Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)


 * "The Violence of Summer" redirects here. There is also The Violence of Summer (Law & Order episode).

"The Violence Of Summer" is the 21st single by Duran Duran, and the first single from the 1990 Liberty album. Having finished the 1980s off in style with the Decade collection and the "Burning The Ground" single, Duran Duran found the 1990s a new challenge, in which success would initially elude them. Unfortunately, the lack of success for "The Violence of Summer" would shadow the band for the next few years, until 1993's "Ordinary World" gave them a new lease of life.

About the song
"The Violence of Summer" is a bright, cheerful chunk of pop, with ringing piano-like chords over a slick bass underpinning. Lyrically, the song plays with familiar Duran themes: of fleeting romance in the face of sexual politics, and mars-meets-venus peculiarities between the genders. Le Bon continues to set these preoccupations into more realist scenarios, challenging himself to leave behind the opaque mysticism of the band's first three albums.

Also worth noting lyrically, is this tracks return to the blatant Americana of Notorious: "going South where her mother writes", and "breaking heads in the sugar shack" (which references the cover art of Marvin Gaye's I Want You)

It was released 23 July, 1990 in the UK, and 11 August in the US.

Music video
The end of the 1980s marked a profound change in Duran Duran's video fortunes. MTV's interest had shifted to younger bands, and their format was changing in any case. VH1 was friendlier, but was more interested in the band's classic videos than in their current products. Duran Duran found it harder and harder to get a new video played where the public could see it.

The video for "Violence of Summer" was filmed in Paris by the young directing duo Big TV! (more conventionally known as Andy Delaney and Monty Whitebloom). The band, with paler skin and shorter hair than before, plays energetically on a set constructed to look like a bumper-car rig (mirroring the amusement park theme of the album sleeve), while models (including Tess Daly) in platinum blonde wigs hang about outside looking seductive. Newly muscular guitarist Warren Cuccurullo is almost unrecognizable to fans who were accustomed to his formerly waif-like appearance.

B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes
This was the first Duran Duran single that EMI really promoted with a mixture of formats. Across two 12" singles, a 7" single, cassette and CD single, seven versions of "The Violence of Summer" were released, as well as a limited edition poster.

The b-side, "Throb" is an ambient instrumental remix of Liberty album track "My Antarctica". The use of a remixed album track would repeat with the inclusion of a remix of "All Along The Water" on the "Serious" single.

Chart positions
The single didn't too well in the charts, even with its myriad of mixes and release formats, which foreshadowed the lukewarm reception the Liberty album would receive upon its release the following month.


 * #20 UK Singles Chart
 * #64 Billboard Hot 100
 * #36 Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play
 * #13 Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
 * #3 Federation of the Italian Music Industry

7": Parlophone DD 14 (UK)

 * 1) "The Violence of Summer [7" mix]"  – 3:30
 * 2) "The Violence of Summer [the story mix]"  – 3:18

12": Parlophone 12 DD 14 (UK)

 * 1) "The Violence of Summer [Power mix]"  – 4:56
 * 2) "The Violence of Summer [album version]"  – 4:20
 * 3) "The Violence of Summer [the story mix]"  – 3:18
 * Released with a poster.

12": Parlophone 12 DDX 14 (UK)

 * 1) "The Violence of Summer [the rock mix]"  – 4:23
 * 2) "The Violence of Summer [the dub sounds of a powerful mix]"  – 4:45
 * 3) "Throb"  – 4:25

CD: Parlophone CD DD 14 (UK)

 * 1) "The Violence of Summer [album version]"  – 4:20
 * 2) "Throb"  – 4:25
 * 3) "The Violence of Summer [Power cutdown]"  – 4:01
 * 4) "The Violence of Summer [the story mix]"  – 3:18

CD: Part of "Singles Box Set 1986-1995" boxset

 * 1) "The Violence of Summer [7" mix]"  – 3:30
 * 2) "The Violence of Summer [the story mix]"  – 3:18
 * 3) "The Violence of Summer [Power mix]"  – 4:56
 * 4) "The Violence of Summer [album version]"  – 4:20
 * 5) "The Violence of Summer [the rock mix]"  – 4:23
 * 6) "The Violence of Summer [the dub sounds of a powerful mix]"  – 4:45
 * 7) "The Violence of Summer [Power cutdown]"  – 4:01
 * 8) "Throb"  – 4:25

Other appearances
Due to its lack of chart success, "The Violence of Summer" has failed to appear on the compilation Greatest.

Apart from the single, "The Violence of Summer" has also appeared on:

Albums:
 * Liberty (1990)
 * Singles Box Set 1986-1995 (2005)

Personnel
Duran Duran are:
 * Simon Le Bon - vocals
 * Nick Rhodes - keyboards
 * John Taylor - bass guitar
 * Warren Cuccurullo - guitar
 * Sterling Campbell - drums