Late Bar
"Late Bar" | |
---|---|
![]() UK picture sleeve (reverse) | |
Song by Duran Duran | |
A-side | "Planet Earth" |
Released | 2 February 1981 |
Recorded | December 1980 – January 1981 |
Studio | Red Bus (London) |
Genre | |
Length | 2:57 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) | Colin Thurston |
Audio video | |
"Late Bar" on YouTube |
"Late Bar" is a song by the English pop rock band Duran Duran. Written about the Rum Runner, a club in Birmingham where the band began writing and rehearsing, it incorporates early elements of their developing sound, including funk-influenced rhythms, prominent keyboards, and vocals by the lead vocalist Simon Le Bon.
The song was released on 2 February 1981 as the B-side to Duran Duran's debut single, "Planet Earth", but was not included on their first studio album, Duran Duran (1981). "Late Bar" became a favourite in the band's early live performances and has since been recognised by critics as one of the band's greatest songs.
Background and composition
[edit]"Late Bar" was written about the Rum Runner, a club in Birmingham where Duran Duran began writing and rehearsing.[1] The song is a pop[2] track that features what would become recognisable elements of the band's sound: "tight, pulsing funk patterns" from the bassist John Taylor and the drummer Roger Taylor, "manic riffing" from the guitarist Andy Taylor, "voluminous keys" from the keyboardist Nick Rhodes, and a "shadowy, goth-tinged bellow" from the lead vocalist Simon Le Bon.[3] Lyrically, the song focuses on "all-night parties in hotel rooms". Le Bon's vocal performance ranges "from a deep insouciant croon to a deranged 'la la la' in the chorus". The band's "squelchy, angular attempts to emulate Chic" and Le Bon's vocals were described as "works in progress".[4]
Release and legacy
[edit]"Late Bar" was released as the B-side of Duran Duran's first single, "Planet Earth", on 2 February 1981.[5] The song was not included on the band's debut album Duran Duran (1981). Rhodes explained that this was because the band came from "a generation where obscure B-sides were sort of important on 7-inch vinyl", and they were "determined to have them". He added that for "the first five years or so — well, probably longer actually, the first 10 years — we really kept up that", with "Late Bar" being the first example.[1] In the band's early years, the song was a favourite of their live performances.[5]
Despite being released as a B-side, "Late Bar" has since been recognised by critics as a standout track in Duran Duran's catalog. Both Rik Flynn of Classic Pop and Jeremy Allen of The Guardian ranked it as the second greatest Duran Duran song.[3][4] Flynn wrote that the song "made for an essential 7-inch", referring to its inclusion on the "Planet Earth" single.[3] Allen noted that while Duran Duran were still developing their sound, "Late Bar" was "magnificent" and "draws you in".[4] The author Steve Malin's referred to it as "one of the group's best B-sides".[5] Paul Sinclair of SuperDeluxeEdition described it as an "effortless pop song that evokes the whole 'new romantic' movement".[2]
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from Flynn except where noted:[3]
Duran Duran
- Simon Le Bon – vocals[4]
- Andy Taylor – guitar
- John Taylor – bass guitar
- Roger Taylor – drums
- Nick Rhodes – keyboards, synthesisers
Production
- Colin Thurston – production, engineering[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Leas, Ryan (28 September 2015). "Nick Rhodes Corrected Our 10 Best Duran Duran Songs List". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
- ^ a b Sinclair, Paul (20 October 2019). "Duran Duran: Deep Cuts". SuperDeluxeEdition. Archived from the original on 24 March 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d Flynn, Rik (30 January 2022). "40 of the best Duran Duran songs – year by year". Classic Pop. Archived from the original on 4 October 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d Allen, Jeremy (15 April 2015). "Duran Duran: 10 of the best". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
- ^ a b c Malins 2013, chap. 4.
- ^ "Duran Duran Album Credits – Duran Duran". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
Sources
[edit]- Malins, Steve (2013). Duran Duran – Wild Boys: The Unauthorised Biography (Updated ed.). London: André Deutsch. ISBN 978-0-233-00392-4.