Life in Mono (song)

"Life in Mono" is a song by UK alternative jazz band Mono, which consisted of singer Siobhan de Maré 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. It was released again in 1997 on the band's only album, "Formica Blues".

The song was used as the theme to the 1998 version of the movie "Great Expectations" (reportedly chosen by actor Robert De Niro),Harvard reference | last=James | first=Martin | authorlink= | year=October 11, 1997 | title=Mono double-edged, low-phat pop | periodical=Melody Maker | volume=74 | issue=41 | page=12 | id=ISSN 0025-9012 | url= ] as well as being used in various TV commercials. It was covered by Emma Bunton in 2006 for her third album, also titled "Life in Mono".

"Billboard" 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.Harvard reference | last=Bell | first=Carrie | authorlink= | year=April 25, 1998 | title=The modern age | periodical=Billboard | volume=110 | issue=17 | page=77 | id=ISSN 0006-2510 | url= ]

The chorus consisted of "ingenue, I just don't know what to do" repeated, and was noted for using the American/British pronunciation (and not the French pronunciation) of "ingenue"; the word was a late addition in songwriting, to rhyme with "I just don't know what do do".cite web | author = Anderson, Jason | date = April 16, 1998 | url = http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_04.16.98/music/monopreview.php | title = Getting Back to Mono | format = | work = | publisher = "Eye Weekly" | accessdate = 2007-01-19 | accessyear = ]

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 February 10, and to nightclubs at about the same time.Harvard reference | last=Paoletta | first=Michael | authorlink= | year=February 28, 1998 | title=Mercury's Mono evades pop stereotypes with 'Blues' | periodical=Billboard | volume=110 | issue=9 | pages=36-37 | id=ISSN 0006-2510 | url= ] Promotion to Top 40 stations followed later on.cite web | author = | month = April | year = 1998 | url = http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Alley/5118/mono/monoartis01.html | title = Mono - Restarting the UK Attack - And This Time Taking No Prisoners | format = | work = | publisher = Dotmusic | accessdate = 2007-01-27 | accessyear = ] 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),cite web | author = | year = 1998 | url = http://web.archive.org/web/19991010013350/www.mono.echo.co.uk/html/news.htm | title = Latest News | format = | work = | publisher = Official Mono website (retrieved from the Internet Archive) | accessdate = 2007-01-26 | accessyear = ] but radio airplay and requests allowed it to reach 26 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.cite web | author = | year = | url = http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=249190&model.vnuAlbumId=282236 | title = Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - Mono | format = | work = | publisher = Billboard.com | accessdate = 2006-10-08 | accessyear = ]

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