Now make sure to compare apples and apples. The ORDER BY must first SELECT *all* the rows before it can do the sort. So how long does it take to SELECT *all* the records without the ORDER BY - not just the first record, but all of them?

Also, exactly how many records are being returned that it take a freaking hour to select and sort them!??! Of what possible use would this many records be? I'm thinking you have more of a requirements problem than a technical one.

- Chris