Duran Duran - Night Boat (The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1981)

[sticklemiss]

This was just a couple of days after I snogged Simon and John after their Newcastle show. They were hot men in those days and so nice meeting and greeting the fans at the end. I remember watching this and wondering "I wonder if Simon is thinking about me?"

[thehargettfamily]

Awesome, eery and totally cool!  Love it!

[NitrousMcBread]

Are they still waiting for the nightbo-oh-WOAH-t?

[JDC78758]

JOhns bass sounds out of tune in this performance.

[zane1961]

A curious inventive time , it was fun ,,, when is the next one i wonder ...? (MUSICALLY )

[pawnsacrifice1]

Annie Nightgale before she started to pretend to like hardcore dance music to prelong her career.

Someone tried to convince me that DD didn't actually play on their first album as they were such crap musicians.....somehow I doubt that.

[pawnsacrifice1]

Annie Nightingale before she pretended to like dance music to prelong her career

[omtara]

This really speaks well of British music fans that they would be happy listening to three minutes of instrumental before the singer even comes on stage. That would never go over in US pop. On another note, damn that Simon is sexy.

[HLJones05]

I remember watching this with such excitement. They knew the link from Bowie to Roxy to Talking Heads to Kraftwerk (in no particular oder)

[legazter]

I think that Andy and Nick do a lot demage to DD when they stop work together. When they think like one we got New religion, Night boat, Anyone out Friend of mine. they stop doing this for a very long time.

[Cuccurullo72]

i'm not agree with u.the damage was when warren left.... now we have astronaut.. red carpet massacre

[Planetland]

I agree with you!

Warren what?????

[35sixer]

This sounds much better than the studio cut.. Loving early D.D> great stuff

[LonelyinURnightmare]

John.................luv u!

[robertokirc]

did nick just turn on the tape drive behind him? before sequencers? Fantastic

[DJdext]

Depeche Mode used to use one as their drummer in their early days. They used to set it up in the middle of the stage as if it was their robot drummer.

This song is one of my favs! So weird and trippy. Coolness the whole way through.

[robertokirc]

still waiting for another rio album.  i get that bands want to expand their horizons, but honestly, the best stuff is when you're struggling, not on coke or limos

[vandiemans]

Good Stuff... They were good with Warren Cuccurullo in The 90's too... Missing Persons is Awesome too. It seems like Technology replaces Artistry /creativity as time goes on... It's up to us to be aware of the pull of popular culture and resist without giving up our true tastes and becoming some underground junkie (just because somethings popular doesn't mean it's inherently lacking anything. People hear what they want most of the time anyway, Hey check out INXS -Dancing on the Jetty... yeah!

[SaBracaSam]

Love it or leave it! 5+

[chumbersdee]

To me, Duran Duran will always be their first 2 albums. After that they got too showtime....just like what happened to U2.

[highervoltage2]

totally agree with you there, I thought I was only one who even thought that. It just felt like a different band after their second album, by 1983 they had back up singers and additional musicians when they played live even- it was all overblown. Compare hammersmith odeon 82 with the arena 84 vid. Their third album was a big step down from the first two, I think they got too confident with themselves since they had reached the top. You always seem to work harder when you're at the bottom I think

[MissCerise]

I fully agree, chumbersdee.

[the0fart0machine]

@chumbersdee Totally agree, I lost interest after Rio. Simon's singing was not displined enough in concert. The TOGW performance is way ahead of a live venue performance. I saw them twice in 1981 with TalkTalk supporting the first concert.

[miamiviceali]

@chumbersdee I wouldn't go as far as that...U2 sold out...Duran Duran evolved

[electroborg]

@chumbersdee

They got more mainstream indeed but the third album's production is PERFECT (and I thought that before seeing it was Nile Rodgers'...) and making good mainstream stuff is hard.

[flares]

@electroborg I disagree. I think their first two albums were much better than their third. The trouble with 'Seven and the ragged tiger' is that it seemed to lose all the great / eerie synth sounds that the first two had. Sometimes when I listen to that album I wonder if Nick Rhodes was actually there when they recorded it. Also the music on the first two albums seemed more creative and imaginative. 'Rio' is definately the best album they ever did follolwed by 'Duran Duran' then Seven & the..

[DuranFan09]

@flares Not any more. Now it's Duran Duran, Rio and then All You Need Is Now. They returned to their roots and gave us the follow-up to Rio. I can't stop playing the new album, especially 'Too Bad You're So Beautiful' (the best song they've done in 20 years), 'Being Followed', 'Runway Runaway', 'Girl Panic', 'The Man Who Stole A Leopard' and 'Mediterranea'. 'Blame The Machines' and 'Before The Rain' are also very good. 'Safe' is the only poor song on the whole album, it's almost perfection...

[mtlgrad93]

i love it when nick and john do guitar rifts like when they imitate a clock hours goin by one...tweooo...three...four...­.five.. six

[furorharz]

if I want to listen to Kraftwerk I listen to Kraftwerk. Though it is a good song from DD, it is good they developed in an other direction.

[BenedictRoffMarsh]

I don't get why you would say this is like Kraftwerk. Maybe you could make a case for the electronics being a bit like the flipside of Autobahn but otherwise it is very much Duran Duran. And ys that first album is a stunner.

[followyourbliss101]

always amazed at the way nick works the technology - old school or new... man... reel to reel....

[hassannassaralah]

night boat and the chaufeer is my fav dd tunes for sure.ohhh and my bangkok bitch

[thepanamahat]

Absolutely fantastic. . .Surely their first album was their best? Every track a Duran classic, simply brilliant. Thanks for posting

[duran1942]

great kiss from rome

[Wol1verine]

Look at that Reel to Reel "computer" God I feel old!

[TurkBack2]

Ah, yes...the reel to reel "computer". Or what some call by its technical term: A tape recorder.

[ovsdud]

This was on a week after we met them at a gig in Newcastle and had a snog with Simon and John. Wonderful memories. Careless memories? Just brilliant. I recorded this and wore out the tape watching it over and over again just because I knew that I had had a physical contact with Simon and John before this show. Wish it had been more than a snog. Heh heh.

[thepanamahat]

Beautiful, thanks a mio. for posting this.. fantastic. . . feel a little old. . . x

[BevilTex]

Love the Reel to Reel! forget the old QX3, this is Nick Rhodes!

my fave from the first album

[AnythingBut1966]

Well,saw this the other day,been looking for it since and good news peeps.....just uploaded the original video for it (should be listed in a few hours).

[TradaBoy]

brilliant

[thepanamahat]

wow, fantastic, thanks so much for posting. . . one of my fave tracks from the lp

[FreeNMiami]

The Distant sound of Duran Duran still amazes & impacts us all after all these years. Duran Duran Rocks!!

[secretnovember]

beautiful. wish they would dust this one off and play it live on the next tour...

[RaggedTiger70]

They played it some on the last tour...it's on the live DVD that came out afterwards.

[sharilee21771]

They played it live in Fort Lauderdale, in 2005. It was great - and unexpected.

[Bunny1106]

I saw them in '83 at the Hollywood Sportatorium, Hollywood, FL.

[mogus55]

Early Duran are really special.Andy was very nice in thouse days..i mean,he is the best guitar for duran but..when is trying something like Poison or Gary Moore cmon fela? its sad because he wanted do be a Hard-Rock star but become a pop-star.He is very good player but the best work of him is with DD,ironically.When he rocks hard is simple ordinary,even if he show all the scales and speed in is playing..go to DD please and keep playing HR but just in home..

[mogus55]

absolutely great!

[arcadianmaximus]

This was always one of my favorite tracks from the first album DD, were wayy ahead of everyone else and were in a position to take advantage of the visual medium when, no one else really did other than early Genesis when Peter Gabriel was fronting the band. DD had a look that stood out, but they were always a great live band, and always performed balls out, and where not just a video band.

[terribleyouth]

This is really weird music. Tripped-out, far-gone, out-there, Strange.

Ironic about these guys being taken for a bubblegum/girl-group, etc. Indications of their art-rock origins were present in their later, most famous stuff, too, but nobody got it.

They did it to themselves, allowing too many photographs to be taken, going along with it all, not saying "fuck you" to any part of the process. Oh well. I can think of greater tragedies.

[maxixe]

true that ... was talking to someone about that today ... how they want from this great art rock/pop, pretty boy yet bad ass attitude band to yellow and lime green linen suits and token 80's decadence

[liquidsky9]

you know, i was thinking the same thing more or less while watching this one. Now, don't get me wrong.....they were my all time faves in the early 80's.....but they could have created some far greater tunes.....like this one. Letting THEIR artistic abilities shine. Unfortunately, they were molded musically by the industry.

[puppylover4ever]

k, I get you.

[35sixer]

wow! This is great stuff.. just after Stephen Duffy left the band or was kicked out.. I was so into that first album..This is early.. thanks for posting..

[funkdefunk]

This should be on the dvds!! That performance is excellent!! :D

[bockybalboa]

I think it's unfortunate how they looked. It made people underestimate how talented they were musically.

[Roger8176]

John Taylor is an incredible bassist. He was only 20 or maybe 21 on this. Good stuff!

[maxixe]

true that! Great basslines, feel and creativity! Has been number one on my list for the past 20 years!

[mgparis]

Indeed, you're right to point that out - very impressive! DD rocked then, and they still rock now! :)

[gypsyola]

john taylor maaaan...john nigel bloody taylor..too much, too much!

[luisoncln]

awesome!!! thanks for posting...

[YZippy]

I vaugely recall this being shown in the States on USA network in 1983 or so. Listen to those cool analog synths

[puppylover4ever]

It goes with Friends of Mine and Anyone Out There, it kinda goes together. Great song!

[liquidsky9]

you are so right....now those were some great tunes

[johnthefarmer]

The Old Grey Whistle Test was a show for the avante garde and the progressive.

Little did we know DD would turn out to be the "pop" sensation they turned out to be!

Their first album was a seminal classic.

One of the best bands i've seen live...and that's coming from an ex-punk!

[urssus101]

great song !

[Pauluk33]

wuuuuuuuuuuuuw, this one one thing i like about youtube, videos to songs never single, brillant, cheer for putting this up

[puppylover4ever]

I know! On youtube you can find everything! Except that someone had DD on Soul Train with the songs Meet El Presidente and Skin Trade. *sniffle* now they are gone forever, to me they are so rare and precious. all gone

[cygnus125]

yeah,This video is very fantastic.if you have more video...sound of thunder,last chance on the stairway...like that,I want to see that.These songs reminds me my youth.Thanx uploading!

[KelliDionneSmith]

what a great rare gem! thanx!

[LampLightBridge]

Might as well face it, your addicted and their simply irresistible!!!

[prprincess000]

DD.. simply wonderful! Thank you for uploading!

[Pamultimate]

Jesus what a rare gem, thanks for uploading this and the jerky VHS action just made it more authentic ;)

[TeamVacaville]

Sa-WEET!

[nicksbubblegum]

This is why Duran Duran are so awesome. They are so great. Live is where it is at. And they do it like no one else.

[gazzygirl]

im going to smash my computer!as soon as it got to simon singing..it stopped!!grrrrrrrr

[fingersin]

great and uniqe song...spooky...

[Tazz77]

Cool clip, cool band but they were obviously trying to look and sound like Japan (Gentlemen Take Polaroids era).

[dpx]

I love these OGWT clips, you actually get to hear the bands play live! Great clip, I don't know where you guys find this stuff, but thanks for sharing.

[flares]

One of Duran's best EVER songs. The reason why is because it's so original, it's quite an eerie sounding record thanks to Nick's synthesizers. Nightboat kicks the ass off any music nowadays.

[loveduran]

Hard to believe they were ever that young! Late teens/ early twenties. They look awesome!! Understandable to see how they've grown with such sophistication and ....well, they're just brilliant!!!

[SarahJay55]

fantastic performance!

with a twiddly 3 minute intro like that, it's bizarre how they ended up being screamed at by young girlies (like me, I'm afraid)

and the song still sounded brilliant live in 2005...

[martadavies]

love this era of the guys. Look what a unique style they've got!

[RaggedTiger70]

This is awesome! Love that tape recorder in the back :)