Haunted By GRIEF & About To LOSE IT ALL Until They Wrote This COMEBACK Smash Hit | Professor of Rock
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ม.ค. 2022
- The heart wrenching story behind Duran Duran’s masterpiece hit, Ordinary World. Everyone wrote Duran Duran off after the 80s, especially after their 1990 album Liberty failed to catch on and had no real hits. Their label wouldn’t even give them the full money to make another record. That’s when Simon LeBon John Taylor Nick Rhodes and new comer Warren Cuccurullo combined to write one of the greatest songs ever. A song that Simon wrote after the death of this good friend..
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Hey music junkies and vinyl junkies Professor of Rock always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest 80s songs of all time for the music community and vinyl community with music history video essay's. If you’ve ever owned records, cassettes and CD’s at different times in you life or still do this is your place Subscribe below right now to be a part of our daily celebration of the rock era with exclusive stories from straight from the artists and click on our patreon link in the description to see our brand new show there
So, it’s time for another edition of our series The New Standards. In this show we take an in-depth look at songs that transcend genre, decade, and fads... songs that are monumental touchstones in our culture and society. On previous episodes we have covered Pictures of You by The Cure, Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears, and Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper.
But today we are breaking down the crowning achievement of a band whose catalog is notorious for top of the chart hits. If you haven’t guessed it, I’m talking about the timeless 1990s classic, Ordinary World by Duran Duran.
By early 1991, Duran Duran had reached a low point in their career. The popularity that was a given through much of the 80s was waning... and many critics started writing them off as a New Wave relic. Their 1990 album Liberty was a commercial failure, only reaching #46 in the States. And its two singles, Violence of Summer (Loves Taking Over) and Serious, both made a lackluster showing on the British and US charts.
Liberty did score a #8 ranking in the UK, but it wasn’t enough to convince their label, Capitol EMI, that Duran Duran was trending in the right direction. However, Capitol didn’t forsake them altogether. And they agreed to advance the band money for a new album. But this time there were strings attached. The funding would come with strict oversight. Capitol needed to be convinced.
Bassist John Taylor remembered, “On the couple of albums leading up to that one, we’d blown so much cash and not had successes that the label said, “You know what? This time we’re only giving you this much money and then you’re going to come back and play us what you’ve written, and if we like it, we’ll give you some more.”
It was a gut check for the band who had once led the Second British Invasion and ruled the 80s airwaves. To make matters worse, Duran Duran really needed the money. After poor album sales, not touring to support of Liberty, and some excessive spending, the band’s financial prospects were looking grim. Apparently, lead vocalist Simon Le Bon was so broke that his credit cards were being declined. John Taylor sold his house in Paris. And keyboardist Nick Rhodes was millions of pounds in debt. - บันเทิง
Poll: Thinking of you favorite artists and bands, what is their best "late career" song? After their peak, what song from their later years stands out?
Pink Floyd - High Hopes
Rush - The Garden
Allman Brothers - Soulshine
Although they seem to never have had a dip in their popularity, “Almost Hear you sigh” by the Rolling Stones is good late in band career song.
I don't know the exact timing, but to me Ordinary World by Duran Duran is directly linked with the equally moving late Tears for Fears hit, Sowing the Seeds of Love.
Kokomo Beach Boys😀
Smooth- Santana ft. Rob Thomas (1999); I Don’t Wanna Fight- Tina Turner (1990); Alone- Heart (1987);
Believe- Cher (1998); (Just Like) Starting Over- John Lennon (1980); Centerfield- John Fogerty (1985);
Change The World- Eric Clapton (1996); Harvest Moon- Neil Young (1993); Burning Love- Elvis (1968);
I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)- Meat Loaf (1993). I stuck with the comeback artists.
In 1991, Duran Duran were pretty much seen as a relic of the early 80's. So when "Ordinary World" blew up, it was a shock. It was even more of a delightful shock that "Ordinary World" was such a lush, beautiful, and emotional masterpiece that no one could deny. Not only "Ordinary World" but "Come Undone" was amazing as well.
I think it was when Duran Duran were finally taken more seriously as musicians
Así es... Come Undone fue increíble.
This is completely accurate.
Not sure why he doesn't mention Come Undone on this vid. Great song and another huge hit off of this same album.
I’m a metal head, but Duran Duran was always one of my favorite bands. Even as a dance band, I could tell these guys had talent.
Same here, and I hear so many people say the same thing!
Yeah dude, I'm off to see Helmet tomorrow night in this tiny little port town outside Christchurch NZ. But my guilty pleasure has always been Duran Duran haha, Come Undone is a he'll of a tune
I’m a metalhead too. I’ve seen Duran and Iron Maiden both this year.
For a metal head, check out Red's cover of Ordinary World. Just awe inspiring!
agreed. I am no metal head, far from it. I was young teen in the 80s and a multitude of great bands, and Duran Duran were for a few years the most famous in the world, and had a style over substance maintstream perception. But I knew then it was both unfair and not accurate; they were a real band who happend to look like male models, and knew it. Planet Earth...Hungry like the Wolf...Arcadia...and eventually this one. Credit to Warren Cucurullo on the guitar, and for Simon Le Bon to write this song. Its an apex song. I feel proud for Duran Duran. It is not my favourite of theirs, I would cite quite a lot of others before this. But that is testament to their ability to produce great music.
This song is very special for me. It had always been a favorite of mine since its release, but many years afterward, I was going through a dark time. I found myself on the wrong side of a bridge railing ready to jump to my death when this song came on. I stopped to listen to my favorite song one last time and the lyrics hit me that there is a better world for me without suicide. I climbed back over the bridge railing and sought help. This song saved my life. To this day, 15 years later, whenever this song comes on, I turn it up and sing along.
Always glad when someone pulls back from the edge. “ It won’t always be this way.”
Glad you are still here 🤗
Wow. Speechless. Greg, so happy this song found you and that you’re still with us. Thank you for sharing your story. Peace to you my friend.
Glad ur still here!!! Listen to good music or call someone if ever feel like that again!!! :)
Spot on
John Taylor is such an under rated bassist....the bass playing on the Rio album kicks ass when you really focus in on listening to it
"... really focus..."?! How can you miss it?
@@floepiejane ... well some people are baked, others tone deaf, and some say whats a bass, and then there is us, who can listen n say "oh fuk ya !!"
No slouch in Power Station, either.
They had another smash hit from that album, 'Come Undone'. Truly a fantastic comeback album.
Come undone is great! Probably my favorite duran duran song of all time
I agree 100%! Come Undone is a fantastic song!
I can’t figure out why it wasn’t mentioned in this video either?
Yes come undone is the best.... and umf, shelter. This whole album reminds me of my childhood
"Too Much Information" get overlooked. It's a shame because it both foretold the 24-hour news cycle that we live in now, while also taking jabs at the industry that had once so feverently supported the band.
“Serious” was not a low point, it’s a great song that deserves to be featured in a hidden gems video. In fact it’s one of my all time favorite Duran Duran songs.
Agree!
Love Serious.
Yes serious is a fantastic song. But speaks to the reality of relationships.
totally underrated. ive got serious up there with ordinary world
I agree. Ilovr that song
"Sometimes the person we mourn losing the most is ourselves" wow, that hit hard.
It's a truth that's very hard to come to terms with. Thanks for commenting Russell.
@@ProfessorofRock another awesome video Adam, thank you
Yeah, we all learned something that day.
@@ProfessorofRock Thank you for sharing this with us- this song really demonstrates Duran Duran's maturity as a true legend in music being able to establish amazing songs in an era of Grunge and simpler song formats- Ordinary World is a very complex song melodically and stands next my other favorite: "Save a Prayer". Truly, this band can convey tremendous depth alongside #1 pop singles. Not many "New Wave" bands of the 80's survived the next decade. DD is still carrying the flame after 40 years- Amazing!
I’ve been having an incredibly difficult time since losing my dad Jan 15, 2020, followed by several other loved ones in close succession. This quote really hit home with me as well.
Staggering that _Duran Duran_ still isn't in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, after all they've achieved.
Duran Duran doesn't need the so-called Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. If they ever do get nominated, they should decline.
@@ragnari9368 your crazy. If they get nominated they go. They had an impact. How many bass players are walking the earth because of this band .
I see the Foo Fighters are in. If only Duran Duran wrote as good of songs as the FF maybe they could get in.
@@postworld1185 they do. DD music is way more sophisticated than the Foo. They still think Dave gets Nirvana credit. DD music was 10 years before nirvana and as much of a game changer as the depressing Nirvana and pearl jam crap. I live in Seattle and am burned out times 1000 on their crap. Nirvana makes me want to cut something DD makes me want to dance in the sun.
@@postworld1185,
So's _Def Leppard..._
Interesting that this was posted on the 2nd anniversary of a major change in my wife's life. On jan 6, 2020, she had a freak accident that broke her neck and she died and had to be revivied. She was a quadriplegic at first and has slowing coming back, trying to find her "ordinary world". This has been one of her "theme songs" for her recovery. Thanks for this one.
Their 90's comeback was a great surprise. They gave us gold in the 80's
Liberty is the better album. Prof saying Serious and Violence were "lacklustre" are more signs that he values radio hits more than great songs.
I nearly lost my life in a car accident in 2015, during which I suffered a debilitating injury that has left me disabled. That near-death experience changed my life forever, and changed my perspective on life. i now take every day that I'm alive as a blessing, and have decided to pursue my dreams even further than before. At the time of the crash, I was a simple university student only looking to earn a degree and get a high paying job. Today, I have two degrees, have published a novel, have written two songs that nearly made it to Spotify, gone to many wonderful locations simply to say I've been there, and have taken a moderately-paying job that almost seems like it was tailor-made for me. This song helped me go through some of the toughest parts of that journey, and I absolutely love it for that.
Adam, this is one of your best commentaries. You really nailed the essence of what the song is about. Excellent stuff 🙏
It so great to see how this band is being praised today as one of the greatest ever. They really deserve it. I remember back in my teens how they were written off because of all the huge female following they had, they were considered a “cute boy band”, with nothing much to offer (despite all of the unquestionable success they were having, and truly amazing albums like Rio… an album that you can listen to today and be surprised it as released 40 years ago!) Ordinary World is just a gem that will shine forever.
I'm sure Kpop band KTS? will go through the same thing. But at least Duran Duran play instruments.
I agree, they do deserve it. They are all very talented musicians and song writers.
As my late husband began actively dying two years ago, this song haunted me, and I still freeze in my tracks if it starts playing in public. Like "Afterimage" by Rush, having been written from honesty (rather than some faceless shlub trying to write a "hit"), the truth of the message is inescapable. Being a widow now, I have shared with many others the common realization that you don't "go back to normal," or "move on" as if things should settle back into what they used to be. You have been changed by the experience, and so the world itself has changed - necessitating a new way to exist in that world. Sometimes I feel like I'm crazy, not able to navigate in this new world (and often not wanting to live in it any longer). To quote Rush, "This just can't be understood." For all of you who know what I mean, I'm sorry and I hope you're doing okay.
Bless you. You have spoken to many people today.
I send you my love X
Yeah, I get it. My Mother was my best friend. It was she and I against the world for the duration of my childhood. We'd move from Florida to Philadelphia and back to Florida, sometimes Canada where she was born. We were the only people we knew in some places for whatever duration of time it took to make friends. We both made fast friends with people but we were always very close.
I took care of her after she was knocked down in a grocery store at 72 but she recovered. Then in 2004 she had a heart attack, cancer surgery, and a broken hip all within 6 months time. I became her caregiver and it was an honor and a pleasure. Nothing noble or sacrificial, I just wanted her to be well taken care of and not thrown away into a nursing home.
So in May of 2017 she suddenly passed away. It was like the light she emitted was just gone and I was alone.
It was deveststing to say the least and although it's gotten easier, I'm not the same. The world doesn't feel the same and I suppose it's the price of loving someone and relying on their love to such an extent that you can never really be the person you once were. She was my better half. Of all my friends and the woman or girls I've loved on different levels, my mom was the person I loved spending time with the most by far.
She loved life and didn't have any meanness in her. She had an ability to put people at ease, everyone who met her instantly felt at ease around her.
Words can't describe all the little things that make a person who they are. I'm failing to do her justice but it's ok. It's just not possible.
She was the first person I thought of when something wonderful or terrible happened. I wanted to talk to her immediately.
A song , a movie, I liked I wanted her to share in it with me. She loved Rush by the way. I've seen them 5 times. I took her to Frank Sinatra and Paul McCartney, we both enjoyed them both but to see my mom in the presence of Sinatra (she was a Bobby Sockser in her youth) was just indescribably rewarding for me. She was a huge Beatles fan as well so McCartney with 6 other people and my mom was amazing. I mainly spent my time with her for that show. She would stay home on New Years Eve with a bottle of champagne and watch the ball drop in Time Square and didn't go out often. She loved people but loved being home talking on the phone, visiting with neighbors, having people over. She loved to walk around with our dogs.
So these were huge events for her and to be with her and see her smile and take in the shows and sing along. Man it was so gratifying for me.
So I'm off on a rant reminiscing. I could continue but I won't. I'm sure I've made most of my point.
She often said "We grieve for ourselves" and I'll grieve her loss for the rest of my days.
I still, even though it hurts every day on some level. Even though I'm not the same. When she left she took some indescribable part of me with her. The love and affirmation. Knowing someone held me in the highest regard and wanted me around as often as possible. Knowing I had a purpose!
I took care of her. If I didn't do anything for anyone any given day I still was essential for her survival, keeping her spirits up. Her moral high.
I'm lost without her. I live on and I'm accustomed to her not being around but I miss her on some level constantly and other times terribly.
I avoided music for 6 months after she died. She loved it so and I couldn't walk around in tears. Now I get blindsided from time to time thinking , "She'd have loved to have been around for this".
There's a WWII song that Sinatra did a version of called "I'll Be Seeing You" that had the lyrics:
I'll be seeing you in all the steps along the way
In everything that's warm and gay
I'll always think of you that way
I'll find you in the morning sun and when the night is new, I'll be looking at the moon but I'll be seeing you.
She loved that song and in tandem with the power of the song itself delivered by Sinatra, that combination of things still can bring me to tears. She was worth it though. I wouldn't want to have not had her at all. Still though, I'll never be the same.
It changes us in a permanent way but I think it's a testament to the love we were so fortunate to have had. Some only understand love as a concept. I know what the real thing is, and although she's gone I'm glad I got to have her around for as long as I did. I was blessed to have her for a mother.
I'll stop now 😂 with this. My mom loved Jack Kennedy. The whole Camelot thing. She had books and memorabilia, just a huge fan. It reminded her of New York in the 60s where she'd moved to from Montreal, her place of birth.
Robert Kennedy in talking about JFK after the assassination quoted Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and I thought of this instantly when my mom passed away. It made such sense all of a sudden.
When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.
❤️✌️🙏
I hope that sharing your pain with us helps diffuse it into the world. I imagine that you long for the time that you will be able smile about the good times without the tears that follow. I'm pretty much there, but it's for a pet, not a wife.
I lost my husband this past march 15th, 2021(he died of kidney failure, but we knew it could happen, since he'd been in the hospital 2 times before.. I miss him dearly but he made me promise to not follow him if he died, because I wasn't meant to die until later in life.. he was wise beyond his 42 years..)so know that you can't cry for yesterday, your here for a reason. If your husband were here, what would he say??? What would he tell you??? I know mine would tell me, that he'll be there when I go, but not to go anytime soon!! I hope you e been able to pick yourself up and continue on, like 6pur supposed to...
May your life be worthy of what he would of given you, had he been able.
Love and chaos theory. L.
Being a Duranie, the 1st time I heard this, I sobbed uncontrollably. The beauty in the pain just drove me there. And then Warren C's solo, the haunting quality of it just made the tears come harder. I heard a re-record of it by a young lady, just her voice and a piano, and I was again driven to tears. When leBon is on, he's on fire.
This ranks with "Save A Prayer" as the most emotional, heartfelt offering in DD's catalogue.
I have a friend who at one time "only" listened to metal. I played "Ordinary World" for him and he became obsessed with it. He later admitted to me that it completely changed how he appreciated music. Now he listens to ALL KINDS of music!
Warren was an incredible guitar player and writer, working with Missing Person's, and Frank Zappa, he is a major player. Im glad they did this.
I remember that the late Dolores O'Riordan of Cranberries said that this was the song that helped her get over the grief of losing her mother. She apparently also had a big crush on Simon Le Bon and offered to be part of the Duran Duran and Pavarotti and Friends concert in Italy back then. She had a duet with Simon, with both singing Linger. She even ended up marrying Duran Duran's tour manager then, as Simon was already married. 😊
this is 1/2 correct. Dolores' mom didn't die. Not sure she ever had a crush on Simon and both the cranberries and Duran Duran had the same manager, which is why Simon and Dolores were both at the Par & Friends show. She did marry (and divorce) the band's drum tech, he was not their tour manager.
@@cleverkat18 Sorry Katy, that was what I read. Didnt know it was bs at the time. Anyway you have direct access to the band, so I believe you. Would never think of hurting Simon or Dolores, as they are both my favorites as are their respective bands. Cheers and apologies to Dolores' family and Simon's for the error.
@@caseystevens8302 oh gosh - so not necessary! just clearing it up for you in case you were interested. no need to apologize at all. Dolores was a nice person and she and Simon had fun working together in Italy at the Pavarotti event.
@@cleverkat18 Thank you, and do send my best to the band for being my soul train since 1981.
Great video!
I was in High School 80-84. Between being on MTV every freaking hour and their stolen style from a far more serious UK band called "Japan".
I was never a fan of Duran Duran.
It actually took the Power Station to help me even appreciate Taylor's musical ability.
Then as young adult with 2 kids and a mortgage
in the early 90's. I heard this song... I discounted it immediately because it was D.D.
Then one day I was sitting in my car alone after an emotional blow out with wife, work, and making up for past sins...
And I finally really listened to the song...
BOOM... It messed me up...
Later it made me appreciate D.D.'s music and talent in a new way And for that I will always be grateful.
Same time frame here, but I loved Duran Duran and Japan. Lol
The guitar in the song is incredible and the solo gives me chills to this day. A masterclass of a song by a truly talented group.
Duran Duran is one of those few bands that can take a hiatus and still make smash hits with their separate projects and then find their way back together.. like a weird deep soul level connection of a dysfunctional marriage. Arcadia, I feel is an extension of Simon's grief with Goodbye is Forever. Same goes with Power Station. I get the feeling sometimes that Nick stifled Andy. Andy is just as accomplished as Warren as a guitarist and he doesn't get enough props here in the US. Europe loves him and he has a following there. Astronaut's "Sunrise" was really uplifting. Most everyone who likes the band remembers when Duran Duran and Power Station played Live Aid (though disappointed that Robert Palmer didn't sing lead but Michael DesBarres). Duran Duran is one of the few bands/performing artists that made a James Bond theme song a top 20 hit too.
'Ordinary World' was the first time I realised that Duran Duran were capable of producing excellent music.
For me it was Power Station. It was a harder edge of pop music than Duran Duran and with a singer who's voice I like a ton better. But it showed that musician-wise they had skills I had never heard as part of Duran Duran.
@@willowfarm5941 I will gladly check that out.
I remember so clearly listening to this song when it first came out… as a high schooler, I was so happy my most favorite band was again releasing great music. Then it felt like Duran Duran’s musical style had “grown up”… A few years later, my family suffered several losses within a short period. Four of my first cousins died tragically at very young ages, two of them brother and sister just six months from each other. That girl cousin, Shirlee, I was very close to and we shared a great love for Duran Duran’s music. She gave me as a birthday gift their Rio album on cassette that I still treasure, because we played it over and over, singing every song. When she suddenly died after losing her brother to cancer, the lyrics of this beautiful tribute song clicked like they never had before. I just lost my brother in law 2 weeks ago. I am again listening to this beautiful composition 😢❤ in remembrance of all my loved ones.
❤❤
My favorite Duran Duran song. The song not only resonates when it comes to loss of a loved one but it, for me, resonates when it comes to healing from abuse, job loss and illness. Songs like this one remind me that there is another side to it all. "This too shall pass." A fantastic song that just is so relatable for so many.
This song was such a great comeback for Duran Duran in 1993 when I was a teenager👍🏻
This song came out the week I lost a childhood friend to a gun accident. I'd been a big Duranie up to that point and it was so special to have this song guide me through the grief and help me keep moving forward.
Duran Duran is my favorite band to this day. Simon's 2022 voice is stronger than ever. And I LOVE Liberty.
my fave band too and I like Liberty. "My Antarctica" and "First Impression" are among their best songs. I prefer them to "The Relex" and "Is There Something I Should Know?"
One of the greatest, moving songs ever written.
Interesting. I've always interpreted this one as the band's realization that their glory days are behind them ("What has happened to it all?", "Where is the life that I recognize?"), and their determination to press on ("There's an ordinary world somehow I have to find", "Pride's gone out the window", "I will learn to survive"). But this video fills in the context for the rest of the lyrics. Thank you, Professor!
Me too
Yep, I think Adam managed to beautifully articulate how 'Ordinary World' came to be. It's also nice to hear you've discovered a closer meaning to the song's origin. I wasn't aware of it either. Now we can all enjoy and appreciate the music on a whole other level 🙏
I’ve not heard this song for years and years
And years
As soon as I heard it I travelled back in time
I was a young lad working a milk round (no dreadful story or anything) I just remembered the smell of the van, the cold in the air the dark mornings in England a complete opposite to my days now
Professor, you are a modern day Casey Kasem. I mean it as a tremendous honor. Your voice, passion, reminds me of his. Listening to him during my youth was a true highlight and you take me to those heights as well. Thank you and rock on my brother!
"sometimes the person we mourn losing the most, is ourselves." Oh my. tear my heart out why dontcha?? Nice analyses Professor.
The 80s was a monumental time for music and bands..but only the greatest moved into the 90s and not just survived but thrived...Duran Duran is one of those bands that transcends time. Their sound and songs are timeless. I agree this is their crown jewel and I'm a fan to this day!
You nailed it. Many entered the 90s, few survived them.
Professor, your writing for this episode was brilliant. Sheer poetry. Philosophy of ecstasy, pain, life and death and that which helps us through it all - music. This has always been a favorite of mine. Keep up the great work.
As I approach my 60th birthday, I have become far too used to losing friends and family. A hardcore Durani since my teens, this song has become my unchallenged favorite from their library, and among my top personal songs of all time. I identify all too fully with Simon's feelings... the pain and sorrow of trying to cope with the loss of those we count as closest to us. With this song, Duran Duran achieved musical immortality; they crafted a piece of music that will remain relevant and meaningful for generations to come.
Duran Duran is a band that keeps getting better and 41 years later are still producing fresh and innovative music and also I'm such a massive fan of DD that I loved the power station and Arcadia
They crafted some really great music.
@@ProfessorofRock my favorite Duran Duran album is between seven and the ragged Tiger and notorious Rio is not to far behind
@@georgemathie8123 Love both of those records!
Released during the darkest period of my life this song literally saved me. I was lost and alone. Ironic that a song about losing someone was exactly what I needed to find myself again. Thank you Duran Duran.
The Wedding Album is one of the underrated albums of the 90s - I would put it right up there with Rio as their best album.
This IS my favorite band! I love the new album too. “Invisible” is great! Duranies are the most loyal fans. I found a Duran buddy online and she’s a sweet friend now.
Yes we are!!! Duranies Rock On Forever!!❤️
What's often referred to as "the wedding album" is one of my favorite Duran Duran albums. I also love "Come Undone" and "Too Much Information" (a commentary on information overload still relevant today -- even more so actually).
Such an elegant album!
MORE relevant today
@@ProfessorofRock The "bonus disc" of it has some amazing songs, too! *"Falling Angel" is one of their best songs, ever.* th-cam.com/video/gYtJeAvDOB0/w-d-xo.html
I feel the band had evolved so much in this album.
I've been a "Duranie" for many years, I knew as a 14 year old that this band would stand the test of time! Good to know many people feel the same way!
This feature of Duran Duran really made my day. Thank you so much professor for telling the story about this song and how special it actually was and is till today. Peace from Malaysia 🇲🇾 with ❤️.
I believe that Duran Duran's new track Future Past is a continuation of this sentiment.
1993 was THE year of surprise comebacks in the U.S. for many talented artists. In addition to Duran Duran, this is when Boy George returned with "The Crying Game," New Order came back with "Regret," Tina Turner returned with "I Don't Wanna Fight," Earth, Wind, and Fire were back with "Sunday Morning," Peter Gabriel with "Steam," Patty Smyth (of Scandal fame) with "No Mistakes" (the follow-up to "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" with Don Henley), and Meat Loaf returned with "I'd Do Anything for Love."
I would love for Professor to do an episode on Boy George & Culture Club someday. I have loved them since I was a little girl, and have seen them twice in concert; George was hilarious in between songs, too!
And def leppards adrenalize album. Obviously not on the level of pyromania and Hysteria, but great all the same.
Very true. Depeche Mode came back with another strong album in Songs Faith and Devotion...
How about an interview with George?
Didn't Adrenalize come out in 92?
I think it’s simply the most perfect pop song ever
One of the best concerts I attended was the original lineup of Duran Duran in 2005 in support of their album "Astronaut." What a show! Everyone was at the top of their game.
YES !!!! I went to their reunion concert too. I was so happy to see the original line up in concert !!! They were amazing
indeed, I saw them in Jax, FL for that tour, got to hear "Careless Memories" live for the first of 2 times thus far.
I was fortune enough to see Duran Duran recently and Simon LeBon introduced the song by explaining as times change and situations change, songs can take on an entirely new meaning - never more so than with Ordinary World in these difficult pandemic times we have ALL experiences. I’m a stiff upper lip Brit and even I had a tear in my eye as I sang along. It could have been written specifically about covid
The song takes me back to the sixth grade, when I lived with my mom and my step dad, and we had a brand new house built for our new family. It was during that time that I discovered my lifes passion for movies while working at the Video Factory that belonged to some close family friends. I began working in the movie industry about 11 years later, and it's all because of the video store. For a small moment in time, things were beautiful. I remember Bob (my step dad) really trying to be a Dad to two kids that weren't his. He gave it everything he had. Eventually my mom's alcoholism tore us all apart. Our step Dad left, house fell into ruin, Mom was bringing home different guys every night etc. I no longer had any rules, so I began roaming the streets and getting into trouble with other street kids who had broken families. Started drinking at 12, and discovered drugs about a year or so later. I remember one night when my Mom came home drunk, and began chasing my best friend and I around with a knife. We had to get out of that house so fast, that my best friend (who is still that today), didn't have time to take his roller blades off. On our way out, I remember my little sister (who would have been 6 at the time), screaming for us at the window to take her with. I don't know why I didn't do it, cause today I would run into a burning building for her. That image of her at the window is burned into my memory, and even tho she has an amazing life today, I will forever be haunted by the choice of leaving her. It's like trying to fill dirt into a bottomless hole. Shortly after that day, CPS ended up taking us away. I got sent to my Grandparents, and my sister got sent to her biological Dad's. As I said, her life is absolutely amazing now. She makes a ton of money, has a wealthy and handsome boyfriend, nice house, nice car, nice boat, tons of friends etc. It brings me comfort to know that that moment messed me up worse than it did for her.
this channel has become addictive
Nobody covers music better than professor of rock - very refreshing to hear someone so honest and positive about music. Your genuine love of music comes through in every video.
I was commuting by train daily to Downtown Toronto throughout the 90's. I listened to anything and everything on my Walkman. I tuned into a station I didn't goto often. This song came on from the beginning.
I was floored. This is going to be one of my favourites for the rest of my life. I'm in my 60's now, I still love it. Only certain songs have done this to me.
Thanks Duran Duran.
i met my (now) wife at a Duran Duran concert, and this was the song that we slow danced in the aisle to
Oh man, what a perfect song. So many memories. I moved that year to another state. It was a huge event in my life. I played that CD constantly, & learned how to play Warren’s guitar lead. 😆 I was a certified Duranie since ‘82. Still am. Liberty was a lost gem 💎 great album as well.
Duranie here too! This is my 2nd fave song ever, behind *Chauffeur* . But *Ordinary World* had reminded me of my Dad's passing since it happened.
@@charleyanneChauffeur is my favorite song by Duran Duran too !!! I'm so very sorry for your loss. :(
I some how missed this song when it was released in the early 90's. Guess raising toddlers at that time I was focused on other things. I didn't listen to this song until 2017. My husband had this on his playlist and was like who is this? I was shocked that it was Duran Duran and that it was from the 90's. I absolutely loved this song from that day forward. I get teared up every time I hear it .
"Rio" was always a favorite album of mine in the 1980s. I saw beyond the teenybopper reputation that these guys had at the time and thought the music was great. Flash forward to many years later, one day my wife said "you have to hear the new Duran Duran song." I thought she was kidding; it was "Ordinary World." It brought me right back to 1982/1983. These guys have produced some great music over the years and are highly underappreciated.
Ordinary World breaks my heart
Makes me cry
And I think Liberty was awesome 🙏♥️
So much for appreciating Warren. Got kicked out when their original guitarist wanted back in.
Dave Navarro and Josh Klinghoffer (raising their glasses): "This one's for you, Warren."
RHCP fans, y'all know what I'm talkin' about...
Jeez, just listening to clips of the song can make me want to cry. This is, for me and my mother, my Uncle Joe. It just happened to be released when he was in his last months, when we were taking care of him. He had spent his life searching for his ordinary world. This is the most powerful song I've ever heard.
Categorically Adam, this is the best commentary I've seen you do to date... and thats without interviewing any of the band members! So well measured and heartfelt. Congrats and here's to a bigger 'and better' 2022.
I loved ordinary world as a young teen. I saw both def leppard and Duran duran in 93. Looking back I'm so glad those two bands survived the 80s.
Ordinary world and when love and hate collide are two of my favourite "ballads" from the 90's.
Same. Both bands are great and it's been cool to see the way that they've evolved
So VERY well done, Professor.
It sounds like you were a chosen vessel to bring this forward given your experience with loss and grief.
In late 2022, my wife and I were both were sensing we needed to make the trip to Yuma, AZ to see my mom and stepdad as she was getting up there in years and the opportunity could be forever lost. My wife worked VERY hard and constantly monitored Expedia for the best airline rate from Portland to San Diego and then got us a good rental car deal for the 2 hour drive from San Diego to Yuma. I arranged some vacation time at work and we made the trip in early Dec of 2022. It was SO worth it.
We had just returned and were watching a documentary on Duran Duran and the part about Ordinary World came on.
It was very moving and confirmed to us the wisdom and timeliness of our trip.
The song still makes me cry today and I wouldn't have it any other way because of the tenderness and appreciation for loved ones it birthed in me.
Thank you Professor for reminding me of that which is most important.
This is my introduction to Duran Duran and they've become my favorite band
I agree it’s probably their greatest song. So beautiful musically, haunting lyrics and innovative sound. Good job, boys.
As you said, for me this song came right out of nowhere. I had always considered Duran Duran as pop fluff that was best ignored. Then I heard this song while I was going through a painful divorce and...wow! All these years later and it's still the most unforgettable song I have ever heard.
Duran Duran is from my generation. This music got me through the 80s. I raised my boys to appreciate all music they would lovingly mock me for my Duran Duran faves. In 2020 I almost lost my younger son to covid. He got sick away from home and alone. I spent 6 months at his bedside while he was on life support. He couldn't move. He lost his vision, he had music. Ordinary World he felt was written for him. It got him through that difficult time. Thank you to Simon LeBon for writing it and helping to bring my son back to me.
Never cared for Duran Duran… until I heard this song… it is, without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite songs!
Wonderful comeback story for this talented British band and a reminder that so many great songs arise out of pain and loss. Clapton's "Tears In Heaven" comes to mind. Great segment, Adam!
I had zero idea of the behind the scenes of this song. Thank you to the professor. I'll never forget being bummed that my junior in high school ass didn't get tickets for DD's Big Thing tour in Atlanta '88 before they sold out. But then magic on the radio happened and word was leaked a few obstructed view seats would be released to (in person at the time via Ticketmaster 3rd party vendor.) Our closest vendor was a now much missed record store called Turtle's and my BFF and I pulled the ol' we're spending-the-night-at-each-other's-house rouse and camped out instead on a chilly night for those tickets. Well, we got them and skipped school to head to Center Stage to see if we could somehow get non obstructed view tix. While there, Warren was either arriving or leaving for a break, yet he took the time to talk to us. We, stupidly, had no idea how he was associated with DD (the internet was not quite "the" thing, yet and all our band info came from Tiger Beat or the like), but were amazed a dude had the guts to have a great spiky, jet-black, long (back of the head, obviously) mullet and max-effect eyeliner in Atlanta 1988 @ 8am. We didn't get better tix, but it didn't matter. Nobody claimed their exact seats, anyway. It was a truly great show with a peppering of minor suburban teenage rebellion...fun times...
To me Duran Duran is a band I could listen to over and over again. Great lyrics and sound.
Thank you Professor of Rock. I lost my dad very unexpectedly two and a half years ago and it was nice to hear you say that you're never alone. My condolences for the loss of your dad. Thanks for the videos... especially this one!
Absolutely agree with your thoughts on Ordinary World. It's a masterpiece and definitely their most thoughtful song ever. Thx again for all the research and thought provoking ideas.
After seeing Duran Duran live at the Singapore GP in 2017, I couldn't bieve how great they sounded. Their new song "Pressure off" was an instant hit for me after so many years away from the charts. Sounded like where they left off 👍
It's a beautiful song that everyone can relate to, just timeless.
This has been my favorite Duran Duran song since the first time I heard it, and while I knew it was a song of internal struggle, I never knew the specific story. And it turns out, that story is mine. Dead on.
In 1993, I was a college student studying to be a drug counselor. I was also a recovering addict. At a 12-step meeting, I befriended a guy, also named David, who was going to another college in the area and also studying to be a counselor. For the next several months, we spent lots of time together, studying, telling our war stories, and hanging out. I'd be over at his place after a meeting and I'd lose track of time, planning to go home at midnight but suddenly realizing that if I intended to make my 8am class on time, I'd better hit the road.
He was driving me to a meeting one time when suddenly he nodded off. I had to drive the car from the passenger's side seat, keeping it straight while I kick his foot off the gas and move mine to the brake. I eased the car to the shoulder and began slapping him to get him awake again. He told me that he was on a new medication but I knew the truth. He had relapsed.
Over the next couple weeks I noticed him nod off a couple more times. He finally admitted to me that he was using again, and I told him to drop out of college and get into treatment, that his sobriety was more important than his education, and that he could resume college once he was stable again. The semester was coming to a close, and in a week I was heading back home for the summer, while he lived in the area. He called me two days after I made it home and told me he was going to try to get into treatment again.
I called a few weeks later and he never answered. A couple weeks after that, his phone was disconnected. When I got back into town, I called his parents, who first asked if I was trying to get hold of his son (also named David), then told me he was in the hospital. They wouldn't give me any specific details. I then called his roommate, who told me that a couple days after I left, he had found David in his room slurring his words badly. On the way to the hospital he had a massive stroke that initially left him blind and then comatose. He had reportedly had a reaction to an impurity in the heroin. A month after I got back into town, they turned off life support. David was 41.
Did I blame myself? You'd better believe it. I mean, what if I had said the right things? What if I had never left town? What if I had called more often? His death was one of several factors that delayed my working as a drug counselor for several years, as I had to work through my own grief.
But I had to come to the realization that I am not stronger than anyone's addictions. In my many years as a counselor since I experienced several more overdose deaths--it comes with the territory. And I always think back to David.
Thank you. Just found out today an ex-boyfriend passed away. Pretty sure it had to do with his alcoholism, which was one factor in our breakup. But I can’t help feeling that had I stayed in the relationship, given him another chance, kept in touch, etc… he’d still be here. I wasn’t strong enough to handle it, turns out he wasn’t either. RIP Mike
@@luciaverdugo4187 Sorry for your loss. But no, you're not stronger than his addiction, any more than he was, and sometimes the one you have to save is yourself.
Have you ever seen the movie "Clean and Sober" with Michael Keaton? Excellent film about addiction and recovery. In one pivotal scene, Keaton is saying precisely what you did, the "what ifs" and whether they would have saved his girlfriend's life. His sponsor's response is very classic and very true.
This segment helped me so much. Lost some Family and Friends in 2021 and been wanting to write a song for them but just haven't. Hearing the story of how it took years to write a song to express that loss has taken enormous pressure off of me.
I'm sorry man... I do hope things look up for you. That song will just come out one of these nights, maybe when you're thinking about your loved ones and just strum out some chords and find a feels. Helps me sometimes. Good day, sir!
@@moabt.frican7163 Thank You
My favorite DD song is “New Moon on Monday.” I crank that song when it comes on the radio.
They are still sooooo good live🤘🤘
Been a fan of Duran Duran music since my first concert as a teenager in 84. "Ordinary World" is one of their best songs. "What happens tomorrow" almost as beautiful! And so many great songs on their new album 'Future Past'! Thanks for featuring Duran Duran on your channel Professor of Rock! They are so much more than the hits...so many gems!
Nice video Professor. You have increased my appreciation for this song. I will listen to it today and listen to the lyrics. I never realized it was written after the loss of a friend.
Fun fact: Duran Duran was Princesses Diana's favorite band.
Also: In the intro to this video, the prize in the cereal box brought me back to my childhood. Does anyone remember the bicycle license plates in Honey Comb cereal? I always wanted to find Washington State but didn't find it.
YES! Loved the license plates! I was aware that it was Princess Di's fave but thanks for the reminder. Thanks Catherine. That was a fun post for nostalgic reasons!
Yep, this is good stuff. The Professor hit another home run with this video. Now the lyrics make more sense. From reading the comments it looks like there are a lot of people who didn't know the backstory, myself included. 🙏
You are right Prof, Ordinary World was one of the three songs Simon wrote about the death of David Miles. Do You Believe in Shame is my favorite and Out of My Mind is my third favorite of this trilogy.
Do You Believe in Shame is one of their best songs and much much better than Ordinary World.
@@ColtraneTaylor Totally agree with you
@@ColtraneTaylor I feel Do you Believe In Shame is more heart wrenching than Ordinary world. I love all 3 songs of the trilogy
@@melindac70 Yes. But I also find it uplifting.
Sometimes I can’t handle this song. It will always remind me of someone I loved. I am an avid PICKLEBALL player. My husband and I moved briefly to Georgia then later returned to Virginia. I FCKING HATED IT! Started playing PB in Georgia and immediately became friends with my dear Andy. He was like a little brother. We laughed and hung out so much small minded people would gossip about us. Anyway, we moved back to Virginia. I really missed my friend. He died last year…..of an overdose 😢. The part that gets me in this song is…Came in from a rainy Thursday on the avenue…thought I heard you talking softly….I don’t know how many times I have thought I have heard Andy’s voice. This song is for people like me.
I remember playing the shit out of the Wedding Album, especially Ordinary World and Come Undone. I was a huge Duran Duran fan in their heyday, and saw them live in '87 when they toured with David Bowie on his Glass Spider tour. But i pretty much forgot about them after that, until '93 when that album was released. It was so different and great.
This was a great tribute to one of my favorite bands! I’ve loved these guys since 83. I’ve seen them twice and they just keep getting better. This song is one of their best songs. Absolutely beautiful!!
"Ordinary World" is such a great song, but I never knew the story behind it or their struggle to keep going after the 80s: "I will learn to survive..." ("Serious" is also great about LTRs as bandmates and friends, showing their maturity.) As w/The Police's own "Too Much Information", this one just skewers the nature of fame and success: "Destroyed by MTV, I hate to bite the hand that feeds me..." If you listen closely, though, esp. to the "B-sides", Duran2 was always better than just their glam image and pop hits. (So thanks again for reminding us w/this video, Professor!)
Even though I am a Gen Xer I did not hear this song until one day coming home from the grocery store deep in the pandemic lockdown in mid-2020. I was startled and moved as the beauty and profoundness of the music and lyrics washed over me. Our world was no longer ordinary. I was also thinking of my beloved cousin whose cancer had come back and knew she would soon pass. I then lost my beloved husband in August of 2022 and the song came rushing back to me and here I am listening to it and others thoughts about it over a year later. I suspect I will come back to it again and again as I complete my time on this planet.
It was a late Winter day.. I was hanging out where my friend worked and over the radio came this sound.. this incredible sound.. this heart stopping sound.. the first few chords of a guitar echoing through my heart. The more I listened, the deeper the song reverberated through me. The more I listened, the more the lyrics touched my soul. The whine of the guitar matched the sorrow in my heart and soul. The Autumn before, a relationship that built from its beginning the previous Spring, and bloomed through that Summer, withered and died... It had been a long, cold Winter without her.. Every day she was still with me, in my mind, in my heart, in my soul.. but gone from my touch.. I was truly alone.. Ordinary World let me know that, in fact, I was not alone. It made me see that all the World grieves at some time or another. It did not dry my tears. It did not take the memory of her away from me. But it did give me hope. It pushed away the dark thoughts, the morbid thoughts of ending it all. I survived.. somehow..
All I can say Adam is well done. This was a wonderful tribute to this song.
Duran Duran is the music score of my life. Check out the newly released album Future Past. They rarely fail me! Right now I'm hooked to the song All of you.
It’s such an amazing album!!! So proud and grateful to still be a Duranie now!!❤️
I was 18 when their first album was released, so I feel like I've grown up and grown older along with the band. No one that I knew took them seriously as musicians back then...and so many people wrote them off as a band of pretty boys that would just be a flash in the pan.
Forty years later, and they're still here, and still making great and relevant music!!
@@Terri_MacKay AMEN!!!! Duranies Rock On Forever!!!❤️
@@JC-yz1sf ❤️
Mine too. I grew up listening to them in the 80's. Been a Duranie since
In the UK there was a segment on a radio show called “Our Tune”.Every day a listener would write in with a very personal story, and obviously someone who was grieving requested Ordinary World. Sitting in my car listening to their heartbreaking story, then hearing this, WOW.
The fact that the band I had loved for over a decade, who many had written off, could write a song that meant so much to so many had me in tears.
My favourite version is the acoustic one, the emotion in Simon’s voice is awesome.
Thankyou Professor
Just wanted to commend the POR community. The quality and sincerity of the comments, shares and stories are exceptional. Take care everyone and live well.
Keep the music playing!
Their duran duran album proved they are a true talented group... wow they are awesome !!!!! Check out their leopard song!!!
Ordinary World and Come Undone are the only two songs from DD that I ever liked. And I didn't just like them, I LOVE them. I recently went through a horrible, and I mean HORRIBLE, breakup and this song kept popping up on my playlist like the universe knew I needed to revisit it. I will learn to survive. I had no choice but to survive, and claw out of being utterly broken. I loathed DD in high school. But these two songs showed we all grew up whether we wanted to or not.
FABULOUS VIDEO PROFESSOR!!!
Duran Duran has been "my band" for 40 years now!!! Simon is the most amazing poet and songwriter EVER!!! He can truly paint a picture in your mind with his words and lyrics!!! Then you get Nick going on keyboards and he can create a musical feast for your ears....GOD THEY ARE AMAZING!!! Every member adds to the song and it blossoms into this stunningly beautiful song....This one is a great song...but then again....I love them all!!!
Duran Duran is one of the best bands ever. With LeBon, Rhodas and the three Taylors, they lay down individual tracks for each song, then they harmonize all five pieces together as a separate piece of art. Even when two of the Taylor’s left they still had two more successful albums in the late 80s. They have the best James Bond theme. Rio, Wild Boys, Hungry Like the Wolf,Save a Prayer, Notorious. Then they have OrdinaryWorld. My best friend played this song for me in 1994 or 1995 in February, I was so impressed, I was much more of a Duran Duran fan, yet I had never heard this song, my last album by them was decade and I didn’t even know they were together. He and I drove to Cossatot Falls and I told him I could dive off this rock in the middle of winter. My friend could not swim and he encouraged me not too, but I did it fully clothed. When I hit the water my body went into shock. On top of that the boots I had on got very heavy and my had two struggle just to get my head above water. Then with the weight of my clothes and the current I struggled the get to a rock to pull myself out the of the water. He told me I saw you struggling the come up and there was nothing I could do. So I told him it’s a good thing you made it, because I had the keys with me and you would have been stuck 30 miles in the woods. Anyway I’ll never forget that day or that song.
THIS is the song that made me a Duran fan in the first place. I grew up in the '80s, but DD just blended into the background with other similar New Wave artists for me. They just weren't on my radar. But then in '93, I was 15 and on the bus on the way to school. I was barely paying any attention when over the din of student chatter a melody caught my ear. OW was playing on the radio and even though I had no idea who or what the song was, the melody and voice stayed in my head all day. After school I was able to ask a friend about it and thankfully they were able to give me more info. From that moment on, I became a fan and have been one ever since. I still can't believe it has been almost 30 years!
I was a junior in HS when this track came out. The first time I heard it was when my alarm went off to get up for school. Usually I would just drag my arm over and snooze another 8 minutes but when I heard the chorus as my first opening notes, I woke right up and thought "This is amazing. It sounds like DD". Sure enough, the top 40 morning DJ said it was the new DD track. The sound and clarity of Simon's vocals in the chorus, especially the harmonies in the final chorus, gave me goose bumps. Then later on when I realized what the song was about, I gained another level of appreciation for it.
"Ordinary World" is a hidden gem.
Thank Professor, As an older guy, I never thought of Duran Duran as anything but a pop tune machine BUT your post today makes me want to listen to them more seriously. That's what I enjoy most about your work. I'm always happy to be shown my blind spots.
I understand your perspective, but their humour, their dedication not only to their craft but to reinvention for each album, their longevity, their huge list of hits, and their latest album has all proven that this is, honestly, one of the greatest bands of all time. Worth reconsideration.
@@italoblu
Thanks Brad, I will do just that.
@@resurrectionwaiting9294 Great! I forgot to mention they play their own instruments, write their own songs, are amazing live (consistently), they worship Bowie and Roxy Music, and they helped about a trillion little weirdos in the 80s feel ok with themselves. I could go on!
Loved this song, Come Undone, and the entire Big Thing album