Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (album)

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Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Released22 February 1980 (1980-02-22)
Recorded1978–1979
StudioThe Gramophone Suite (Liverpool, England)
Genre
Length37:42
LabelDindisc
Producer
  • Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
  • Chester Valentino
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark chronology
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
(1980) 		Organisation
(1980)
Singles from Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
  1. "Electricity"
    Released: 21 May 1979
  2. "Red Frame/White Light"
    Released: 1 February 1980
  3. "Messages"
    Released: 2 May 1980

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is the self-titled debut studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 22 February 1980 by Dindisc. Recorded at the band's Liverpool studio, it showcased their minimal synth-pop style and peaked at number 27 on the UK Albums Chart. "Electricity" and "Red Frame/White Light" were released as singles; a re-recorded version of "Messages" provided OMD with their first hit in the UK, reaching number 13.

Although only a modest commercial success upon release, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark met with generally favourable reviews and became a seminal record of its era. The album was remastered and re-released in 2003 with six bonus tracks, including the single version of "Messages".

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is also the title of a 1981 compilation album of tracks from this release and OMD's second album, Organisation, issued only in the United States.

Background[]

Rather than hire studio time to record the album, OMD founders Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys used their advance payment from Dindisc to build their own Liverpool recording studio, The Gramophone Suite. They predicted that they would be dropped by the label due to disappointing sales, but would at least own a studio. The band used cheaply-acquired instruments,[1] as well as the low-end Korg M500 Micro-Preset (which had been paid for in many instalments).[2]

Still generally a duo performing alongside a TEAC 4-track tape recorder christened "Winston", OMD enlisted Martin Cooper and Malcolm Holmes, the latter of whom had performed with McCluskey and Humphreys in OMD precursor outfit the Id (both musicians would become full-time band members the following year). Cooper played saxophone on "Mystereality", while Holmes supplied percussion on "Julia's Song"; Dave Fairbairn played guitar on this track, as well as on "Messages".[3] It took three weeks to record the album,[1] with the content showcasing OMD's minimal synth-pop style.[4]

"Electricity", "Julia's Song" and "The Misunderstanding" were holdovers from the Id.[5] The included tracks were composed during the previous four years: "Electricity" had been McCluskey and Humphreys' first ever composition, while the last song written for the album was "Pretending to See the Future". A version of "Almost" had originally featured as a B-side to the "Electricity" single. According to Humphreys, the primary influences on the record were Brian Eno, Neu! and Kraftwerk.[3]

The band were dissatisfied with the album's production values, although McCluskey feels that "in hindsight it now has a naivety and charm, and is full of energy".[6]

Artwork[]

The sleeve was created by graphic designer Peter Saville and interior designer Ben Kelly, based on a door conceived by Kelly.[7] It featured a die-cut grid through which the orange inner sleeve was visible. Saville and Kelly won a Designers and Art Directors Award for their work.[7] McCluskey has praised the artwork, saying in 2019, "To this day, I think half the people bought [the album] for the Peter Saville sleeve."[1]

McCluskey stated that OMD did not fully understand the royalty system at the time, and that the band "had a sleeve that cost us so much to manufacture that for every record we sold we were barely earning pennies".[3] Carol Wilson of Dindisc disputed this, saying the cost to the band for the sleeve was contractually fixed and that the label took the expense.[7]

Reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic3/5 stars[8]
The Big Issue5/5 stars[9]
Encyclopedia of Eighties Music4/5 stars[10]
Pitchfork7.3/10[11]
Q4/5 stars[12]
Record Mirror4/5 stars[13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide3/5 stars[14]
Smash Hits7½/10[15]

Reviews of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark were generally favourable.[16] Paul Morley of NME wrote, "How fine and different their melodies can be, how detailed and distinctive their song-structure... there is a constant change in emphasis and dynamics. It's definitely dance music. Orch Man's debut LP is one of the best of the year."[17] In The Age, John Teerds called it "perhaps the best synthesiser-based music to emerge this year."[18] Red Starr of Smash Hits said, "An odd album from an odd duo, sometimes briskly clean synthesiser pop, sometimes strange and intriguing electronic excursions... Buy it and learn to love it."[15] Melody Maker's Ian Birch referred to the record as "unpretentious, tuneful and unceasingly pleasant".[19]

In a retrospective appraisal, AllMusic critic Ned Raggett said of the album, "Its music is wonderful... there's both a variety and ambition present that never overreaches itself." Raggett also had praise for Saville's "brilliant die-cut cover".[8] Trouser Press called the record "a demonstration of stylish electro-pop" with "a knack for melodies and hooks".[20] Pitchfork's Scott Plagenhoef wrote that the album's "adventurous blend of drama and pathos—and its nods toward the more rhythmic end of Krautrock—elevated [OMD] above the [Brian] Eno/Kraftwerk template clung to by many of their peers."[11]

Legacy[]

Joseph Burnett of The Quietus identified Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark as "one of the key early British synth-based pop/rock albums".[21] PopMatters critic Max Shand wrote that its "synthesizer bleeps disclos[ed] the way electronic music could avoid traditional song structures while still generating something buoyant."[4] Recounting OMD's legacy, Dave Segal of The Stranger said "their self-titled 1980 debut LP remains a masterpiece of enchanting melodies, fascinating rhythms, and cherubic vocals."[22] Classic Pop listed the record among the "Top 40 80s debut albums".[23] It also appeared in Slicing Up Eyeballs' "Top 100 Albums of 1980" and KCMP's "893 Essential Debut Albums", per reader votes.[24][25]

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark has been endorsed by other musicians. Erasure bandleader Vince Clarke (formerly chief songwriter of Depeche Mode and Yazoo) has named the record as one of his primary influences, with "Electricity" being the track that moved him to pursue a career in electronic music.[26][27] OMD promoted the album with an appearance on BBC2 show The Old Grey Whistle Test, alongside rock group ZZ Top. Impressed by the material, ZZ Top began playing Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark over the PA system prior to concerts, as well as incorporating synthesizers into their own work.[28][29] Physicist/musician Brian Cox has cited the record as a major inspiration and one of his all-time favourites.[30][31] In discussing some of his favourite electronic music, Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant declared Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark to be a "great" album.[32] Leftfield sampled "Almost" for their track "Snakeblood" (without attribution), which appeared on the soundtrack of The Beach (2000).[33][34]

Track listing[]

All songs were written by Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, except where noted.

Original release[]

Released on LP and compact cassette, the album was well-balanced for playback time, 18:23 on side A and 18:44 on side B. A 1980 French cassette release, offered as part of Collection Chrome high performance line, is notable for using more expensive chromium dioxide tape instead of standard ferric oxide tape. This release quotes slightly different running times, 17:36 and 18:23 respectively.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Bunker Soldiers"2:51
2."Almost"3:40
3."Mystereality"2:42
4."Electricity"3:32
5."The Messerschmitt Twins"5:38
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Messages" 4:06
7."Julia's Song"McCluskey, Humphreys, Julia Kneale4:40
8."Red Frame/White Light" 3:10
9."Dancing (Instrumental)" 3:00
10."Pretending To See The Future" 3:48

US release (O.M.D.)[]

A 1981 US compilation, also using the band's name as the title of the release, collects material from the first two OMD albums, and uses a differently coloured, non-die cut version of the sleeve-art from the debut LP.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Enola Gay"McCluskey3:31
2."2nd Thought"McCluskey4:12
3."Bunker Soldiers" 2:51
4."Almost" 3:46
5."Electricity" 3:32
6."Statues" 4:08
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."The Misunderstanding" 4:45
8."Julia's Song"McCluskey, Humphreys, Julia Kneale4:32
9."Motion And Heart" 3:13
10."Messages" 3:59
11."Stanlow" 6:30

Remastered CD release with bonus tracks[]

Virgin / DIDCDR2

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bunker Soldiers" 2:54
2."Almost" 3:44
3."Mystereality" 2:45
4."Electricity" 3:39
5."The Messerschmitt Twins" 5:41
6."Messages" 4:12
7."Julia's Song"McCluskey, Humphreys, Julia Kneale4:41
8."Red Frame/White Light" 3:12
9."Dancing (Instrumental)" 2:59
10."Pretending to See the Future" 3:48
Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Messages (Single version)" 4:46
12."I Betray My Friends" 3:53
13."Taking Sides Again (Instrumental)" 4:23
14."Waiting for the Man"Lou Reed3:00
15."Electricity (Hannett/Cargo Studios Version)" 3:37
16."Almost (Hannett/Cargo Studios Version)" 3:51

Personnel[]

  • Andy McCluskey – voice, bass, keyboards, electronic drums, drum programming.
  • Paul Humphreys – keyboards, voice, percussion, electronic drums, drum programming.

Additional musicians[]

  • Malcolm Holmes - percussion on "Julia's Song"
  • Martin Cooper - saxophone on "Mystereality"
  • Dave Fairbairn - guitar on "Messages" and "Julia's Song"

Charts[]

Chart performance for Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Chart (1980) Peak
position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[35] 49
UK Albums (OCC)[36] 27

Certifications[]

Certifications for Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[37] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Wilson, Lois (30 September 2019). "OMD". Record Collector. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  2. ^ "1981". Britain's Favourite 80s Songs. Season 2. Episode 2. 5 March 2021. 6–9 minutes in. Channel 5.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c Browne, Paul. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (2003 remaster). Sleeve notes. Virgin Records.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Shand, Max (8 November 2019). "OMD at 40: Making Sense of a Synthpop Legacy". PopMatters. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  5. ^ "OMD Discography: The Id". Archived from the original on 16 April 2005. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  6. ^ Watkins, Jack (21 April 2013). "Mute Record". Record Collector. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c Nice, James (2011) [2010]. Shadowplayers: The Rise and Fall of Factory Records (paperback ed.). London: Aurum Press. p. 99. ISBN 978 1 84513 634 5.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Raggett, Ned. "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  9. ^ Miller, Paul (21 February 1994). "When Synthesisers Rocked the Earth". The Big Issue.
  10. ^ Larkin, Colin (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music. Virgin Books. p. 350. ISBN 0753501597.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Plagenhoef, Scott (18 July 2003). "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark / Organisation / Architecture & Morality". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  12. ^ Eddy, Todd (May 2003). "The Synthesists (supplement)". Q. No. 202.
  13. ^ Ludgate, Simon (1 March 1980). "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: OMD". Record Mirror. p. 15.
  14. ^ Evans, Paul (2004). "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 607. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b Starr, Red (6–19 March 1980). "Albums". Smash Hits. Vol. 2 no. 5. pp. 30–31.
  16. ^ Waller, Johnny; Humphreys, Mike (1987). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Messages. Sidgwick & Jackson. p. 68. ISBN 0-283-99234-4.
  17. ^ Morley, Paul (1 March 1980). "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". NME.
  18. ^ Teerds, John (11 December 1980). "Records". The Age. p. 49 (GG: 12).
  19. ^ Birch, Ian (15 February 1980). "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". Melody Maker.
  20. ^ Grant, Steven; Robbins, Ira; Reno, Brad. "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". Trouser Press. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  21. ^ Burnett, Joseph (19 July 2013). "Thirty Years On: Japan's Oil On Canvas Revisited". The Quietus. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  22. ^ Segal, Dave. "Barenaked Ladies, OMD, Howard Jones". The Stranger. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  23. ^ "Top 40 80s debut albums". Classic Pop. November 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  24. ^ "Top 100 Albums of 1980: Slicing Up Eyeballs' Best of the '80s — Part 1". Slicing Up Eyeballs. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  25. ^ "893 Essential Debut Albums". KCMP. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  26. ^ "Synth Britannia (Part Two: Construction Time Again)". Britannia. 16 October 2009. 4 minutes in. BBC Four. British Broadcasting Corporation. When I first started playing synthesizers it [my inspiration] would have been people like The Human League; Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, their very first album; I was a big fan of Daniel Miller's work, as the Silicon Teens and as The Normal; and also of Fad Gadget.
  27. ^ "Erasure". The O-Zone. 29 November 1995. 8 minutes in. BBC 2. British Broadcasting Corporation. 'Electricity'... sounded so different from anything I'd heard; that really made me want to make electronic music, 'cause it was so unique.
  28. ^ Waller, Johnny; Humphreys, Mike (1987). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Messages. Sidgwick & Jackson. p. 70. ISBN 0-283-99234-4.
  29. ^ Breihan, Tom (28 July 2021). "ZZ Top's Dusty Hill Dead At 72". Stereogum. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  30. ^ Houghton, Richard (2018). "Foreword". OMD: Pretending to See the Future. This Day in Music Books. ISBN 978-1999592721. [Brian Cox:] We loved the [Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark] album, formed a band and learnt to play 'Electricity' and 'Messages'.
  31. ^ Cox, Brian (20 May 2012). "Favourite albums: what's the soundtrack to your life?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  32. ^ Jones, Dylan (2020). Sweet Dreams: From Club Culture to Style Culture, the Story of the New Romantics. Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0571353439. [Neil Tennant:] OMD's first album was great.
  33. ^ Boddy, Paul; Ming Lai, Chi (12 July 2017). "25 Favourite Uses of Classic Synth Samples". Electricity Club. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  34. ^ "One half of Leftfield, Neil Barnes, tells why he can't wait to give Rockness a blast of the coolest sounds down memory lane". The Scotsman. 25 May 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  35. ^ "Charts.nz – OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  36. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  37. ^ "British album certifications – OMD – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". British Phonographic Industry. 24 February 1982. Retrieved 25 May 2021.

External links[]

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