Ordinary World

"Ordinary World" is the 23rd single by Duran Duran, and the first single from The Wedding Album. It was released in December 1992 in the United States and January 1993 in the United Kingdom, reaching the top ten in both countries.

About the song
By the early 90s, Duran Duran's once-Beatlesque popularity had faded. Their album Liberty had proved a commercial failure, its two singles failing to make a significant showing on British or American charts.

It wasn't until Capitol leaked "Ordinary World" to a radio station in Florida in the autumn of 1992 that it looked like Duran Duran mania might yet hit again. The single proved so popular that Capitol had to push the US release date up, ultimately releasing it in December. In the UK, the original January release date stood. The song can be credited as introducing Duran Duran to a new generation of fans.

Simon LeBon would go on to sing the song with Pavarotti at a WarChild benefit, which was released on home video as Pavarotti & Friends: Together for the Children of Bosnia. Le Bon later said of the event, "If you're talking about name dropping, he's one of the biggest names you could drop, Pav-The-Man."

The strings in the song were arranged and performed by Nick Rhodes, using a Kurzweil K2000, the first digital synthesizer that was able to recreate any sound.

The song won an Ivor Novello Award in May 1994.

Music video
The video was filmed by director Nick Egan at Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, California.

B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes
To capitalise on the success of "Ordinary World" and the new Duran Duran fans it was finding, EMI used the single's release to lure these new fans to the band's back catalogue. This mini-Decade was spread over the two CD singles released during the campaign.

Other Mixes
An acoustic version of the song was included on the band's next release, the "Come Undone" single.

There were several other versions of "Ordinary World" released.


 * The "Acoustic version" was recorded at the May 15 "No Ordinary Tour" live performance at Tower Records in Hollywood, which was simulcast to Hard Rock Cafés around the world. This live version was found on a number of "Ordinary World" releases outside the UK, most notably the Canadian and American cassette single. It would eventually be released in the UK on the first CD single for "Come Undone".


 * The "AC edit" was featured on a US promo CD that came packaged with the Decade album.


 * A version recorded live on Simon Mayo's Radio 1 show would surface in 1995 as a b-side to "White Lines".


 * A 6:08 version, recorded at Sony Studios in New York City for Hard Rock Live, was included on a promotional 2-track CD in June 2000 by the band's new label Hollywood Records.

Covers, samples, & media references
The song has been covered by Riverfenix, Something for Kate, Stereo Blonde, Aurora, Kurt Nilsen, Circa Survive, and Mandy Kane.

The song appeared in the soundtrack to the film Layer Cake in 2005, and was noted for its use in the memorable attack scene in the Restaurant.

Chart positions
Ordinary World peaked at #3 in the US and held at #6 in the UK.

7": Parlophone DD 16 (UK)

 * 1) "Ordinary World [single version]" (4:43)
 * 2) "My Antarctica" (5:00)

CD: Parlophone CD DDS 16 (UK)

 * 1) "Ordinary World" (5:49)
 * 2) "Save A Prayer [single version]" (5:25)
 * 3) "Skin Trade [radio cut]" (4:25)
 * 4) "My Antarctica" (5:00)
 * This CD came in a 2-CD case that also housed CD DDP 16.

CD: Parlophone CD DDP 16 (UK)

 * 1) "Ordinary World [single version]" (4:41)
 * 2) "The Reflex [Dance Mix-edit]" (4:25)
 * 3) "Hungry Like The Wolf [130 B.P.M. single version]" (3:25)
 * 4) "Girls On Film" (3:30)
 * This CD was released as a picture disc.

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

 * 1) "Ordinary World [single version]" (4:41)
 * 2) "My Antarctica" (5:00)
 * 3) "Ordinary World" (5:49)
 * 4) "Save A Prayer [single version]" (5:25)
 * 5) "Skin Trade [radio cut]" (4:25)
 * 6) "The Reflex [Dance Mix-edit]" (4:25)
 * 7) "Hungry Like The Wolf [130 B.P.M. single version]" (3:25)
 * 8) "Girls On Film" (3:30)

Other appearances
Apart from the single, "Ordinary World" has also appeared on:

Albums:
 * The Wedding Album (1993)
 * Greatest (1998)
 * Singles Box Set 1986-1995 (2005)
 * Layer Cake OST

Singles:
 * Come Undone (1993)
 * White Lines (1995)