White Lines

"White Lines" is the second single from the Duran Duran covers album Thank You. It is a cover version of the 1983 song "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" by Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel.

About the song
The funky anti-cocaine rap music anthem "White Lines" may have seemed like an odd choice of covers for a middle-class white pop band, some of whose members were known to have substance abuse issues.

Rolling Stone's review of the album Thank You said:


 * "It's no secret that most big-time rock musicians are also big-time rock fans, but that rarely shows in public. Perhaps that's why it's so much fun to hear Duran Duran gee-whizzing its way through "White Lines" along with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Although it's not a terribly inventive interpretation, mixing straight-off-the-record imitation with laughably overblown special effects (the snort and giggle at the beginning of the track), it's hard to argue with the spirit of the performance. Let's be honest: Didn't fans of the original single rap along with Melle Mel as earnestly as Simon LeBon does?"

Music video
The black and white video was shot in January of 1995 by Nick Egan. The video features the band and the Furious Five performing the song, with breakdancers and people in skeleton masks.

B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes
The "White Lines" 2-CD set included "None Of The Above (Drizabone mix)", "Ordinary World (Acoustic version)", and "Save A Prayer" as b-sides on the first disc, and the remixes "White Lines (70`s Club mix)", "White Lines (Oakland Fonk Mix)", and "White Lines (Junior Vasquez Mix)" on the second.

"White Lines" had more promo releases than most bands have releases. Across this myriad of 12" and CD singles there were a whole host of remixes done - a majority by DJ Junior Vasquez.

Complete list of mixes for White Lines

 * 1) "White Lines" - 5:26
 * 2) "White Lines [Edit]" - 4:36
 * 3) "White Lines [Single Edit]" - 4:30
 * 4) "White Lines [Album re-edit]" - 4:11
 * 5) "White Lines [70's Club Mix]" - 7:55
 * 6) "White Lines [Oakland Fonk Mix]" - 5:30
 * 7) "White Lines [Oakland Fonk Mix Edit]" - 4:24
 * 8) "White Lines [Junior Vasquez Mix]" - 5:37
 * 9) "White Lines [Junior's House Mix Edit]" - 4:02
 * 10) "White Lines [Junior's House Mix]" - 5:37
 * 11) "White Lines [Freestyle Mix]" - 5:41  (aka Junior's Freestyle Mix)
 * 12) "White Lines [Freestyle Edit]" - 4:06 (aka Junior's Freestyle Edit)
 * 13) "White Lines [Global Groove Mix]" - 5:25
 * 14) "White Lines [Global Groove Edit]" - 3:56
 * 15) "White Lines [Sound Factory Dub]" - 6:30
 * 16) "White Lines [Sound Factory Dub 2]" - 6:20
 * 17) "White Lines [Rif Raf Mix]" - 5:35
 * 18) "White Lines {Blizzard Mix]" - 4:32
 * 19) "White Lines [Wrapless Album Mix]" - 5:34
 * 20) "White Lines [Wrapless Edit]" - 4:32
 * 21) "White Lines [Funkmaster Flex Straight Pass]" - 5:21
 * 22) "White Lines [Funkmaster Flex Instrumental Version]" - 4:59

Chart positions
The song reached #17 on the UK Singles Chart.

MC: Parlophone TC DD 19 (UK)

 * 1) "White Lines"
 * 2) "Save a Prayer [Single Version]" - 5:25
 * 3) "None Of The Above (Driza Bone Mix Edit)" - 4:38

CD: Parlophone 7243 8 82005 2 3 (Italy)

 * 1) "White Lines (album version)" [actually Edit version] - 4:42
 * 2) "White Lines (70's Club Mix)" - 7:54
 * 3) "Thank You (Demo)" - 5:06
 * 4) "None Of The Above (Driza Bone Mix)" - 6:37


 * Demo mix originally featured on soundtrack for With Honours.

CD: Capitol 7243 8 82097 2 4 (Canada)

 * 1) "White Lines (Junior's House Mix)" (5:37)
 * 2) "White Lines (Oakland Funk Mix)" (5:29)
 * 3) "White Lines (70's Club Mix)" (7:54)
 * 4) "None Of The Above (Driza Bone Mix)" (5:18)

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

 * 1) "White Lines (Album version)
 * 2) "Save A Prayer (Single version)"
 * 3) "None Of The Above (Drizabone mix)"
 * 4) "White Lines (70’s Club Mix)"
 * 5) "White Lines (Oakland Funk Mix)"
 * 6) "White Lines (Junior Vasquez Mix)"
 * 7) "Ordinary World (Acoustic version – Simon Mayo Show)"

12": Parlophone 12DD19 (UK)

 * 1) "White Lines (Don't Do It) (70's Club Mix)" - 7:56
 * 2) "White Lines (Album version)" - 5:26
 * 3) "White Lines (Oakland Fonk Mix)" - 5:30
 * 4) "White Lines (Junior Vasquez Mix)" - 5:37

12": Capitol SPRO-79542/3/4/5 (US)

 * 1) "White Lines (Juniors House Mix)" - 5:37
 * 2) "White Lines (Sound Factory Dub)" - 6:30
 * 3) "White Lines (70s Club Mix)" - 7:54
 * 4) "White Lines (Oakland Funk Mix)" - 5:29
 * 5) "White Lines (Freestyle Mix)" - 5:41
 * 6) "White Lines (Sound Factory Dub 2)" - 6:20
 * 7) "White Lines (Global Groove Mix)" - 5:25
 * 8) "White Lines (Rif Raf Mix)" - 5:35


 * US 2x12" promo

Other appearances
Apart from the single, White Lines also appears on:

Albums:


 * Thank You (1995)

Singles:


 * "Perfect Day" (1995)

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

Featuring:
 * Melle Mel, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five.

Also credited:
 * Anthony J. Resta - additional percussion and keyboards, additional production, remixer