Red Carpet Massacre

Infobox Album | Name = Red Carpet Massacre
Type = Album
Artist = Duran Duran

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Released =flagicon|United States November 13, 2007 [ [http://www.duranduran.com Duran Duran official website] ]
flagicon|Europe November 19, 2007 [ [http://www.duranduran.com Duran Duran official website]
Recorded = 2006-2007
Genre = New wave, rock, synth pop, alternative rock
Length = 49:13
Label = Epic
Producer = Duran Duran
Danja
Timbaland (tracks 3, 6 & 9)
Justin Timberlake (tracks 3 & 4)
Reviews =
*"Allmusic" Rating|3.5|5 [http://wm01.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:d9fixzlhldke link]
*"Art Nouveau Magazine" Rating|3.5|5 [http://artnouveaumagazine.com/JanuaryFebruary/redcarpetmassacre.html link]
*"BBC Music (Positive) [http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/2fvr/ link]
*"Billboard" [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/content_display/reviews/albums/e3idd293825dd51c45c5befa05a4719606c link]
*"Blender" Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=4837 link]
*"Entertainment Weekly" B+ [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20158441,00.html link]
*"Evening Standard" Rating|3|5 [http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/review-23420236-details/CDs+of+the+week/review.do?reviewId=23420236 link]
*"iTunes" (Positive) [http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=267952287&s=143441 link]
*"Now" Rating|3|5 [http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2007-11-15/music_feature.php link]
*"NME" rating-10|4 [http://www.nme.com/reviews/duran-duran/9245 link]
*"PopMatters" rating-10|6 [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/50958/duran-duran-red-carpet-massacre/ link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/17122082/review/17139336/red_carpet_massacre link]
*"Spin" Rating|3|5 [http://www.spin.com/reviews/duran-duran-red-carpet-massacre-epic link]
*"Times Online" Rating|3|5 [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article2832708.ece link]
*"Uncut" Rating|3|5 [http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/duran_duran/reviews/10623 link]
Last album = "Astronaut"
(2004)
This album = "Red Carpet Massacre"
(2007)
Next album =

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Misc = Extra album cover 2
Type = album


Cover size =
Lower caption = Deluxe Edition cover Singles
Name = Red Carpet Massacre
Type = album
single 1 = Falling Down
single 1 date = November 5, 2007
United Kingdom

"Red Carpet Massacre" is the 12th studio album by British pop group Duran Duran. It was released on November 19, 2007 in Europe, and on the 13th in the United States. On June 26, the official Duran Duran website confirmed the title of the album and announced some of the song titles.cite web| url = http://www.duranduran.com/wordpress/?p=12715 | title = Duran Duran gear up for the Red Carpet Massacre|accessdate=2007-12-27]

Most of the music on the current incarnation of the album was completed in late 2006 after the departure of band member Andy Taylor, when music producer Timbaland began working with the band.

For the week of November 19th, "Red Carpet Massacre" debuted at #36 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 29,000 copies in its first week. [Jonathan Cohen, [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003676535 "Keys Storms Chart With Mega-Selling 'As I Am'"] , Billboard.com, November 21, 2007.] However, the following week the album fell to #116. For the week of November 26th, the album debuted at #44 in the UK, becoming the 2nd poorest UK Chart entry in the band's career, after "Pop Trash" from 2000. The album entered the Italian chart at #10. As of May 2nd, 2008, the album has moved to 88,000 copies sold in the U.S. [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003798180 "Ask Billboard, 'TRASH' FOR SALE"] , Billboard.com, May 2, 2008.] The album spent only three consecutive weeks in the Billboard 200 chart.

Early sessions

The band did its initial recording for its follow-up to "Astronaut" with producer Michael Patterson between September 2005 and April 2006. Roger Taylor said in March of 2006, "The record will be in some ways a homage to our roots as a band, more direct and a return to our dance and 'new wave' origins," and that they had brought fifteen tracks to near completion. [" [http://www.duranduran.com/postcards/rogerstudio.html A postcard from the studio] ", Roger Taylor, March 22, 2006.]

The record was provisionally titled "Reportage" and expected in late May 2006 with a summer tour to follow but as reported in "Billboard", the new album was delayed as guitarist Andy Taylor had a falling out with the rest of the band for unknown reasons. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003523803 Duran Duran Grooves With Timbaland, Timberlake] - Billboard.com, Dec. 20, 2006] Newton, Victoria. " [http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,4-2007120331,00.html Back to the Duran board, lads] ", "The Sun Online". 15 March, 2007.]

In early October, vocalist Simon Le Bon announced that the band had recorded three songs with famed hip-hop producer Timbaland, his protégé Nate "Danja" Hills and engineer Jimmy Douglass at Manhattan Center Studios during September. [" [http://www.hhnlive.com/news/more/430.html Duran Duran and Timbaland] ", "HHNLive", October 03,2006.] Trade magazine "Billboard" reported that one of those tracks was "Nite Runner", featuring Justin Timberlake, which at the time was expected to be the first single from the album. Two additional songs on which the band worked with Timbaland were titled "Skin Divers" and "Zooming In." Also mentioned were two other tracks; "48 Hours Later" and "Transcendental Mental".

Andy Taylor leaves the band

Andy Taylor did not perform at any of Duran Duran's October shows and had not participated during the New York sessions with Timbaland, and on October 25, a message posted on the band's site announced: "As of last weekend [...] the four of us have dissolved our partnership and will be continuing as Duran Duran without Andy, as we have reached a point in our relationship with him where there is an unworkable gulf between us and we can no longer effectively function together." ["A Message to our Fans", [http://www.duranduran.com/news/index.asp?EventDate=all Duran Duran official site: News page] , October 25, 2006. (large page)]

Dominic Brown, who had taken Taylor's place at several previous missed concerts in the past, was hired as Duran Duran's guitarist, taking part in the recording sessions. Brown has since performed with the band as their full-time touring guitarist.

Andy told "Rolling Stone" magazine that he was in favour of a more electric sound, whereas Simon wanted to go in a different direction involving people like Justin Timberlake, and Timbaland.

Remaking the album

The band decided to rewrite the whole album following Taylor's departure. Fourteen songs had been completed for "Reportage" but according to Simon Le Bon: “When we sat down and listened to what we had done on our own, we didn’t feel we had a lead track, so we got in touch with Timbaland, who was the only producer out there that we knew we all liked."

Following the New York sessions in September, Duran Duran moved to Metropolis Studios in London with Danja and Douglass for the next sessions. According to tabloid newspaper "The Sun", in March 2007 Duran Duran had one track left that needed a female vocal, and they were trying to arrange to work with Nelly Furtado and/or Lily Allen. Ultimately, a female vocal on the album never came to be however.

In June, Duran Duran announced on their official website that they were recording yet another track with Justin Timberlake, titled "Falling Down". However, it was "Nite-Runner" that the band decided to debut live at the much-anticipated fan-club only Hammerstein Ballroom concert in New York City on 17 June, and Le Bon was still touting it as the probable first single in a post to the band's official website. [" [http://www.duranduran.com/postcards/simonNYC2007.html A Postcard from Gotham] ", Simon Le Bon, 21 June 2007.] Several other album tracks ("The Valley", "Red Carpet Massacre", "Skin Divers" and "Box Full O' Honey") were played over the sound system at the concert, but were not performed live.

Following the New York concert and a listening party for the media at which the album title was announced, band members Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor went back to England to work on some mixes for the album and perform at the Concert for Diana and the Live Earth concerts in London. They completed one more recording session in New York and then returned to London to put the finishing touches on the album before its release. [Greene, Andy. [http://www.duranitaly.com/rolling07.html Duran Duran's Techno Jam] " "Rolling Stone" 2007"]

Track listing

All tracks written and produced by Duran Duran and Nate 'Danja' Hills unless otherwise stated:
# "The Valley" – 4:57
# "Red Carpet Massacre" – 3:17
# "Nite-Runner" (co-written, produced and featuring Timbaland & Justin Timberlake) – 3:58
# "Falling Down" (co-written, produced and featuring Justin Timberlake) – 5:41
# "Box Full O' Honey" – 3:10
# "Skin Divers" (co-written, produced and featuring Timbaland) – 4:24
# "Tempted" – 4:22
# "Tricked Out" – 2:45
# "Zoom In" (co-written and produced with Timbaland) – 3:25
# "She's Too Much" – 5:30
# "Dirty Great Monster" – 3:40
# "Last Man Standing" – 4:05Bonus tracks:
#

"Cry Baby Cry" – 3:57 (iTunes and Japan bonus track) [ja icon [http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/International/Arch/ES/DuranDuran/index.html Sony Music Online Japan : デュラン・デュラン ] ]
# "Nite-Runner (Live)" – 4:05 (iTunes UK and Italy bonus track)
# "Red Carpet Massacre (Live)" – 3:09 (iTunes UK and Italy bonus track)

Deluxe Edition DVD

Consists of videos showing the making of the album.
# "The Album"
# "The Artwork"
# "The Video" - the making of the "Falling Down" music video
# "The Campaign"
# "The Out-Takes"

Personnel

Performances

Duran Duran are:
* Simon Le Bon - vocals
* John Taylor - bass
* Nick Rhodes - keyboards
* Roger Taylor - drumsWith:
* Dominic Brown - guitars
* Simon Willescroft - saxophone on track 11
* Marcella Araica - additional programming on track 1
* Terri Walker - additional vocals on track 6
* Jim Beanz - additional vocals on tracks 3 & 10
* Justin Timberlake - additional vocals on tracks 3 & 4
* Timbaland - additional vocals on tracks 3 & 6

Production

* Duran Duran - producer
* Danja - producer
* Timbaland - producer on tracks 3, 6 & 9
* Justin Timberlake - producer on tracks 3 & 4
* Jim Beanz - vocal production on tracks 5, 9, 10, 11 & 12
* Jimmy Douglass - producer, engineer, mixer

References

External links

* [http://www.secondsupper.com/Music/Reviews/Article.aspx?ArticleID=367 The Second Supper] Review of "Red Carpet Massacre"