"Rio"
Single by Duran Duran
from the album 'Rio'
B-side(s)	"The Chauffeur", "Hold Back The Rain"
Released	November 1, 1982
Format	7", 12"
Recorded	AIR Studios, London 1982
Genre	Dance, New Wave
Length	5:35
Label	EMI
Writer(s)	Duran Duran
Producer(s)	Colin Thurston
Chart positions
#2 UK Singles Chart #14 Billboard Hot 100 #5 Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks
Duran Duran singles chronology
Save A Prayer (1982)	Rio (1982)	Is There Something I Should Know? (1983)

Rio is a hit single from the album Rio by Duran Duran, and one of their most recognizable songs and music videos. "Rio" was released worldwide in November, 1982, then was reissued in the United States in March of 1983, and was a Top 20 hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Image File history File linksMetadata DuranRio. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Duran Duran are an English New Wave band notable for a long series of catchy, synthesizer-driven hit singles and vivid music videos. ... Rio is an album by Duran Duran, originally released worldwide on May 10, 1982 (see 1982 in music), but re-released in November in the United States. ... In recorded music, the terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In music, a single is a short record, usually featuring one or two tracks as A-side, often accompanied by several B-sides, usually remixes or other songs. ... The 12-inch [30 cm] single gramophone record gained popularity with the advent of disco music in the 1970s. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Dance music is a style of popular music commonly played in dance music nightclubs, radio stations and shows and raves. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The EMI Group is a music company comprising the major record label, EMI Music, based in Brook Green in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based on Charing Cross Road, London. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Duran Duran are an English New Wave band notable for a long series of catchy, synthesizer-driven hit singles and vivid music videos. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the performers, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes . ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music but are not modern rock (that is, alternative) stations, which are counted in the Modern Rock Tracks chart. ... Duran Duran are an English New Wave band notable for a long series of catchy, synthesizer-driven hit singles and vivid music videos. ... Save A Prayer was a 1982 hit single for the British Pop Band, Duran Duran. ... Is There Something I Should Know? is the eighth single from the British pop band Nigger Nigger. ... Rio is an album by Duran Duran, originally released worldwide on May 10, 1982 (see 1982 in music), but re-released in November in the United States. ... Duran Duran are an English New Wave band notable for a long series of catchy, synthesizer-driven hit singles and vivid music videos. ...

About the song

The song did not attract much notice in the United States upon its initial global release, but a slightly retouched version by remixer David Kershenbaum became a favourite among deejays who heard the EP Carnival. After the band's breakthrough hit "Hungry Like the Wolf" stormed MTV and scaled the American charts in December of 1982, radio programmers paid closer attention to the catchy melody and insistent, intricate bass line of "Rio", and Capitol Records reissued the single for the American market to great success. Carnival is a dance music EP by Duran Duran, originally released in various markets around the world in September 1982 by EMI. // Background As part of Capitols shift in marketing strategy for Duran Duran from New Romantic act to dance band over the course of 1982 (in a bid... Hungry Like the Wolf was the breakout hit for the new wave group Duran Duran. ... MTV (Music Television) is an American cable television network headquartered in New York City. ... Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label, owned by EMI. // The Capitol Records company was founded by the songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, with the financial help of movie producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs, (1910-1971) (owner of Music City, at the...

Donald A. Guarisco of AMG^[1] said:

The lyrics have a playful, romantic feel as they paint an enticing portrait of the title character, a woman whose "cherry ice cream smile" is too lovely to resist: "Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand/Just like that river twisting through a dusty land." The music behind realizes this narrative with a surprising amount of ambition for a pop song: the chorus has a purely pop feel, thanks to its slowly ascending hooks, but the verses have a jazzy swing reminiscent of 1950s-era Sinatra and the final chorus wipes away the melody for a languid instrumental break before working in a staccato melodic bridge that builds the song back to a final energetic peak. Duran Duran's recording of "Rio" has a feel reminiscent of Roxy Music's work circa Flesh and Blood and Avalon as it welds quietly spacy washes of synthesizer to a hypnotically churning rhythm section anchored by John Taylor's fluid bass lines and also works in a saxophone solo from session man Andy Hamilton that sounds just like Andy Mackay's famous solos for Roxy Music. However, Simon Le Bon's tongue-in-cheek lounge lizard vocals and the stream-of-consciousness lyrics ensure the song has a distinctive feel all its own.

The musical hook for "Rio", well-known among Duran Duran fans and synthesizer enthusiasts, was produced by an arpeggiator -- a software tool which can play the individual notes in a chord in a chosen pattern. It was once rumored that the synthesizer used to achieve this was a Roland Jupiter-8. However, it has been said by Nick Rhodes to actually be a Roland Jupiter-4 using the random mode on the arpeggiator with a C minor chord.^[2] Image File history File links Cquote1. ... Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and Academy Award-winning actor who many consider to be one of the finest male popular song vocalists of all time. ... Roxy Music are an English art rock group founded in the early 1970s by art school graduate Bryan Ferry (vocals and keyboards). ... Flesh And Blood is the seventh (studio) album by Roxy Music and was released in 1980. ... Avalon was Roxy Musics eighth and last (studio) album. ... Taylors first solo recording was a hit single for the 9½ Weeks movie soundtrack. ... Andy Hamilton (b. ... Andy Mackay (July 23, 1946—) is a British musician, best known as the saxophonist for the group Roxy Music. ... Simon John Charles Le Bon (born October 27, 1958) is the lead singer and lyricist of the pop band Duran Duran. ... Image File history File links Cquote2. ... A hook is a musical idea, a passage or phrase, that is believed to be catchy and helps the song stand out, it is, meant to catch the ear of the listener (Covach 2005, p. ... An arpeggiator is a tool/feature available in some hardware synthesizers and also in software form, which allows the user to play alternating notes or chords automatically based on input, most often from a MIDI controller. ... The Jupiter-8 was Rolands flagship analog synthesizer of the early 1980s, an eight-voice polyphonic synth which helped to define the New Wave genre, and it is still quite popular today. ... Nick Rhodes in 1981. ... The Roland Jupiter-4, released in 1978, was not only the first of Rolands legendary Jupiter series of synthesizers, but it was also Rolands first self-contained polyphonic synthesizer. ...

Rhodes created the unusual sound at the beginning of the song by throwing several small metal rods onto the strings of a grand piano in the studio. The recorded sound was then reversed to create the intro.^[3] The laughter on the track was that of Rhodes' girlfriend at the time. A grand piano from Schiedmayer & Söhne, Stuttgart. ...

Music video

"Ever since, people think we spend all our time riding around in silk suits, on yachts, getting wet." -- Nick Rhodes

Duran Duran travelled to the island of Antigua with director Russell Mulcahy in May of 1982 to film the vivid music video for "Rio", where the yacht scenes were filmed on the bay at English Harbour, the beach scenes at Miller's Beach, and the bit with the raft at Shirley Heights. They also filmed a video for the album track "Waiting for the Nightboat" at the time, and both appeared on the Duran Duran video album released in 1983. Duran Duran Rio video capture This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... Russell Mulcahy (born January 1, 1953) is a film director, born in Melbourne, Australia. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... English Harbour is a settlement on the island of Antigua, in the extreme south of the island. ... Officially entitled simply Duran Duran (just like Duran Durans 1981 debut album and their 1993 comeback album), this video compilation is sometimes unofficially referred to in print as the Duran Duran video album or Duran Duran: The First 11 Videos. ...

"Rio" featured iconic images of the band in Antony Price suits, singing and playing around on a yacht speeding over the crystal blue Caribbean Sea. Short segments show band members trying to live out their assorted daydreams, only to be teased, tormented, and made fools of by a body-painted vixen. The London model in the video is credited as "Reema", but her real name has been lost—not even the band have a record of who she really was or where she went afterwards. Antony Price is a London fashion designer who is best known for glamorous evening wear and suits. ... A modern yacht A yacht (From Dutch Jacht meaning hunt) was originally defined as a light, fast sailing vessel used to convey important persons. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean A Caribbean beach in Isla Margarita, Venezuela. ...

Nick Rhodes was reportedly dreadfully seasick during the filming, and has often said "I hate boats unless they're tied up and you've having cocktails on them."^[4] Nick Rhodes in 1981. ...

B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes

There are thirteen different mixes of "Rio", many of which are edits of the album version or Kershenbaum remix with fades in various places.^[5]

The original release of the single used the moody album track "The Chauffeur" on the b-side. The American reissue featured an upbeat remix of "Hold Back The Rain" instead. The 12-inch single also included a remix of "My Own Way". In recorded music, the terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles have been released since the 1950s. ... The 12-inch [30 cm] single gramophone record gained popularity with the advent of disco music in the 1970s. ... ...

Covers, samples, & media references

Cover versions of "Rio" have been recorded by Goldfinger, Bodyjar and Nip Drivers. In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... Goldfinger is a 1990s ska-punk band, formed in 1993 and named after the James Bond film, Goldfinger. ... Bodyjar is an Australian punk rock band based in Melbourne, which has been together since 1994, when they changed their name from Helium. The groups album, How It Works, reached the top 20 on the Australian ARIAnet albums chart in 2000. ...

Nirvana performed the song "Rio" during the Rock in Rio show in Brazil, on January 16, 1993, and Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies played "Rio" live in Calgary on April 1, 2004. Nirvana was a groundbreaking rock band from Aberdeen, Washington, United States. ... Queen at Rock in Rio (1985) Rock in Rio was the biggest rock festival held in Brazil and also in Portugal. ... January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The video for the Fountains of Wayne song "Mexican Wine" is partially based on the video for "Rio." Fountains of Wayne is an American indie rock band, formed in 1995. ...

Parts of the song were sung by Santa Claus on Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics South Park episode. A Santa Claus doll. ... Both a South Park episode (# 315) and a CD, Mr. ... South Park is a Peabody- and Emmy Award-winning American animated television series about four fourth grade school boys who live in the small town of South Park, Colorado. ...

Chart positions

"Rio" reached #9 on the UK Singles Chart on on November 13, 1982. After its American reissue, it peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 2, 1983. The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. ... November 13 is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 48 days remaining. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Track listing

7": EMI EMI 5346 (UK)

1. "Rio [single version]" (4:40)
2. "The Chauffeur (blue silver)" (3:48)

7": EMI EMI5346 [A-5U-1-1-20] (UK)

1. "Rio [part 1]" (5:11)
2. "The Chauffeur (blue silver)" (3:48)

• "Blue silver" version also called "Acoustic Demo" in some circles

7": Harvest B-5175 (US)

1. "Rio [US single edit]" (4:34)
2. "Hold Back The Rain [LP Album Version]" (3:59)

7": Harvest B-5175 (US)

1. "Rio [Remix]" (3:57)
2. "Hold Back The Rain [US Album Remix]" (6:57)

• March 1983 reissue

12": EMI 12 EMI 5346 (UK)

1. "Rio [part 2]" (5:29)
2. "Rio [part 1]" (5:11)
3. "My Own Way [Remix]" (4:34)

CD: Part of "Singles Box Set 1981-1985" boxset

1. "Rio [part 1]" (5:11)
2. "The Chauffeur (blue silver)" (3:48)
3. "Rio [part 2]" (5:29)
4. "My Own Way [Remix]" (4:34)

Singles Box Set 1981-1985 is a boxset by Duran Duran. ...

Notes

• Remixes done by David Kershenbaum

Other appearances

Apart from the single, "Rio" has also appeared on:

Albums:

• Duran Duran (1981)
• Carnival (1982)
• Arena (2004 reissue only)
• Decade (1989)
• Night Versions: The Essential Duran Duran (1998)
• Greatest (1998)
• Strange Behaviour (1999)
• Singles Box Set 1981-1985 (2005)

Duran Duran is an album by Duran Duran, originally released worldwide in 1981 (see 1981 in music), and reissued to greater success in 1983, (see 1983 in music). ... Carnival is a dance music EP by Duran Duran, originally released in various markets around the world in September 1982 by EMI. // Background As part of Capitols shift in marketing strategy for Duran Duran from New Romantic act to dance band over the course of 1982 (in a bid... Arena is a live album by Duran Duran, originally released worldwide in 1984 (see 1984 in music), and reissued with two bonus tracks in 2004, (see 2004 in music). ... Greatest is a greatest hits compilation album released in 1998 by the band Duran Duran. ... Strange Behaviour is a compilation album of remixes by Duran Duran. ... Singles Box Set 1981-1985 is a boxset by Duran Duran. ...

Personnel

Duran Duran are:

• Simon Le Bon - vocals
• Nick Rhodes - keyboards
• John Taylor - bass guitar
• Roger Taylor - drums
• Andy Taylor - guitar

Also credited: Simon John Charles Le Bon (born October 27, 1958) is the lead singer and lyricist of the pop band Duran Duran. ... Nick Rhodes in 1981. ... Taylors first solo recording was a hit single for the 9½ Weeks movie soundtrack. ... Roger Andrew Taylor (born April 26, 1960) is the drummer for the pop band Duran Duran. ... Taylor in 2001 Andy Taylor (born 16 February 1961) is an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter, best known as a member of Duran Duran and The Power Station. ...

• Colin Thurston - producer and engineer

References