In a thrilling one-off for the Songbook series on Sky Arts, Duran Duran have recorded in London for a small live audience. Combining some of their greatest hits with new material, and revealing the inspiration behind their music.

You can catch the entire interview and performance on Sky Arts, channel 256, Thursday 26th March.

Catch a taster here: DD Songbook

In programme one Simon, Nick, Roger and John talk about the formation of Duran Duran; including how Simon Le Bon turned up for his audition carrying a book full of lyrics and wearing pink leopard skin trousers; how the purchase of their first keyboard led to the writing of Planet Earth; their early years rehearsing above the Rum Runner nightclub in Birmingham; how Nick Rhodes came up with the experimental sounds on their massive hit Rio, after Simon wrote the lyrics on the back of napkin in an American cocktail bar. Songs performed are: Planet Earth, Late Bar, The Chauffeur, Rio, Skin Trade

Programme two: how depressed they were when their 1983 single Union of The Snake failed to enter the charts at Number One, how a chance meeting between John Taylor and Cubby Broccoli led to Duran Duran collaborating with John Barry to write the Bond theme song View To a Kill, how the tragic death of a friend of Simon Le Bon’s was the inspiration behind Ordinary World; the reunion of the full band line-up in 2001, and the creation of ‘The Valley’ from their latest album, Red Carpet Massacre.

Songs performed are: View To a Kill, Do You Believe in Shame, Ordinary World, Reach Up For The Sunrise, The Valley