Interesting article in today's Times on the band's 40th anniversary coming up this year. I was never a big fan; I thought they allowed videos to let them make and release inferior music yet sell massive amounts due to physical and visual appeal. But I did feel their Bond theme - A View To A Kill - was excellent as, indeed, was the A-Ha theme.

JK2006 wrote:
Interesting article in today's Times on the band's 40th anniversary coming up this year. I was never a big fan; I thought they allowed videos to let them make and release inferior music yet sell massive amounts due to physical and visual appeal. But I did feel their Bond theme - A View To A Kill - was excellent as, indeed, was the A-Ha theme.

The first two albums were very good, but they become an over-produced and over-mixed stadium band. Any tunes were lost in layers of synthesizers. I think they went down hill after they started working with Nile Rogers, giving them a more commercial funky sound. Obviously much of their popularity was based on their image, with teenage girls making up much of their fan base. I was a fan of their early work, but much preferred t
I can't see how it is their 40th Anniversary since they were formed in 1978 and their first single was released in 1981.

There can be a debate when when exactly a band forms. Was it the first time the name was used, the first time a couple of the original members joined or the finalising of the classic line up.
Andy Taylor on lead guitar and Simon Le Bon on lead vocals both joined the others in 1980 so they are using the classic line up as a start date.

I personally think the first time the name was used is probably the most logical but given Simon Le Bon is such a key elememt and they had three different singers before he joined and they never released anything on record I can see the rationale of using 1980 as the start date.