Today we are reviewing “I Don’t Want Your Love”, the second song on  Big Thing and the album’s first single. The song debuted and peaked at #14 in the UK, but did much better throughout Europe, particularly in Italy where it spent 6 weeks (non-consecutively) at #1. In the US, the song also did well, where it peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play. The chart success of the song is evident, but what do a couple of US  fans think?

Rhonda

Musicality/Instrumentation

From the first notes, you can tell this is going to be a big dance track. I very much like the “empty space” between the staccato notes and the way the song opens into a full, bright chorus with deep grooving bass to support the melody, and there just is no mistaking that this is Duran Duran. The guitar solo is gritty and adds just the right amount of texture. This is a song that very much feels like a natural progression from Notorious, keeping the heavy background vocals and even the horns as a hold-over, but still continuing to evolve the sound. The band did right by this song, because it would have been very easy for IDWYL to have gone too far over the edge into club/dance music for my taste. Touches like the bass, the rock guitar solo and the bits of horns help to keep the song from feeling too synthetic and –wait for it — contrived.   🙂

Vocals

I like the vocals on this song because of the effect that Simon puts on them. His slight staccato (tenuto?) in the verse leaves this fantastic silence in between the notes that is really catchy.  I also love the harmonizing because it provides a bit of depth.  Then in the chorus, it is as though the floodgates fully open and you get an incredibly full music/vocal melody that I don’t think you can NOT physically react to by dancing. I’ve tried. Impossible.

Lyrics

There are so many lyrical “hooks” in this song…how can you not love it? The song as a whole though…it’s great writing. I think it’s pretty clear that the song is about a little something-something on the side between two people, really. (Yes, I’m really saying it’s about SEX this time.) Simon is saying that it’s not about “love”…and that whatever this person has to give is OK by him, even if it’s secret.  Some favorite lines? “My obsessive fascination is in your imagination”…”I like noise, cuz I like waking up the house” “The rhythm is the power, to move me, it’s something you control, completely.” Whatever, Simon.  I don’t know how you do what you do, but I love it.

Overall

Confession time – this is not one of my personal favorites, believe it or not. I’d actually forgotten how great the song is, primarily because it’s gotten to the point (for me) when they play it live, I nearly tune it out. That’s the risk when you overplay the songs in your set list that have been in the Top Ten. That said, it’s a great song. Well-balanced between melody and rhythm, fantastic lyrics, a great guitar section that I only WISH they’d allow to happen today, and if you can’t dance to this song…I just don’t know what your problem might be.

Cocktail Rating

4.5 cocktails!

Amanda

Musicality/Instrumentation

This is one of those songs that just screams “typical Duran dance/pop” to me.  It feels like what people think of when they think of Duran.  Instrumentation is present, meaning that it isn’t just a bunch of beats but uses actual instruments in order to create the  predominant mood/feeling.  In this case, the mood that is created is an uplifting one, a happy one, a get-up-and-dance one.  A little more than half-way, Warren’s guitars are really present during the bridge of the song, which reminds me of what is done to John’s bass in a much later song, The Valley, on the Red Carpet Massacre album allowing the instrumentation to be placed in the musical spotlight.  During the bridge, the music seems louder and more aggressive and I always wonder the same thing every time I hear it.  Does it fit with the rest of the song?  It isn’t the first time that Duran has had different instruments step into the spotlight during a bridge.  Heck, the song, Rio, features saxophone.  The question is does this particular bridge fit the song?  I can’t imagine something different there and I do like that there is a bridge.  I think that it’s good and provides the necessary contrast.

Vocals

This is an interesting song, vocally.  First of all, the verses are clearly Simon with cool vocals effects.  Then, the chorus feels very full with Simon and backing vocals.  I like that, at times, one of the two backing vocalists (Janiece Jamison or Carole Fredericks) is clearly heard, creating an additional element to the vocals.   The different vocals fit well with the lyrics about a person of two minds or of two love interests.  Overall, I think the vocal style of this song encourages people to sing along and join the party, so to speak.

Lyrics

Overall

Cocktail Rating

4 cocktails!