Remember When Duran Duran Brought New Romantic Flair to a No. 1 Bond Theme in 1985?

You might think that sweet-talking is the best way to get something from someone reluctant to give it to you. Occasionally, an insult can work just as well. Just ask Duran Duran, who managed to secure one of their best gigs via a wisecrack.

The gig in question was the opportunity to record a James Bond theme song. In 1985, “A View To A Kill” reversed the trend of Bond themes toward schmaltz and became the first-ever US No. 1 single to come from the series.

A Brief Reunion

They were supposed to be on a break. Duran Duran, fatigued after conquering the pop music world in the early 80s, began the process of splintering into two different groups in 1984. John Taylor and Andy Taylor rocked harder than ever before with The Power Station. Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes, and Roger Taylor conjured eclectic pop with Arcadia.

But their hiatus was interrupted when, at a party, John Taylor quipped to Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, producer of the James Bond films, about the lousy quality of recent Bond themes. Broccoli called Taylor’s bluff and offered it to Duran Duran. He had the opportunity to do so because David Bowie had recently passed on acting and singing the theme of the proposed new film, entitled A View To A Kill.

The band snapped up the offer. They had to collaborate with John Barry, longtime honcho of music for the legendary film series. Duran Duran, Barry, and a massive orchestra convened in a London studio to pull the song together in early 1985, having been given a week to complete the task.

“Kill” Shot

Duran Duran mostly handled the songwriting duties. But Barry stayed involved in terms of both arranging how the different sections came together and ensuring that there were recognizable Bond motifs sneaking into the sonic picture now and again.

This was mostly a harmonious process. But Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes clashed somewhat with Barry about his parts. They must have worked it out to some degree, because Rhodes’ slashing dramatic synths stood out as the most distinguishing musical characteristic of “A View To A Kill”.

Drummer Roger Taylor also delivered a more bombastic drum sound than he normally provided. Some credit for that goes to Bernard Edwards, the co-producer on “A View To A Kill”. Edwards had also helped The Power Station’s Tony Thompson achieve such a cavernous sound.

“View” from the Top of the Charts

The clever, albeit over-the-top, video for “A View To A Kill” added to its impact. Directed by Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, the clip featured the various members of Duran Duran partaking in spying shenanigans. Each member filmed their part separately, which indicated some of the fissures within the group at the time.

The movie A View To a Kill generally isn’t regarded these days as a Bond classic. Aside from the villainous turns by Christopher Walken and Grace Jones, nothing stood out as very memorable. In an interesting twist, Jones delivered a memorable spoken-word part to “Election Day”, the first single by Arcadia, one of the two Duran Duran offshoots.

Meanwhile, music fans, grooving on a Bond theme that wasn’t a lush ballad, turned “A View To A Kill” into a massive hit. John Taylor’s caustic sense of humor at that party paid off for all involved.

(Photo by Peter Stone/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)