MONDAY NOVEMBER 12 2007, marks the much-anticipated release of DURAN DURAN’s stunning new single FALLING DOWN. Co-written and produced by Justin Timberlake, FALLING DOWN is taken from the band’s eagerly-awaited new album RED CARPET MASSACRE, which will be unveiled a week later.
Already recognized by both fans and critics alike as a pivotal song in the band’s illustrious career, FALLING DOWN was the last track to be written and recorded for their new album, that has been a year in the making, with producer’s Timbaland, Nate ‘Danja’ Hills and long-time Duran Duran fan, Justin Timberlake at the helm.
Simon LeBon recalls; “When I went up to see Justin at one of his shows in the Midlands he asked if he could hear everything we’d recorded and at the end he said ‘You need an Ordinary World to round things out.’ This, he told Simon, had been one of his favourite songs when he was a pop-crazed 14 year old and as LeBon remarks with powerful understatement “What goes around, comes around.”
Marking one of Timberlake’s first solo productions, FALLING DOWN was completed – from start to finish – over the course of a weekend at Elbow’s Blueport Studio in Manchester, when Justin was on tour in the UK and the four band members were getting ready to deliver their record. Believing that they needed an epic track in the vein of Ordinary World to round out the album, Justin challenged the band (Simon LeBon, John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes) to come up with a mid-tempo ballad that would not only appeal to their existing army of fans, but that could also touch a new audience around the world. Charged with the task at hand LeBon crafted poignant lyrics over the song’s memorable melody and within 24 hours they had something that they all knew would be one of the cornerstone tracks on the new release.
Simon LeBon recalls; “When I went up to see Justin at one of his shows in the Midlands he asked if he could hear everything we’d recorded and at the end he said ‘You need an Ordinary World to round things out.’ This, he told Simon, had been one of his favourite songs when he was a pop-crazed 14 year old and as LeBon remarks with powerful understatement “What goes around, comes around.”
The recording of FALLING DOWN provided a book-end for Justin’s involvement in RED CARPET MASSACRE, the first track for which (Nite-Runner) he had co-written and co-produced some twelve months earlier when the band, Timberland, Danja and he were all in New York for the MTV Awards.
The video to accompany the single was shot on location in Los Angeles by award-winning director Anthony Mandler (The Killers, Rihanna, Beyonce). Little is being revealed by the band in advance about the concept except that it was set in a dilapidated hospital with a collection of beautiful women.
Mixed by Jean-Marie Horvet, FALLING DOWN features the band’s live guitarist Dom Brown and backing vocals by Justin Timberlake.
RED CARPET MASSACRE, the band’s much-anticipated new album which was recorded in Manchester, London and New York, will be released on November 19 in the UK.
RED CARPET MASSACRE has been produced by DURAN DURAN, NATE “DANJA” HILLS (Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland), JIMMY DOUGLASS (Missy Elliot, Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, Bryan Ferry, Jay Z, Snoop Dog), JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE and TIMBALAND.
DURAN DURAN have sold more than 70 million records in a career that spans 29 years. They have achieved countless hit records, received numerous accolades and been honoured with no fewer than five prestigious ‘Lifetime Achievement’ awards (MTV Video Music Awards, Q Magazine, The BRITS, Ivor Novello Awards, Spanish Ondas) since 2002.
RED CARPET MASSACRE is the band’s first outing, since the release of their 2004 smash ASTRONAUT.
Track List
The Valley
Red Carpet Massacre
Nite-Runner (Co written and co-produced with Justin Timberlake & Timbaland)
Falling Down (Co written and produced by Justin Timberlake)
Box full o’honey
Skin Divers (Co-written, co-produced and featuring Timbaland)
Tempted
Tricked Out
Zoom In (Co-written and co-produced by Timbaland)
She’s Too Much
Dirty Great Monster
Last Man Standing
