While Duran Duran don't appear to be reissuing The Wedding Album for its 20th anniversary like we suggested, they will be celebrating the album's legacy with a special reissue on Record Store Day. Birmingham's favorite pop band will reissue 1993's No Ordinary EP on 10" white vinyl for Record Store Day's Black Friday event in North America.
Beyond the success of singles "Ordinary World" and "Come Undone," both Top 10 hits off the band's seventh studio album, Duran Duran - at the time, comprised of original members Simon Le Bon (vocals), Nick Rhodes (keyboards), John Taylor (bass) and touring member-turned-full time player Warren Cuccurullo (guitar) - made 1993 memorable thanks to a lengthy, stripped-down tour. Dominated by acoustic and alternate arrangements largely spearheaded by Cuccurullo, the No Ordinary Tour took the band across several continents and at least one high-profile televised gig as part of the acclaimed MTV Unplugged series. (The tour was not without its taxation: Le Bon suffered an injury to his vocal cords and the band had to postpone a swath of dates.)
One such gig, recorded on May 15, 1993 at the massive Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, was professionally recorded and released on a cassette in North America, the No Ordinary EP (Capitol 4XPRO-79235). The quartet tackled two old favorites (the classic "Hungry Like the Wolf" and the funky mid-career smash "Notorious") and a new track (a lengthy, sensuous version of "Come Undone"); the latter two were included as worldwide single B-sides and eventually gathered onto the band's The Singles 1986-1995 box set.
"We're really pleased that this rare piece of our history has been chosen for Record Store Day," bassist John Taylor said in a statement. "I can remember the show vividly as it went out around the world via satellite. As an avid collector of vinyl myself, I think it will be a fan favorite."
The disc will be available on Black Friday, November 29, at participating independent record retailers. 5,000 numbered copies will be available; plans are also afoot to get a non-numbered version into ex-U.S. territories. The band - now comprised of Le Bon, Rhodes and Taylor alongside original drummer Roger Taylor and touring guitarist Dom Brown - are hard at work on a 14th album with producer Mark Ronson, due next year.
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