"Life in Mono" is the debut single by English trip hop duo

Mono Mono may refer to: Common meanings * Infectious mononucleosis, "the kissing disease" * Monaural, monophonic sound reproduction, often shortened to mono * Mono-, a numerical prefix representing anything single Music Performers * Mono (Japanese b ...

, which consisted of singer

Siobhan de Maré Siobhan de Maré is a singer, mostly known from lending her voice to the album ''Formica Blues'' by the UK band Mono in 1997. In 2000, she joined Robin Guthrie (formerly of Cocteau Twins) to form Violet Indiana, which varies from shimmery wall of ...

and musician Martin Virgo. It was released on the band's first EP in 1996 which contained various remixes, most notably two by the

Propellerheads Propellerheads were an English electronic music duo, formed in 1995 in Bath and consisting of Will White and Alex Gifford. History Their first release was an EP named ''Dive!'', released in 1996 through the independent label Wall of Sound. ...

. It was released again in 1997 on the band's only album, ''

Formica Blues ''Formica Blues'' is the only album by English trip hop duo Mono (UK band), Mono. It was first released in the UK in 1997. Four singles were released from the album, of which the lead single, "Life in Mono", was the most successful. The album re ...

''.

Background

The song was used as the theme to the 1998 version of the movie ''

Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. It depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip (Great Expectations), Pip (the book is a ''bildungsroman''; a coming-of-age story). It ...

'' (reportedly chosen by actor

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...

), appearing in the '' Daria'' episode "Monster", as well as being used for the launch television advert for the new Rover 25. It was covered by

Emma Bunton Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is an English singer, songwriter, actress, and media personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice. With over 100 million recor ...

in 2006 for her third album, also titled '' Life in Mono''. The chorus consists of " ingenue, I just don't know what to do" repeated; the word was a late addition in songwriting, to rhyme with "I just don't know what to do". It was also used in the television series ''

La Femme Nikita La Femme Nikita may refer to: * ''La Femme Nikita'' (film), a 1990 French action film by Luc Besson, originally named "Nikita" * ''La Femme Nikita'' (TV series), a 1997–2001 TV series based on the film, also called "Nikita" * ''Nikita'' (TV se ...

'', in season 2 episode 14.

Reception

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' called the song's usage in ''Great Expectations'' an example of film music that "works", citing its "anguished" lyrics as complementary to Ethan Hawke's character's predicaments, and comparing de Maré's voice to those of Roberta Flack and Billie Holiday. In the U.S., Mercury Records marketed the single in a campaign aimed to "build awareness at both the radio and club levels", shipping promotional singles to modern rock-format radio stations on 10 February, and to nightclubs at about the same time. Promotion to Top 40 stations followed later on. The single's sales only allowed it to chart in the lower echelons of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 70 (though it did reach at least 19 on the Top Heatseekers chart), but radio airplay and requests allowed it to reach 28 on the

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...

chart. "Life In Mono" reached No 60 in the band's native United Kingdom.

Charts

References

{{authority control 1996 songs 1996 debut singles 1998 singles English electronic songs Emma Bunton songs Trip hop songs The Echo Label singles Song recordings produced by Jim Abbiss