Girls on Film
"Girls on Film" is the third single by English new wave band Duran Duran, released on 13 July 1981. It became Duran Duran's first top 10 hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 5 in July 1981, and an international hit reaching the top 20 in several countries, including number 1 in Portugal, number 4 in New Zealand and number 11 in Australia.
This article is about the single by Duran Duran. For the book, see Girls on Film (novel)."Girls on Film"
"Faster Than Light"
13 July 1981
December 1980
Red Bus (London)
- 3:27 (single version)
- 5:31 (night version)
- 5:45 (extended night version)
- 5:41 (instrumental version)
Background[edit]
Originally written and demoed in 1979 by an early line-up of the band featuring lead vocalist Andy Wickett, Duran Duran re-wrote and re-recorded the song for their 1981 debut album. The different original version, which co-writer Wickett said "was inspired by the dark side of the glitz and glamour", was released as part of an EP in 2018.[4]
Music video[edit]
A music video was made with directing duo Godley & Creme (of 10cc) and director of photography Steven Bernstein at Shepperton Studios in July 1981. Due to the inclusion of female nudity the video exists in both uncensored form (which was played in nightclubs) and a heavily censored version for MTV.
Covers, samples, and media references[edit]
Cover versions of "Girls on Film" have been recorded by Björn Again, Wesley Willis Fiasco, the Living End, Girls Aloud, Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers, Billy Preston, Kevin Max, La Ley, Midnight Oil, Mindless Self Indulgence and Chord Overstreet as Sam Evans on Glee.[5] The song's title also lends its name to Season 4 Episode 15 of Glee, "Girls (and Boys) On Film", though the cover appears not in this episode, but instead in Season 5 Episode 20 "The Untitled Rachel Berry Project".
Duran Duran
Technical