Writing and recording "Ordinary Love" -- from Mandela -- was a major disruption in the U2 flow and still is having fateful repercussions. Intensive work on the band's 13th studio album, the first since 2009's No Line on the Horizon, was underway in the summer, with a target release date of December 2013 when Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Co. and a longtime friend of Bono and the band, called on behalf of Mandela's South African producer, Anant Singh, and director Justin Chadwick to solicit a song for the nearly completed film.
Joe PuglieseThe Irish rock band is set to perform Oscar-nominated song “Ordinary Love” from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom during the live Academy Awards telecast March 2, Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced Wednesday.
“Ordinary Love” was written by U2 for The Weinstein Co. film, winning the Golden Globe for original song in January.
PHOTOS: U2: Exclusive Portraits of Bono, The Edge
The three other Oscar-nominated songs in the original song category are “Let It Go” from Frozen, “Happy” from Despicable Me 2 and “The Moon Song” from Her.
The news comes more than a week after U2 unveiled its first single, “Invisible,” from the upcoming studio album during the Super Bowl. U2 is featured on the cover of the most recent issue of The Hollywood Reporter.
U2, who previously was nominated for an Oscar for Gangs of New York song “The Hands That Built America,” has sold more than 150 million records worldwide since forming in 1976.
The Oscars will be broadcast from the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center and will be televised live on ABC.
Email: Philiana.Ng@THR.com
Twitter: @insidethetube
