The “Duran Duran” album from the nineties, better known as “The Wedding Album”, and its close little brother “Thank You” are getting their first vinyl reissues since release this April. Both 2LP reissues will also come with bonus tracks.
Both reissues follow the recent vinyl releases handled by BMG, which cover albums all the way from 1997’s “Medazzaland” to 2011’s “All You Need Is Now”. With “Big Thing” getting its vinyl reissue in 2024, 1990’s “Liberty” is now the only Duran Duran album that hasn’t been reissued on vinyl this century!
“The Wedding Album”, released in 1993, revived Duran Duran’s commercial fortunes. With the hits Ordinary World and Come Undone, it reached number 4 on the UK chart and became the first Duran Duran album since “Seven And The Ragged Tiger” (1983), ten years earlier, to land in the UK top 5. In the US it hit number 7, the band’s best result there since Rio, which peaked at number 6 in 1982.
Even though the album is named after the band, its unofficial name (which stuck almost instantly) comes from the artwork, which features photos of the weddings of the parents of Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo.
Two years after “Duran Duran” (The Wedding Album) came “Thank You”. Released in 1995, it’s the last Duran Duran album the guys put out on EMI. It features covers of Sly And The Family Stone, Public Enemy, The Doors, Led Zeppelin and Iggy Pop, among others, and it peaked at number 12 in the UK and number 19 in the US. The singles from the album – covers of Lou Reed’s »Perfect Day« and Melle Mel’s »White Lines« – both made the UK top 30. White Lines is still a regular fixture in the band’s live set today.
Both albums will also be reissued on CD, though without the bonus tracks. And of course, we all have to wonder about the unreleased album “Reportage”, which Duran Duran actually finished back in 2006 but which never came out. Andy Taylor plays guitar on it, the guy who fell out with the band and left around that time. Well, John Taylor and Nick Rhodes said last year that the album still needs a bit of work, so “Reportage” should be ready for release soon too. Let’s just hope they don’t ‘fix’ it too much (editor’s note).
Duran Duran are also reportedly preparing a standalone single. It’s a track that came out of the recording sessions for their latest album, 2023’s “Danse Macabre”, with Nile Rodgers. The song was pulled from the album because it was apparently developing a rhythm that sounded a bit too disco.
Duran Duran will thus release “Duran Duran” (The Wedding Album) and “Thank You” on 2LP vinyl and CD via Warner Music on April 10.
You can already pre-order both albums.
In the photo: John Taylor during Duran Duran’s show on August 29, 2017 at the ŠRC Šalata venue in Zagreb, Croatia (RockLine photo archive 2006-2026, all rights reserved). You can read the full RockLine review of that gig HERE.
