Duran Duran - Duran Duran Take A Break Until 2013

The keyboardist fell ill in August (12) while the band was on the road in America and his health issues prompted them to scrap the remainder of their world tour.

The Rio hitmakers have not revealed the exact nature of Rhodes' illness, but bassist John Taylor insists it was "frightening" to see his friend suffer fainting fits.

He tells the Huffington Post, "Nick is a workaholic, one of the most driven men I know, and he just hit the wall. He was having fainting spells, it was very frightening, but he saw a doctor, and was made to rest. His immediate treatment was to do as little (as) possible, for as long as possible."

Taylor has now revealed the musicians won't be working again until 2013, adding, "We don't have plans to work as a band until the New Year, so now he needs to look after himself."

The musician goes on to suggest Duran Duran may eventually consider staging a concert residency to relieve the pressures of touring: "More performances in fewer places - you can see why Elton (John) and Rod (Stewart) love their stints in Las Vegas, but at the moment we still love touring, so we'll record the next album and then see where we are, and in the meantime look after each other."