Just find the original 12 inch, there's plenty of them, and not too expensive. i wish they hadn't, its a terrible cringe worthy cover of the song. later -1
I have both mixes, but only remember the album mix. Like many of us in the U.S., we first heard Duran Duran by way of their first big single which should be announced here very shortly, so I didn't hear "Planet Earth" until after Capitol Records (distributor of Harvest Records in the U.S.) jumped on the DD craze.
Recall my sister and I on first seeing the clip for "Planet Earth" being highly amused - think it was the frilly shirts. Duran Duran were cutting edge both musically and visually and "Planet Earth" was one of the earliest songs from the New Romantic movement with "Fade To Gray" "To Cut A Long Story Short" et al. 4.5/5 "Late Bar" is a great B side but prefer "Faster Than Light" the B side to "Girls On Film" 3/5
My first exposure to the band was Girls On Film on a jukebox at Doncaster BR station - I don't think many can claim similar to that! PLANET EARTH 4/5
Great to see a bunch of new comments. I forgot to post this last night. Their live 2009 version of Late Bar Apparently they never played it during their "Fab Five" Reunion gigs because apparently Andy Taylor was never a fan of the song. Which seems slightly odd to me as it was one of their best tracks for showcasing his riffing. On to track #3 shortly.
Oh, yes. This was when they briefly replaced Simon with a hot goth woman. I'd forgotten about that. Damn, they were pretty boys.
003 Careless Memories "Careless Memories" is the second single by Duran Duran, released by Capitol-EMI from their forthcoming eponymous debut album Duran Duran on 20 April 1981. Since the single's release it has come to light that the decision to release it was EMI's. After the single stalled at UK #37 (& Australia #60) in the charts, the label decided to let Duran Duran choose their own singles. The menacing and energetic song was an early fan and band favorite in live shows, but was gradually squeezed out over the years by more successful hits. The original video, rarely seen as the single was deemed a failure, was shot in Soho and directed by Perry Haines and Terry Jones, who both went on to form i-D Magazine. It was included in the Duran Duran video album released in 1983. The video features shots of the band performing on a misty soundstage are interspersed with other scenes which loosely tell a story. The band gathers around a table in a white flat while Simon lip-synchs angrily to the camera. There are also several shots of very young-looking band members traveling in a car with a young woman. When the song "Is There Something I Should Know" was issued as a single in the US, "Careless Memories" was placed on the flipside. The song was also a live staple throughout the 1980s, as evidenced on the live album Arena. A live version of "Careless Memories" recorded in December 1981 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London was released in 1982 as the B-side to "Hungry Like the Wolf". The band resurrected the song to play live during their reunion shows in 2004 and 2005.
I remember at the time, not being that interested in Careless Memories, it didn't sound as "futuristic" as Planet Earth and at this time, I was put off by its' more "rocky" tendencies. Over time, I grew to like it and when I was buying lots of Duran Duran in 1984, I bought the 12" of this. I like it now, it still feels a little out of place amongst their singles, but that which makes it unique, makes it interesting. It shouldn't have been the second single though, the fact it stalled, could have killed DD at this time.
Great idea for a thread! Planet Earth ★★★★ I came to Duran Duran late/early: it was 1988 and I was 9. In the same week I heard "I Don't Want Your Love" and "The Reflex", and I wanted some of their music. The V&D store at the Rotterdam Zuidplein mall had several albums discounted (approx. 2.50€): Seven and the Ragged Tiger, Notorious and Arena. I bought the former, loved it, and begged my parents to get me the other two. Yes, I heard the live version first, and yes I cannot hear the song without "switch it off!", even when it's not there. It was probably on Decade in '89 that I heard the single version for the first time. I love the Night mixes/versions of this. Late Bar ★★★ First heard this around 2002, when Audiogalaxy opened a whole world: I never downloaded easily available stuff, but it was great to have access to those b-sides or unreleased tracks. I could finally own a real copy in 2004, when that singles boxset was released. This song's alright, though contrary to some I don't think it was good enough for a spot on the album. Careless Memories ★★★★ This I also heard on Arena before the studio version. I remember thinking Simon sounded so pissed off on it. And it was so fierce! Since this wasn't on Decade I didn't hear the studio version until 1991, when I finally got a copy of the debut (local CD shops never had it, and it never occurred to me to ask whether it could be ordered). It was a little disappointing, to be honest, though I do really like it. The EMI-dissing video on the 2005 Live From London DVD is entertaining. PS. I posted this in another thread, but in 2005 I ran a survey on the official Duran Duran board asking members to vote for their favourite songs. If you missed it, you might enjoy the resulting top 50.
I like the way @mr_spenalzo sets his out so if it ain't copyrighted... Careless Memories ***** Maybe the best song on the debut LP? Having heard Planet Earth at the aforementioned Doncaster station I bought the album though me and my mates were all Jam fans at the time so buying anything new romantic or 'different' had to be done clandestinely - though when you left Our Price an unsuspecting public was unaware what you really had in that red and white carrier bag. I bought Turn Back The Clock by Johnny Hates Jazz by that same method several years later and I think I got away with it.
I revisited the debut recently and had really forgotten how great Careless Memories was. What separated DD from others of this period was the heavy guitar of Andy and the interplay of Nick's keys, and this song is a great showcase of that.
They played it when I saw them 2 years ago. The crowd loved it. I’m another who had never heard “Late Bar” - not bad but it’s not surprising it was left off the debut album, imo.
Planet Earth 4/5 - there's a David Sylvian anecdote that he was on a rare night out in early '81 when Planet Earth came on - he just walked out in disgust. Maybe some bitterness because Quiet Life at that point hadn't been a hit. I prefer the album version, also some of the live versions they've performed over the years have been pretty creative and taking the song in a more rock direction. Late Bar 4/5 - great song, should have been on the album instead of To The Shore maybe. Careless Memories - awesome song 5/5 - why wasn't it a bigger hit? It was certainly a fan favourite back at the time. I bought the single on 12" - one of my first Duran purchases - I was a bit surprised hearing the album for the first time that it didn't fade out.
Planet Earth, in its single/video form, has been my absolute favorite song since I first heard/saw it on MTV in 1982. I've heard it a billion times and will never tire of it, and it's never been topped as my favorite song ever. The opening sounds always give me chills and I love that clicky noise that provides the backbone of the song. And yes, it's all very Moroder since he was great for those electro backbones that ran the course of a song. I love the debut album, even if I think GOF is a little out of place. Oddly enough, the non-LP B side to Planet Earth, titled Late Bar, is not a highlight of this era. The GOF B side, Faster Than Light, is far more satisfying.
It's only one song, and seeing how many people didn't know "Late Bar" I expect not everyone's heard this beauty: you have to include Simon's "Grey Lady of the Sea".
When I finally got around to purchasing the debut album, I'm pretty sure Careless Memories was one of the tracks that I knew but hadn't realized was Duran Duran. Another that I vaguely remember from radio but didn't make a big impact. Much like Planet Earth, this still feels like a band that hasn't quite kicked into gear yet. Even with tracks that I love, and I like this one a lot, I have to admit that some of the melody and vocal phrasing is a bit awkward. But that's the thing with Duran Duran for me. The debut sounds like a debut - a young, inexperienced band with great energy and enthusiasm. Rio sounds like a very polished and confident album. Ragged Tiger sounds like a Rock Star band. So there is something very charming about the debut album that they never displayed again.
