Red Carpet Massacre

The upcoming album by Duran Duran, three years in the making, is expected for release in late 2007. No title, official announcements or songs have been announced on the official website nor by the label, Epic Records.

The band did its inital recording with producer Michael Patterson between January and April of 2006, bringing at least fifteen tracks to near completion.

In October, vocalist Simon Le Bon announced that they had recorded three songs with famed hip hop producer Timbaland and his protegé Danja. Trade magazine Billboard reported that one of those tracks was "Night Runner", featuring Justin Timberlake, which is expected to be the first single from the album. On June 18th, a video was posted to YouTube showing a performance of "Night Runner" at The Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on June 17th. The other two songs that the band worked with Timberlake on were titled "Skin Divers" and "Zooming In." The article also mentioned two additional tracks named "48 Hours Later" and "Transcendental Mental".

Shortly after the sessions with Timbaland, guitarist Andy Taylor apparently had a falling out with the rest of the band. He did not perform at any of Duran Duran's October shows, and on October 25, a message posted on the band's site announced: "As of last weekend, however, the four of us have dissolved our partnership and will be continuing as Duran Duran without Andy, as we have reached a point in our relationship with him where there is an unworkable gulf between us and we can no longer effectively function together."

While initially expected in late May 2007 with a subsequent summer tour, as reported in Billboard, the new album was delayed as the band reworked some of the music recorded before Taylor's departure.

According to tabloid newspaper The Sun, as of March 2007 Duran Duran had one track left that needs a female vocal, and they were trying to arrange to work with Nelly Furtado.

Roger has announced that he will be getting married to his girlfriend some time this year. He has also said that Duran Duran are finally reaching the final furlong of a very long course. He can now say with the greatest of confidence that new material will definitely be released by summer.

As of end of April, according to the Rolling Stone magazine, another track has been announced titled "The Valley", which the bands bassist, John Taylor describes as a very grand conceptual piece.

As of June, Duran Duran have announced on their official website that they are recording another track with Justin Timberlake titled "Falling Down".