Nick Rhodes and John Taylor form Duran Duran in the late 70s

1978 line up: Stephen Duffy (vocals and bass), John Taylor (guitar), Simon Colley (bass and clarinet), Nick Rhodes (synthesizers, tape and rhythm machines)

1979 line up 1: Andy Wickett (vocals), John Taylor (bass), Roger Taylor (drums), Alan Curtis (guitar), Nick Rhodes (synthesizers)

1979 line up 2: Jeff Thomas (vocals), John Taylor (bass), Roger Taylor (drums), Alan Curtis (guitar), Nick Rhodes (synthesizers)

1980 line up: Simon Le Bon (vocals), John Taylor (bass), Roger Taylor (drums), Andy Taylor (guitar), Nick Rhodes (synthesizers)

In early 1980, the band brings their demo tapes to Paul & Michael Berrow, who run the Rum Runner night club. The brothers agree to give the band rehearsal space and jobs in the club so they wouldn’t have to take day jobs. (John works the door, Nick DJs, Roger works as Busboy).

In April 1980, Duran Duran takes out an advert in Melody Maker music magazine for a “Live-Wire Guitarist.” Andy Taylor answers the ad, auditions and impresses Nick, John and Roger with his talent and professional experience, having toured Europe as a teen. He gets the job and moves from his hometown of Newcastle to Birmingham, where the band is based.

A barmaid at Rum Runner recommends her ex-boyfriend as lead singer for Duran Duran. Simon Le Bon shows up to his May 1980 audition in pink leopard-skin trousers. He wins over the band with his showmanship and book of lyrics they feel fit perfectly with their songs. The book has the name of his previous band on the cover (ROV OSTROV). The lyrics to the song which would eventually become “The Chauffeur” are in that notebook.

The band writes their first ever song together at the Rum Runner, “Sound of Thunder.”

The Berrow brothers form a company Tritec Music (named after the triangular-themed bar inside the club) in June, 1980. The band sign a Production deal with the Berrows, who also become their managers.

Duran Duran (classic line up) plays their first show together on July 16, 1980 at The Rum Runner, Birmingham, England.Tracks include “Night Boat,” “Girls on Film,” “Sound of Thunder” and “Late Bar.”

Kahn and Bell design clothes for the band’s early performances.

Duran Duran goes in to the studio to record “Girls on Film” and “Tel Aviv” (which is a completely different version than the instrumental featured on their debut album) at AIR Studios in London

Betty Page of Sounds magazine writes the first National article about the band, classifying them as part of the New Romantic movement.

Simon Le Bon drops out of University to perform with Duran Duran full time.

Duran Duran records demos with Producer Bob Lamb, which include the songs “Planet Earth” and “Is There Anyone Out There.”

The band does a photo session with photographer Andy Earl in Milton Keynes; one of his photos is used as the 12″ cover photo for “Planet Earth.”

Duran Duran plans to independently release a 45rpm single with “Planet Earth” and “Is There Anyone Out There” on the Tritec Music label; they print 5,000 labels with a new logo designed by John Warwicker.

John Warwicker designs a triangular-shaped Duran Duran poster that is plastered all over the city centre of Birmingham.

Duran Duran gets the support slot with Hazel O’Connor and is on the road from November until early December,1980. The band starts to get encores and the girls in the audience are starting to scream.

The tour reaches London where Hazel’s show at the Dominion Theatre is recorded. Simon joins her on stage and sings backing vocals on her encore performance of the David Bowie song “Suffragette City.” This is later released as a B-Side to one of her singles.

While on tour with O’Connor, a bidding war erupts between Phonogram and EMI to sign Duran Duran; the band eventually sign with EMI Records, persuaded by A&R man Dave Ambrose, who had signed The Sex Pistols and Kate Bush.

Duran Duran returns to Birmingham and records more demos for their first album at Bob Lamb’s studio.

The band plays some more UK dates and prepares to go into the Studio with Producer Colin Thurston, who had previously worked as an engineer with David Bowie and Iggy Pop, as well as having produced the first Human League album. They record at Red Bus Studios, London and Chipping Norton Studios in Oxfordshire, as well as trying out Abbey Road for a few days. The debut Duran Duran album is mixed at Utopia Studios.

Duran Duran ends the year 1980 by unknowingly ushering in a new trend – they film the video for “Planet Earth” at St. Johns Wood with Russell Mulcahy and the video for “Careless Memories” in Soho, which is directed by Perry Haines and Terry Jones.