Arcadia: Roger Taylor, Nick Rhodes, Simon Le Bon.
Additional personnel: Carlos Alomar, Gabriel Bindi, Pierre DeFay, Jean-Claude Dubois, Mark Egan, David Gilmour, Herbie Hancock, Grace Jones, Steve Jordan, Rafael DeJesus, Andy MacKay, Sting, Masami Tsuchiya, David Van Tieghem.
After the release of their third album, 1983's SEVEN AND THE RAGGED TIGER, and a lengthy tour, Duran Duran split into two camps for about 18 months. Andy and John Taylor formed the chartbound Power Station with Robert Palmer and Chic drummer Tony Thompson, while singer Simon LeBon and keyboardist Nick Rhodes formed the artsier Arcadia.
Superficially, SO RED THE ROSE is a bit more experimental than the Durannies' hit albums, but LeBon and Rhodes' songs--although Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor plays on the album, he didn't participate in the writing--are fundamentally similar to their Duran Duran work. The single "Election Day" and the ballad "Goodbye Is Forever" in particular wouldn't sound out of place on any Duran Duran album. The lengthier tracks on side two, featuring cameos by folks like Herbie Hancock and art-pop percussionist David Van Tieghem, are somewhat more intriguing.
