When Duran Duran’s John Taylor sought a creative escape from the whirlwind of his iconic ’80s band, he helped spark Power Station, the one-off supergroup now celebrating the 40th anniversary of its debut.
In an interview with Forbes, Taylor shared the story behind Power Station’s creation, revealing that after five years with Duran Duran, he and guitarist Andy Taylor were eager to try something new.
"There was so much going on,” Taylor revealed. “When you’re hot, you’re hot, and you get these opportunities."
He continued, "We had Seven and the Ragged Tiger, which was a difficult album to make. A lot of sitting around, a lot of waiting. And I just had energy for something else.”
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That something else was a supergroup called Power Station, named for the recording studio where the tracks were recorded. Alongside the two Taylors were drummer Tony Thompson, singer Robert Palmer, and producer Bernard Edwards.
Taylor revealed that the idea for an outside project came after he and Andy recorded a cover of T. Rex's "(Get It On) Bang a Gong" with singer and Taylor's brief girlfriend, Bebe Buell. After a falling out with Buell (mother of Liv Tyler), Taylor admitted, "Robert came in, and he was amazing. And it was Bernard who said, ‘You don't need another singer. This is your singer."
The bassist believed that Power Station would be a much-needed reprieve from the Duran Duran machine. In 1984, the band was at the top of its game worldwide, but something was missing: the spontaneity of its earlier recordings.
“Duran had become a hit-making machine,” Taylor claimed. “And so there was a lot of consideration, and dare I say procrastination, that was going into every note that we were playing naturally. We found ourselves in an enviable but quite challenging position. I mean, who knows? We just needed a break from each other, maybe.”
Power Station's first single, "Some Like It Hot," climbed the Billboard charts to the No. 6 position, as did the group's self-titled LP. A tour was announced, but Palmer unexpectedly pulled out of the series of shows. He reportedly only wanted to participate in the recording, not a tour, so singer Michael Des Barres was brought in to replace Palmer.
Ironically, both Power Station and Duran Duran performed during the Philadelphia portion of Live Aid. Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes, and Roger Taylor created their own Duran Duran offshoot, Arcadia, and released their own one-off LP, So Red the Rose.
The Power Station’s 40th anniversary deluxe edition, featuring their full live performance at the Philadelphia Spectrum in August 1985, was released on January 23, 2026. Per a press release, the LP also includes "two single remixes, raw instrumentals taken from the original studio sessions and recordings from their Live Aid performance."
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