Souvenir (song)

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For other songs, see Souvenir (disambiguation).

"Souvenir"
OMD Souvenir 7inch.gif
"Souvenir" 7" sleeve
Single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
from the album Architecture & Morality
B-side
  • "Motion & Heart" (Amazon Version)
  • "Sacred Heart"
Released4 August 1981 (1981-08-04)
Recorded1981
GenreElectronic, synth-pop
Length
  • 3:39
  • 4:16 (10" extended souvenir)
LabelDindisc
Songwriter(s)Paul Humphreys,
Martin Cooper
Producer(s)Mike Howlett
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark singles chronology
"Enola Gay"
(1980) 		"Souvenir"
(1981) 		"Joan of Arc"
(1981)
Alternative cover
"Souvenir" 10" sleeve
"Souvenir" 10" sleeve

"Souvenir" is a song written by Paul Humphreys and Martin Cooper of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) and released as the first single from the band's 1981 album Architecture & Morality. Sung by Humphreys, the track is characterised by its use of slowed-down choral loops, and showcases OMD's early approach of substituting a vocal chorus for a synthesizer hook. The song has garnered praise from critics and fellow artists.

"Souvenir" became an international hit for the band. Peaking at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, it remains the group's highest-charting single in their home country, along with 1991's "Sailing on the Seven Seas". The song also reached the Top 10 in several European countries, including topping the charts in Spain and Portugal.

History[]

A tape consisting of slowed-down loops of a choir tuning up lent by ex-OMD member Dave Hughes had been the initial inspiration for the song.[1] The composition was difficult, and the group was initially tempted to abandon the track. It was originally titled "The Choir Song" and the working title remained up until the final week for Peter Saville's artwork delivery.[2]

Keyboard player Paul Humphreys provided lead vocals and had co-written the song with Martin Cooper who had played live with OMD and was becoming part of the group. A synthesizer hook substitutes for a vocal chorus, as with other OMD compositions.[3] Frontman and co-founder Andy McCluskey was not a fan of the track. He said in 1987, "I think you can always make a better case for a song you've written on your own... But everyone seems to think I hated 'Souvenir' just because it was Paul's song – not so. I genuinely thought it was a bit soppy, and since I hadn't written it, I found it hard to relate to."[4]

An extended version of Souvenir (with an additional verse) was released as a 10" single[5] and was later included as a bonus on the digitally remastered copies of Architecture & Morality. It was the second time the group had used this unusual release format, the first being the 10" single for "Messages" in May 1980.

Unlike successive hit singles "Joan of Arc" and "Maid of Orleans" from the Architecture & Morality album, "Souvenir" has never been reissued as a standalone CD single release.

The title of the track was used for a documentary DVD about the reformed OMD, released in 2007 by Aspect Television.[6]

Reception[]

Cashbox named "Souvenir", and "Did It in a Minute" by Hall & Oates, as their top "singles picks" for the week of 20 March 1982. The magazine called "Souvenir" an "insidiously catchy and melodic synthesizer glissando", and OMD's "strongest U.S. bid yet".[7] Neal Hall of the Vancouver Sun wrote that the song "has all the makings of a straight pop hit" and "underscores the band's talent at writing subtle, intelligent pop songs."[8] Smash Hits journalist Peter Silverton was less enthused, portraying the track as "ethereal but rather hollow".[9] The magazine later expressed an alternate view, observing a "strong" single that features 1981's "intro of the year".[10]

"Souvenir" entered the UK Singles Chart on 25 August 1981 at no. 41, reaching no. 23 the following week. It was featured for the first time on Top of the Pops two days later, helping the single to enter the Top 10 the next week, and then reach its peak of no. 3 on 15 September.[11] "Souvenir" was the 28th best-selling single in the UK in 1981.[12]

Retrospectively, Ned Raggett of AllMusic praised Humphreys' "warm and beautiful lead role" and described the mid-song instrumental break as "especially inspired".[13] Critic Dave Thompson felt "Souvenir" broke new artistic ground for the band, possessing an "exquisite lightness" and capturing "OMD at their most luminescent".[14] Mark Lindores of Classic Pop called it a "shimmering synth-pop masterpiece",[15] while Trouser Press hailed the track as "magnificent" and "one of the most majestic singles of the post-punk era".[16]

Legacy[]

Smash Hits readers voted "Souvenir" the fourth-best single of 1981.[10] It later placed 33rd in a Slicing Up Eyeballs reader poll of the year's greatest songs,[17] and was named by Channel 5 as the 28th-best track of 1981.[18] Classic Pop ranked the single as the 34th-best of the 1980s.[19] Having gained limited mainstream airplay since its initial chart success, "Souvenir" was mentioned in the IPC Media special 501 Lost Songs as a "classic piece of early '80s melancholy".[2] It has nevertheless been featured on numerous 1980s compilation albums, as well as in the BBC drama Ashes to Ashes.[20]

Multiple artists have endorsed the track. Owen Pallett, who has arranged string versions of OMD songs, said, "I was working so hard to make the strings sound like a four-pole filter sweep, which is what is the intro of 'Souvenir' is made from. That inspired me to... apply it to my own songs."[21] The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon professed to "absolutely adore" the track, adding, "[It's] probably the single record that I have played most in my life. I just kept it on repeat."[22] Upon meeting in 1981, Pet Shop Boys members Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe found common ground in their love of "Souvenir". Tennant wrote in 2018, "'Souvenir' is such a beautiful and wistful song with that sparse early Eighties electronic sound. I still play it."[23]

In 2011, Princess Chelsea named "Souvenir" her favourite song.[24] Jonn Penney of Ned's Atomic Dustbin selected it as the one track he would like to be played at his funeral, adding, "I'd want people to have that euphoric feeling that you sometimes get, when you remember something special that happened to you. This song somehow captures that for me."[25] "Souvenir" was described by the Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess as "so atmospheric" and an "absolute classic",[26] and Erasure vocalist Andy Bell said that he is always moved to tears upon hearing the track.[27]

B-sides[]

There are two songs on the B-sides of the 7" and the 10" singles, "Motion & Heart" (Amazon Version) and "Sacred Heart". The original version of "Motion & Heart" can be found on the Organisation album. The Amazon Version was recorded at Amazon Studios in Kirkby as a possible single after "Enola Gay", but that plan was dropped.[1] Both songs are produced by OMD and can be found on the remastered re-issues of Architecture & Morality. "Sacred Heart" is also included on Navigation: The OMD B-Sides.

Music video[]

The Palladian Bridge at Stowe House

The song's promo video was filmed in the grounds of Stowe House, the home of Stowe School, in Buckinghamshire, England. It was an early MTV favourite and is among OMD's more well-known videos.[28]

Andy McCluskey is seen driving around in a classic red, convertible Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, while Paul Humphreys stands on, and leans against the pillars of, the Palladian Bridge while singing. The promo video is included on the video version of The Best of OMD, the bonus DVD of the 2007 reissue of Architecture & Morality and the DVD included in the 2008 Compilation album Messages: Greatest Hits.[29]

Live performances[]

The song has been performed at live shows on a regular basis since the Architecture & Morality tour in 1981, except for when Paul Humphreys was no longer with the band during the 1990s and early 2000s.[30] A live performance from 1981 was filmed for the Live at The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane concert in December 1981, initially released on VHS (1982) and laserdisc (1984) and later on DVD.

The song was also performed with The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in June 2009 as documented by the Electricity DVD release.[31]

On 26 July 2015 Paul Humphreys was unable to perform at the 80s Rewind Festival in Scotland and so the vocal was sung for the first time by Andy McCluskey. On seeing a clip of the performance from his hospital bed Humphreys said he felt he had "entered some kind of alternative universe".[32]

Sleeve design[]

The sleeve was designed by Peter Saville and Brett Wickens. The 7" sleeve has a die-cut hole in the middle, revealing the label. On the label is a picture of a Düsseldorf street scene. For the 10" this picture is printed on the sleeve. It was the first single released with OMD as the band name. The European releases have different artwork, some almost identical to the UK releases. A Canadian release of the 10" has green transparent vinyl.

Alternate versions[]

In May 1991 DMC released a 12" vinyl single with the "Postcards from the Edge Mix" by Brothers in Rhythm.

In 1998 four remixes of the song were made by Moby for the intended second disc of The OMD Singles. The second disc was dropped, but the remixes appeared on various The OMD Remixes EPs. In 2003 the double disc version was released in France only, which included all four remixes.

Mike "μ-Ziq" Paradinas,[33] and Mark Morriss of the Bluetones,[34] are among those who have covered the song.

Track listings[]

Charts[]

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] Silver 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Official OMD Website discography entry for "Souvenir" 7". Archived from the original on 3 March 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "252-281: The '80s". 501 Lost Songs. IPC Media: 53. 2011. [T]his was originally known as 'The Choir Song', as the intro consisted of slowed-down loops of a choir tuning up. This classic piece of early '80s melancholy got its eventual title as Peter Saville was about to deliver the artwork for what would become the band's massive-selling Architecture & Morality album.
  3. ^ "Interview: Andy McCluskey, OMD". PRS for Music Online Magazine. 19 March 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013. Many of our songs use the synth melody as the chorus. There are verses but generally the melody is the chorus.
  4. ^ Waller, Johnny; Humphreys, Mike. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Messages. Sidgwick & Jackson. 1987. ISBN 0-283-99234-4. p. 91.
  5. ^ "Official OMD Website discography entry for "Souvenir" 10". Archived from the original on 14 March 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
  6. ^ [1]
  7. ^ "Singles". Cashbox. 20 March 1982. pp. 3, 9.
  8. ^ Hall, Neal (31 December 1981). "Pop/rock records". Vancouver Sun. p. 91 (L35).
  9. ^ Waller, Johnny; Humphreys, Mike. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Messages. Sidgwick & Jackson. 1987. ISBN 0-283-99234-4. p. 95.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b "Smash Hits 1981 Poll Winners". Smash Hits. Vol. 3 no. 26. 24 December 1982 – 6 January 1982. pp. 15, 17.
  11. ^ "Official Charts - Singles - Souvenir". Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  12. ^ "The Official Top 50 best-selling songs of 1981". Official Charts. 5 March 2021.
  13. ^ Raggett, Ned. Architecture & Morality review at AllMusic
  14. ^ Thompson, Dave. "Souvenir" review at AllMusic.
  15. ^ Lindores, Mark (1 August 2019). "Classic Album: Architecture & Morality". Classic Pop. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". Trouser Press. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  17. ^ "Top 100 Songs of 1981: Slicing Up Eyeballs' Best of the '80s Redux — Part 2". Slicing Up Eyeballs. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  18. ^ "1981". Britain's Favourite 80s Songs. Season 2. Episode 2. 5 March 2021. 6–9 minutes in. Channel 5.
  19. ^ "Top 100 Singles of the 80s: 35-31". Classic Pop. March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  20. ^ "Souvenir": Appears On. AllMusic.
  21. ^ Turner, Luke (24 March 2010). "Orchestral Manoeuvres & Homoerotica: Owen Pallett Opens His Heartland". The Quietus. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  22. ^ Tuffrey, Laurie (4 July 2013). "Batting Order: Neil Hannon's Favourite Albums". The Quietus. p. 9. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  23. ^ Houghton, Richard (2019). OMD: Pretending to See the Future (expanded paperback ed.). This Day in Music Books. p. 136. ISBN 978-1916115620.
  24. ^ Keeley, Matt (15 November 2011). "Interview: Chelsea Nikkel, aka Princess Chelsea". Kittysneezes. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  25. ^ "Track Record: Jonn Penney of Ned's Atomic Dustbin". Music Republic Magazine. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  26. ^ Burgess, Tim (14 April 2020). "Architecture and Morality replay". Tim's Twitter Listening Party. Event occurs at 9:08 PM. Retrieved 1 April 2021. Absolute classic. Gorgeous. I had it on a 7” (as well as the 'other' massive song from this record). So atmospheric.
  27. ^ Walsh, Ben (6 May 2013). "Music review: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Roundhouse, London". The Independent. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  28. ^ "Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Souvenir - YouTube". www.youtube.com.
  29. ^ "Messages: Greatest Hits, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark". Record Collector. Diamond Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  30. ^ "Souvenir by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". setlist.fm. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  31. ^ "Souvenir song". musicbrainz.com. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  32. ^ "OMD Official page - Message from Paul 27 July 2015". facebook.com. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  33. ^ "µ-Ziq digs up cover of OMD's 'Souvenir' he recorded as a 13-year-old in 1985". Slicing Up Eyeballs. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  34. ^ Lay, Sarah (16 August 2015). "Mark Morriss (The Bluetones) – interview". Louder Than War. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  35. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 224. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  36. ^ "Ultratop.be – OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – Souvenir" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  37. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Souvenir". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  38. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  39. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – Souvenir" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  40. ^ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 94 no. 16. 24 April 1982. p. 63. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  41. ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  42. ^ "OMD: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  43. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – Souvenir". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  44. ^ Scaping, Peter, ed. (1982). "The Top 200 Singles: January–December 1981". BPI Year Book 1982 (5th ed.). London: The British Phonographic Industry Ltd. pp. 46–49. ISBN 0-906154-03-0.
  45. ^ "British single certifications – OMD – Souvenir". British Phonographic Industry. 1 September 1981. Retrieved 24 December 2020.

External links[]

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