What better time to reunite with old bandmates than during your induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? After being announced as part of its class of 2022 earlier this week, Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon said he’s “definitely” planning on reconvening with his band’s former guitarist Andy Taylor.
“I’ve already had a definite yes from Andy,” Le Bon told Rolling Stone when asked about plans for Duran Duran’s forthcoming performance at the ceremony. “He’s definitely up for it. I’m pretty sure Warren [Cuccurullo, former guitarist/bassist] will want to do it… We’ve always maintained a decent relationship with these guys. We didn’t have so-called ‘acrimonious splits.’ It was gentlemanly and it was understood. And pretty much mutual.”
Le Bon went on to discuss how Duran Duran would pick songs to perform out of their catalog, which spans four decades: “We’ve got Andy on the first three albums, so you have songs like ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ and ‘Rio’ and ‘Planet Earth,’” Le Bon added. “[Cuccurullo] was a very important part of The Wedding Album, which had ‘Ordinary World’ and ‘Come Undone’ on it. We’re not struggling for good songs, that’s for sure.”
Taylor joined Duran Duran in 1980, leaving right before the band released their 1986 album Notorious. He came back for a stint between 2000 and 2006, performing on 2004’s Astronaut. As for Cuccurullo, he initially joined Duran Duran in 1986 as a session and touring member before officially joining their lineup in 1989. He split with the band in 2001.
No matter which personnel end up performing with him, however, Le Bon reiterated his pleasant surprise at Duran Duran’s nomination: “We’re always the bridesmaid, never the bride,” he said. “And we looked over the list of names and thought we didn’t really have a hope in hell.”
Upon Wednesday’s news of Duran Duran’s induction into the Rock Hall, Le Bon shared his gratitude in a brief video: ““It’s one thing to be nominated — but a totally different thing altogether to be actually voted up for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is to my mind the closest thing you’ll ever get to a rock and roll knighthood.”
This summer, Duran Duran will come to North America for a tour in support of their most recent album, FUTURE PAST. Get tickets over at Ticketmaster.