Admittedly, I’m biased. I was 12 years old in 1984 – the perfect age at the perfect time for the perfect tweener band. But my love for the Fab 5, the vanguard of the 2nd British (musical) invasion, has carried on these last 40-odd years.

In this series, I shall endeavor to show you how the lads from Birmingham (and elsewhere) have an underappreciated talent and an underrepresented catalogue.

Let’s begin at the beginning, with a couple of songs that never made it to an album.

Late Bar – 1981. B-side to the single “Planet Earth”. This has very definitive disco overtones, a genre that the band has explored in various ways over time (most obviously with the song “My Own Way” from Rio). Late Bar is a dancey song with not much deeper a meaning than partying in the UK after the pubs have closed. And sex. A perfect tune for a bunch of handsome early-20-somethings in early 80’s urban England.

Take a listen:

Faster Than Light – 1981. B-side to the single “Girls on Film”. This song to me just screams Duran Duran. This is one of the first songs they ever wrote together and gives hints of the classic synth-pop and New Romanticism that defined the band throughout the 80’s. Of particular note here is John Taylor’s nascent talent, getting ready to explode into one of the greatest rock bassists of all time.

Take a listen:

On the next episode, we’ll explore the darker side of the band’s eponymous first (or first eponymous) album.