BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984
“The Wild Boys” is the twelfth single by Duran Duran, released in October 1984.
The song was the only studio track on the live album Arena, and was produced by Nile Rodgers, who had previously remixed the single “The Reflex”. It was recorded at the end of July 1984 at Maison Rouge studios in London.
“The Wild Boys” became one of the band’s biggest hits, reaching #2 on the American Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, behind “Out of Touch” by Hall & Oates and “Like a Virgin” by Madonna and also hitting #1 on the Cash Box Top 100 chart. It peaked at #2 on the UK Singles Chart, and also reached the top position in Germany and on the Canadian CHUM Chart.
It became the band’s biggest charting single in Australia, reaching #3. The band’s parent album, “Arena”, was certified Double Platinum in the United States.
The idea for the song came from longtime Duran Duran video director Russell Mulcahy, who wanted to make a full-length feature film based on the surreal and sexual 1971 novel The Wild Boys: A Book Of The Dead by William S. Burroughs. He suggested that the band might create a modern soundtrack for the film in the same way that Queen would later provide a rock soundtrack for Mulcahy’s 1986 movie Highlander. Singer Simon Le Bon began writing some lyrics based on Mulcahy’s quick synopsis of the book, and the band created a harsh-sounding instrumental backdrop for them.
The single was issued with six separate collectible covers – one featuring each individual band member and one of the band collectively.
The B-side, “(I’m Looking For) Cracks In The Pavement (Live)”, was recorded at the 5 March 1984 show at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. This is the same concert where the video for “The Reflex” was filmed.
SIDE A:
The Wild Boys (Wilder Than Wild Boys) (Extended Mix) 8:00
Producer – Nile Rodgers
SIDE B:
The Wild Boys (45) 4:16
Producer – Nile Rodgers
(I’m Looking For) Cracks In The Pavement (1984) 4:09
Engineer [Live Recording] – George Tutko
Engineer, Mixed By – Jason Corsaro
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Wild Boys | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #2 |
| 1984 | The Wild Boys | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play | #27 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI – S14-102
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Maxi-Single, 45 RPM
Country: Japan
Released: 21 Nov 1984
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop
CREDITS:
Engineer – Jason Corsaro
Photography By [Front] – Francesco Scavullo
Producer, Arranged By, Written-By – Duran Duran
Sleeve [Sleeve Producer] – Assorted Images
NOTES:
Track B2 recorded live on tour 1984.
Mastered at Masterdisk.
From the LP “ARENA”
Find the 12″ on DISCOGS
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
