Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
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| Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | OMD Orchestral Manoeuvres |
| Origin | The Wirral, Cheshire, England |
| Genre(s) | Post-punk Synthpop New Wave Alternative Dance |
| Years active | 1978–1996, 2006– present |
| Label(s) | Virgin DinDisc Telegraph Factory |
| Associated acts | The Id Dalek I Love You The Listening Pool Onetwo |
| Website | Official Website |
| Members | |
| Andy McCluskey Paul Humphreys Malcolm Holmes Martin Cooper |
|
| Former members | |
| Mike Douglas Graham Weir Neil Weir Stuart Kershaw<br / Lloyd Massett |
|
| Notable instrument(s) | |
| Mellotron Fairlight CMI E-mu Emulator |
|
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (often abbreviated to OMD) are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England. OMD record for Virgin Records (originally for Virgin's DinDisc subsidiary).
The group was founded by Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, and they formed the core of the outfit until 1989, when the group split. McCluskey then retained the name and continued to record and tour as OMD with a new line-up.
In late December 2005, OMD's official website announced a 2006 reformation, for both live performances and a new album, with rehearsals beginning in summer 2006. The tour began in 2007, featuring the classic line up of McCluskey, Humphreys, Holmes and Cooper. Spring 2008 saw a further tour announced for October that year.
Contents |
[edit] Early history
As teenagers, Humphreys and McCluskey were involved in several unsigned Wirral Peninsula bands, including Equinox, Pegasus, and the short-lived Hitlerz Underpantz. McCluskey would usually sing and play bass guitar, whilst electronics enthusiast Humphreys initially began as a roadie, graduating to keyboards. The pair shared a love of electronic music, particularly Brian Eno and Kraftwerk. The debut performance of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark was in October 1978 at Eric's Club in Liverpool.
By 1978, McCluskey & Humphreys put together seven-piece (three singers, two guitarists, bassist, drummer, and keyboard player) Wirral 'supergroup' The Id, whose line-up included drummer Malcolm Holmesand McCluskey's girlfriend Julia Kneale on vocals. The group began to gig regularly in the Merseyside area, performing original material (largely written by McCluskey and Humphreys). They had quite a following on the scene, and one of their tracks ("Julia's Song") was included on a compilation record of local bands called Street to Street. Meanwhile, Humphreys & McCluskey collaborated on a side-project called VCL XI (named after a misreading of a valve from the diagram on the back cover of Kraftwerk's Radio-Activity album; the name of valve is actually written with Arabic numbers, VCL 11, and not roman numbers). This side-project allowed them to pursue their more bizarre electronic experiments, often working with tape collages, home-made kit-built synthesisers, and circuit-bent radios.
In 1978, The Id split due to the traditional musical differences. McCluskey briefly sang with electronic Wirral quartet Dalek I Love You. However, he eventually rejoined Humphreys, and their VCL XI project was renamed Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. They began to gig regularly as a duo, performing to backing tracks played from a Revox tape-recorder they christened "Winston" (after the antihero of George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-four). Finding themselves on the cusp of an electronic new wave in British pop-music, they released a one-off single, "Electricity", with celebrated independent label Factory Records (the single sleeve was designed by Peter Saville, whose distinctive graphics provided OMD's public image well into the mid-80s), and were then quickly snapped up by Virgin subsidiary DinDisc. The unusual graphics that feature on the sleeve were partially inspired by Andy and Paul's original musical notation style. Unable to read or write music, they adapted a series of symbols, each one representing different instruments[1].
[edit] Classic line-up
The eponymous first album (1980) showcased the band's live set at the time, and was basically recorded by the Humphreys/McCluskey duo, although included some guest drums from Id drummer Mal Holmes, and saxophone from Wirral musician Martin Cooper. It had a simple, raw, poppy, melodic synthpop sound. DinDisc arranged for the song "Messages" to be re-recorded (produced by Gong bassist Mike Howlett) and released as a single (right) - this gave the band their first hit.
A tour followed, Winston the tape recorder being ditched for good, and replaced with live drums from Mal Holmes, and Dalek I Love You's Dave Hughes on synths.
The second album Organisation (perhaps a reference to the band which preceded Kraftwerk, founded by Kraftwerk's original members Florian Schneider-Esleben and Ralf Hütter) followed later that year, recorded as a 3 piece with Humphreys, McCluskey and Holmes. It was again produced by Howlett, and saw a rather moodier, dark feel. The album spawned the huge hit single "Enola Gay", named after the plane that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The tour for this album saw a 4-piece band line-up, with saxophonist Martin Cooper (another Dalek I Love You alum) recruited for keyboard duties. Howlett then presided over the recording of a further hit single, "Souvenir", co-written by Cooper & Humphreys. It ushered in a striking lush choral electronic sound. The song also became OMD's biggest hit to date.
1981 would see the release of what many consider OMD's magnum opus (and it was also the peak of their commercial success in the UK and Europe) - the Architecture & Morality album. The 4-piece went into the studio with Richard Mainwaring producing. Cooper then temporarily dropped out and was replaced by Mike Douglas, but this change was reversed by the time the album was released and a tour embarked upon. The album's striking sound saw OMD's original synth-pop sound augmented by the Mellotron, an instrument previously associated with prog rock bands. They used it to add very atmospheric swatches of string, choir and other sounds to their palette. Hit singles "Joan of Arc" and "Maid of Orleans" (which became the most successful single of 1982 in Germany) were taken from the album. A somewhat interesting footnote is that "Joan of Arc" and "Maid of Orleans" were originally both titled "Joan of Arc"; the name of the latter single was only changed after publishers forced OMD to re-title it "Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)" and later simply "Maid of Orleans".[citation needed]
1983 saw the band lose commercial momentum somewhat, with the release of their 'difficult' Dazzle Ships album, which mixed melancholy synth ballads and uptempo synthpop with musique concrete and short wave radio tape collages. It was recorded by the 4-piece Humphreys/Holmes/Cooper/McCluskey line-up, and produced by Rhett Davies.
[edit] American chart success
1984's Junk Culture was a return to a poppier sound and saw the band using digital sampling keyboards such as the Fairlight CMI and the E-mu Emulator. The album was a success, reassuring the group about their new direction. The "Locomotion" single returned the group to the top five in the UK and was a good indicator of the group's new found sound, notably the adoption of a classic verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure, which is something the group had often previously avoided. In 1985, the band released Crush, produced by Stephen Hague and featuring Graham and Neil Weir (on guitar and brass). The success of the single "So in Love" in the US Hot 100 also led to some success for the LP which entered the American Top 40, establishing the group in the US as well as making Stephen Hague a sought-after producer.
Later in 1985, the band wrote the song "If You Leave" for the John Hughes movie Pretty in Pink. The song was featured on the soundtrack and was a large hit, notably in the US and Canada where it reached the Top 5. The same six piece line-up also released The Pacific Age in 1986, but the band began to see their critical and public popularity wane in the UK while they struggled to break into the US market.
[edit] Classic line-up split - OMD in the 90s
After a compilation album released successfully in 1988, OMD broke in two. Humphreys, Cooper, and Holmes left to form The Listening Pool, while McCluskey recruited Liverpool musicians Lloyd Massett and Stuart Kershaw and continued under the OMD moniker. Initially successful with hits like "Sailing on the Seven Seas" and "Pandora's Box" from their critically acclaimed Sugar Tax LP in 1991, the new line up would release Liberator (1993), Universal (1996), before splitting up in 1996, due to lack of public interest. A second singles album was released in 1998, and an EP of remixed material by such acts as Sash! and Moby.
Liberator's 5th track - Dream Of Me contains a sample from "Love's Theme" from Love Unlimited Orchestra (song written by Barry White). The fact is also sung in this song.[1]
Though Humphreys left the band after The Best Of OMD, he collaborated with McCluskey on the songwriting for Universal, the band's 1996 swan song. McCluskey decided to focus on management and songwriting for such Liverpool based acts as Atomic Kitten and The Genie Queen. With McCluskey focusing his talents elsewhere, Humphreys decided to play many revival shows using the OMD banner, whilst also recording with Claudia Brücken, of the ZTT bands Propaganda and Act, as Onetwo.
[edit] Reformation
On January 1st 2006, Andy McCluskey announced plans to reform OMD with the McCluskey, Humphreys, Holmes and Cooper line up. The original plan was to tour the album Architecture & Morality and other pre-1983 material, then record a new album set for release in 2007[2].
In May 2007, the Architecture and Morality remastered CD was re-released together with a DVD featuring the Drury Lane concert from 1981 that had previously been available on VHS.
Through May and June, the band toured with the "classic" line up of McCluskey, Humphreys, Holmes and Cooper. They began their set with a re-ordered but otherwise complete restaging of the Architecture and Morality album. The second half of each concert featured a selection of their best known hits, and audience reaction was sometimes so positive (Bristol's Colston Hall, an all-seated venue, saw the crowd on its feet for the entire show) that the band seemed surprised and delighted by their applause.
Spring 2008 saw the release of a live CD and DVD of the summer 2007 tour, recorded at the London Apollo Hammersmith, along with a 25th anniversary re-release of Dazzle Ships, including six bonus tracks. At the same time, a brief October 2008 tour was announced, partly to tie-in with the Dazzle Ships album's 25th anniversary.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | UK | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | 27 | - |
| 1980 | Organisation | 6 | - |
| 1981 | Architecture & Morality | 3 | 144 |
| 1983 | Dazzle Ships | 5 | 162 |
| 1984 | Junk Culture | 9 | 182 |
| 1985 | Crush | 13 | 38 |
| 1986 | The Pacific Age | 15 | 47 |
| 1988 | The Best of OMD | 2 | 46 |
| 1991 | Sugar Tax | 3 | - |
| 1993 | Liberator | 14 | 169 |
| 1996 | Universal | 24 | - |
| 1998 | The OMD Singles | 16 | - |
| 2000 | Peel Sessions 1979-1983 | - | - |
| 2001 | Navigation The OMD B-Sides | - | - |
| 2008 | OMD Live: Architecture & Morality & More | - | - |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | Chart Positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK singles | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. Dance | U.S. Modern Rock | Irish Singles | |||
| 1979 | "Electricity" (second release) | 99 | - | - | - | - | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark |
| 1980 | "Red Frame/White Light" | 67 | - | 67 | - | - | |
| "Messages" | 13 | - | 67 | - | - | ||
| "Enola Gay" | 8 | - | 34 | - | 14 | Organisation | |
| 1981 | "Souvenir" | 3 | - | - | - | 9 | Architecture & Morality |
| "Joan of Arc" | 5 | - | - | - | 13 | ||
| 1982 | "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)" | 4 | - | - | - | 5 | |
| 1983 | "Genetic Engineering" | 20 | - | - | - | 11 | Dazzle Ships |
| "Telegraph" | 42 | - | - | - | 28 | ||
| 1984 | "Locomotion" | 5 | - | 61 | - | 4 | Junk Culture |
| "Talking Loud and Clear" | 11 | - | - | - | 9 | ||
| "Tesla Girls" | 21 | - | - | - | 21 | ||
| "Never Turn Away" | 70 | - | - | - | 29 | ||
| 1985 | "So in Love" | 27 | 26 | 16 | - | 13 | Crush |
| "Secret" | 34 | 63 | - | - | 24 | ||
| "La Femme Accident" | 42 | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1986 | "If You Leave" | 48 | 4 | - | - | - | Pretty in Pink soundtrack |
| "(Forever) Live and Die" | 11 | 19 | - | - | 13 | The Pacific Age | |
| "We Love You" | 54 | - | 16 | - | - | ||
| 1987 | "Shame" | 52 | - | - | - | - | |
| 1988 | "Dreaming" | 50 | 16 | 6 | - | - | The Best of OMD |
| "Brides of Frankenstein" (club promo) | - | - | 7 | - | - | — | |
| 1991 | "Sailing on the Seven Seas" | 3 | - | 9 | - | 5 | Sugar Tax |
| "Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way)" | 7 | - | 11 | 19 | 19 | ||
| "Then You Turn Away" | 50 | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Call My Name" | 50 | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1993 | "Stand above Me" | 21 | - | 6 | - | - | Liberator |
| "Dream of Me (Based on Love's Theme)" | 24 | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Everyday" | 59 | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1996 | "Walking on the Milky Way" | 17 | - | - | - | - | Universal |
| "Universal" | 55 | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1998 | "The OMD Remixes" (EP) | 35 | - | - | - | - | — |
[edit] Video releases
| Release date | Title | Format | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1982 | Live at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane | LD (Japan only), VHS, Betamax, DVD (2007) | Live concert. A DVD of this concert came with the 2007 reissue of Architecture & Morality. |
| June 1985 | Crush the Movie | LD (Japan only), VHS, Betamax | Documentary on the band during the recording of Crush, with promo videos of the album's singles. |
| March 12, 1988 | The Best of OMD | VHS | Promo videos. |
| November 2007 | Souvenir | DVD | Documentary on the history of the band, including the reformation in 2006/2007. |
| April 28, 2008 | OMD Live: Architecture & Morality & More | DVD | Live concert |
[edit] In print
- There were several fanzines about the band, including Winston and Telegraph, that were active during the post-split period. An official magazine called Messages is still running.
- The book Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, an unauthorised biography by Mike West, published in 1982.
- The book Messages, written by Johnny Waller and Paul Humphreys' brother Mike Humphreys, details the career of the band up to the time of The Best of OMD.
