Book Discussion–In the Pleasure Groove (Chapters 61-64)

We are back to having book club on Mondays after last week’s change due to New Year’s Eve.  It is hard to believe that we are a week into 2013 already!  Anyway, this week, we move onto chapters 61-64, which basically covers 1989 to 1993, or to put it in terms of Duran history, from Decade through most of the Wedding Album.  For John, this time saw him get married and become a father.  The band also re-entered the charts again with the success of songs like Ordinary World and Come Undone.  On that note, grab a beverage and join in on the discussion!

Chapter 61:  Tabloid Fodder
Were you surprised by John’s interview at CNN to promote Decade?
A – In some ways, I was surprised by his inability to answer the question on a career highlight.  I was surprised, of course, because they have had a ton of highlights even by 1989.  Another reason I was surprised is that, as John himself has mentioned in the book, interviews came easy to him.  On the other hand, I can see how it can be difficult to come up with a highlight about your career when your career isn’t in the best spot.  At those times, all one can see is what isn’t good or what is frustrating.  I found it more interesting that he focused on the poster which read, “Absolute Conviction.”  Clearly, John was struggling with his conviction regarding the band.
R – I really believe this was part of his downward spiral.  I don’t know that it was really about just the career, but I do believe it’s easy to blame the lack of conviction in himself on the band at the time.  


What was your reaction to the tabloid story about John being the father to some random girl?
A – I wondered if this story was going to be covered in the book and I, certainly, wouldn’t have blamed John if he left it out.  I actually remember seeing a news clip about this where they showed John and I think, Simon, entering a hotel.  The clip interviewed the girl as well.  It must have been terribly upsetting, both in that it worried him and in the fact that she made it up.  I can only imagine how vulnerable he must have felt at that time.
R – I remember this story well.  I also know of several others from over the years.  Stories of this band member or that one having a child out of wedlock.  Without going into detail – I know of fans who still claim such things.  (Yes, I said fans) I guess for me – in all cases I have to wonder why on earth someone would even go around offering such information, even if it were true.  Maybe I’m just strange, but if I had a child with a band member (which would NEVER happen anyway) I don’t know that I’d feel the need to tell the world, especially if the band member hadn’t exactly admitted to the paternity.  Besides, I’d have my child to protect in that case.  In the case of John though with this girl, it’s mind-blowing how this girl could have worked up the sheer nerve to fabricate such a horrible lie… The only thing I will say is that obviously her parents did not do much to teach her well, as they even gave reports that he’d come to their house often for Sunday lunch. Wow.  I mean sure, by John’s own accounts it could have very well been possible.  Even so…going to the press instead of handling it privately? That’s just gross, in my opinion. 


Chapter 62:  Wedding Spaghetti
Did you know the story behind the naming of the song, Shotgun?
A – I had to laugh when I reread this part after just sending this song off the island on Friday!  I had no idea that it was a reference to the fact that John and Amanda had a “shotgun” wedding because she was pregnant.  I also didn’t realize that this is something that led Nick’s inspiration about having their parents on the cover, which, of course, has led the entire universe to refer to the album as The Wedding Album.
R – Shotgun??  We sent the memory of THAT song off into the sunset on Friday!!  It’s funny because I just listened to this section of the book yesterday in the car and I kind of choked a little when he told this story.  I’d forgotten it from my first read/listen.  Oops.  Sorry John – we voted it off!!  


Chapter 63:  Take Me to L.A.
John revealed quite a bit about the song, Ordinary World.  Did you know all of that and did it change your thinking about the song?
A – I did know that Simon had written Ordinary World and Do You Believe in Shame about his friend, David Miles, who had passed away.  I thought it was funny that John didn’t know the third song about his death.  Isn’t it Out of my Mind?  Am I remembering that wrong?  As for the writing of the song, I never thought about how the song started out on acoustic guitar, which isn’t common for the band.  It makes sense to me, though.  I thought it was fascinating when John said, “I was never a fan of the song, particularly-it had no bassline to speak of, didn’t rock or groove-but everyone who heard it fell in love with it.”  Sigh.  Perhaps, this is why the song doesn’t grab me.  This also shows me that the band truly DOES NOT love everything that they have done.  Good for John to say so.  By the way, I also knew that he wasn’t really involved with the writing of Come Undone.  Hmm…
R – I don’t love Ordinary World. Count me among the minority on that one as well, Amanda.  I have heard the stories about Ordinary World, and I also know what it means to a lot of fans out there.  The best story I have ever heard about that song though, is one that Simon told recently – in fact it was on the summer “tour” you and I did in August. I believe it was in Durham where Simon explained that the song saved the band from the brink.  They really thought they were going to end and then, that song came along.  I can understand how the song has probably come to mean much more to them now as a result, and while I personally would love to go several tours without ever hearing it again – I suppose a part of me can understand why they still play it.  I do wish it had more of a groove to it, though.  

Did you notice how the music business for Duran seemed to change during this era?
A – John mentioned it first when talking about Liberty and how they had to turn in their work to get paid as opposed to having a lump sum to begin with.  I also noticed how he said that now that they all had families there wasn’t this push to get music out so quickly.  Is this really when Durantime began?  If so, I will have a hard time telling them that they need to stop spending so much time with their families just so I get a new album, project, whatever faster.  Lastly, I noticed how the new manager didn’t want to release Ordinary World so quickly.  Interesting.
R – I really don’t think this is where Durantime came from.  I think it came from the days of SATRT, to be honest – because they continue to chase that fame thing.  They obsess over the music to the final detail and continue to try to reinvent themselves rather than embrace who and what they are. They keep trying to one-up themselves, don’t you think?  (During this period of time…not so much the present day.)  I think it’s because of their prior albums taking so long though that their label person was so tight with the pursestrings.  However, I did find it interesting that their PR guy needed an extra six months to set up the release for OW.  Do labels still do that??  Maybe those that actually do promotion for their artists…..

Chapter 64:  Paranoid on Lake Shore Drive
Were you surprised that John wasn’t super happy with the band’s commercial success?
A – I really wasn’t surprised despite his focus in the previous week on commercial success.  I think John was just at a point in his life when nothing was going to feel right, which is such a hard place to be.  I could also see him being torn between his career and his family.  I think that is a battle that a lot of people deal with.
R – Interestingly enough, I can’t imagine how it must have been for the band at the time.  I mean, it wasn’t 1985 any longer.  Things really had begun to change..and even great success wasn’t to atmospheric limits as in previous decades.  Then of course, John’s personal life wasn’t going well either, so naturally these things played off of one another.  When you’re unhappy in one area, you tend to be unhappy in a lot of areas….it leaches…

What did you think about the insight into the band structure at that time?  Do you think that is how they should have organized the band then?
A – I knew that Warren was a member and had been, officially, since the Liberty album.  What I didn’t know was that band business was still decided by Nick, Simon and John only.  That sheds quite a bit of light and makes sense to me.  Warren wasn’t a founding member and wasn’t involved with the vast majority of their catalog at that point.  Plus, it clearly didn’t work out with Sterling so it makes sense to take things slow.  Yet, of course, this leads me to wonder why the same can’t be done with Dom now.  
R – Sticky territory for me.  This period of time was truly when the band lost me for a bit, and not just because of Warren or Sterling.  I just wasn’t feeling IT with the band any longer, and I was in the midst of beginning my own adult life.  I can’t find fault with wanting a 5 piece band, and I can’t find fault with wanting the three “founding” members to be the decision makers.  I only wish they included later guitarists with the same thought to merchandising and credit as they did Warren.  Period.


Final Thoughts:
As I read this last chapter about the band being in Chicago, I couldn’t help but to think about my very first Duran show in Chicago in August of 1993.  I don’t know if this walk on Lake Shore Drive took place around this same show, but I have to wonder.  As I have blogged about before, while I enjoyed myself at that show, I felt that something was wrong.  I even openly declared then that the band should probably break up, that is was time.  Now, obviously, I’m glad that they didn’t but I wonder if I noticed that John wasn’t all that into it.  Heck, maybe the whole band wasn’t into it because they just added more dates that they didn’t want to do.  I don’t know.  As for John, it seemed like family life gave him a bit of happiness but couldn’t really solve the underlying angst.  The band’s success couldn’t solve it either.

Next week, we will focus on chapters 65-69, which should take us up to John meeting Gela.  Until then, let’s us know your thoughts about these chapters!

-A