Duran Duran: “Dreaming Of Your Cars: 1979 Demos Part 2” (2020) CD Review

A few years ago, we were treated to some early demos by Duran Duran, featuring vocalist Andy Wickett, who fronted the group before the addition of Simon Le Bon. Now a new EP of 1979 demos has been released, and it is clear from these recordings that Duran Duran was something special even before the majority of us heard the band for the first time in 1981. This EP features four songs recorded in September of 1979 at Bob Lamb’s studio in Birmingham, England. The band at this point was made up of Andy Wickett on vocals and piano, John Taylor on guitar (and, I assume, bass), Roger Taylor on drums, and Nick Rhodes on keyboards.

The EP opens with its title track, “Dreaming Of Your Cars,” a seriously cool tune with a wonderful and interesting bass line. Again, though no bass player is credited in the liner notes, I assume it’s John Taylor, since Simon Colley’s name is not listed. The style and groove at the beginning reminds me of some early work by The Police. I love that drum beat, and actually I like the whole vibe of this song. It was written by Andy Wickett, and he performed it with T.V. Eye before joining Duran Duran. The T.V. Eye version is certainly more firmly in the punk realm, but the Duran Duran rendition does retain some of that punk feel. “See how we glide/See how we fly/Feel how we move/See how we shine beneath the sky.” That’s followed by “Love Story,” which has kind of an odd, unusual vibe, though with another good groove. As its title promises, this one does tell a story. “It’s such a sad story/It’s got the movie house in tears.”

And then “X Disco” is, in fact, a disco song, or at least uses disco elements. It was the late 1970s, remember. As a result, this is a fun one to dance to. Toward the end, Andy Wickett does some different things vocally, and that for me is when the song starts to get exciting. But then suddenly the song is over.  I wish it went on a little longer in the direction it seemed to be going. The EP then concludes with “To The Shore,” which has a darker sound and feel. This is probably the most interesting of the EP’s tracks, creating a strange and intriguing landscape, and featuring an excellent vocal performance. This song would be reworked by Duran Duran and included on the band’s self-titled debut release (though not on the original U.S. version). This early version of the song is quite different and, in my opinion, superior, though also notably shorter.

CD Track List

1. Dreaming Of Your Cars
2. Love Story
3. X Disco
4. To The Shore
   

Dreaming Of Your Cars: 1979 Demos Part 2 was released on both CD and colored vinyl on October 30, 2020 through Cleopatra Records.