Before his presentation in the virtual tribute to David Bowie Just For One Day, Duran Duran released the cover of the legendary “Five Years”.
The band increases the synthesizers to The rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and the spiders from Mars rendition, while Simon Le Bon is supported by support singers for the climatic chorus. “Your face, your race, the way you speak,” he sings. “I kiss you, you are beautiful, I want you to walk.”
“My teenage life revolved around David Bowie,” said Le Bon in a statement. “He’s the reason why I started writing songs. Part of me still hasn’t believed in his death for five years, but maybe it’s because there is a part of me where he is still alive and always will be. When we took Ziggy Stardust’s LP and put the needle in the groove, our first taste of its perfection was the song ‘Five Years’. I can’t explain how I feel honored by Duran Duran for having the opportunity to present this icon and for putting our name next to Bowie’s in this celebration of his music.
The band will appear on Just For One Day on Friday, January 8th, on what would be Bowie’s 74th birthday. Boy George, Adam Lambert, Michael C. Hall, Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople, Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan and others will also perform. Tickets for the live broadcast are now on sale for $ 2. All proceeds will be donated to Save the Children, which Bowie supported with funds from his 50 year old show at Madison Square Garden in 1997.
Duran Duran will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a brief tour abroad, starting June 13 in Dublin, Ireland, on June 13. They will spend the summer making stops throughout the UK, ending in Ibiza, Spain, on 8 October. More information can be found on the band’s website.