"Mono" is the debut single released by

Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as ...

, as a solo artist. Released the week after its parent album, '' America's Sweetheart'', the single was overshadowed by issues Love was undergoing in her personal life – namely her drug addiction and legal problems – and was a subsequent commercial failure. A promotional music video for the song was also created.

Background and production

"Mono" was one of the first songs recorded during the sessions for ''America's Sweetheart'', and was written by Love,

Linda Perry Linda Perry (born April 15, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. She was the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, and has since founded two record labels and composed and produced hit songs for ...

, former

Hole A hole is an opening in or through a particular medium, usually a solid body. Holes occur through natural and artificial processes, and may be useful for various purposes, or may represent a problem needing to be addressed in many fields of en ...

bandmate,

Patty Schemel Patricia Theresa Schemel (born April 24, 1967) is an American drummer and musician who rose to prominence as the drummer of alternative rock band Hole from 1992 until 1998. Born in Los Angeles, Schemel was raised in rural Marysville, Washington, ...

and her brother, Larry Schemel. The song was recorded at Studio Miraval, a chateau in the south of France, in 2003. The alternate version of "Mono" – featured on the maxi single release – contains a sample of dialogue from the 1963 movie '' Cleopatra'' as spoken by actors Elizabeth Taylor and

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

Music video

Directed by

Chris Milk Chris Milk is an American entrepreneur, innovator, director, photographer, and immersive artist. He is co-founder and CEO of Within (Virtual Reality) (formerly Vrse), a virtual reality technology company, and co-founder of Here Be Dragons (for ...

, the promotional music video for "Mono" received some airplay on channels such as

Fuse Fuse or FUSE may refer to: Devices * Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current ** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles * Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protect ...

, VH1,

Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...

and MTV2, however, did not reach the level of popularity achieved by her previous releases with

. The music video featured a "sleeping beauty" theme.

Track listings and formats

*CAN / EU CD Single / EU 7" Vinyl #"Mono" – 3:39 #"Fly" – 2:56 *EU Maxi / UK CD Single #"Mono" – 3:39 #"Fly" – 2:56 #"Mono" (Alternate Version) – 3:41 #"Mono" (Video) – 3:39

Charts and sales

References

2004 singles Music videos directed by Chris Milk Songs written by Linda Perry Courtney Love songs Songs written by Courtney Love 2004 songs Virgin Records singles Song recordings produced by Josh Abraham {{2000s-rock-song-stub