Song of the Moment: Rio

By The Beachwood Nolympics Affairs Desk

"Rio" is not just the name of the hit Duran Duran song, but the name of the 1982 album that peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard chart and eventually went double platinum. But we'll confine ourselves here to the song.

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Released: November 1, 1982 (U.K); March 1983 (U.S.)

Length: 5:38 (4:40 7" edit)

Label: EMI

B Side: "Hold Back the Rain"

Charts: Reached No. 14 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100

Covers: Nirvana performed the song during the Hollywood Rock show in Brazil, on January 16, 1993.

Wikipedia: "The song . . . was inspired when Duran Duran toured Brazil and decided to write a song about their experiences there; however, the song references the Rio Grande which forms the border between Texas and Mexico (and is part of the names 'Rio de Janeiro,' 'Rio Grande do Norte' and 'Rio Grande do Sul,' three Brazilian states)."

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"The musical hook for "Rio," well-known among Duran Duran fans and synthesizer enthusiasts, was produced by an arpeggiator - a software tool which can play the individual notes in a chord in a chosen pattern."

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"Nick Rhodes created the unusual sound at the beginning of the song by throwing several small metal rods onto the strings of a grand piano in the studio. The recorded sound was then reversed to create the intro. The laughter on the track was that of Rhodes' girlfriend at the time."

Songfacts: "On the VH1 show True Spin, Duran Duran explained that Rio is a metaphor for America, and the song expressed their desire to succeed there, which they did. The wordplay is interesting, as Rio is sung as if it's a girl's name, and the word conjures images of the popular and glamorous Brazilian city, which goes with the exotic image the band was cultivating. The lyrics clearly state, however, 'from mountains in the North down to the Rio Grande,' which is the span of America. The Rio Grande river separates the US from Mexico."

Video: "Director Russell Mulcahy filmed the vivid music video for 'Rio,' which featured iconic images of the band in Antony Price suits, singing and playing around on a yacht speeding over the crystal blue Caribbean Sea. Short segments show band members trying to live out their assorted daydreams, only to be teased, tormented, and made fools of by a body-painted vixen (played by a London model credited as 'Reema')."

"Director Mulcahy originally planned a scene where the band members got chased off the island by people wielding guns, but didn't have enough film footage left to shoot this. He had to borrow a tourist's camera to shoot the part of Nick Rhodes playing a saxophone on a raft."

Lyrics:

Moving on the floor now babe, you're a bird of paradise
Cherry ice cream smile. I suppose its very nice
With a step to your left and a flick to the right
You catch the mirror way out west
You know you're something special and you look like you're the best.

Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand
Just like that river twisting through a dusty land
And when she shines she really shows you all she can
Oh Rio Rio dance across the Rio Grande

I've seen you on the beach, and I've seen you on TV
Two of a billion stars, it means so much to me
Like a birthday or a pretty view
But then I'm sure that you know it's just for you.

Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand
Just like that river twisting through a dusty land
And when she shines she really shows you all she can
Oh Rio Rio dance across the Rio Grande

Hey now (woo!) look at that
Did he nearly run you down?
At the end of the drive, the lawmen arrive,
You make me feel alive, alive, alive
I'll take my chance, cause luck is on my side or something
I know what you're thinking
I tell you something, I know what you're thinking

Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand
Just like that river twists across a dusty land
And when she shines she really shows you all she can
Oh Rio Rio dance across the Rio Grande

Her name is Rio, she don't need to understand
And I might find her if I'm looking like I can
Oh Rio, Rio. hear them shout across the land
From mountains in the north down to the Rio Grande

(Do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do)

YouTube: 2003 Digital Remaster (embedding disabled by request)

From a 2008 Classic Albums DVD:

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Previously in Song of the Moment:
* Iron Man
* The Story of Bo Diddley
* Teach Your Children
* Dream Vacation
* When The Levee Breaks
* I Kissed A Girl
* Theme From Shaft
* Rocky Mountain High
* North to Alaska
* Barracuda
* Rainy Days and Mondays
* Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?
* Baby, It's Cold Outside
* Man in the Mirror
* Birthday Sex

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