Duran Duo In "Power" Project

All-Star Collaboration

If the abrasive edge of Duran Duran's recent hit Wild Boys took part of the band's young constituency by surprise, that legion of fans better brace itself for an even funkier move by the group's guitarist Andy Taylor and bassist John Taylor.

The Taylors are two of five top stars who have teamed up to form a collaborative one-album act, Power Station. First offering from the Taylors' long-desired teaming with mentors Robert Palmer, Chic's drummer Tony Thompson and Chic partner / producer Bernard Edwards is the single Some Like It Hot, a funk-drenched rocker that ships Feb. 6 on Capitol.

"We take nice pictures," say the Taylors of Duran Duran's media image, but both are adamant in dispelling any notions that the Power Station project was designed to reverse that perception.

"It happened naturally," says John, growing from a "vague idea to do a dance version of (T. Rex's 1972 hit) Bang A Gong," hatched when John and Andy met Robert Palmer at England's RumRunner club three years ago. Later that year the Duranners met Thompson while opening Blondie's tour, and Edwards came into the picture through his former Chic partner Nile Rodgers, producer of Duran Duran's latest smash single.

"This is not an image group," says John of Power Station. "We won't be around to do Solid Gold." The band does, however, have a Saturday Night Live appearance slated for Feb. 16 (Andy's 25th birthday), a video coming soon, and a self-titled album set for March.

"We're not hunting for recognition," says John. "We think the music will speak for itself." Per this approach, the album credits and photos are what Andy calls "subtle. There won't be any 'featuring Duran Duran sex symbols John and Andy taylor' stickers."

The project was a "good opportunity to improve our musical perspective," claims John "I'd never picked up a bass before I heard (Chic's 1979 hit) Good Times." The bassist calls working with Edwards a "nerve-racking experience - he was like a father to me."

Both John and Andy agree that Some Like It Hot is "not an immmediate pop song," but they expect it to be a "major" crossover record with strong support by urban and rock radio. "If it goes top 30, we'll be happy," says Andy, reflecting a spontaneous and somewhat casual attitude taken while recording the album. "It wasn't a let's-make-a-hit record session. We just wanted to do it."

Kim Freeman (Billboard - Février 1985)