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aw 003

EARLY DEMOS CD-R: Andy Wickett Production • aw 003 (UK 2004)

1. See Me, Repeat Me
2. Reincarnation
3. Girls On Film
4. Working The Steel

Picture insert signed by Andy Wickett

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Andy Wickett rehearsed with Duran Duran and Vision Collision in his room at Cheapside while Steven Duffy's band 'The Hawks' rehearsed downstairs in the veranda. Andy worked the Night shift at Cadburys Bournville where he would read books and write songs to kill time. In the day he'd try out his new ideas with the band. One night he wrote the melody to 'Girls On Film'. He found a lyric in his book: "girls in film they look better, girls in film always smile". John Taylor suggested that he change it to girls 'on' film. Andy told Nick Rhodes to introduce the song by playing the melody on his string machine and the song was born.

They recorded the song along with: See Me Repeat Me, Reincarnation, and Working The Steel as part of their first demo at Bob Lamb's studio in Moseley. Nick's dad took Nick and Nigel to see the London record companies. Andy phoned Nick from the factory and was overjoyed to hear that EMI and A&M loved his voice and would sign the band if they could produce more songs like Girls On Film. However Andy left the band for personal reasons.

Andy asked for payment for the song and was offered 600 UK Pounds on condition that he sign a waiver. His solicitor advised him to sign the waver as it could be used as evidence that he had been involved in writing their songs. Andy signed the document but later found that his solicitor no longer thought that he could fight a case against EMI because they would 'buy him out of court'.

All songs © Duran Duran, recorded in September 1979. Produced by Bob Lamb using 4 track Teac. Original artwork - Nigel Taylor.

Fane = vocals/lyrics + melody, electric piano, harmonica = Andy Wickett
Nigel = guitars = John Taylor
Roger = drums = Roger Taylor
Nick = keyboards = Nick Rhodes

andy wickett web site

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