Big Thing

1988 studio album by Duran Duran

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]
PopMatters	[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[5]

Big Thing is the fifth studio album by the English pop rock band Duran Duran. It was released on 17 October 1988 by EMI Records. Produced by the band, Jonathan Elias and Daniel Abraham, it continued the sonic musical change the band explored with their previous album Notorious (1986).

Unlike Notorious which was funk and R&B oriented, Big Thing strives for a more diverse approach. Side 1 consists of intense techno tracks with synthesized bass lines and rhythmic guitar riffs, while Side 2 leans towards a more avant-garde feel with a post modern atmosphere. The band features drummer Sterling Campbell and guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, who previously started work with the band on Notorious after the departure of Andy Taylor. Both would become members of the group in 1989.

The album was a moderate commercial success, reaching number 15 on the UK Albums Chart and number 24 on the US Billboard 200. The album received mixed reviews by critics, but some praised the experimental compositions and the band`s evolving musical style. The album would be spearheaded by two top 20 hits: the first, "I Don`t Want Your Love", which went to number 14 in the UK and number 4 in the US, with the second single "All She Wants Is" reaching number 9 in the UK and number 22 in the US, the last of Duran Duran`s top 10 hits during the 1980s.

Like Notorious, the album would develop a cult following for the band`s changing musical direction. A CD reissue (with one bonus track) was released in 1994. The album was reissued again by EMI in 2010.[6]

Singles

1. "I Don`t Want Your Love" (September 1988) #14 UK, #4 US
2. "All She Wants Is" (December 1988) #9 UK, #22 US
3. "Do You Believe in Shame?" (April 1989) #30 UK, #72 US

Promotional singles

1. "Official Bootleg: LSD Edit" (as the Krush Brothers)
2. "Big Thing" (UK and Mexico only)
3. "Too Late Marlene" (Brazil only)

Track listing

1988 original release

All songs written and arranged by Duran Duran.

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Big Thing"	3:41
2.	"I Don`t Want Your Love"	4:06
3.	"All She Wants Is"	4:34
4.	"Too Late Marlene"	5:08
5.	"Drug (It`s Just a State of Mind)"	4:36

Side two

No.	Title	Length
6.	"Do You Believe in Shame?"	4:23
7.	"Palomino"	5:19
8.	"Interlude One"	0:32
9.	"Land"	6:12
10.	"Flute Interlude"	0:32
11.	"The Edge of America"	2:37
12.	"Lake Shore Driving"	3:03

Bonus track on 2006 CD reissue

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Drug (It`s Just a State of Mind)" (Daniel Abraham mix)	4:20

As neither of the UK CDs show the track listings the difference between them can be identified by the catalogue numbers. These are:

• 0777 7 909582 7 (UK: CDDDB 33) Original 12 track CD
• 0777 7 898342 2 (UK: CDPRG 1007) 1994 reissue with bonus track

2010 reissue

CD one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Big Thing (Nocymb)"	3:41
2.	"I Don`t Want Your Love"	4:06
3.	"All She Wants Is"	4:34
4.	"Too Late Marlene"	5:08
5.	"Drug (It`s Just a State of Mind)*"	4:18
6.	"Do You Believe in Shame?"	4:23
7.	"Palomino"	5:19
8.	"Interlude One"	0:32
9.	"Land"	6:12
10.	"Flute Interlude"	0:32
11.	"The Edge of America"	2:37
12.	"Lake Shore Driving"	3:03

• "Drug" as included here is actually the Daniel Abraham mix included on previous releases, which is how the song was originally meant to be included on the album. The version which appeared on the original album, remixed by Joe Dworniak and Duncan Bridgeman, is included on disc two, labelled "remix".

CD two: Singles and B-sides

No.	Title	Length
1.	"I Don`t Want Your Love" (7" mix)	3:47
2.	"All She Wants Is" (45 mix)	4:36
3.	"I Believe/All I Need to Know" (full version)	6:21
4.	"The Krush Brothers LSD Edit"	3:30
5.	"God (London)"	1:40
6.	"This Is How a Road Gets Made"	0:47
7.	"Palomino" (edit)	3:30
8.	"Drug (It`s Just a State of Mind)" (remix)	4:36
9.	"Big Thing" (7" mix)	3:53

Mixes

No.	Title	Length
10.	"I Don`t Want Your Love" (Big mix)	7:24
11.	"All She Wants Is" (US master mix)	7:19
12.	"Big Thing" (12" mix)	6:40
13.	"All She Wants Is" (Eurohouse mix)	7:34

• Tracks 3, 9 and 12 are previously unreleased.

DVD: Big Thing Live – Palatrussardi, Milan, Italy, 12 December 1988

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Introduction/God"	1:57
2.	"Big Thing"	4:10
3.	"I Don`t Want Your Love"	4:48
4.	"Hungry Like the Wolf"	4:28
5.	"Do You Believe in Shame?"	4:39
6.	"All She Wants Is/Planet Earth"	5:47
7.	"This Is How a Road Gets Made/Winter Marches On"	4:20
8.	"Palomino"	5:47
9.	"Too Late Marlene"	5:52
10.	"Girls on Film"	3:43
11.	"Notorious"	4:54
12.	"Skin Trade"	5:58
13.	"Is There Something I Should Know?"	4:56
14.	"The Wild Boys/Drug"	8:02
15.	"Band Introduction/Save a Prayer"	7:48
16.	"The Reflex"	4:03
17.	"Rio"	3:41
18.	"The Edge of America"	9:42

The Videos

No.	Title	Length
19.	"I Don`t Want Your Love"
20.	"All She Wants Is"
21.	"Do You Believe in Shame?"

Japanese bonus disc

Toshiba EMI also released Big Thing in a two-disc set, which featured not only the complete album, but a five-song live CD, Previously released as Duran Goes Dutch (US promo EP, 1987):

1. "Notorious" (live)
2. "Vertigo (Do the Demolition)" (live)
3. "New Religion" (live)
4. "Hungry Like the Wolf" (live)
5. "American Science" (live)

Personnel

Duran Duran

• Simon Le Bon – lead vocals
• Nick Rhodes – keyboards
• John Taylor – bass guitars

Additional musicians

• Warren Cuccurullo – guitars (tracks: 1, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12)
• Steve Ferrone – drums (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 9)
• Chester Kamen – guitars (tracks: 2, 3)
• Sterling Campbell – drums (tracks 3, 5, 7, 12)

Technical

• Jonathan Elias – co-producer
• Daniel Abraham – co-producer and mixer
• Ted Jensen – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Big Thing Chart (1988) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] 46 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[8] 21 Canadian Albums (The Record)[9] 29 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[10] 77 European Albums (Music & Media)[11] 29 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[12] 31 Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)[13] 5 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[14] 9 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[15] 34 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 27 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 19 UK Albums (OCC)[18] 15 US Billboard 200[19] 24 2024 weekly chart performance for Big Thing Chart (2024) Peak position Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[20] 9

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Big Thing Chart (1989) Position US Billboard 200[21] 83

Certifications

Certifications for Big Thing

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[22]	Silver	60,000^
United States (RIAA)[23]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.