Arcadia

Arcadia is a British new wave and synth-pop group active in 1985 and 1986. It is a splinter group from Duran Duran, formed by Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor during a break in that band’s schedule. The group’s line-up centres on Le Bon, Rhodes and Taylor, with Taylor involved mainly on the recording side; he appears in only a few photographs and does not feature in the music videos.

History and image

The band’s name is reportedly taken from Nicolas Poussin’s painting Et in Arcadia ego, also known as The Arcadian Shepherds. Arcadia carries forward Duran Duran’s emphasis on style and presentation, and the three members adopt a black, formal look for the project, including tuxedos, vintage formal wear, bow ties and dyed black hair. They perform as Duran Duran at the 1985 Live Aid concert in Philadelphia with Andy and John Taylor.

Recordings

Arcadia records one album, So Red the Rose, which sells platinum and reaches number 23 on the US album chart. The album includes the singles “Election Day”, “The Flame”, “The Promise” and “Goodbye Is Forever”, all of which reach the Top 40. The band also records “Say the Word” for the soundtrack to the film Playing for Keeps.

Collaborators

The album features contributions from a number of guest musicians. These include guitarists David Gilmour and Carlos Alomar, pianist Herbie Hancock, Sting on backing vocals for “The Promise”, Grace Jones with spoken-word parts on “The Flame” and “Election Day”, bass player Mark Egan and percussionist David Van Tieghem.

Later development

Arcadia does not tour, though it makes a range of television promotional appearances. The project ends in 1986 when Duran Duran re-forms with Le Bon, Rhodes and bassist John Taylor to record Notorious. Roger Taylor later returns to music after a long break and rejoins the original Duran Duran line-up in 2001.

Reception and legacy

Simon Le Bon describes So Red the Rose as “the most pretentious album ever made”, while AllMusic Guide calls it “the best album Duran Duran never made”.