Duran Duran just released their 14th studio album, Paper Gods, a cause for celebration for Duranies all across Planet Earth. There’s just one problem: Duran Duran will always be known as video vanguards, and they still have yet to release an official music video from the album (not even for their fantastic, Janelle Monae-assisted single “Pressure Off,” although that does have a very cool lyric video).
But that’s OK. Until the official new DD clip comes out, here’s your ultimate video tribute to the Boys on Film. The MTV pioneers have inspired several artists to shoot their own small-screen tributes, so we’ve compiled a primer of some of the best. You’ll have a huge cherry ice cream smile on your face after watching these genius Duran Duran parodies.
4. Fountains of Wayne – “Mexican Wine”
The little-seen follow-up to “Stacy’s Mom” features the powerpoppers living it up on an Antiguan yacht, “Rio”-style. Sure, Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger don’t quite fill out those pastel linen suits like Simon Le Bon and John Taylor do. But we still suppose it’s very nice.
3. Sugar Ray – “When It’s Over”
The frat-rockers get some of the details wrong in this parody of DD’s “Is There Something I Should Know?” There aren’t two keytar-players in Duran Duran, for one (did Nick Rhodes EVER play a keytar???), and the Patrick Nagel-knockoff artwork in the background is from the wrong era. (Also, those girls in the kabuki makeup and Glad-bag dresses look like they wandered in from the set of A Flock of Seagulls’ “I Ran” video.) But… Mark McGrath’s preening is so on point, we have to give him props. Apparently the something we all needed to know was McGrath is a closeted, hardcore Duranie.
2. The Dandy Warhols – “You Were the Last High”
The Dandys’ excellently synthy but woefully misunderstood fourth album Welcome to the Monkey House was co-produced by Nick Rhodes (along with David Bowie cohort Tony Visconti), so what better way to repay the favor than by lovingly recreating Duran’s “Planet Earth” video? These new New Romantics were looking for the TV sound, and they obviously found it.
1. Hedley – “Never Too Late”
The popular Canadian pop-rock band, fronted by Canadian Idol top three finalist Jacob Hoggard, one-upped the Warhols (and “Rio” fans Fountains of Wayne) with this painstakingly scene-by-scene remake of “Rio.” No detail was spared. The pink underwater telephone, the shaky champagne pour, the crab foot attack, the synchronized air-saxophone deck dancing… it’s all in there. This amazing parody means so much to us, like a birthday or a pretty view.
BONUS CLIP:
We don’t know who these totally awesome “Stinky Chat” people are, but they probably had a fraction of a fraction of Hedley’s video budget, and they did almost as great a job. We raise a frothy neon yellow cocktail to them. Kudos, guys.
