022 a b Duran Duran Chart History Billboard Archived from the original on 24 May 2022 Retrieved 9 June 2022 a b c d Zaleski 2021a chap 7 A look back at 1983 The year of the Second British Invasion CBS July 4 2013 CBS News 4 July 2013 Archived from the original on 6 July 2013 Retrieved 17 October 2013 a b c d e f Parker Lyndsey 9 May 2022 Duran Duran on Rio 40 years later The exotic erotic album that put us on the map and kept us there Yahoo Music Archived from the original on 10 June 2022 Retrieved 9 June 2022 a b c d e f Raggett Ned Rio Duran Duran AllMusic Archived from the original on 30 April 2021 Retrieved 11 June 2016 Larkin Colin 2011 Duran Duran The Encyclopedia of Popular Music 5th concise ed London Omnibus Press ISBN 978 0 85712 595 8 a b c Bergstrom John 24 November 2009 Duran Duran Rio Special Limited Edition Live at Hammersmith 82 PopMatters Retrieved 11 June 2016 a b Moody Paul 26 August 2009 Duran Duran Rio Q p 125 Archived from the original on 13 August 2022 Retrieved 13 August 2022 Sheffield Rob 2004 Duran Duran In Brackett Nathan Hoard Christian eds The New Rolling Stone Album Guide 4th ed New York City Simon amp Schuster pp 261 262 ISBN 0 7432 0169 8 Weisbard Eric Marks Craig eds 1995 Spin Alternative Record Guide New York City Vintage Books pp 119 120 ISBN 0 679 75574 8 a b c Wallace Wyndham August 2015 Duran Duran Rio Uncut No 219 p 90 a b c Simpson Ernest 6 September 2006 Duran Duran Rio Treblezine Archived from the original on 12 May 2021 Retrieved 9 June 2022 a b c McIver Joel 26 September 2009 Rio Collectors Edition Record Collector No 368 Archived from the original on 5 June 2021 Retrieved 13 August 2022 Ingalls Chris 27 May 2021 Duran Duran s Rio Gets New Appreciation from Critic Annie Zaleski PopMatters Archived from the original on 27 May 2021 Retrieved 9 June 2022 Mason Stewart Hungry Like the Wolf Duran Duran AllMusic Archived from the original on 13 September 2022 Retrieved 13 September 2022 50 Greatest Album Covers The Greatest Episode 088 20 September 2003 VH1 The 50 Greatest Album Covers of All Time Updated 2022 Billboard 16 March 2022 Archived from the original on 16 March 2022 Retrieved 9 July 2022 The 100 Greatest British Albums Ever Q No 165 June 2000 pp 59 91 Top 50 British albums poll The Word Archived from the original on 12 February 2008 Retrieved 25 July 2012 Staff Lists Top 100 Albums of the 1980s Pitchfork 20 November 2002 Archived from the original on 11 December 2011 Retrieved 23 February 2013 Top 100 Favourite Album Countdown Live Updates BBC co uk Archived from the original on 4 April 2013 Retrieved 16 September 2013 Dimery Robert Lydon Michael 2018 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Revised and Updated Edition London Cassell ISBN 978 1 78840 080 0 Franzon Henrik n d Duran Duran Rio Acclaimed Music Archived from the original on 11 September 2019 Retrieved 6 June 2022 Raggett Ned Rio Bonus Video Tracks Duran Duran AllMusic Archived from the original on 20 September 2022 Retrieved 16 September 2022 Raggett Ned Rio Collector s Edition Duran Duran AllMusic Archived from the original on 20 September 2022 Retrieved 16 September 2022 Raggett Ned Rio 2 CD Duran Duran AllMusic Archived from the original on 20 September 2022 Retrieved 16 September 2022 Raggett Ned Rio Deluxe Edition Duran Duran AllMusic Archived from the original on 20 September 2022 Retrieved 16 September 2022 Rio Album Credits Duran Duran AllMusic Archived from the original on 18 May 2022 Retrieved 9 June 2022 Kent 1993 p 97 Top RPM Albums Issue 6254a RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved 19 January 2019 Dutchcharts nl Duran Duran Rio in Dutch Hung Medien Retrieved 30 June 2018 Pennanen Timo 2006 Sisaltaa hitin levyt ja esittajat Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 in Finnish 1st ed Helsinki Kustannusosakeyhtia Otava ISBN 978 951 1 21053 5 Charts nz Duran Duran Rio Hung Medien Retrieved 30 June 2018 Norwegiancharts com Duran Duran Rio Hung Medien Retrieved 30 June 2018 Swedishcharts com Duran Duran Rio Hung Medien Retrieved 30 June 2018 Kent 1993 p 434 Top Selling Albums of 1982 Recorded Music NZ Archived from the original on 10 July 2017 Retrieved 19 January 2019 Rees Dafydd Lazell Barry Jones Alan 1983 The Top 100 UK Albums Chart File Volume 2 London Virgin Books pp 82 83 ISBN 0 907080 73 1 The Top Albums of 1983 RPM Vol 39 no 17 24 December 1983 ISSN 0033 7064 Archived from the original on 3 February 2022 Retrieved 5 June 2022 via Library and Archives Canada Top Selling Albums of 1983 Recorded Music NZ Archived from the original on 17 February 2022 Retrieved 2 February 2022 Scaping Peter ed 1984 Top 100 LPs 1983 BPI Year Book 1984 British Phonographic Industry pp 44 45 ISBN 0 906154 04 9 Top Pop Albums of 1983 Billboard 31 December 1983 Archived from the original on 5 September 2012 Retrieved 18 May 2022 Platinum and Gold Singles 1982 Kent Music Report No 453 28 February 1983 Archived from the original on 10 November 2021 Retrieved 10 November 2021 via Imgur Canadian album certifications Duran Duran Rio Music Canada 1 October 1983 Retrieved 19 January 2019 a b Duran Duran in Finnish Musiikkituottajat IFPI Finland Retrieved 19 January 2019 New Zealand album certifications Duran Duran Rio Recorded Music NZ 13 November 1983 Retrieved 19 January 2019 British album certifications Duran Duran Rio British Phonographic Industry 11 November 1982 Retrieved 19 January 2019 Selectalbumsin the Format field SelectPlatinumin the Certification field TypeRio in the Search BPI Awards field and then press Enter American album certifications Duran Duran Rio Recording Industry Association of America 14 October 1991 Retrieved 19 January 2019 Sources Edit Davis Stephen 2021 Please Please Tell Me Now The Duran Duran Story New York City Hachette Books ISBN 978 0 306 84606 9 Kent David 1993 Australian Chart Book 1970 1992 illustrated ed St Ives N S W Australian Chart Book ISBN 0 646 11917 6 Malins Steve 2013 Duran Duran Wild Boys The Unauthorised Biography Updated ed London Andre Deutsch ISBN 978 0 233 00392 4 Taylor Andy 2008 Wild Boy My Life in Duran Duran New York City Grand Central Publishing ISBN 978 0 446 54606 5 Taylor John 2012 In the Pleasure Groove Love Death and Duran Duran New York City Penguin Random House ISBN 978 0 52595 800 0 Zaleski Annie 2021a Duran Duran s Rio 33 1 3 156 33 1 3 New York City Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN 978 1 50135 518 9 External links EditRio at Discogs list of releases Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rio Duran Duran album amp oldid 1130078470, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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