Medazzaland

Medazzaland
Studio album by
Duran Duran
Released14 October 1997 (1997-10-14)
Recorded1995–1997
Studio
Genre
Length53:17
LabelCapitol
Producer
Duran Duran chronology
Thank You
(1995) 		Medazzaland
(1997) 		Night Versions
(1998)
Singles from Medazzaland
  1. "Out of My Mind"
    Released: 27 March 1997
  2. "Electric Barbarella"
    Released: 16 September 1997
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
Entertainment WeeklyB[3]
Jam![4]
Rolling Stone[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]

Medazzaland is the ninth studio album by the English pop rock band Duran Duran. It was released on 14 October 1997 by Capitol Records solely in North America, Latin America and Japan. The title is a reference to the anesthetic midazolam, which Simon Le Bon was given during dental surgery.[7] It reached number 58 on the Billboard 200 and number 66 on RPM's albums chart.

Medazzaland was available in Europe as an import or digital download, it was only in 2021 (when the band signed a deal for the album with BMG), when it was officially released in the UK on various digital platforms.[8] A physical 25th anniversary release on CD and coloured vinyl followed in 2022.

Singles

In March 1997, the single for "Out of My Mind" from the soundtrack to the film The Saint were released internationally on Virgin Records.[citation needed] The single peaked at number 21 on the UK chart in May.[9] The music video for "Out of My Mind" was filmed by director Dean Karr at Český Krumlov Castle in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic.[10]

The lead single, "Electric Barbarella" (a nod to the film Barbarella, from which the band took their name), was released on 16 September in the United States, and peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 1 November.[citation needed] It was touted as the first ever song by a major label artist available for digital purchase/download on the internet.[11]

Release

The album was eventually released on 14 October 1997 in North America and Japan. Due to poor sales, plans for a UK release were pushed back, and, later, shelved indefinitely by EMI/Capitol. It was not physically released in any other area of the world for many years, although in July 2008 the album was made available to buy digitally through iTunes Store in Europe and the US.[12]

Track listing

All tracks are produced by TV Mania in association with Syn Pro Tokyo except where noted.

All tracks are written by Nick Rhodes, Warren Cuccurullo and Simon Le Bon, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Medazzaland"Rhodes, Cuccurullo, Le Bon, John Taylor
  • TV Mania
  • Syn Pro Tokyo[a]
  • Anthony J. Resta[b]
  • Bob St. John[b]
3:53
2."Big Bang Generation"Rhodes, Cuccurullo, Le Bon, Taylor 4:44
3."Electric Barbarella"  5:19
4."Out of My Mind"  4:20
5."Who Do You Think You Are?"  3:27
6."Silva Halo"  2:28
7."Be My Icon"  5:15
8."Buried in the Sand" 
4:19
9."Michael You've Got a Lot to Answer For"  4:09
10."Midnight Sun"Rhodes, Cuccurullo, Le Bon, Taylor 3:41
11."So Long Suicide"  4:39
12."Ball and Chain" (Japanese edition bonus track)Rhodes, Cuccurullo, Le Bon, Taylor 3:58
13."Undergoing Treatment" 
3:05
Total length:53:17
Notes
  • ^[a] signifies an associate producer
  • ^[b] signifies an additional producer
Sample credits
  • "Buried in the Sand" contains a sample of "Raga Jaijaiwanti" by Ustad Sultan Khan (courtesy of Navras Records)

Personnel

Duran Duran

  • Nick Rhodes – keyboards, spoken word (track 1), synth bass (track 13)
  • Simon Le Bon – vocals (tracks 2 to 13)
  • Warren Cuccurullo – guitar, bass (tracks 3 to 6, 8 to 10, and 12), synth bass (track 13), background vocals
  • John Taylor – bass (tracks 1, 2, 7 and 11)

Additional musicians

  • Steve Alexander – live drums (tracks 1, 2, 5, 7, and 10 to 12)
  • Anthony J. Resta – live drums (tracks 2, 3, 5, 8 to 11, and 13), mixing (tracks 1 to 5 and 7 to 13), additional production (tracks 1, 8 and 13), additional rhythm and programming
  • Dave DiCenso – live drums (track 4)
  • Tim Garland – treated soprano sax solo (track 9)
  • Talvin Singh – tabla and santoor (tracks 4)
  • Jake Shapiro – cello (track 10)
  • Ustad Sultan Khan – sarangi sample (track 8)
  • Sally Stapleton – background vocals (track 2)
  • Madeleine Farley – background vocals (track 6)
  • Mayko Cuccurullo – ultra high vocal effects (track 1)
  • Clem Burke – live drum fill (track 3)

Production

  • TV Mania – mixing (track 6), production
  • Syn Pro Tokyo – associate producer
  • Mark Tinley – mixing (track 6), engineering and programming
  • Ted Paddock – additional engineering at Metropolis Studios
  • Bob St. John – mixing (tracks 1 to 5 and 7 to 13), mix engineering, additional production (tracks 1, 8 and 13)
  • Gareth Ashton – mixing assistant
  • Dave Collins – mastering at A&M Studios (tracks 1 to 11 and 13)
  • Henk Kooistra – mastering at 9 West Mastering (track 12)
  • Duran Duran – art direction
  • Andrew Day – art direction, artwork, photography
  • Ellen von Unwerth – photography
  • Katrin Geilhausen – photography

Charts

1997 chart performance for Medazzaland
Chart (1997) Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[13] 66
US Billboard 200[14] 58
2022 chart performance for Medazzaland
Chart (2022) Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15] 67

References

  1. ^ AllMusic review
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  3. ^ "Entertainment Weekly review on Medazzaland and The Duran Duran Tribute Album". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  4. ^ "DURAN DURAN: MEDAZZALAND". Archived from the original on 19 August 2000. Retrieved 7 June 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ "Duran Duran: Medazzaland : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 4 November 2007. Archived from the original on 4 November 2007.
  6. ^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Duran Duran". The Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  7. ^ Earls, John (19 January 2023). "Duran Duran's Medazzaland – a look back". Classic Pop. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  8. ^ "Duran Duran's Medazzaland is officially available in the UK for the very first time | superdeluxeedition". 19 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Duran Duran". Official Charts Company.
  10. ^ "Ivan stories". 14 May 2007. Archived from the original on 14 May 2007.
  11. ^ Zaleski, Annie (11 September 2017). "20 Years Ago: Duran Duran Make Music History by Selling 'Electric Barbarella' as a Digital Single". diffuser.fm.
  12. ^ Duran Duran Official Website "Pop Trash and Medazzaland on iTunes!", July 2008.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3367". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  14. ^ "Duran Duran Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  15. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Duran Duran – Medazzaland" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 October 2022.

Bibliography