Duran Duran: Trio Out, Reunion In?

By
ABC News
January 6, 2006, 4:31 AM ET
2 min read

May 7, 2001 -- The latest incarnation of Duran Duran is history — but the trio's demise may clear the way for a reunion of the original five-member band.

The band has split with Hollywood Records, after last year's Pop Trash sold a disappointing 41,689 copies in the United States.

Guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, who joined Duran Duran after its most successful run in the 1980s, has officially left the band for a reunion with his old act, Missing Persons — another new wave group from the '80s.

Cuccurullo spokeswoman Cyndi Glass posted this statement on fan site lizardking.com: "That version of Duran Duran doesn't exist anymore. That's the last chapter of the trio. There's going to be a reunion of the original band very soon. Everybody's still very close friends, and Warren, Nick, and Simon are off to Japan in June to play the four dates that they booked."

Though the trio's demise is certain, the reunion of the original members is not yet set in stone. Keyboardist Nick Rhodes has been working in the studio with vocalist Stephen "Tin Tin" Duffy — a member of the band before it scored its biggest hits — according to the band's official Web site.

Meanwhile, a representative for former guitarist John Taylor writes, "Simon [LeBon], John [Taylor], Nick [Rhodes], Andy [Taylor], and Roger [Taylor] have all met various times to discuss reunion plans. As John recently mentioned, he, Andy, and Roger were in the studio working on new material together."

Those five members were the most successful lineup of the band — and even if they don't iron out reunion plans, fans will have something to collect: Capitol Records plans to re-release the group's top-selling album, Rio.

The disc, which spawned hits with the title track and "Hungry Like the Wolf," will hit stores July 3 in a standard jewel box and with a limited-edition design. The disc will also include the three music videos that helped propel the album to success with their constant play on MTV, "Hungry Like the Wolf," "Rio," and "Save a Prayer."