The Power Station: The short-lived supergroup that brought Duran Duran and Robert Palmer together
After Duran Duran went on hiatus in 1984, guitarist Andy Taylor and bassist John Taylor formed The Power Station with Chic drummer Tony Thompson and singer Robert Palmer. Their 1985 single “Some Like It Hot” combined funk, rock and pop, became their signature track and helped define the short-lived group’s place in 1980s music.
The song was built to showcase Thompson’s drumming, while its hook emerged when Palmer heard an instrumental demo in the Bahamas. It reached number six on the US Billboard Hot 100, and its video became a regular on MTV. Palmer left to pursue a solo career before the band’s tour, with Michael Des Barres taking over as singer; after the group split, it reunited briefly with Palmer in 1996.
In short
- The Power Station brought Duran Duran members together with Robert Palmer and Tony Thompson.
- “Some Like It Hot” peaked at number six in the US.
- The group split after touring, then briefly reunited in 1996.
Explained simply
Duran Duran are a British pop band whose members also pursued projects outside the group. In the mid-1980s, guitarist Andy Taylor and bassist John Taylor joined forces with Tony Thompson, the drummer for the American band Chic, and singer Robert Palmer to form a separate group called The Power Station.
The group brought together elements of funk, rock and pop, styles that had a wide audience in the 1980s. Its best-known song, “Some Like It Hot”, reached number six in the US and received regular play on MTV, the music television channel. The band was short-lived, with different singers involved across its performances and later reunion.