"Too Much Information" is the third single released from Duran Duran

Duran Duran

Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...

's 1993 album, Duran Duran

Duran Duran (1993 album)

Duran Duran is the seventh studio album and the second self-titled album by Duran Duran, released on 23 February 1993. The cover art by Nick Egan features wedding photos from the parents of the four band members.Recording of the album was completed in early 1992 with an impending release by...

, popularly known as The Wedding Album.

About the song

The song's lyrics dealt mainly with the commercialisation of the music industry and featured the tongue-in-cheek line "Destroyed by MTV / I hate to bite the hand that feeds me / so much information", alluding to the belief that it was solely MTV

MTV

MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

 that had made the band.

Unlike the previous two singles from The Wedding Album, "Too Much Information" was more upbeat and rockish in nature with big chunky power chords played by guitarist Warren Cuccurullo

Warren Cuccurullo

Warren Bruce Cuccurullo in Brooklyn, New York is an American rock musician who worked with Frank Zappa, was a founding member of Missing Persons, and has been a long term member of Duran Duran. He also has some notoriety in the porn industry after making nude appearances in a magazine and...

 and live drums played by Steve Ferrone

Steve Ferrone

Steven "Steve" Ferrone is a British drummer.He was a member of the Average White Band, and has recorded and performed with numerous other high-profile acts, including Slash, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Scritti Politti...

. This may have alienated the ballad-friendly audience that were attracted to the previous two singles, "Ordinary World

Ordinary World

"Ordinary World" is the first single from Duran Duran's self-titled 1993 album, better known as The Wedding Album. The song peaked at No. 3 in the American charts and No. 6 in the British charts...

" and "Come Undone", which may have in turn led to a lower position on the pop and adult contemporary charts. It performed much better on the alternative rock

Alternative rock

Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 and club charts.

Music video

The video for "Too Much Information" was filmed by director Julien Temple

Julien Temple

Julien Temple is an English film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including The Great Rock And Roll Swindle, Absolute Beginners and a documentary film about Glastonbury.-Temple...

 in Santa Monica on 27 August and featured the elaborate stage setup designed for the band's 1993 Dilate Your Mind tour.

B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes

The cassette and CD singles were released on 23 August 1993, and those who bought the cassette single received a free No Ordinary EP cassette with live tracks ("Hungry Like the Wolf", "Notorious", "Come Undone"), recorded during a performance at Tower Records

Tower Records

Tower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....

 a few months before. These recordings also appeared as bonus tracks on various global CD releases of the single.

Chart positions

On 4 September, "Too Much Information" peaked at #35 in the United Kingdom, and at #45 in the United States.

• #35 UK Singles Chart
  UK Singles Chart
  The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
  
  
• #45 Billboard Hot 100
  Billboard Hot 100
  The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
  
  
• #30 Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
  Modern Rock Tracks
  Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
  
  
• #17 Billboard Hot Dance Club Play
  Hot Dance Club Play
  The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
  
  

CSS: Parlophone TC DD 18 (UK)

1. "Too Much Information" [album version] – 4:56
2. "Come Undone (Live)" – 7:35
   • "Too Much Information" falsely labelled as "Album Version Edit".

CSS: Parlophone TC DD 18 (UK)

1. "Too Much Information (LP Version)" – 4:56
2. "First Impression" – 4:57
3. "Come Undone (FGI Phumpin' Mix) – 8:14

12": Parlophone 12 DD 18 (UK)

1. "Too Much Information (Ben Chapman 12" Mix]" – 6:18
2. "Drowning Man (D:Ream Mix]" – 6:29
3. "Drowning Man (Ambient Mix)" – 6:45
4. "Too Much Information (Deptford Dub)" – 5:43

CD: Parlophone CD DDS 18 (UK)

1. "Too Much Information (Album version)" – 4:56
2. "Drowning Man (D:Ream Mix)" – 6:29
3. "Too Much Information (Ben Chapman 12" Mix)" – 6:18
4. "Too Much Information (Deptford Dub)" – 5:43
   • Comes in a 2-CD card holder

CD: Parlophone CD DD 18 (UK)

1. "Too Much Information (Album Version Edit)" – 3:59
2. "Come Undone (12" Mix - Comin' Together)" – 7:25
3. "Come Undone (Live)" – 7:35
4. "Notorious (Live)" – 5:31

CD: Part of "Singles Box Set 1986-1995" boxset

1. "Too Much Information (Album version)" – 4:56
2. "Come Undone (Live)" – 7:34
3. "Notorious (Live)" – 5:31
4. "Too Much Information (Ben Chapman 12" Mix)" – 6:19
5. "Drowning Man (D:Ream Mix)" – 6:20
6. "Drowning Man (Ambient Mix)" – 6:36
7. "Too Much Information (Ben Chapman Instrumental 12" Mix)" – 6:00
8. "Too Much Information (Deptford Dub)" – 5:44
9. "Too Much Information (Album version edit)" - 3:58
10. "Come Undone (12" Mix Comin' Together)" – 7:26

CD: Capitol 7 16489 2 (US)

1. "Too Much Information" – 4:56
2. "Too Much Information (Techno 7" Remix)" – 3:31
3. "Drowning Man (D:Reamix)" – 6:29
4. "Hungry Like the Wolf (Live Acoustic)" – 7:01
   • Comes in yellow tray

CD: Capitol DPRO-79256 (US - Promo - The Churban Mixes)

1. "Too Much Information (Trance 7" mix)" – 3:29
2. "Too Much Information (4:30 AM Twirl Mix)" – 4:21
3. "Too Much Information (Club 2 Mix)" – 4:14
4. "Too Much Information (Unplugged Mix)" – 4:16

CD: Capitol DPRO-79269 (US - Promo)

1. "Too Much Information (Trance Mix 12")" – 6:12
2. "Too Much Information (Trance Instrumental 12")" – 6:14
3. "Too Much Information (Deptford Dub)" – 6:06
4. "Too Much Information (Club 2 Mix)" – 4:15

CD: Capitol DPRO-79816 (US - Promo)

1. "Too Much Information (Edit)" – 3:56
2. "Too Much Information (LP Version)" – 4:52

• All live tracks recorded at Tower Records, Hollywood California May 15, 1993.

Other appearances

• 1993 - Duran Duran
  Duran Duran (1993 album)
  Duran Duran is the seventh studio album and the second self-titled album by Duran Duran, released on 23 February 1993. The cover art by Nick Egan features wedding photos from the parents of the four band members.Recording of the album was completed in early 1992 with an impending release by...
  
  [The Wedding Album]
• 1999 - Strange Behaviour
  Strange Behaviour
  Strange Behaviour is a remix album of remixes by Duran Duran. It was released by EMI in March 1999.The title comes from a line in the song "Skin Trade": "would someone please explain, the reason for this strange behaviour". The band had previously used "Strange Behaviour" as the name of their 1987...
  
  
• 2004 - Singles Box Set 1986-1995
  Singles Box Set 1986-1995
  Singles Box Set 1986–1995 is a box set by Duran Duran. Comprising 14 CDs, it was released by EMI 13 September 2004 and features the singles covering the era from Notorious to Thank You....
  
  

Personnel

Duran Duran are

• Simon Le Bon
  Simon Le Bon
  Simon John Charles Le Bon is an English musician, best known as the lead singer, lyricist and musician of the band Duran Duran and its offshoot, Arcadia.-Early life:...
  
  
• Nick Rhodes
  Nick Rhodes
  Nick Rhodes is an English musician, is best known as the keyboardist of the pop rock band Duran Duran...
  
  
• John Taylor
  Nigel John Taylor
  John Taylor is an English musician who is best known as the bass guitarist and co-founder of pop rock band Duran Duran....
  
  
• Warren Cuccurullo
  Warren Cuccurullo
  Warren Bruce Cuccurullo in Brooklyn, New York is an American rock musician who worked with Frank Zappa, was a founding member of Missing Persons, and has been a long term member of Duran Duran. He also has some notoriety in the porn industry after making nude appearances in a magazine and...