Duran Duran - The Crystal Ship (2023)

• In 1993, Duran Duran released a second self-titled record: this Duran Duran album is known as The Wedding Album (for Nick Egan's cover art featuring the wedding photos of the band members' parents) to distinguish it from the 1981 album, and it was produced and recorded with John Jones. The release of this first "comeback" album was initially delayed, but listener demand for leaked single ‘Ordinary World’ forced it onto radio playlists months earlier than planned; it reached number 3 on the US chart and number 6 in the UK and won a prestigious Ivor Novello Award for song writing. • ‘Come Undone’ made number 7 in the US and number 13 in the UK. Both the band and the record label seemed to be caught by surprise by the album's critical and commercial success (No. 4 in the UK, No. 7 in the US). Bassist John Taylor had been considering leaving the group but changed his mind. • Duran Duran’s largest tour ever, which included stops in the Middle East, the then recently de-embargoed South Africa, and South America, was halted after seven months when Simon Le Bon suffered from strained vocal cords. After six weeks’ recuperation, the band performed intermittently for another five months, including appearances in Israel, Thailand, and Indonesia. • The band’s nine shows in the aforementioned post-apartheid S.A. were something of a revelation. Performed between 10th and 24th April ’93, and largely sold out within minutes of tickets being announced, Duran’s gig at the Momentum Arena in Pretoria, their final concert in the country, was their best of all. • Recorded for live transmission on both TV and FM Radio, the full event is now available for the first time on this new CD.