Meet El Presidente
""Meet El Presidente"" | ||||
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Single by Duran Duran | ||||
from the album Notorious | ||||
B-side |
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Released |
April 1987 2 May 1987 [US] | |||
Format | ||||
Recorded | Jun-Sep 1986, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | ||||
Writer(s) | Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, James Bates | |||
Producer(s) | ||||
Duran Duran singles chronology | ||||
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"Meet El Presidente" is the 16th single from Duran Duran, and the third single from the Notorious album.
About the song
According to a studio report in Star Hits magazine, one of the early drafts of this song was called "One of the Faithful". A demo version using that name can be found on several bootlegs.
The album version of the song is considerably different from the version used on the single and remixes and on the video. The album version has the same tempo but slightly different drums during the chorus, while the other versions use stronger basslines, a horn section, increased percussion (most notable during the lyric "Hell has no fury like a young girl's ego"), and female backing vocals (including a recurring "Ooh ooh" hook). In these ways, the non-album version is somewhat more similar to songs recorded for the subsequent Big Thing album than it is to other songs on Notorious.
Duran Duran played this song live, among others, on the final episode of British music show The Tube.
Music video
"Meet El Presidente" was the third video directed for Duran Duran by Peter Kagan and Paula Greif. It was a basic concert video, featuring the band in their stagewear from the Strange Behaviour tour which supported the release of the Notorious album. It was also filmed in black and white Super-8.
B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes
"Meet El Presidente" was backed by album track "Vertigo (Do The Demolition)". This was the second single from Notorious to have an album track as b-side.
It was also the first single that Duran Duran released as a CD single, on which they included the "Meet El Beat" remix.
There are 3 official mixes of "Meet El Presidente":
- "Meet El Presidente" (7" remix) - 3:38
- "Meet El Presidente" (Meet El Beat) - 5:30
- "Meet El Presidente" a.k.a. "Meet El Presidente" (The Presidential Suite). - 7:12
Formats and track listing
7": EMI. / Tour 1 United Kingdom
- "Meet El Presidente" (7" remix) - 3:38
- "Vertigo" (Do the Demolition) - 4:43
12": EMI. / 12 Tour 1 United Kingdom
- "Meet El Presidente" - 7:12
- "Meet El Presidente" (Meet El Beat) - 5:30
- "Meet El Presidente" (7" remix) - 3:38
- "Vertigo (Do the Demolition)" - 4:43
- This 12" is being labelled as "Meet El Presidente" on the cover.
- Also available on CD (CDTOUR 1)
12": EMI. / 12 Club Tour 1 (Promo) United Kingdom
The Presidential Suite:
- "Meet El Presidente" - 7:12
- "Meet El Presidente" (Meet El Beat) - 5:30
- "Meet El Presidente" (45 Mix) - 3:38
- "Skintrade" (Parisian Mix) - 8:10
- "Skintrade" (S.O.S. Dub) - 7:16
7": Capitol Records. / B-44001 United States
- "Meet El Presidente" (7" remix) - 3:38
- "Vertigo" (Do the Demolition) - 4:43
12": Capitol Records. / V-15294 United States
- "Meet El Presidente" (The Presidential Suite) - 7:12
- "Meet El Presidente" (Meet El Beat) - 5:30
- "Meet El Presidente" (7" remix) - 3:38
- "Vertigo (Do the Demolition)" - 4:43
- This 12" is being labelled as "The Presidential Suite" on the cover.
12": Capitol Records. / SPRO-79008 (Promo) United States
The Presidential Suite:
- "Meet El Presidente" (The Presidential Suite) - 7:12
- "Meet El Presidente" (Meet El Beat) - 5:30
- "Meet El Presidente" (Radio) - 3:38
- "Skintrade" (Parisian Mix) - 8:10
- "Skintrade" (S.O.S. Dub) - 7:16
CD: Part of "Singles Box Set 1986-1995" boxset
- "Meet El Presidente" (7" remix) - 3:38
- "Vertigo" (Do the Demolition) - 4:43
- "Meet El Presidente" - 7:12
- "Meet El Presidente" (Meet El Beat) - 5:30
Note:
- "Meet El Presidente" 7" remix", 45 mix and "radio" are identical versions.
- "Meet El Presidente" and "Meet El Presidente" (The Presidential Suite) are the same version, also known as "The Presidential Suite Mix" (EMI DDNX 331).
Chart positions
- #24 UK Singles Chart (25 April 1987)
- #70 Billboard Hot 100 (2 May 1987)
- #40 Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
- #10 Italian charts
Personnel
Duran Duran are:
- Simon Le Bon - Vocals
- John Taylor - Bass
- Nick Rhodes - Keyboards
With:
- Warren Cuccurullo - Guitars
- Andy Taylor - Guitars
- Nile Rodgers - Guitars
- The Borneo Horns - Horns
- Curtis King - Background Vocals
- Brenda White-King - Background Vocals
- Tessa Niles - Background Vocals
- Cindy Mizelle - Background Vocals
Production:
- Nile Rodgers - Producer
- Duran Duran - Producer
- Daniel Abraham - Remixer, Engineer and Mixer
- Larry Levan - Remixer