Boys on Film: Duran Duran's '84 tour

In 1984 Duran Duran were at the height of their fame. Seven and the Ragged Tiger, the band’s third studio album, became their first (and only) number one soon after its release in November the previous year, and announced a sharper, more dance-friendly, synth-driven sound. The world tour (apparently the band wanted to spend a year abroad to avoid tax), began in Australia, but was mostly spent in Canada and the US.

They played 51 shows to over half a million people, and were received with delirious abandon almost everywhere they went. It seemed at the time as though it was just the start of something great, though that year’s success was never to be fully repeated, and the following year, the band members drifted apart into separate projects, Arcadia and Power Station. The 1984 line-up didn’t release another album together for 20 years.     

Known as Reg by the band, Denis O’Regan was the tour’s official photographer. He wrote Sing Blue Silver, the book documenting the tour, which was released soon after the tour was completed, alongside a documentary of the same name. He has now released Careless Memories, a coffee-table collection of photos from the American and Japanese legs of the tour, all restored, and some never previously shown. There’s a selection of the shots below; in the book, they are accompanied by a commentary by the band.  

• The exhibition from 8 to 14 December at Chelsea Galleries, 508 Kings Road, SW10 0LD
• Careless Memories is available to buy and order
• Further information on the Duran Duran website
• Read theartsdesk's major Q&A with Nick Rhodes

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge

Duran Duran backstage before the show, USA 1984

Filming 'Save A Prayer' live in Toronto 1984

Fans outside the dressing room in Columbus Ohio 1984

John Taylor & Nick Rhodes during a break from filming the 'New Moon On Monday' video in Paris 1984

Nick Rhodes NYC 1984 (on a fire escape during a break from filming a Japanese TV appearance)

Andy Taylor & Simon Le Bon NYC in a limo on the way to the airport (Carly Simon gave Andy the wand) 1984

John Taylor live in the USA 1984

John Taylor at the airport in Canada 1984

Fan mail backstage USA 1984

Nick Rhodes in a limo at LAX airport Los Angeles

Simon Le Bon jumps from a boat in Florida 1984

US fans at the show