FACTOID # 172: Armenia was the first nation to formally adopt Christianity, and today has one of the few Christian cultures to still sacrifice animals on Sunday.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

Encyclopedia > Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Background information
Also known as OMD
Orchestral Manoeuvres
Origin The Wirral, England, United Kingdom
Genre(s) Electronic music
Synthpop
Years active 19791996 2006– present
Label(s) Virgin
DinDisc
Telegraph
Factory Records
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
Lloyd Massett
Notable instrument(s)
Mellotron
Fairlight CMI
E-mu Emulator

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (often abbreviated to OMD) are a synth pop group whose founder members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, UK. OMD record for Virgin Records (originally for Virgin's DinDisc subsidiary). Wirral is a peninsula and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, North West England, more commonly known locally as The Wirral, which is short for The Wirral Peninsula. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Electronic music is a term for music created using electronic devices. ... It has been suggested that Modern synthpop be merged into this article or section. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In Roman times, Vestal Virgins were strictly celibate or they were punished by death. ... FAC 115: Factory Records Stationery (1984) Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label, started in 1978 which featured several prominent musical acts, such as Joy Division, New Order, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, and (briefly) James and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. ... Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark or OMD were a Liverpool synth pop musical ensemble which recorded for Virgin Records (originally for Virgins DinDisc subsidiary). ... Compass Kumpas CD Release Dalek I Love You was a synth pop group from Liverpool. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... // Onetwo are a synth pop group formed in 2004 by two artists mainly known for their contribution to 80s music. ... Andy McCluskey Andy McCluskey (born George Andrew McCluskey, on 24 June 1959, in Heswall, Cheshire, England) was the lead singer and primary songwriter for the band OMD. He met Paul Humphreys in school, and played with him in several bands, including Hitlerz Underpantz, VCL XI and The Id. ... Paul Humphreys, is a British musician, born in London on 27th February 1960. ... Mellotron MK II The Mellotron is an electromechanical polyphonic keyboard musical instrument originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. ... The Fairlight CMI (Computer Musical Instrument) was the first digital sampling synthesizer. ... Synth pop is a style of popular music in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. ... The Wirral is a peninsula in North West England bounded by the River Dee to the west and the River Mersey to the east. ... Virgin Records is a British recording label founded by British entrepreneur Richard Branson, and Nik Powell in 1972. ...


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. Andy McCluskey Andy McCluskey (born George Andrew McCluskey, on 24 June 1959, in Heswall, Cheshire, England) was the lead singer and primary songwriter for the band OMD. He met Paul Humphreys in school, and played with him in several bands, including Hitlerz Underpantz, VCL XI and The Id. ... Paul Humphreys, is a British musician, born in London on 27th February 1960. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...


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 planned line up will feature the original 1980's members. Recently however, the planned Architecture & Morality tour for late 2006 was postponed until the beginning of 2007 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Contents

Early history

As teenagers, Humphreys and McCluskey were involved in several unsigned Wirral 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. Martin EB18 Bass Guitar in flight case. ... The field of electronics comprises the study and use of systems that operate by controlling the flow of electrons (or other charge carriers) in devices such as thermionic valves (vacuum tubes) and semiconductors. ... The road crew (or roadies) are the technicians who travel on tour, usually in sleeper buses, with musicians and who handle every part of the production except actually playing the music. ... Piano, a well-known instance of keyboard instruments A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. ... Electronic music is a term for music created using electronic devices. ... Brian Peter George St. ... Kraftwerk (pronounced [], German for power station) is a German musical group which has made significant contributions to the development of experimental and electronic music. ...


By 1977, 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 Holmes and McCluskey's girlfriend Julia Kneale on vocals. The group began to gig regularly in the Merseyside area, performing original material (largely written by McCluskey & 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 valve from the diagram on the cover of Kraftwerk's Radio-Activity album), where they pursued their more bizarre electronic experiments, often working with tape collages, home-made kit-built synthesisers, and circuit-bent radios. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark or OMD were a Liverpool synth pop musical ensemble which recorded for Virgin Records (originally for Virgins DinDisc subsidiary). ... Arms of the former Merseyside Metropolitan County Council Merseyside is a county, located in the North West of England. ... Kraftwerk (pronounced [], German for power station) is a German musical group which has made significant contributions to the development of experimental and electronic music. ... Radio-Activity is a 1975 album by Kraftwerk. ... Circuit bending is the creative short-circuiting of low voltage, battery-powered electronic audio devices such as guitar effects, childrens toys and small synthesizers to create new musical instruments and sound generators. ...


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. Compass Kumpas CD Release Dalek I Love You was a synth pop group from Liverpool. ... Eric Arthur Blair (June 25, 1903[1][2] – January 21, 1950), better known by the pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist. ... Nineteen Eighty-Four (commonly abbreviated to 1984) is a dystopian novel by the English writer George Orwell, first published by Secker and Warburg in 1949. ... FAC 115: Factory Records Stationery (1984) Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label, started in 1978 which featured several prominent musical acts, such as Joy Division, New Order, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, and (briefly) James and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. ... Peter Saville (born 1955 in Manchester, England[1]) is a graphic designer based in London. ...


Classic line-up

Original UK 45 rpm single picture cover: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Messages
Original UK 45 rpm single picture cover: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Messages

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. Image File history File links Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Messages. ... Image File history File links Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Messages. ... Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is the self tited debut album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1979. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Gong is a progressive/psychedelic rock band formed by Australian musician Daevid Allen. ... Mike Howlett (born April 27, 1950) is a Fijian-born musician and producer based in the United Kingdom. ... Compass Kumpas CD Release Dalek I Love You was a synth pop group from Liverpool. ...


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. Organisation is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1980. ... Colonel Paul Tibbets waving from Enola Gays cockpit after the bombing of Hiroshima. ... Compass Kumpas CD Release Dalek I Love You was a synth pop group from Liverpool. ...


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 retitle it "Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)" and later simply "Maid of Orleans". 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Magnum opus (sometimes Opus magnum, plural magna opera), from the Latin meaning great work,[1] refers to the best, most popular, or most renowned achievement of an author, artist, or composer, and most commonly one who has contributed a very large amount of material. ... Architecture & Morality is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1981. ... Mellotron MK II The Mellotron is an electromechanical polyphonic keyboard musical instrument originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. ...


1983 saw the band lose commercial momentum somewhat, with the release of their 'difficult' Dazzle Ships album, which mixed melancholy synth ballads and uptempo synth pop with musique concrete and short wave radio tape collages. It was recorded by the 4-piece Humpreys/Holmes/Cooper/McCluskey line-up, and produced by Rhett Davies. 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dazzle Ships is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1983 (see 1983 in music). ...


American Chart Success

Album cover: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Junk Culture
Album cover: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Junk Culture

1984's Junk Culture saw a return to a more poppy 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. "Locomotion" returned the group to the top five in the UK and was a good indictator of the groups new found sound, notably the adoption of a classic verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure, which is something the group had often avoided. In 1985, the band released Crush, featuring Graham and Neil Weir (on guitar and brass) and produced by Stephen Hague; due to the success of the single "So in Love" in the US Hot 100, this LP entered for the first time the American Top 40. The albums success broke both the group in the US and established Stephen Hague as a sought-out producer. Image File history File links OMD_-_Junk_Culture. ... Image File history File links OMD_-_Junk_Culture. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Junk Culture is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1984. ... The Fairlight CMI (Computer Musical Instrument) was the first digital sampling synthesizer. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Crush is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1985. ... Stephen Hague is a British music producer most active in the 1980s. ... United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the main singles chart used by Billboard magazine. ... LP or lp may stand for: Look up LP in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... American Top 40 (commonly abbreviated to AT40) is an independent internationally-syndicated radio program currently hosted by Ryan Seacrest. ...


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 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. John Hughes (born February 18, 1950 in Lansing, Michigan) is a noted film director, producer and writer, responsible for some of the most successful comedy films of the 1980s and 1990s. ... Pretty in Pink is a popular 1986 film about teenage love and social cliques in 1980s American high school. ... The Pretty in Pink soundtrack album was released in 1986 for the movie Pretty in Pink, a film about teenage love and social cliques in a 1980s American high school. ... The Pacific Age is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1986. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...


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. 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Sugar Tax is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1991. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Liberator is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1993. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Universal is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1996. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The OMD Singles is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1998. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... EP can stand for: EP is the IATA code for Iran Aseman Airlines Extended play, a music recording (usually consisting of several tracks, but shorter than a typical album) European Parliament, the parliamentary body of the European Union Evolutionary psychology, a belief that psychology can be better understood in light... Sascha Lappessen on the cover of his album S4 Sash Sash! is a German DJ / producer team, fronted by Sascha Lappessen (born on 10 June 1970, in Nettetal, Germany), who works in the studio with Ralf Kappmeier and Thomas Alisson Lüdke. ... Moby (born Richard Melville Hall on September 11, 1965 in Harlem, New York, and raised in Darien, Connecticut) is an American singer, electronic musician and the name of his live band. ...


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 Gypsy 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. The Best Of OMD is a compilation album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1988. ... Atomic Kitten is an English girl group from Liverpool composed of Liz McClarnon (Lil), Natasha Hamilton (Tash), and Jenny Frost, who replaced original member Kerry Katona in January 2001. ... Love: And A Million Other Things Claudia Brücken (born 7 December 1963, in Berchenz, Germany) is a German singer who fronted the synthpop groups, Propaganda and Act. ... ZTT, Futurist slogan and sound poem ZTT is an abbreviation for Marinettis sound poem Zang tumb tumb which was to become a futurist slogan during the early 1920s. ... Propaganda was a synthpop musical group formed in Germany in the early 1980s by Ralf Dörper (a member of the German industrial band Die Krupps), Andreas Thein and Susanne Freytag. ... A short-lived synthpop group signed to ZTT in the late 1980s, and comprising Thomas Leer and ex-Propaganda vocalist Claudia Brücken. ... // Onetwo are a synth pop group formed in 2004 by two artists mainly known for their contribution to 80s music. ...


Reformation

On January 1st 2006, Andy McCluskey announced plans to reform OMD with the McCluskey, Humphreys, Holmes and Cooper line up. Plans at present are to tour the album Architecture & Morality and other pre-1983 material, then record a new album set for release in 2007. Architecture & Morality is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1981. ...


Discography

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 -
2001 Navigation The OMD B-Sides - -

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ... See also: 1979 in music, other events of 1980, 1981 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // [edit] Events [edit] January January 1 - Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II. The only other pop music acts to be created MBEs are the... Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is the self tited debut album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1979. ... See also: 1979 in music, other events of 1980, 1981 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // [edit] Events [edit] January January 1 - Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II. The only other pop music acts to be created MBEs are the... Organisation is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1980. ... See also: 1980 in music, other events of 1981, 1982 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // [edit] Events January 10 - Revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadways Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith February... Architecture & Morality is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1981. ... See also: 1982 in music, other events of 1983, 1984 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events The most long-term influential release of 1983 is probably Head over Heels by the Cocteau Twins, which sold poorly upon its initial release. ... Dazzle Ships is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1983 (see 1983 in music). ... See also: 1983 in music, other events of 1984, 1985 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // [edit] Events January 21 - Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart: it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the... Junk Culture is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1984. ... See also: 1984 in music, other events of 1985, 1986 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // January 28 - Various artists, including Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Perry, Kenny Loggins, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Diana... Crush is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1985. ... See also: 1985 in music, other events of 1986, 1987 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // January 23 - The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis... The Pacific Age is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1986. ... See also: 1987 in music, other events of 1988, 1989 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events Peter Ruzicka becomes director of the Hamburg State Opera and State Philharmonic Orchestra. ... The Best Of OMD is a compilation album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1988. ... See also: 1990 in music, other events of 1991, 1992 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // 1991 was the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. ... Sugar Tax is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1991. ... See also: 1992 in music, other events of 1993, 1994 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 8 - The U.S. Postal service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. ... Liberator is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1993. ... See also: 1995 in music, other events of 1996, 1997 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // January 8 - Madonnas stalker, Robert Hoskins is found guilty and convicted on five charges of assault, stalking, and threatening to kill the singer. ... Universal is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1996. ... See also: 1997 in music, other events of 1998, 1999 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // Events February 15 - Sir Edward Elgars unfinished third symphony, completed by Anthony Payne is performed for the first time at the Royal Festival Hall. ... The OMD Singles is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1998. ... See also: 2000 in music, 2001 in music (UK), other events of 2001, 2002 in music, 2000s in music and the list of years in music // January 1 - Comeback of Guns N Roses in House of Blues January 1 - Hum disbands. ... Navigation The OMD B-Sides is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 2001. ...

Singles

Year Song UK singles U.S. Hot 100 U.S. Dance U.S. Modern Rock Album
1979 "Electricity" 99 - - - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
1980 "Red Frame/White Light" 67 - 67 - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
1980 "Messages" 13 - 67 - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
1980 "Enola Gay" 8 - 34 - Organisation
1981 "Souvenir" 3 - - - Architecture & Morality
1981 "Joan of Arc" 5 - - - Architecture & Morality
1982 "Maid of Orleans" 4 - - - Architecture & Morality
1983 "Genetic Engineering" 20 - - - Dazzle Ships
1983 "Telegraph" 42 - - - Dazzle Ships
1984 "Locomotion" 5 - 61 - Junk Culture
1984 "Talking Loud and Clear" 11 - - - Junk Culture
1984 "Tesla Girls" 21 - - - Junk Culture
1984 "Never Turn Away" 70 - - - Junk Culture
1985 "So in Love" 27 26 16 - Crush
1985 "Secret" 34 63 - - Crush
1985 "La Femme Accident" 42 - - - Crush
1986 "If You Leave" 48 4 - - Pretty in Pink soundtrack
1986 "(Forever) Live and Die" 11 19 - - The Pacific Age
1986 "We Love You" 54 - 16 - The Pacific Age
1987 "Shame" 52 - - - The Pacific Age
1988 "Dreaming" 50 16 6 - The Best of OMD
1988 "Brides of Frankenstein" - - 7 - The Best of OMD
1991 "Sailing on the Seven Seas" 3 - 9 - Sugar Tax
1991 "Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way)" 7 - 11 19 Sugar Tax
1991 "Then You Turn Away" 50 - - - Sugar Tax
1991 "Call My Name" 50 - - - Sugar Tax
1993 "Stand Above Me" 21 - 6 - Liberator
1993 "Dream of Me (Based on Love's Theme)" 24 - - - Liberator
1993 "Everyday" 59 - - - Liberator
1996 "Walking on the Milky Way" 17 - - - Universal
1996 "Universal" 55 - - - Universal
1998 "The OMD Remixes" (EP) 35 - - - -

The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... Billboard magazines Hot Dance Club Play chart (formerly known as Hot Dance Music/Club Play and Hot Dance/Disco) is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs. ... The Modern Rock Tracks chart is a music chart that has appeared in Billboard magazine since the early 1980s. ... The Pretty in Pink soundtrack album was released in 1986 for the movie Pretty in Pink, a film about teenage love and social cliques in a 1980s American high school. ... Loves Theme is an instrumental piece performed by the Love Unlimited Orchestra, which was conducted by Barry White in 1974. ...

Video Releases

  • Live at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane - 1982 (laserdisc & VHS) (laserdisc released only in Japan)
  • Crush the Movie - 1985 (laserdisc & VHS) (laserdisc released only in Japan)
  • The Best of OMD - 1988 (VHS)

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 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.

Trivia

  • Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy) has covered the first four tracks of Dazzle Ships live, and has played track 3 of the album - ABC Auto Industry - live several times. A video of this can be seen here.

Owen Pallett (born September 7, 1981) is a violinist and singer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...

See also

Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
The Best of OMD - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Song Listings (634 words)
Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys make up Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, who were responsible for some of the catchiest and brightest synth pop that the '80s had to offer.
O.M.D.'s material was a step above other keyboard pop music of the time, thanks to the combination of intelligently crafted hooks and colorful rhythms that bounced and jittered with pristine charm.
O.M.D.'s best work came from 1985's Crush album, which harbored the midnight airiness found in "So in Love" as well as the adolescent innocence that streamed its way through "Secret," which are two of the best tracks on this set.
  More results at FactBites »

 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your location
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.