Duran Duran most infamous moment. While performing "A view to a Kill" before thousand people the singer hits a false note. This clip doesn't appear on the dvd boxset of the concert
2:51 for those who are interested. What strikes me looking back at these 80s bands, that I hated at the time, but appreciate now is how they were BANDS. Writing their own material, able to play it live, not a product hashed together with autotune or pitch correction. Just the same as any other rock band from a garage, but they chose more pop music. I also might be the few people that think "Serious" is their best song.
Amazing song, incredible band Not just an “80’s new wave” band they always sound current yet always have one foot in the past staying true to themselves Such huge catalog of diverse styles of music 14 albums and still killing live on their 40th anniversary Most people don’t know how amazing they really are their loss
Hey, the human voice isn't a machine, it happens. I've read Le Bon said this was his most embarrassing moment of his career. If this is true, he got off lucky. Magnificent band and obviously can translate their sound to a live setting. Nice job guys.
Freddie Mercury's voice cracked at the end of "We Are the Champions" at Live Aid, which shows it happens to the best of them. I appreciate the days when musicians were real. Music has more heart when it's not "perfect." Simon Le Bon is a good singer with a distinctive voice (and a great songwriter and front-man), his voice has brought enjoyment to millions through the music of Duran Duran and Arcadia.
@@kelrogers8480 yes. A lot of Duran fanboys are defending him here. While I do like Duran and I think Simon is a great frontman, he was straining so much during this as well as during his performance of “The Reflex.” It’s very obvious
I think one of his most embarrassing career moments was when the buttons on his trousers popped. Gained a little weight then, huh Simon?? That's okay. We love you anyway!!
2:55 ...the exact moment Andy Taylor begins reconsidering those solo album offers. 🤣 Actually, they all had their flubs. You have to remember, this was the first time they had played this song live! They'd mimed it on TV appearances but this was all 5 of them back together and performing live for the first time in over a year. It's a shame it would be their last for such a long time. It's also still way better than most bands today. I constantly hear singers or bands live and wonder how they became famous. Long live Duran Duran. I just wish Andy had stayed. 😪
If you read Andy's book, he goes into full detail about why he left, why he came back for the reunion, and decided to leave again. I really really dislike the "playback" shows where the artist is basically lip syncing/pretending to play. If I wanted to hear the studio version, I'd listen to the record.
@@styx53ocean Yep. GREAT book. I also prefer live. Even if it's not like the record. Who cares? If you want to hear the record, go listen to it because you're there at the show for the band.
Duran Duran had taken quite a bit of time off by July, '85. This was their first time performing together in 15 months, or so. DD had worked hard for weeks rehearsing this live set. Even Le Bon said he may've pushed his voice too far in rehearsals. Still a great performance, and a favorite group of mine for decades.
Could you imagine the size of the crowd, anti-blaring noise through the monitors. If you watch the entire performance, Simon was struggling anyways. It’s not often that you hear him make a vocal mistake. He is an amazing vocalist
I remember watching this on telly and I was gutted it for him. They are such a good live band and it was obvious that the sound was not up to scratch, must have been a tough gig. Weird thing is that ever since, I always 'hear' that note! They were the biggest band in the world and there were a lot of people lining up to knock them. One thing I'll say for Simon though is he carries on like a real trooper, I love him for that
Yeah I remember watching this moment all the way from New Brunswick Canada. I felt terrible for Simon but kudos to him, he kept going and the crowd cheered him on. I'm a fan, always will be.
People are making too big a deal about this 'bum note', he is singing live. Simon's voice is very good. Hugely talented band who wrote their own material. They're still going after 40 years.
It is objectively quite funny, he'd probably agree, we can laugh at that and still admire what an awesome performer he is. If that happened to me in front of the entire world I'd probably just leg it off stage and never come out again. He doesn't even miss a beat.
The fact that he got on with the job and performed the rest of the set well just shows what a pro he is. People keep on focusing on this instead of what Live Aid was really about. Helping starving people not perfect singing.
Yeah, one false crack after thousands of great notes.. Simon was clearly in performance mode and singing one of his toughest songs at the same time. This guy is one of the best ever. How can anyone who "truly" sings live and is moving around like that be held for that.? Thank goodness for Simon Lebon, and still doing it like no one else today.
So he flubbed a bit, as a vocalist myself I assure you that he likely was terribly mortified by it but it happens to everyone..Still one of the great bands of the 80s.. The bass guitar on many of their songs is amazing.
That falsetto loss of control isn't as bad as I remembered it - given Simon's animated performance, which is great, it is perfectly excusable. Simon Le Bon redeemed himself on 'Ordinary World' and 'The Wedding Album' in '93. Duran were, and are, a truly great band.
It happens. He recovered well. At least he didn't storm offstage(I've seen Maynard James Keenan, Chris Cornell, and Layne Staley miss a note(horribly), and walk offstage, only to return when they damn well felt like it. Simon kept going, and did a fine job for the rest of the set.
In 1993, I attended a Black Crowes concert. The bass player broke a string halfway through the first song, got pissy about it, FLIPPED OFF THE CROWD, and then the entire band walked off the stage. What? You can't just go change your string and come back?? Nope, bunch of assholes. After that, I vowed to NEVER have anything to do with that band. To this day, I change the station on the radio if one of their songs comes on.
So what? A guitarist hits a squeal of feedback; a drummer drops a stick; a bass player knocks his tuning pegs out of whack. It happens all the time and here, specifically, it shows that the singer is pushing himself. That's a good thing.
This is something that none of us in the crowd that day noticed or remembered. We were all just thrilled to be there and be entertained by all these people in that ridiculous heat.
You can hear he's pushing his voice. I read in an interview somewhere he states as such. He couldn't really hear himself back because of the screams and just kept pushing with that being the end result. Shows he's singing live and not miming. He also sounds really out of breath at the start of the song which probably didn't help matters either.
Pales in comparison to the epic train wreck that was Led Zeppelin that day, ....I'm a huge Zep fan, but their performance was Greek tragedy of Biblical proportions, whereas this was just one off-note.
I hear you. I try to forget another Plant-catastrophe at the Freddy Mercury Tribute singing "Innuendo": it counts among the worst performances I've heard. I had to switch off the audio at one point. This one is just a single note in an otherwise impeccable performance.
WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL ??? Really !!! Are we referring at that falcetto slip at 2:54. It wasn't even a "false note" . It slipped on a perfect "Third note" which actually sounded pretty wild... Great VOCAL moment from Simon Le Bon. He should be proud. And -AS USUAL- the media losers ought to get a life of their own.
Whoever says Simon's voice isn't that great needs to wake the f@#k up. Remember, this was before the Britney Spears, lady Gaga pre-recorded lip synch days. Off- notes happen, that's what makes live music so great. I enjoy the quirks, off notes and small changes in songs live...
"The Duran set was memorable for Simon Le Bon's off-key falsetto note that he hit during 'A View to a Kill', a blunder that echoed throughout the media as 'The Bum Note Heard Round the World'. The singer later said it was the most embarrassing moment of his career." - The Eighties: One Day, One Decade. Obviously he didn't think it was just a bad note and honestly, his voice sounded really weak through the whole song. The guy had (has?) an amazing voice, but it was definitely weak that entire song, coming in a little flat on most of the high notes.
Lady Gaga has never, and will never lip sync a single note in a performance. You should actually check out her new movie where every scene is recorded live.
I thought before the false note that the performance wasn't so bad. For me, it was no big deal. I remember seeing this live when it happened and I had thought I was hearing things because Simon LeBon is usually flawless in his performances.
That's it? Hell, I was singing along and missed it the first time. I can't imagine how bands tour and do this night after night. It must be exhausting to even do one show and sing and dance the entire time. Whatever, haters. That's all you've got?
Man, he was in a bad, bad situation and still got through it. Something was really off and he was going with it. He was keeping it together other than that note.
@@Chiliholic he did. it was also terrible stage monitoring. the entire song was plagued with feedback. the engineers were certainly screwing around with the mic monitoring. even if he could hear himself, the feedback screwed him.
I've been a Duran fan for thirty years. In fact, I watched that live and have it on VHS to this day. Probably their worst performance....but at that point, the band was just falling apart. They've got it back together now. And I think they're back to stay!
i like simon's le bon voice very much, in spite of his false note in this song and in other songs...this happens to meny profesional singers from time to time
Magnífico Simon le Bon y Love Duran Duran 🇧🇷 Duran spetacular Duran Duran y love Duran tantos shows de 1988 até aqui in Belo Horizonte 2017 tanks my.darlings
Its ironic that this happened and then the band broke up. This is the last time the original lineup of Duran Duran were on stage together until nearly 20 years later in the early 2K's I believe. Simon Lebon has been grilled for that note for decades and what sucks is that the majority of the song, despite all of the technical issues bands were experiencing at Live Aid, is pretty much perfect and sounds just like the vocals from the recording.
mate, he may have bummed the note slightly but his energy was impeccable. he picked himself up and carried on. not to mention, he probably couldn’t hear himself. the monitoring and screams really didn’t help. i think he did a cracking job and everyone gets things wrong sometimes. these things happen. you can’t always be perfect. he also had problems with his voice that day.
So if you're one of the nags bitching about Le Bon's voice cracking on that one false note, can you also tell us what other flaws were plaguing him repeatedly right up to that point? Listen to the track again, hear that sharp, high-pitched squeal that lasts no more than a second each time? That's feedback, most likely occuring from random interference in the early 80's wireless microphone Le Bon was singing into. That ear-splitting squeak was not only audible to the audience, it was pumped directly out of the floor monitors, blasting loud enough for Le Bon to hear his own voice over the volume of the band on stage. Incessant, unpredictable feedback has to be one of the most dreaded distractions a vocalist will encounter, and a live performance on stage at the biggest concert of the decade is the LAST place you want to be plagued by something like that. I'm not at all surprised it finally unnerved him enough to miss that one sorry note.
Lish Lash your summary is spot-on listening to their performance after many years .... it was never given the credit is was due .... the note miss.... was unfortunate and less dramatic listening back to it .... no one gave him any credit for the performance he delivered throughout the set to ...hold his composure and deliver a stellar performance afterwards .... Duran Duran have always had to work twice hard as other major bands to get any credit... many of those are non existent now !
but this was before they had the ability to "fix" the voices so that they sound perfect. so honestly I think he sounds great. I would rather hear a couple of off notes than have it digitally altered.
I totally remember this...I too stayed up late just to see Duran Duran and they are still one of my favorite bands to this day! I LOVE SIMON ALWAYS! LOL!
Simon le Bon is a GREAT singer. He's actually more melodic and tuneful than most singers, and in general has a big range and very strong voice. Anyone can hit a bad note, or have a bad day, for that matter. He may have had a cold or something.
I have been friends with John Taylor since we met back in 1984 and jam together in Orlando Florida when they stop by on their seven and the Ragged Tiger tour. I knew what was going on during time in their lives. It was not a great time for any of them they were going through their own personal hell at this time. They were worn out. Tired. If you listen to the whole song you could tell that they were just not the tight Duran Duran that we all know. John even admitted to me that and that night was a disaster even when he performed with the power station. And so we got to give them a break. I know what it's like to perform live like that. You slip up one time the whole world talks. It happens.
You know.. forget the voice break at the end... compare this to most performances these days and I think you'll find them lacking. This is a top pop group of the day performing at their peak.. fantastic sound.. energetic cool charismatic frontman.. absolutely awesome drumming.. all without the technology modern performers use such as in ear monitors to hear the level he was singing.
Saw them live this year (though without Andy) and they still put on a fantastic performance! I still love this performance, it sounds fresh to my ears :)
I remember when it happened and thought nothing of it and still don't. Great performance and no one can hit notes perfect day after day night after night.
Read the prologue in Andy's new book "Wild Boy" and you'll get an idea of what condition they were in as a band at the time of this performance. It is a miracle it went as well as it did.
He didn't mess up, any of you ever written, performed, or played live.. Music, is a flow of feeling, at that moment Simon, could of been feeling a slide into the note, boring is doing it exactly the same.. Every Damn Time, Way to go.. Simon🎤
I'll tell you; I just searched for this because it was a vague memory I had from watching it at the time. Really not a big deal having re-watched it; great singer
Compared to the fake auto tune "singers" of today I am glad to see he is real, and growing up I didn't even know Duran Duran was more than just a boy band, that they are actually musicians and can play instruments until I saw them live in 2022, now I am catching up on them playing live on youtube, thank you.
omfg! they did not loose their shine.. good grief.. a voice can give out once in awhile.. shit gimme a break n quit being stupid.. its 2014 n they still tour!!! ppl can be soo damn dumb sometimes!! LIFELONG DURANIE!!!
There was no problem, they steel alive with more than 200 million fans, making great, great music!! Look for Duran Duran's beautiful colors because it's a lovely song!
That was a problem in the UK portion of Live Aid as well. Watching Queen's performance, right around the guitar solo for Crazy Little Thing Called Love there's some terrible feedback. The DVD remastering manages to edit most of it out by simply dropping out part of the audio. The fact that bands had to go on quickly using a sound system that wasn't theirs, live on TV in front of about 1 billion viewers was a huge concern and I'm sure why some artists declined to appear.
What happened was something normal with any artist who sings live. The DD presentation on Band Aid was phenomenal! And better than some artists who put playback! Great Simon Le Bon !! 🤩☺️
there is a live aid doco out there in which simon says he had a sore throat from rehersals . all the same , its just one of many memorable moments of live aid day . they actually sounded like one of the best and tightest 'pop' bands from the whole concert .
I wouldn't have even noticed the false note if someone didn't point it out - he's up there sweating and belting out a difficult song, you have to expect a few off notes
You're right, Elsoda, I was 14 and I also saw the difference of enthisiasm between the UK and the U.S and it's more obvious in the Finales, England's Finale was electrifying and the US it was so reserved and rehearsed that made a big difference. According to Bob Geldof the stars oly rehearsed the words to Do They Know It's Christmas backstage while Paul McCartney was on stage performing his gig.
Would've been acceptable, had it been a regular gig. But like Nik Kershaw once famously said, "It happens to us all, Simon... but just don't do it when two billion people have tuned in."
His vocals are better than ever now Hes been a consistently great singer and lyricist throughout the years Simon and Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears are my favorite vocalists
yeah, i remember watching this when it was first broadcast. nobody loves simon more than my sister and me, and i remember when he hit that note, we looked at eachother like, "...ouch!"
I thought he botched the song by the sound of what I read, like was off key due to influence of a substance or negligence. But this was a legitimate honest fail of his voice. Big effing deal! He sings spectacular in every other way on this song and that doesn't ruin the whole performance to me (actually it's sort of comical and makes him human like all of us). The fact that he said it was the most embarrassing moment of his career just shows you the high standard he holds himself to and what a professional he is. Even now, in his sixties, I believe he hits nearly every note performed at same key as the studio recording, not a pussy like a lot of the singers and making band play in a lower key, which detracts from power of the entire performance.
Man. Is this all about his voice breaking/cracking near the end? If so, whats the big deal? I've heard him singing New Moon on Monday a few times over the years and his voice would crack or break when trying to hit the high notes in that song as well.
At least he was singing live. Makes him even more adorable that he hit the wrong note.
It was live aid. If you weren't prepared to sing live you didn't play
@@keithwallace2102 cool
Compare the bands in this time….
Actually yes
2:51 for those who are interested.
What strikes me looking back at these 80s bands, that I hated at the time, but appreciate now is how they were BANDS. Writing their own material, able to play it live, not a product hashed together with autotune or pitch correction. Just the same as any other rock band from a garage, but they chose more pop music.
I also might be the few people that think "Serious" is their best song.
I love that song too, shame it's not played more often, I only bought the Liberty album for that very song...back in the days when you had to......lol
Amazing song, incredible band
Not just an “80’s new wave” band
they always sound current yet always have one foot in the past staying true to themselves
Such huge catalog of diverse styles of music
14 albums and still killing live on their 40th anniversary
Most people don’t know how amazing they really are their loss
Hey, the human voice isn't a machine, it happens. I've read Le Bon said this was his most embarrassing moment of his career. If this is true, he got off lucky. Magnificent band and obviously can translate their sound to a live setting. Nice job guys.
I saw them live once and some confetti came down from the ceiling and Simon totally choked on it! He went right on singing...
+Soma he made many a groupie choke on his willy.
I read that too.
It was probably all that feedback, he sounded awesome
So true
Freddie Mercury's voice cracked at the end of "We Are the Champions" at Live Aid, which shows it happens to the best of them. I appreciate the days when musicians were real. Music has more heart when it's not "perfect." Simon Le Bon is a good singer with a distinctive voice (and a great songwriter and front-man), his voice has brought enjoyment to millions through the music of Duran Duran and Arcadia.
So what. At least he was singing live, unlike a lot of pop stars nowadays. Except for that one note, they sounded just fine.
No, he didn't. His singing was just dreadful all the way through. I think he might have accidentally hit a good note somewhere in the middle. 😂
@@kelrogers8480 yes. A lot of Duran fanboys are defending him here. While I do like Duran and I think Simon is a great frontman, he was straining so much during this as well as during his performance of “The Reflex.” It’s very obvious
Totally agree! I think he sounded great, from reading their biographies it's sad knowing they were on their way of breaking up whilst doing Live Aid.
If that was the most embarrassing moment of his career I would say he is doing pretty darn good.
I think one of his most embarrassing career moments was when the buttons on his trousers popped. Gained a little weight then, huh Simon?? That's okay. We love you anyway!!
I till love my Duran Duran, that's why they're still here today 2021.
Still better than most singers today
ok boomer
KitKatSortaAnimates you mean Gen X’er. No Boomer ever liked Duran Duran lol.
@@ryntalkstoomuch4686 todays folks actually do kinds suck cause they sing with playback
@@ryntalkstoomuch4686 i'm a gen z and i agree LMAO today's singers suck sorry not sorry
@@ryntalkstoomuch4686 Says someone who doesn't really love music
2:55 ...the exact moment Andy Taylor begins reconsidering those solo album offers. 🤣 Actually, they all had their flubs. You have to remember, this was the first time they had played this song live! They'd mimed it on TV appearances but this was all 5 of them back together and performing live for the first time in over a year. It's a shame it would be their last for such a long time. It's also still way better than most bands today. I constantly hear singers or bands live and wonder how they became famous. Long live Duran Duran. I just wish Andy had stayed. 😪
If you read Andy's book, he goes into full detail about why he left, why he came back for the reunion, and decided to leave again.
I really really dislike the "playback" shows where the artist is basically lip syncing/pretending to play. If I wanted to hear the studio version, I'd listen to the record.
@@styx53ocean Yep. GREAT book. I also prefer live. Even if it's not like the record. Who cares? If you want to hear the record, go listen to it because you're there at the show for the band.
REAL fans won't rag on him. He's only human like the rest of us. "To err is human; to forgive, divine."
Duran Duran had taken quite a bit of time off by July, '85. This was their first time performing together in 15 months, or so. DD had worked hard for weeks rehearsing this live set. Even Le Bon said he may've pushed his voice too far in rehearsals. Still a great performance, and a favorite group of mine for decades.
Could you imagine the size of the crowd, anti-blaring noise through the monitors. If you watch the entire performance, Simon was struggling anyways. It’s not often that you hear him make a vocal mistake. He is an amazing vocalist
This is a real hard song to sing.
@@TechAngelx For the rest of mankind it is.
Let's here you twits sing it then. Oh, thats right, your used to hearing computerized vioces.
02:54 where he fucks up
I remember watching this on telly and I was gutted it for him. They are such a good live band and it was obvious that the sound was not up to scratch, must have been a tough gig. Weird thing is that ever since, I always 'hear' that note! They were the biggest band in the world and there were a lot of people lining up to knock them. One thing I'll say for Simon though is he carries on like a real trooper, I love him for that
I adore him and Duran Duran anyway... he was singing live... lots of love from Italy.
Yeah I remember watching this moment all the way from New Brunswick Canada. I felt terrible for Simon but kudos to him, he kept going and the crowd cheered him on. I'm a fan, always will be.
People are making too big a deal about this 'bum note', he is singing live. Simon's voice is very good. Hugely talented band who wrote their own material. They're still going after 40 years.
It is objectively quite funny, he'd probably agree, we can laugh at that and still admire what an awesome performer he is. If that happened to me in front of the entire world I'd probably just leg it off stage and never come out again. He doesn't even miss a beat.
The fact that he got on with the job and performed the rest of the set well just shows what a pro he is. People keep on focusing on this instead of what Live Aid was really about. Helping starving people not perfect singing.
Yeah, one false crack after thousands of great notes.. Simon was clearly in performance mode and singing one of his toughest songs at the same time. This guy is one of the best ever. How can anyone who "truly" sings live and is moving around like that be held for that.? Thank goodness for Simon Lebon, and still doing it like no one else today.
False note and all, this is one of the best live versions of this song that I've heard.
His voice broke for one note. He sounded great otherwise. Who cares.
So he flubbed a bit, as a vocalist myself I assure you that he likely was terribly mortified by it but it happens to everyone..Still one of the great bands of the 80s.. The bass guitar on many of their songs is amazing.
The sound system was horrible and pinging behind him. It wasn't really that bad. He has a great voice.
That falsetto loss of control isn't as bad as I remembered it - given Simon's animated performance, which is great, it is perfectly excusable. Simon Le Bon redeemed himself on 'Ordinary World' and 'The Wedding Album' in '93. Duran were, and are, a truly great band.
It happens. He recovered well. At least he didn't storm offstage(I've seen Maynard James Keenan, Chris Cornell, and Layne Staley miss a note(horribly), and walk offstage, only to return when they damn well felt like it. Simon kept going, and did a fine job for the rest of the set.
RIP CORNELL
In 1993, I attended a Black Crowes concert. The bass player broke a string halfway through the first song, got pissy about it, FLIPPED OFF THE CROWD, and then the entire band walked off the stage. What? You can't just go change your string and come back?? Nope, bunch of assholes. After that, I vowed to NEVER have anything to do with that band. To this day, I change the station on the radio if one of their songs comes on.
So what? A guitarist hits a squeal of feedback; a drummer drops a stick; a bass player knocks his tuning pegs out of whack. It happens all the time and here, specifically, it shows that the singer is pushing himself. That's a good thing.
This is something that none of us in the crowd that day noticed or remembered. We were all just thrilled to be there and be entertained by all these people in that ridiculous heat.
After so much jumping, no wonder! It can happen to anyone. One of the best performances on Live Aid
Theyve always been ballsy. ... leave it alone... THEY ROCK !!!!!
You can hear he's pushing his voice. I read in an interview somewhere he states as such. He couldn't really hear himself back because of the screams and just kept pushing with that being the end result. Shows he's singing live and not miming. He also sounds really out of breath at the start of the song which probably didn't help matters either.
Pales in comparison to the epic train wreck that was Led Zeppelin that day, ....I'm a huge Zep fan, but their performance was Greek tragedy of Biblical proportions, whereas this was just one off-note.
I hear you. I try to forget another Plant-catastrophe at the Freddy Mercury Tribute singing "Innuendo": it counts among the worst performances I've heard. I had to switch off the audio at one point. This one is just a single note in an otherwise impeccable performance.
WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL ??? Really !!! Are we referring at that falcetto slip at 2:54. It wasn't even a "false note" . It slipped on a perfect "Third note" which actually sounded pretty wild... Great VOCAL moment from Simon Le Bon. He should be proud. And -AS USUAL- the media losers ought to get a life of their own.
yes, even his bum note is on chord loll
Whoever says Simon's voice isn't that great needs to wake the f@#k up. Remember, this was before the Britney Spears, lady Gaga pre-recorded lip synch days. Off- notes happen, that's what makes live music so great. I enjoy the quirks, off notes and small changes in songs live...
The occasional bum note is understandable, but in this case virtually the entire song was off key.
***** Yes please.
"The Duran set was memorable for Simon Le Bon's off-key falsetto note that he hit during 'A View to a Kill', a blunder that echoed throughout the media as 'The Bum Note Heard Round the World'. The singer later said it was the most embarrassing moment of his career." - The Eighties: One Day, One Decade.
Obviously he didn't think it was just a bad note and honestly, his voice sounded really weak through the whole song. The guy had (has?) an amazing voice, but it was definitely weak that entire song, coming in a little flat on most of the high notes.
Lady Gaga has never, and will never lip sync a single note in a performance. You should actually check out her new movie where every scene is recorded live.
" lady Gaga pre-recorded lip synch days"... oh how the tables have turned.
Sounded AWESOME in spite of what was perceived as a "bad note". I DARE any current so-called pop "artist" to touch that! Long live DD!
The look on Andy's face when he hit that note lol.
His voice has aged like fine wine. It gets better with age.
I don't think people realize how damn good of a singer he is.
Agreed about the bad feedback.
He's a fantastic singer, one of my favorites, it happens to the best of us
He nailed the note at 2:45 sounds just like the original recording.
I thought before the false note that the performance wasn't so bad. For me, it was no big deal. I remember seeing this live when it happened and I had thought I was hearing things because Simon LeBon is usually flawless in his performances.
That's it? Hell, I was singing along and missed it the first time. I can't imagine how bands tour and do this night after night. It must be exhausting to even do one show and sing and dance the entire time. Whatever, haters. That's all you've got?
Man, he was in a bad, bad situation and still got through it. Something was really off and he was going with it. He was keeping it together other than that note.
That was because the stage monitoring wasn't good. he couldn't hear himself.
it's true, they did not allow to rehearsal before the concert
Bullshit. He intentionally switched to falsetto and hit a shit note.
The audience wasn't quite so lucky.
@@Chiliholic he did. it was also terrible stage monitoring. the entire song was plagued with feedback. the engineers were certainly screwing around with the mic monitoring. even if he could hear himself, the feedback screwed him.
He is spot on for the rest so i say-it was OK. A vocal faux pas. A falsetto cock up
I've been a Duran fan for thirty years. In fact, I watched that live and have it on VHS to this day. Probably their worst performance....but at that point, the band was just falling apart. They've got it back together now. And I think they're back to stay!
i like simon's le bon voice very much, in spite of his false note in this song and in other songs...this happens to meny profesional singers from time to time
Simon Le Bon's false singing is actually a much more better performance than most Romanian singers nowadays :).
Magnífico Simon le Bon y Love Duran Duran 🇧🇷 Duran spetacular Duran Duran y love Duran tantos shows de 1988 até aqui in Belo Horizonte 2017 tanks my.darlings
I heard about that long time ago, and still I'm a big fan of them..
That's all ?? There is no need to make such a noice for too little...
Its ironic that this happened and then the band broke up. This is the last time the original lineup of Duran Duran were on stage together until nearly 20 years later in the early 2K's I believe. Simon Lebon has been grilled for that note for decades and what sucks is that the majority of the song, despite all of the technical issues bands were experiencing at Live Aid, is pretty much perfect and sounds just like the vocals from the recording.
mate, he may have bummed the note slightly but his energy was impeccable. he picked himself up and carried on. not to mention, he probably couldn’t hear himself. the monitoring and screams really didn’t help. i think he did a cracking job and everyone gets things wrong sometimes. these things happen. you can’t always be perfect. he also had problems with his voice that day.
it's all good, they did great as always. DD wrote some incredible songs :)
True Duran Duran fans hardly notice it...
So if you're one of the nags bitching about Le Bon's voice cracking on that one false note, can you also tell us what other flaws were plaguing him repeatedly right up to that point?
Listen to the track again, hear that sharp, high-pitched squeal that lasts no more than a second each time? That's feedback, most likely occuring from random interference in the early 80's wireless microphone Le Bon was singing into. That ear-splitting squeak was not only audible to the audience, it was pumped directly out of the floor monitors, blasting loud enough for Le Bon to hear his own voice over the volume of the band on stage. Incessant, unpredictable feedback has to be one of the most dreaded distractions a vocalist will encounter, and a live performance on stage at the biggest concert of the decade is the LAST place you want to be plagued by something like that. I'm not at all surprised it finally unnerved him enough to miss that one sorry note.
Lish Lash Hi Simon :-)
Lish Lash your summary is spot-on listening to their performance after many years .... it was never given the credit is was due .... the note miss.... was unfortunate and less dramatic listening back to it .... no one gave him any credit for the performance he delivered throughout the set to ...hold his composure and deliver a stellar performance afterwards .... Duran Duran have always had to work twice hard as other major bands to get any credit... many of those are non existent now !
one false note don't stop them from bein the greatest band in the world. DD forever... the original 5! miss you andy!
but this was before they had the ability to "fix" the voices so that they sound perfect. so honestly I think he sounds great. I would rather hear a couple of off notes than have it digitally altered.
I totally remember this...I too stayed up late just to see Duran Duran and they are still one of my favorite bands to this day! I LOVE SIMON ALWAYS! LOL!
Simon le Bon is a GREAT singer. He's actually more melodic and tuneful than most singers, and in general has a big range and very strong voice. Anyone can hit a bad note, or have a bad day, for that matter. He may have had a cold or something.
I have been friends with John Taylor since we met back in 1984 and jam together in Orlando Florida when they stop by on their seven and the Ragged Tiger tour. I knew what was going on during time in their lives. It was not a great time for any of them they were going through their own personal hell at this time. They were worn out. Tired. If you listen to the whole song you could tell that they were just not the tight Duran Duran that we all know. John even admitted to me that and that night was a disaster even when he performed with the power station. And so we got to give them a break. I know what it's like to perform live like that. You slip up one time the whole world talks. It happens.
"that fatal kiss is all we neeeeeeeeeeeed"..... anyway, I like Simon Le Bon. I love his voice!
You know.. forget the voice break at the end... compare this to most performances these days and I think you'll find them lacking. This is a top pop group of the day performing at their peak.. fantastic sound.. energetic cool charismatic frontman.. absolutely awesome drumming.. all without the technology modern performers use such as in ear monitors to hear the level he was singing.
Saw them live this year (though without Andy) and they still put on a fantastic performance! I still love this performance, it sounds fresh to my ears :)
I remember when it happened and thought nothing of it and still don't. Great performance and no one can hit notes perfect day after day night after night.
thank you!
great performance up to that note. shame everyone remembers it. great band.
Read the prologue in Andy's new book "Wild Boy" and you'll get an idea of what condition they were in as a band at the time of this performance. It is a miracle it went as well as it did.
This isn't bad at all, he gives a great performance throughout the whole song! You can't be perfect every single time.
Great vocal performance
He didn't mess up, any of you ever written, performed, or played live.. Music, is a flow of feeling, at that moment Simon, could of been feeling a slide into the note, boring is doing it exactly the same.. Every Damn Time, Way to go.. Simon🎤
God I still find this song incredibly exciting!
I'll tell you; I just searched for this because it was a vague memory I had from watching it at the time. Really not a big deal having re-watched it; great singer
But he continues on strong. THAT'S admirable.
Compared to the fake auto tune "singers" of today I am glad to see he is real, and growing up I didn't even know Duran Duran was more than just a boy band, that they are actually musicians and can play instruments until I saw them live in 2022, now I am catching up on them playing live on youtube, thank you.
Simonnnnnn precioso siempre será mi favorito y son los mejores del mundo a pesar de eeeeee 😍😍😍😍😍
omfg! they did not loose their shine.. good grief.. a voice can give out once in awhile.. shit gimme a break n quit being stupid.. its 2014 n they still tour!!! ppl can be soo damn dumb sometimes!! LIFELONG DURANIE!!!
Shows it was live... and Simon is human. I think he did great. They all did... love Duran Duran
love them
There was no problem, they steel alive with more than 200 million fans, making great, great music!!
Look for Duran Duran's beautiful colors because it's a lovely song!
It wasnt that much of a biggie, least it was his own voice, not like so many "touched up" voices in the music industry today.
Yes, at least he wasn't lip syncing!
That was a problem in the UK portion of Live Aid as well. Watching Queen's performance, right around the guitar solo for Crazy Little Thing Called Love there's some terrible feedback. The DVD remastering manages to edit most of it out by simply dropping out part of the audio. The fact that bands had to go on quickly using a sound system that wasn't theirs, live on TV in front of about 1 billion viewers was a huge concern and I'm sure why some artists declined to appear.
He qas kust out of breath bless him..love simin le bon , unique voice
What happened was something normal with any artist who sings live. The DD presentation on Band Aid was phenomenal! And better than some artists who put playback! Great Simon Le Bon !! 🤩☺️
Mitico Simon !!
there is a live aid doco out there in which simon says he had a sore throat from rehersals . all the same , its just one of many memorable moments of live aid day .
they actually sounded like one of the best and tightest 'pop' bands from the whole concert .
I wouldn't have even noticed the false note if someone didn't point it out - he's up there sweating and belting out a difficult song, you have to expect a few off notes
What's crazy is that I was listening to 2 different Queen podcasts this week & they both mentioned Simon's bum note. Wow! People really don't forget!
perfect...the best group of all times.
i love you DD
Still classic.
You're right, Elsoda, I was 14 and I also saw the difference of enthisiasm between the UK and the U.S and it's more obvious in the Finales, England's Finale was electrifying and the US it was so reserved and rehearsed that made a big difference. According to Bob Geldof the stars oly rehearsed the words to Do They Know It's Christmas backstage while Paul McCartney was on stage performing his gig.
It proves he's human and proves it's live. No shame. It's a great performance, and it was for charity! Greatness!
Ha, I came online tonight just to look for this specific note. My friend had a vhs tape and we laughed and laughed about that one note. So great!
Would've been acceptable, had it been a regular gig. But like Nik Kershaw once famously said, "It happens to us all, Simon... but just don't do it when two billion people have tuned in."
No ones perfect. He still was on cue with the majority of the song. Song still kicked ass.
He's better now-more than ever! I was there and felt so bad for him! The are an incredible live band!
His vocals are better than ever now
Hes been a consistently great singer and lyricist throughout the years
Simon and Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears are my favorite vocalists
I absolutely agree, it can happens to greatest, and he in one of them!
Go Simon!
yeah, i remember watching this when it was first broadcast. nobody loves simon more than my sister and me, and i remember when he hit that note, we looked at eachother like, "...ouch!"
I thought he botched the song by the sound of what I read, like was off key due to influence of a substance or negligence. But this was a legitimate honest fail of his voice. Big effing deal! He sings spectacular in every other way on this song and that doesn't ruin the whole performance to me (actually it's sort of comical and makes him human like all of us). The fact that he said it was the most embarrassing moment of his career just shows you the high standard he holds himself to and what a professional he is. Even now, in his sixties, I believe he hits nearly every note performed at same key as the studio recording, not a pussy like a lot of the singers and making band play in a lower key, which detracts from power of the entire performance.
Man. Is this all about his voice breaking/cracking near the end? If so, whats the big deal? I've heard him singing New Moon on Monday a few times over the years and his voice would crack or break when trying to hit the high notes in that song as well.
Yes, but this time the entire world was watching.
in front of a million people, i know, but still... there's no need for much surprise, not even a second of error, that's gone unnoticed by time
Luiggi Ghetti A million? Change that first "M" to a "B" and you'll be on the money.