GIRLS ON FILM
by Duran Duran: Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Andy Taylor
On July 13, 1981, Duran Duran released the song “Girls on Film.” It was the third single released on the band’s debut album, self-titled Duran Duran, and peaked at Number 5 on the UK singles chart. The B-side of the single was “Faster Than Light”.
Download Girls on FilmDuran Duran Girls on Film Banned Video: A Sexy, Stylish Fever Dream
If you’re searching for the ultimate blend of music and sex, the Duran Duran Girls on Film video is your one-way ticket to the land of naked decadence and debauchery. This rule-defying masterpiece oozes so much soft porn sex appeal, it practically smolders through the screen. There’s whipped cream straddled pillow fights, there’s a sexy snow bunny cowgirl, there’s a lifeguard, and mud wrestlers oiled up and ready to rumble. The band plays on just outside of the show ring, happy to be upstaged by all the T and A.
The Video That Redefined MTV and Music Videos
By the time Girls on Film hit the airwaves in 1981, Duran Duran was already a band with a flair for pushing boundaries. Known for their flashy style, photogenic looks, and undeniable knack for crafting hook-laden hits, Duran Duran wasn’t just riding the wave of the New Romantic movement. They were redefining it. The Girls on Film video was proof that this band was on a mission to blur the lines between music and soft porn in a way that somehow still felt classy.
Duran Duran enlisted directors Kevin Godley and Lol Creme (Godley & Creme) to helm what would become one of the most controversial music videos of the ’80s. The video was unapologetically provocative, featuring nudity and a series of sexual scenarios— all staged against the backdrop of the band performing. It was scandalous. The original cut was deemed too explicit for MTV, and an edited version was quickly made for airplay.
Simon notes that the uproar over the music video’s infamous raunchiness overshadowed the song’s underlying message about the exploitation of women in the fashion industry, but the visual excesses—while certainly attention-grabbing—blurred that message for many viewers. Was it critique, or was it part of the problem? It didn’t matter. Because now, the name Duran Duran was on everyone’s lips. The controversy catapulted them into the spotlight, solidifying their reputation as provocateurs of the MTV era. Whether seen as critique or complicity, Girls on Film cemented Duran Duran as the band that dared to push boundaries—and looked effortlessly cool doing it.
Girls On Film: The Demo
The original version of the track, demoed in 1979, was pre-Simon and instead featured Andy Wickett on vocals. Give it a listen and you’ll recognize the chorus. A subsequent rendition with Le Bon in the lineup introduced new lyrics and a power chord pre-chorus in place of the funk tag found in later versions. This iteration carries a clear nod to Roxy Music. Eventually, the band perfected the version we all know and love which is about five beats faster than its predecessor. The new version was released on Duran Duran’s 1981 debut album with Faster Than Light as the B side of the single.
Girls On Film Legacy
Girls on Film set the tone for what would become a defining characteristic of Duran Duran’s success: their ability to create visually striking videos that were more mini-movies than simple promotional tools. With follow-ups like Hungry Like the Wolf and Rio, they proved they weren’t just playing the MTV game—they were changing it. Duran Duran wasn’t just a band; they were a brand, pioneering the marriage of music and visuals in a way that set them apart from their peers and defined the video era.
In 2022, Girls On Film went viral on Tiktok and many artists have recorded their own versions of the song including Billy Preston, Midnight Oil, Bjorn Again, and others including Stephen Pearcy of Ratt who said of Simon Le Bon, “You were my hero and always will be, you crusty fuck.”
The TV show Glee covered the song “Girls on Film”, and had an episode titled “Girls (and Boys) on Film”.
The song also inspired recipe: Shooting A Star Cherry Skewers
What Does Duran Duran Have To Say About Girls On Film
John Taylor
“‘Girls On Film’ was one of the first songs we ever wrote. I suppose it went through a lot of different… when the band was getting started we had three singers over a 12-month period. And every time we would bring a new singer we would say, ‘Well, we got this riff. “Girls on film,” you know?’ But, like, you can do whatever you like with the rest of the song. Make sure you sing this when you get to the chorus. And we re-wrote it every time. Even when Simon joined, he re-wrote it. Then we rearranged it. It was just one of those things where we knew he had this chorus hook that was strong. I mean, it was dumb. It was one of those phrases—people have written books about them. And they called books after it. How many times has Vogue used it for a headline? We did somewhat of a seditious video for it which got us a lot of notoriety. We were getting a lot of play in the American clubs in the early ’80s. A lot of them had big video screens [and we thought] ‘if we make a sort of dance version of the track like an extended dance mix…’ We did kind of a sleazy, slightly porno video. It was kind of contrived. I think our manager saw the opportunity. I think it’s really useful for an artist to have someone working with them that can see the picture. I mean, I could never manage myself. We had a good manager who could see the opportunity. And we were like, ‘Why not?’” – John Taylor, Courtesy Complex Magazine
John included the song in his COVID-lockdown bass tutorial series, STONE LOVE BASS ODYSSEY.
LYRICS
Girls on film, girls on film, girls on film, girls on film
Lipstick cherry all over the lens as she’s falling
In miles of sharp blue water coming in where she lies
The diving man’s coming up for air cause the crowd all love pulling dolly by the hair, by the hair
And she wonders how she ever got here as she goes under again
Girls on film (two minutes later), girls on film
Girls on film (got your picture), girls on film
Wider baby smiling you just made a million
Fuses pumping live heat twisting out on a wire
Take one last glimpse into the night I’m touching close I’m holding bright, holding tight
Give me shudders in a whisper take me up till I’m shooting a star
Girls on film (she’s more than a lady), girls on film
Girls on film (two minutes later), girls on film
Girls on film (see you together), girls on film
Girls on film (see you later), girls on film
Girls on film (what ya doing), girls on film
Further reading: