When Duran Duran, Nile Rodgers and Andy Taylor get together, hits happen.
Rodgers, the New York City-born guitarist, producer and co-founder of seminal disco-era R&B band Chic, was a hero to the members of Duran Duran long before they got to work together.
Legend has it, the British new wave band heard INXS’ “Original Sin” on rotation at a party hosted in Melbourne by Aussie music TV broadcaster Molly Meldrum. Rodgers produced “Original Sin,” and, after that night, he was invited to work on Duran Duran’s 1984 single “The Reflex.” The result was a smash that led sales charts on both sides of the Atlantic.
Rodgers and DD would stay tight through the years, working on multiple projects in the studio (including “Wild Boys,” plus the Notorious, Astronaut and Paper Gods albums) and on stage.
In the small hours of Thursday morning, Sept. 21, the latest addition to that decades-long musical alliance entered the world in the form of “Black Moonlight.”
The second release from the Rock Hall-inducted band’s forthcoming 16th studio album Danse Macabre, “Black Moonlight” is the sound of classic Duran Duran, its rhythm and groove infused by Rodgers, who is credited as producer, guitarist and co-composer.
The funk is so thick, you could carve it.
Andy Taylor, lead guitarist in the classic DD lineup, reunites with his old bandmates on “Black Moonlight,” for guitar and sound engineer duties. It was Taylor’s rock edge that helped DD reach the summit of the popular music mountain in the first half of the 1980s.
Danse Macabre is due out Oct. 27 on Tape Modern via BMG, and features guest spots with Victoria De Angelis of Måneskin, producer Mr. Hudson and former guitarist Warren Cuccurullo.
“Black Moonlight” is the second of three new songs, and is the followup to the LP’s title track, which dropped late last month and includes contributions from Andy Taylor and Cuccurullo.
The concept album is said to be the soundtrack to Duran Duran’s “ultimate Halloween party” and includes covers of Billie Eilish’s “Bury A Friend,” Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black,” Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Spellbound,” The Specials’ “Ghost Town” and more.
Next up, a performance Friday night (Sept. 22) at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens with Nile Rodgers + Chic, and Bastille.
Stream “Black Moonlight” below.
This story originally appeared on Billboard
