Duran Duran are getting back into the Halloween spirit with their new cover of Electric Light Orchestra’s 1975 classic, “Evil Woman.” The track will appear on the upcoming deluxe edition of the band’s 2023 album, Danse Macabre, which is set to arrive Oct. 11.
Duran Duran’s take on “Evil Woman” is propulsive, slinky, and just the right touch of sinister, with the band blending elements of new wave, disco, and rock. The track arrives with an animated lyric video from Juan Pinto that leans into the spooky season theme.
Danse Macabre, released last October, was Duran Duran’s 16th studio album and also a Halloween-themed record. It featured three new songs, three reworkings of Duran Duran deep cuts, and covers of spooky songs by artists including Billie Eilish, the Talking Heads, the Rolling Stones, and Siouxsie and the Banshees.
In a statement, Nick Rhodes said the album was “born from a spontaneous decision to pull together a record which celebrated the madness and joy of Halloween.” The process, he continued, “unlocked an unexpected box of curiosity and creativity,” and the inspiration was still there when the band started thinking about the new deluxe edition of the album.
“I loved the idea of expanding the collection, because we could,” Rhodes said. “Why not add some of the songs that we considered initially now that we had the luxury of a little more time?”
Along with their new cover of “Evil Woman,” the deluxe edition of Danse Macabre will include a new instrumental, “Masque of the Pink Death,” and a remake of “New Moon on Monday” titled “New Moon (Dark Phase).” The latter track will feature contributions from guitarist Andy Taylor, who’s been largely sidelined from the band while battling prostate cancer.
Those three tracks will appear on the streaming and CD version of the Danse Macabre deluxe edition, but the vinyl release will include four more new tracks. Those include two additional instrumentals, “The Visitor” and “Dialogues of the Dead”; a tune called “Spooky,” which is described as “Brides of Dracula track”; and a spoken word from Rhodes called “Instructions for a Séance.” (The CD and vinyl releases will arrive Oct. 25.)
Duran Duran also have a handful of shows scheduled for later this month, including a special gig on Halloween, Oct. 31, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
