Duran Duran Loses Guitarist Taylor

Yes, it's happened AGAIN. Duran Duran's guitarist has left the group AGAIN, as was announced by the remaining members on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006. This makes the second time that Andy has left the group - the first time being after Duran Duran's title song to the James Bond Movie A View to a Kill in 1985 , when Andy quit the next year.

Every good Duranie knows the story: the band formed by Nick Rhodes (keyboardist with all the make-up) and John Taylor (totally "hot" bass guitarist) formed the band in 1978 in Birmingham, and recruited vocalist Simon LeBon . Andy Taylor (no relation to John) was brought on as the guitarist and Roger Taylor (no relation to Andy or John) as the drummer. Duran Duran got their name from the movie Barbarella with Jane Fonda. Duran made it big in the mid eighties, with Reflex, Rio and Wild Boys, making females swoon from preteen to grown women. The 'Fab Five' was plastered all over Tiger Beat and every other teenie bopper magazine going at that time. Even my mom thought John Taylor was 'hot.' Ha!

In 1985, side projects ran amuck with Arcadia and Power Station (with the late Robert Palmer, and then Michael Debarres). But in 1986, just one year after the band did the movie title song to the James Bond movie A View to a Kill, two Taylors permanently left the band. Duranies (myself included) were sympathetic Roger's departure, as he was always the 'shy one' and he left because the crowds and publicity got too much for him, Andy, however, was another story. I can't recall the real reason, but as I remember it from way back in my raving duranie days, is that Andy had a lot going on in his life (like drug rehab) and exited the scene because he was being a jerk and wasn't getting along with the other members.

Duran then picked up guitarist Warren Cuccurullo for touring purposes, but then John also left in 1997. A little turmoil happened, a little bankruptcy thing and fight over rights to the name Duran Duran, but then the 'fab five' finally reunited in 2001. I had the pleasure of seeing them live at Chastain Park here in Atlanta last summer, but that's a whole other story! Anyway, the boys have been back for the last 5 years, and going strong, touring and what not, and now Andy Taylor has quit the band yet again as Duran continued the US leg of their world tour.

"We have reached a point in our relationship with him where there is an unworkable gulf between us and we can no longer effectively function together," the band said Thursday in a statement on their Web site. "Although obviously disappointed and saddened about this, we are excited about the next chapter of the Duran Duran story and look forward to seeing you all soon."

So, does this mean that Warren C. will be back on the scene? Who knows. Speaking as a Duranie, he's one hell of a guitarist, and even though Andy was always the "not-so-cute" one, Warren is just not part of Duran Duran - he's the extra, the step-child, the 'he'll do,' tolerated part of the band because a guitarist is needed. But for the time being, the tour will continue, with session guitarist Dom Brown in taking Andy's place.

Oh, how sad it is!