Overview
"Ordinary Love" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It was written to honour Nelson Mandela and is included in the biography film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. The song received a limited 10-inch vinyl release on Record Store Day on 29 November 2013, less than a week before Mandela died.
"Ordinary Love" peaked at number one on the Top Digital Download chart in Italy, where it was certified platinum by the Federation of the Italian Music Industry. U2 won the 2014 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and in January 2014 the song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, but it lost to "Let It Go" from Frozen.
An alternate version of the song, titled the "Extraordinary Mix", was included on deluxe edition of the band's 2017 studio album, Songs of Experience.
Writing and recording
U2 had been friends with Nelson Mandela for several years, having played concerts in South Africa. When movie producer Harvey Weinstein invited the band to write a song for the soundtrack of the Mandela biography film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, they responded with a quick "yes" according to Weinstein. After seeing early cuts of the film, the group were inspired to write a song reflecting upon Mandela. The song was mixed at Electric Lady Studios, New York City.
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