Arcadia (band)
| Company type | Side project / Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Founder | Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Roger Taylor |
| Defunct | 1986 |
Area served | United Kingdom, United States |
| Products | So Red the Rose (album), Singles including "Election Day", "Goodbye Is Forever", "The Flame", "The Promise" |
Arcadia was a British pop ensemble established in 1985 by Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, and Roger Taylor, all members of Duran Duran, as a side endeavor during the band's temporary break. Their activity spanned from 1985 to 1986, during which they issued a single album, So Red the Rose, that attained Platinum certification in the United States. This record included singles like "Election Day", "Goodbye Is Forever", "The Flame", and "The Promise", the latter featuring contributions from David Gilmour and Sting. Roger Taylor's participation was primarily limited to studio recording; his presence was minimal in promotional materials, appearing in only one music video ("Election Day") and fewer photographs compared to other Duran Duran side projects such as The Power Station.
The band’s name is said to have been inspired by Nicolas Poussin's artwork Et in Arcadia ego.
So Red the Rose (1985)
So Red the Rose reached number 30 on the UK charts and climbed to number 23 in the US. It featured the Top 10 hit "Election Day" alongside Top 40 singles like "The Promise" and "Goodbye Is Forever". Other singles released included "The Flame" as well as promotional tracks such as "Missing", "El Diablo", and "Keep Me in the Dark".
Simon Le Bon once referred to the album as "the most pretentious album ever made," while AllMusic acclaimed it as "the best album Duran Duran never made." The project enlisted notable musicians including guitarists David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) and Carlos Alomar, pianist Herbie Hancock, Sting providing backing vocals on "The Promise", Grace Jones delivering spoken-word parts on both "The Flame" and "Election Day", bassist Mark Egan from Pat Metheny Group, Masami Tsuchiya, and percussionist David Van Tieghem.
A collection of videos was produced alongside the album, showcasing singles directed by Roger Christian, Marcelo Anciano, Russell Mulcahy, and Dean Chamberlain. Additionally, Arcadia released a standalone single titled "Say the Word" for the soundtrack of Playing for Keeps, which was not included on their album.
In April 2010, EMI reissued So Red the Rose in a three-disc box set format that remastered all original tracks and remixes. The third disc featured the video compilation on DVD but did not include the video for "Say the Word".
Band changes
Continuing Duran Duran’s emphasis on refined aesthetics, Arcadia members Le Bon, Rhodes, and Roger Taylor embraced an elegant gothic look characterized by black tuxedos, vintage formal attire, and bow ties. They also dyed their hair black during this period, notably at their 1985 Live Aid performance alongside Andy and John Taylor. By early 1986, when filming the video for "The Flame" (which included a cameo from John Taylor), Rhodes had shifted to golden blonde hair while Le Bon reverted to his signature highlighted style.
Other appearances
Although Arcadia never embarked on a tour, they made several promotional television appearances. During Duran Duran’s Notorious tour, their song "Election Day" was performed together with "Some Like It Hot" from The Power Station. Following Arcadia’s album release, drummer Roger Taylor withdrew from music for fifteen years before returning in 2001 to rejoin Duran Duran’s classic lineup.
Band members
- Simon Le Bon – lead vocals (1985–1986)
- Nick Rhodes – keyboards (1985–1986)
- Roger Taylor – drums (1985)
Guest contributors
- Carlos Alomar – guitar
- Pierre Defaye – violin
- Rafael De Jesus – percussion instruments
- Jean-Claude Dubois – harp
- Mark Egan – bass guitar on "The Promise", "El Diablo", and "Lady Ice"
- David Gilmour – guitar featured on "The Promise" and "Missing"
- Herbie Hancock – piano
- Steve Jordan – percussion
- Grace Jones – vocals on "Election Day"
- Andy Mackay – saxophone
- Masami Tsuchiya – guitar and violin
- Sting – vocals on the track "The Promise"
- David Van Tieghem – percussion
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Positions | Certification Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | US | AUS | SWE | NZ | CAN | |||
| So Red the Rose |
|
30 | 23 | 35 | 48 | 22 | 14 |
|
Video albums
| Title | Release Details |
|---|---|
| Arcadia |
|
Singles
| Single Title | Year Released | Peak Chart Positions by Country or Category | Album Name | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | US Hot 100 | US Dance Club Songs | AUS (Kent Music Report) | NZ (Recorded Music NZ) | NOR (VG-lista) | NLD (Dutch Single Top 100) | SWI (Swiss Hitparade) | IRE (Irish Singles Chart) | |||
| "Election Day" | 1985 | 7 | 6 | 29 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 18 | 5 | So Red the Rose |
| "Goodbye Is Forever" | — | 33 | — | 77 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "The Promise" | 1986 | 37 | — | — | 94 | — | — | — | — | 24 | |
| "The Flame" | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | — | 29 | ||
| "Say the Word" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Playing for Keeps soundtrack | |
| "—" indicates a track that either did not chart or was not released in that market. | |||||||||||
Music videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Election Day" | 1985 | Roger Christian |
| "The Promise" | Marcelo Anciano | |
| "Goodbye Is Forever" | 1986 | |
| "The Flame" | Russell Mulcahy | |
| "Say the Word" (theme from Playing for Keeps) |
— | |
| "Missing" (originally unreleased) |
Dean Chamberlain |