planetary scream

hey, its hard for me to imagine a time when duran duran's videos were desperately hard to come by. fortunately, i was able to own a copy of their first video album on VHS almost as soon as we got a vcr... which i think was like, sometime around mid-85. so, i was able to watch, over and over again, gems like 'planet earth,' 'my own way,' and 'waiting for the nightboat,' ...videos which i don't believe i ever saw on MTV at that time. (back when MTV was 'the only game in town,' remember kids...??) so, fast forward to the bizarro year of 2009. all i had to do was reach for my shimmery, space-age dvd of duran duran's collected videos. all of them. all i had to do was hit a certain button when i wanted to freeze the picture. and keep it. thus, this groovy shot of simon in the band's first video 'planet earth.' sure, after i froze it and stored it, i cropped it a bit... fine-tuned the color and contrast, and here you have it. wow... sometimes it 'freaks me serious' when i think about how far we've come, as a society, technologically. so dig it, the space-age pop-rock artistically-altered freeze frame. (click to enlarge)

fantasia de laurie lebon

okay, i think i have to take like, 99% credit on this gorgeous little slice of notebook art. this one was made of really no more than four cuttings, and was affixed to a page of one of my handwritten journals a long, long time ago. i think the original measured approximately 4 inches by two and a half, or something like that. but, although its small, it holds like a honeycomb within it; two of my greatest crushes. in the topmost circle, we have the achingly sexy hugh laurie, practically in drag for the mid-90's annie lennox hit video 'walking on broken glass.' underneath that, we have a disc cut of the marvelous simon le bon... not from any specific duran video; but, if i had to make an educated guess, i'd say that it was from sometime around 1983. 'rio'-era. so i hope you dig on it. umm, it really doesn't 'mean' anything, its just meant to look groovy, and to celebrate a couple of great sexy boys. (click to enlarge)

fan book, fan book!

yes, before there was the internet, there was the glossy and glorious 'fan book,' and i daresay no other band (except maybe culture club) had as many fan books as those hot boys from birmingham, the pretty lads of duran duran. most of the best fan books, (not surprisingly) were made in japan, and was full of that cute indecipherable japanese writing. but the pictures needed no translation. they were big and glossy and glorious, and in many cases, 'never before seen.' i had several of those wonderful d2 fan books myself, but i can safely say i never had this one. so i have no idea if it was worth 'the bucks.' but i dig the cover... from the hot pouty shot of le bon, to the cheesy and barely adequate red lettering. i'd love to get a look at the pages. looking back on it, living in the sleepy small southern town i grew up in, its surprising that i got my hands on any decent fan books at all. so um, here's to fan books. perhaps lucynell can tell us if there were similar books released of her two main fave 80's bands, U2 and the police. how 'bout it, lucy? any decent fan books there?

new old duran duran horserace

hey, here we go again... once again, you must choose! but choose wisely. (mmm, who am i...? the old knight at the end of 'last crusade?' all of the sudden?) okay, so we're not picking out a holy grail, but we are trying to decide who has the most 'righteous' good looks in this mid-80's pin up of simon and the rest of the duran lads. first of all, let me say that this particular photo shoot was very familiar to me. like, it is distinctive because of that tacky-ass red white and blue smeared paint background. i know i must have encountered at least a dozen slightly different shots from different publications, but all with the same ugly wall, the same clothes, and the same 'standing order.' i'm sure this happened with other bands. like, i'm sure lucynell could tell me the same kind of thing about sting and the police boys in almost-identical poses on the same like, military airstrip or something. but, all that aside... we need to choose a winner here. so um, let's see... as usual, can we eliminate vom-faces andy and roger? umm, yes. yes we can. andy looks hung over, and roger looks cold. so that leaves the middle three once again. simon loses some points right away because he looks like he's in the middle of saying something, which is almost never a good look on anyone. and i have to dock nick some points, because he can't even be bothered to look at the camera. (actually, maybe we should give him some credit for that... like, for being 'too cool' for the photoshoot.) and so that leaves john. you know its sad when john can look like a dykey high school girl named melissa who wants to kick your ass after gym class, and still beat out his buddies for the 'best looking' crown. so its nigel john taylor once again. congratulations john. you made it. (click to enlarge)

duran glam

here's a duran horserace-made-a-bit-easier... that's because uggos andy and roger aren't even in the picture. so, from left to right, we have, of course; mr. nicholas james bates-rhodes, mr. simon john charles le bon, and mr. nigel john taylor. so, who wins? unfortunately, i think we can dismiss nick right away. he looks like falling asleep is 'job one.' and simon, well... i never did care for that spiky-on-purpose bleach-tipped haystack look. i mean, he looks happy and all, but still. so, facially, i guess the honors go to sleek and lanky john-john. at least he's like, fully awake, you know? and he's also not trying too hard to be hot; like he's just letting his popstar good looks speak for themselves. so, john wins... but before i move on, i've got to say one thing: what is UP with the 'theme' of their stage clothing? its like, ill-hewn band uniforms meet 'club clothes.' not their best look, if you want my opinion. and the togs don't even look like, particularly well-made, sewing-wise. so yeah, john wins. and you can expect yet another tiger race here on the planet sometime soon. (click to enlarge, somewhat)

little secret slide

yeah, that's what jean-luc and i sometimes call these things; slides. in fact, its another groovy notebook illustration from... well, actually, now that i look about it and think about all the source material, the tricking, and juxtaposition, i'd say it was a 50-50 collaboration. its not really supposed to 'mean' anything, really... its just supposed to sit up there at the top of a notebook page and 'look cool for you' whilst you're writing in it. on it, whatever. and hey, what is it...? 'davy' week..? i had a shot of davy jones last night. oh well, here he is again. the shot is from the monkees' movie 'head.' he's checking himself out in a bathroom mirror right before he gets lost in a psychedelic 'freak scene.' and, the image on the right is a lovely blink-and-miss-it shot of simon le bon in full 'protest mode,' from the 'new moon on monday' video. dig it! (click to enlarge)

swim meat : simon le bon

hey, i couldn't resist. just one last scare as halloween night ticks away. yes, that IS the one and only sexy mr. simon le bon, caught off guard as he 'rearranges' his 'union of the snake.' (mmm, that doesn't even make sense.) and yeah, i think almost all of these celebrity 'figure-flaw' pictures are pretty unfair. i mean, i don't care if simon was still 21 years old, he wouldn't exactly look 'smooth' digging for gold like that. and hey, i'm a realistic chick, and i really don't even think he looks too bad. like, he's closing in on 45 years old or something. and there's no picture out there that's gonna turn me against simon le bon. (unless someone comes up with footage of him throwing kittens into a fireplace or something.) yeah, it just goes with that worldwide fame; being caught looking less that 'ragged tiger' -ideal. don't sweat it simon, i love you.

parsely, sage, rosemary ...and le bon

okay, i think i already mentioned this hasn't been the happiest day for me, and i could use a laugh, so figured maybe one or two of you out there that might also think this is as funny as i thought it was when i found it. i mean, it seems like such an obvious joke, but the visual image helps a lot. and you know i love paul simon's 'songwriting mind,' but if we're talking about the 'male hotness' category, simon le bon is definitley a 'face' upgrade. and i dig the fact that whoever posted it used a cute shot of syme... but i think everything below the neck, like the shoulders and sweater, i think that was 'all paul.' hey, her name is 'mrs. robinson,' and she 'dances on the sand.' whatever. and i think it also helps the humor factor that mr. le bon has this overly-serious, even menacing, 'ultra-cool' expression on his face. he's dead bloody serious about his folk-rock hits.

wristband

okay, i'm real tired. since i've gone back to manual handwriting for my daily journal, i haven't had a lot of time to go pearldiving. in a way, its a good thing, because i get to feel the paper and the ink and the glue in my soul... but it IS more time-consuming. but i like the sensation of having it in my hand. and the muscles in my hand and arm that twitch when i'm working seem to send peaceful chemical signals to my brain. which has got to be a hell of a lot less expensive than my goverment approved 'crazy pills.' but, the end result is that my picksh beds are low. so, you're getting another shot of simon le bon. this is a still from the 'sing blue silver' tour documentary, where he makes a big deal out of getting hold of a wristband. he's still cute, though. but i have to say once again that the film quality and photography on this dvd transfer sucks chrome. (click to enlarge)

le bon in action

here's another shot i took from 'sing blue silver.' he's singing one of their best earlier songs, 'is there something i should know?' as i mentioned in the nick-post below, the film stock was a total uncooperative bitch, but i did the best i could. all the footage is like, shaky-hand-held-camera-fied, which isn't great to get shots from in the first place, but the film is so slow, so getting something not-blurry was a real challenge. but i think i got pretty lucky with this one. and just for the record, i think his 'uniform,' or costume for that tour suited him well. i'm kind of surprised some version of that white jacket with the black-striped collar never made it to the hip clothes shops, you know, like that tomato-soup colored michael jackson 'beat it' jacket did. i'm surprised i never saw one hanging in 'merchants' in four seasons mall. wow, i still love simon le bon... but have you seen him lately? i hate to say it, but i suspect he's had some 'work done.' chemical-peel le bon. (?) click to enlarge.

l is for le bon

ahhh, simon le bon, simon le bon... will you ever really know how much you turn us all on? your hot pop star looks really do the trick... coming in a close second? both john taylor and nick! we love your full lips and your frosted-tipped hair... will i ever bed you down? i can always 'save a prayer.' with those wristbands and funk-belt, you exuded '80's sex... i still 'turn it up,' when i hear that 'fle-fle-fle-flex!' you're sexy enough to jump out of a cake... is it too sleazy to say i want a 'union with your snake?' simon, you're 'notorious,' for doing it right... to have a chance at your 'goods,' i'd run 'faster than light.' simon, 'please, please tell me now,' if you feel the same way, and i'll stop this sucky poem, and go 'my own way.' seriously, folks... dig the very hot simon le bon. get in line ladies! yum!

j is for jeans

okay, i'm really stretching it here. i was having a tricky time coming up with my first 'j,' then i ran across this picture of the very hot simon john charles le bon, and so i just sat here and thought about it until i came up with a j-link. so 'jeans' it is. and seriously though, for a minute... i don't think i'd like to live in a world without jeans. i love jeans. i love wearing them, i even dig sleeping in them, and hey... have you had a hot makeout session recently? jeans are the ultimate thing to be wearing when you're getting all hot and heavy with someone you don't yet know all that well. i think the densely-woven cotton fabric somehow magnifies the friction and hotness of the contact. (if i can like, remember back that far.) hey! my weird cat just jumped in my lap for no reason. maybe she was trying to tell me this blog entry is a total dud, and i should 'abort' as soon as possible. either that, or she just selfishly wanted me to acknowledge her swinging feline existence. in any case, dig the gorgeous simon le bon, reclining sexily for your approval.

duran duran - friends of mine : video

here is some magnificent live footage of duran duran in 1982 at the hammersmith odeon. the sound and film quality are exceptional. all the boys look great. its just the sort of video that i knew was floating around out there somewhere way back when i first fell in love with them, back when i was only afforded scattered pictures and video due to living overseas in a time of rare and very limited media. even if i had been a rich girl back then, i still might not have been able to 'get my hands' on such footage... but now, i have almost no cash to my name, and i can sink my teeth into it along all the rest of elite and common alike. really, exceptional film and sound. great stuff.

ragged

so um, i feel a little on the blue side, so i can't seem to think of anything real wild to post, but i wanted to mark the day somehow, so here's a real foxy shot of simon le bon. i love you all.

honeybook

here's an example of one of our handwritten notebooks i wrote and decorated myself. and i freely admit, this shows all the signs of not knowing when to stop. i really didn't need the overhead collage banner or the faceted pink square georgina cabochon. all the rest alone would have been plenty. and the title was-is splendid enough. the main image is the lovely darling miss georgina hale as alma mahler from the ken russell film 'mahler.' but i just got carried away with the sugar-shaker, so to speak. still, i wanted to show it to you. it still beats the hell out of all those handwritten journals with plain 'no frills' covers. which i don't understand. i mean, even if its just for your physics notes or sketchy poems, why not slap a groovy picture on it? i mean, you're going to have to look at it. and a groovy notebook is also a great conversation starter, whether you're in the market for that sort of thing or not. in any case, dig it, this notebook of mine, which is at least a year or more old. click to enlarge, it gets really big... maybe too big... ( if there is such a thing. )

le bon

here's a cool example of how just two pieces can come together to make one dreamy slide. the model is the very sexy young simon le bon... it looks like 'girls on film' era. jean-lucien just placed the well-cut scrap on top of some swirly purple he had laying around. but as simple as it is, its just gorgeous. it would make a groovy door poster, bookmark, or cigarette lighter.

le bon appetit

here's a slinky, sexy picture of a very young mr. simon le bon. fans can tell at once, that this is a shot taken from very early on in the days of 'duran.' yes, those days of the rum runner, and songs like 'faster than light,' and of course, their first video. it was an underrated video for an underrated new age-new romantic first single, 'planet earth.' when i hear it, the only thing i hear is pop. pure, cool, inventive, danceable, british pop. almost thirty years later, simon le bon is still doing it. many people don't seem to recognize they've lasted longer than the beatles, led zeppelin, and well... a lot of other bands that seem to get more glory. don't get me wrong, the beatles and zeppelin deserve their glory... and in my opinion, Duran Duran deserves some glory too. so here's simon le bon in the beginning. (and yes, that's his real name.)

the wolf

this is simon le bon, sometime around 1982. he's absolutely drenched in the 'rio' album. his silver tiger baby necklace charm can clearly be seen. what a face. you can't talk me out of simon le bon. he's a hell of a performer who earnestly wants to give the people a good show. i was about 11 years old when i saw pictures of simon and the rest of duran duran looking like this. i suppose it was no wonder the local boys just failed to leave much of an impression on me.

these charming lads

so um, let me see if i can slide into the mood tonight with a cool bright notebook decoration jean-lucien made at least a year ago. i dig the vivid colors and naturally, the composition. from left to right, we've got adam ant, from the 'prince charming' video, then boz boorer and morrissey from a performance on jools holland's show from the early 90's, and in the orange square, mr. simon le bon. mmm, hot boys. nice.

o yes

here is another shimmering slice of notebook art that i was largely responsible for. it features the odd trio of simon le bon, yoko ono, and a ghostly wisp of john lennon. the colors just swim, don't they. i love my stuff, i really do. and i don't think its sinful to blow my own trumpet. my (our) stuff is just the grooviest. i was so lucky, i think, to be born an artist. sure, i can't recite my multiplication tables, but at least i can not do math in a room emblazoned with pretty pictures. i wouldn't have it any other way.