Ordinary World

"Ordinary World"
Single by Duran Duran
from the album Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)
B-side	"My Antarctica"
Released	December 1992 (U.S.) January 1993 (UK)
Format	7", CD
Recorded	Privacy, London
Genre	Alternative rock, soft rock
Length	5:39 (album version) 4:43 (single version)
Label	EMI - DD 16 Walt Disney - 2004 re-release
Writer(s)	Duran Duran (Simon Le Bon, Warren Cuccurullo, Nick Rhodes & John Taylor)
Producer	Duran Duran with John Jones
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Duran Duran singles chronology
"Serious" (1990) "Ordinary World" (1992) "Come Undone" (1993)
The Wedding Album track listing "Too Much Information" (1) "Ordinary World" (2) "Love Voodoo" (3)

"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. Simon LeBon, the vocalist, later sang this song with Luciano Pavarotti, to help children affected by war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Background

By the early '90s, Duran Duran's 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."^[1]

The keyboards in the song were arranged and performed by Nick Rhodes, John Jones, session musician Matt Thomas and Steve Ferrone at Maison Rouge.

The guitar solo that characterizes this song was arranged and performed by Warren Cuccurullo, former player with Frank Zappa. His instrumental rock trio version became a staple of his solo shows and was included on Road Rage, one of his solo albums.

The song won an Ivor Novello Award in May 1994 and later featured in the soundtrack to the film Layer Cake in 2005.

The music video was filmed by director Nick Egan at Huntington Gardens in San Marino, California.

The lyrics to "Ordinary World" were written by Simon Le Bon as the second of a trilogy of songs for his late friend David Miles; the others being "Do You Believe in Shame?" (1988) and "Out of My Mind" (1997).

B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes

"My Antarctica", a song from the band's previous album Liberty, featured as the main B-side of the "Ordinary World" single.

Many other older singles were also used as B-sides. 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

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 and featured additional musicians, Gerry L and AD'A. 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 live version recorded on Simon Mayo's Radio 1 show featured as a B-side to the band's later 1995 single "White Lines".
• An extended 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, running at 6:08.
• Live version released on 'From Mediterranea With Love' a promotional EP digital release in December 2010

Other appearances

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

Albums:

• Duran Duran (1993)
• Greatest (1998)
• Singles Box Set 1986-1995 (2005)
• Layer Cake OST

Singles:

• Come Undone (1993)
• White Lines (1995)

EPs:

• From Mediterranea With Love (2010)

Track listings

7" Parlophone / DD 16 (UK)

1. "Ordinary World" (Single version) – 4:43
2. "My Antarctica" – 5:00

MC Capitol / 7 44908 4 (U.S.)

1. "Ordinary World" – 5:39
2. "Ordinary World" (Acoustic version) – 5:05
3. "Save a Prayer" (Live from the Arena) – 6:11

• Also released in Canada (Capitol / C4-44908)

CD Parlophone / CD DDS 16 (UK)

1. "Ordinary World" – 5:49
2. "Save a Prayer" – 5:25
3. "Skin Trade" – 4:25
4. "My Antarctica" – 5:00

• This CD comes in a 2-CD case that also houses CD DDP 16.

CD Parlophone / CD DDP 16 (UK)

1. "Ordinary World" (Single version) – 4:43
2. "The Reflex" – 4:25
3. "Hungry Like the Wolf" – 3:25
4. "Girls on Film" – 3:30

• This CD was released as a picture disc.

CD Capitol / C2

1. "Ordinary World" – 5:39
2. "My Antarctica" – 5:00
3. "Save a Prayer" – 5:25
4. "UMF" – 5:33

CD Capitol / DPRO-79607 (US)

1. "Ordinary World" (Single edit) – 4:28
2. "Ordinary World" (AC edit) – 4:31
3. "Ordinary World" (Acoustic version) – 5:05
4. "Ordinary World" (LP version) – 5:39

• Two-disc US promo. Second CD is Decade. Housed in exclusive sleeve.

CD 10 of Singles Box Set 1986-1995 boxset

1. "Ordinary World" (Single version) – 4:43
2. "My Antarctica" – 5:00
3. "Ordinary World" – 5:49
4. "Save a Prayer" – 5:25
5. "Skin Trade" – 4:25
6. "The Reflex" – 4:25
7. "Hungry Like the Wolf" – 3:25
8. "Girls on Film" – 3:30

Charts

Peak positions

Chart (1993)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	18
Austrian Singles Chart	15
Canadian Singles Chart	1
Dutch Top 40	14
French SNEP Singles Chart	6
German Singles Chart	16
Irish Singles Chart	3
Italian Singles Chart	2
Norwegian Singles Chart	5
Swedish Singles Chart	2
Swiss Singles Chart	11
UK Singles Chart	6
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	3
U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks	2
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	14
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream	1

End of year charts

End of year chart (1993)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	34

Certifications

Country	Certification	Date	Sales certified
U.S.	Gold	March 19, 1993	500,000

Cover versions

"Ordinary World"
Single by Aurora featuring Naimee Coleman
from the album Dreaming
Released	1999
Format	CD single
Recorded	1998
Genre	Progressive house/Progressive trance
Length	4:26
Label	U-Music Virgin
Writer(s)	Duran Duran
Aurora chronology
"Hear You Calling" (1999) "Ordinary World" (2000) "The Day It Rained Forever" (2000)

• Paul Anka (live)
• Circa Survive (live)
• Fenix*TX (The Duran Duran Tribute Album, 1997)
• Something for Kate (Undone: A Tribute to Duran Duran, 1999)
• Aurora featuring Naimee Coleman (Dreaming, 2002) #5 UK
• Gregorian (Masters of Chant Chapter III, 2002)
• Kurt Nilsen (I, 2003)
• Nicotine (Discovered, 2004)
• RUST (as a single and on the Softly album 2004)
• Diane Schuur (Schuur Fire, 2005)
• Juliet Lloyd (All Dressed Up, 2005)
• Mandy Kane (One Perfect Day OST, 2004)
• Project Fusion (On the compilation album Acoustic Break)
• Sara Jean Culler (Sara Jean Culler EP, 2008)
• Red (Innocence & Instinct, 2009)
• Jens Kindervater (2009)
• Anjel Emme (Cover Songs for the Sleepless, 2011)
• Sacramento State Vocal Jazz (Arr. Kerry Marsh)