Duran Duran rejected Christmas song because it's 'too cheesy'

Duran Duran rejected an offer to do a Christmas single because they thought it was "corny".

The 'Ordinary World' hitmakers might be releasing the Halloween album 'Danse Macabre' but don't expect them to put out a Yuletide collection anytime soon.

Drummer Roger Taylor told Classic Pop magazine, "We were approached to do a Christmas single at one point.

"We thought it was too cheesy, so we didn't do it. I often say we should have said yes, because we'd still be getting a ton of royalties now. No, it was too corny. I can't imagine we'd do a Christmas album now."

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Keyboardist Nick Rhodes added, "I celebrate Christmas the same as everyone, but it's not something close to my heart. In a strange, beautiful way, Halloween is dear to me. I love that it's a pagan celebration of craziness.

"As a kid, witches, black cats, demons and monsters were much more appealing than some big guy with a beard in a red suit."

Duran Duran have also just released their cover of 'Psyco Killer' which features Duran Duran's John Taylor and Maneskin's Victoria De Angelis having a "bass-off".

Speaking about working with Duran Duran, Victoria said:

“It's such a wild honour to get asked by John Taylor and the guys to play on their album. I met John at a party, and we immediately bonded talking about music and bass.

I told him Tina Weymouth was my absolute pinnacle of cool, attitude and incredible musicianship all rolled into one, and he told me he also started playing bass inspired by her and she was one of his music idols.

"I then got a call from John months later saying he was working on a cover of Psycho Killer, and he wanted to ask me first about playing on it. It was insane being asked by one of the greatest bass players ever to play one of my favourite songs with Duran Duran. Absolutely insane.

I’m so grateful and honoured, it was so much fun recording together with John and he was so sweet to me and encouraged me to express myself and play it my own way. I’ll always remember that day.”

John said of Victoria: “She’s probably the most important electric bassist out there right now. I met a couple of the guys from Maneskin at a party and they said, 'You’ve got to meet our bass player.' She’s such a dynamo! I was like, 'What inspired you?' and Vic said, 'Tina Weymouth.'

"So when Psycho Killer made the cut for the album, I thought, 'I’m gonna ask her if she’d like to have a bass-off!'

The 'Wild Boys' hitmakers have also put their spin on Billie Eilish’s 'Bury A Friend', The Rolling Stones’ 'Paint It Black', 'Spellbound' by Siouxsie and the Banshees, and many more.

It also features new versions of 'Nightboat' and 'Secret Oktober 31st'.

The record - which arrives in full on October 27 - is inspired by a pair of Halloween-themed shows in Las Vegas last year, where they donned ghoulish outfits and performed covers of 'Spellbound', 'Ghost Town' by The Specials and 'Super Freak' by Rick James.

Danse Macabre track-listing:

1. Nightboat
2. Black Moonlight
3. Love Voudou
4. Bury A Friend
5. Supernature
6. Danse Macabre
7. Secret Oktober 31st
8. Ghost Town
9. Paint It Black
10. Super Lonely Freak
11. Spellbound
12. Psycho Killer (feat. Victoria De Angelis)
13. Confession in the Afterlife

- Written by Bang! Showbiz and republished here with permission.