December 1989: Duran Duran Light a Fire with BURNING THE GROUND

In 1989, Duran Duran was in a rather reflective mood. Having weathered the storm of '80s super-stardom, the group was still finding its footing as a trio--albeit one now augmented by former Missing Persons guitarist Warren Cuccurullo and session drummer Sterling Campbell.

The group's 1988 album, Big Thing, had been a success, spawning a Top 5 hit, "I Don't Want Your Love" (it peaked at #4) and nearly crashed the Top 20 with the follow-up, "All She Wants Is" (#22).

Before Duran Duran would charge into the '90s, however, the band decided to take one last look back at the decade that defined them. Hence the release of Decade, a greatest hits collection spanning Duran Duran's discography to date. The set was released on November 15, 1989.

The band had an inventive idea when it came to promoting the greatest hits package: a mega-mix track that would blend some of the most recognizable parts from Duran Duran's biggest hits into one. The result: "Burning the Ground," released December 4, 1989.

The track is surprisingly effective, whipped together by producer John Jones, with Dee Long and engineer Chris Potter in the mix. The crew was working in the upstairs studio of England's Olympic Studios while the members of Duran Duran were downstairs crafting what would become 1990 studio effort, Liberty. The tune wasn't exactly a hit, peaking at #31 in the UK. In Italy, though, it would crack the Top 10, reaching #7.