Dindisc | |
---|---|
Parent company | Virgin Records |
Founder | Carol Wilson |
Genre | New wave, post-punk |
Country of origin | UK |
Dindisc (often rendered DinDisc) was a UK record label, an imprint of Virgin Records but operating semi-independently, which issued new releases from mid-1979 through early 1982. It is no longer active, but CD reissues on Virgin still mention the label and have Dindisc catalogue numbers.
The imprint was founded and run by Carol Wilson, [1] who had previously discovered Sting and signed him to Virgin's music publishing company. Talking about the signing of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark to Dindisc, she later said: "OMD were a perfect fit for what I had in mind for DinDisc — they had a serious, artistic side with real depth, as well as a commercial, pop side. That duality was reflected in all the early DinDisc signings, like Martha and the Muffins, and then the Monochrome Set." [2]
Many of the company's sleeves were designed by the in-house designer Peter Saville. Saville had started at Factory Records, but came to Wilson's attention when she signed Factory band OMD; she had been particularly interested by Saville's thermographic paper sleeve for the Factory release of "Electricity". [2] Saville delivered the artwork for the Dindisc release of "Electricity" and asked Wilson if Dindisc needed an art director. [3] Saville and Ben Kelly won a Designers and Art Directors Award for their work on the album Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark . [4]
The label's first release (DIN-1) was "Where's the Boy for Me" by the Rezillos, released in September 1979. The label's most notable chart successes included Martha and the Muffins' "Echo Beach" (UK #5 in 1980) and several early singles by OMD, including "Enola Gay", "Souvenir", "Joan of Arc" and "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)", all of which hit the UK top 10 in 1980/81.
The label ceased operations after the release of Hot Gossip's "I Don't Depend on You" (DIN-39) in February 1982, after Wilson failed to obtain a shareholding. [5] The Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark single "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)" had the final number in catalogue sequence (DIN-40), but was actually released a few weeks earlier, in January 1982. The dissolution of Dindisc led to Saville and Brett Wickens establishing their own studio, Peter Saville Associates. [6]
No. | Artist | Title | Format | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DID-1 | Martha and the Muffins | Metro Music | LP, cass | 1980-02 | [7] |
DID-2 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | LP, cass | 1980-02-22 | Multiple sleeve colours [8] |
DID-3 | The Revillos | Rev Up | LP | 1980-03 | [9] |
DID-4 | The Monochrome Set | Strange Boutique | LP, cass | 1980-02-19 | [10] [11] |
DID-5 | Martha and the Muffins | Trance and Dance | LP, cass | 1980-09 | [12] |
DID-6 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Organisation | LP, cass | 1980-10-24 | Initial copies with 33rpm 7"EP DEP-2 [13] |
DID-7 | Dedringer | Direct Line | LP | 1981 | [14] |
DID-8 | The Monochrome Set | Love Zombies | LP | 1980-10-17 | [15] |
DID-9 | Nash the Slash | Children of the Night | LP, cass | 1981 | [16] |
DID-10 | Martha and the Muffins | This Is the Ice Age | LP, cass | 1981 | [17] |
DID-11 | Modern Eon | Fiction Tales | LP | 1981 | [18] |
DID-12 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Architecture & Morality | LP, cass | 1981-11-08 | Initial pressings in die-cut sleeves [19] |
DID-13 | Arlene Phillips' Hot Gossip | Geisha Boys and Temple Girls | LP | 1981 | Produced by Heaven 17 as the British Electric Foundation [20] |
DONE-1 | Various Artists | Dindisc 1980 | LP | 1980 | Initial copies with a poster-sized game [21] |
No. | Artist | Title | Format | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DIN-1 | The Revillos | Where's The Boy For Me? (2:00) / The Fiend (1:59) | 7" | 1979-09-07 | [22] |
DIN-2 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Electricity (3:33) / Almost (3:50) | 7" | 1979-09-28 | Both tracks as recorded by Martin Hannett [23] |
DIN-2 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Electricity (3:32) / Almost (3:40) | 7" | 1980-03-31 | Both tracks album versions, remixed from Hannett recordings; same catalogue number, same sleeve front, different sleeve back [24] |
DIN-3 | Duggie Campbell | Enough To Make You Mine / Steamin' | 7" | 1979 | Produced by Sting [25] |
DIN-4 | Martha and the Muffins | Insect Love (4:10) / Cheesies And Gum (3:05) | 7" | 1979-10 | [26] |
DIN-5 | The Revillos | Motor Bike Beat / No Such Luck | 7" | 1980 | [27] |
DIN-6 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Red Frame/White Light (3:15) / I Betray My Friends (3:50) | 7", 12" | 1980-02-01 | 7" and 12" identical [28] [29] |
DIN-7 | The Brians | My Brother's Famous / Brian's Sister Sue | 7" | 1979 | Fictitious group; all members are allegedly brothers of famous musicians and celebrities, all named Brian [30] |
DIN-8 | Bardi Blaise | Trans Siberian Express (3:40) / Competition Side | 7" | 1980 | B-side instrumental of A-side [31] |
DIN-9 | Martha and the Muffins | Echo Beach (3:38) / Teddy The Dink (3:32) | 7" | 1980-01 | [32] |
DIN-10 | Dedringer | Sunday Drivers (3:22) / We Don't Mind (3:23) | 7" | 1980-01 | [33] |
DIN-11 | Dedringer | Maxine / Innocent 'Til Proven Guilty // Took A Long Time / We Don't Mind (Re-recorded Version) | 2×7" | 1981 | [34] |
DIN-12 | Dedringer | Direct Line / She's Not Ready | 7" | 1981 | [35] |
DIN-13 | Laura Warman | Impossible To Love You (3:30) / Pick Up The Pieces (3:25) | 7" | 1981 | [36] |
DIN-14 | The Name | Forget Art Let's Dance (2:46) / Misfits | 7" | 1980 | [37] |
DIN-15 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Messages (4:01) / Taking Sides Again (4:20) | 7" | 1980-05-02 | Rerecorded from album version [38] |
DIN-15-10 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Messages (4:48) // Waiting For The Man / Taking Sides Again | 10" | 1980-05-02 | Multiple coloured labels. Very 1st 10" release with Album version, but withdrawn from sale over band objections. 2nd release with re-recorded Version [39] |
DIN-Z-16 | The Revillos | Scuba Scuba / Scuba Boy Bop | 7" | 1980 | [40] |
DIN-17 | Martha and the Muffins | Saigon (3:52) / Copacabana | 7" | 1980-05 | [41] |
DIN-18 | The Monochrome Set | The Strange Boutique (2:40) / Surfing S.W.12 (2:39) | 7" | 1980 | [42] |
DIN-19 | Martha and the Muffins | About Insomnia (3:10) / 1 4 6 (4:46) | 7" | 1980-07 | [43] |
DIN-Z-20 | The Revillos | Hungry For Love / Voodoo 2 | 7" | 1980-08 | [44] |
DIN-21 | Martha and the Muffins | Suburban Dream / Girl Fat | 7" | 1980-08 | [45] |
DIN-22 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Enola Gay (3:36) / Annex (4:32) | 7", 12" | 1980-09-26 | 7", 12" identical tracks [46] [47] |
DIN-23 | The Monochrome Set | 405 Lines (3:00) / Goodbye Joe (2:42) | 7" | 1980 | [48] |
DIN-24 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Souvenir (3:37) // Motion & Heart (Amazon Version) (3:07) / Sacred Heart (3:27) | 7" | 1981-08-04 | [49] |
DIN-24-10 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Extended Souvenir // Motion & Heart (Amazon Version) / Sacred Heart | 10" | 1981-08-04 | [50] |
DIN-25 | Carolynne Beale | Lack Of Money (2:49) / Stuck On A Sad Pill (3:08) | 7" | 1981 | [51] |
DIN-26 | The Monochrome Set | Apocalypso (3:37) / Fiasco Bongo (3:47) | 7" | 1980-10-03 | [52] |
DIN-27 | Martha and the Muffins | Was Ezo / Trance And Dance | 7" | 1980-11 | [53] |
DIN-28 | Nash the Slash | Dead Man's Curve / Reactor No.2 | 7" | 1981 | [54] |
DIN-29 | Nash the Slash | 19th Nervous Breakdown (3:28) / Danger Zone (4:14) | 7" | 1981 | [55] |
DIN-30 | Modern Eon | Euthenics / Cardinal Signs | 7" | 1981 | [56] |
DIN-31 | Modern Eon | Child's Play / Visionary | 7" | 1981 | [57] |
DIN-32 | Martha Ladly & Scenery Club | Finlandia (3:50) / Tasmania (2:59) | 7" | 1981-06 | [58] |
DIN-33 | Nash the Slash | Novel Romance (3:18) / In A Glass Eye (4:38) | 7" | 1981 | [59] |
DIN-34 | Martha and the Muffins | Women Around The World At Work (3:59) / Twenty Two In Cincinnati (4:16) | 7" | 1981-08 | [60] |
DIN-35 | Modern Eon | Mechanic (3:13) / Splash! (5:09) | 7" | 1981 | [61] |
DIN-36 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Joan Of Arc (3:46) / The Romance Of The Telescope (Unfinished) (3:17) | 7", 12" | 1981-10-09 | 7", 12" identical tracks. First 1000 12" in textured sleeve. [62] [63] |
DIN-37 | Hot Gossip | Criminal World / On The Road | 7", 12" | 1982-02 | 12" extended A-side 7:45 [64] [65] |
DIN-38 | Hot Gossip | Soul Warfare / Soul Warfare (Instrumental) | 7", 12" | 1982-02 | [66] [67] |
DIN-39 | Arlene Phillips' Hot Gossip | I Don't Depend on You / Depend On Us | 7", 12" | 1982 | [68] [69] |
DIN-40 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc) (4:09) / Navigation (3:26) | 7" | 1982-01-15 | [70] |
DIN-40-12 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz Joan Of Arc) (4:09) // Of All The Things We've Made (3:31) / Navigation (3:26) | 12" | 1982-01-15 | [71] |
DEP-1 | Martha and the Muffins | 1980 Tour Live EP (Indecision / Cheesies And Gum // Primal Weekend / Paint By Number Heart) | 7"EP | 1980-09 | [9] |
DEP-2 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | The Unreleased '78 Tapes (Introducing Radios / Distance Fades Between Us // Progress / Once When I Was Six) | 7"EP | 1980-10 | Bonus EP with DID-6 Organisation [9] |
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic band formed on the Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of founding duo and principal songwriters Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, along with Martin Cooper and Stuart Kershaw (drums). Regarded as pioneers of electronic music, OMD combined an experimental, minimalist ethos with pop sensibilities, becoming key figures in the emergence of synth-pop; McCluskey and Humphreys also introduced the "synth duo" format to British popular music. In the United States, the band were an early presence in the MTV-driven Second British Invasion.
Peter Andrew Saville is an English art director and graphic designer. He designed many record sleeves for Factory Records, which he co-founded in 1978 alongside Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus.
Dazzle Ships is the fourth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 4 March 1983 by Virgin Records. Its title and cover art allude to a painting by Vorticist artist Edward Wadsworth based on dazzle camouflage, titled Dazzle-ships in Drydock at Liverpool.
Junk Culture is the fifth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 30 April 1984 by Virgin Records. After the commercial disappointment of the experimental Dazzle Ships (1983), OMD and Virgin intended for the group to shift towards a more accessible sound on its follow-up release. The band retained much of their early experimental approach but embraced a wider range of influences than previously, drawing inspiration from pop, dance, Latin and black music. Frontman Andy McCluskey characterised Junk Culture as "the catchiest, poppiest album [OMD] ever made".
Architecture & Morality is the third studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 6 November 1981 by Dindisc. Inspired by religious music, the group sought to broaden their musical palette by utilising elaborate choral samples, the Mellotron, and other new instruments to create a more naturalistic, emotive sound. The artwork was designed by longtime OMD collaborator Peter Saville, along with associate Brett Wickens, while its title was derived from the book Morality and Architecture by David Watkin.
Organisation is the second studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 24 October 1980 by Dindisc. On Organisation the group worked with a producer for the first time, enlisting former Gong bass player Mike Howlett, while session musician Malcolm Holmes became the band's full-time drummer. The record is noted for its dark, melancholic tone in comparison to other OMD releases.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is the debut studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 22 February 1980 by Dindisc. Recorded at the group'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.
The OMD Singles is a singles compilation album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1998. It reached number 16 on the UK Albums Chart. Originally, the compilation was to include a second disc of new remixes; however, this idea was abandoned due to budget limitations. The few remixes that were produced were released separately as The OMD Remixes. In 2003, The OMD Singles was reissued in France with the remix disc finally included, comprising the 1998 remixes as well as additional remixes. In the same year Virgin also released a two-disc box set comprising The OMD Singles and Navigation: The OMD B-Sides.
Navigation: The OMD B-Sides is the fourth compilation album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. It was released in 2001 by Virgin Records and contains a variety of B-sides from their Dindisc and Virgin output.
The Best of OMD is a compilation album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released in 1988; marking a decade since the band's beginnings. The record essentially delineates the group's experimental early years from their pop-oriented later work: side one features recordings from 1979 to 1984, while side two is drawn from the group's 1984–1988 efforts.
"Electricity" is the 1979 debut single by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), featured on their eponymous debut album the following year. Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys sing the lead vocals on the track together in unison, although Humphreys is positioned higher in the mix. Recognised as one of the most influential singles of its era, "Electricity" was integral to the rise of the UK's synth-pop movement. It has garnered praise from music journalists and other recording artists.
"Joan of Arc" is a 1981 song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the second single from their third studio album Architecture & Morality. It was well-received by critics and became a hit in the British Isles, reaching number 5 in the UK and number 13 in Ireland.
"Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)" is a song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released in 1982 as the third single from their third studio album, Architecture & Morality. To prevent confusion with the group's previous single "Joan of Arc", the song was retitled "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)" for its single release. Both songs are about the French heroine Joan of Arc and both reached the Top 5 of the UK Singles Chart—although this release was more successful internationally, topping the charts in several countries including Germany, where it was the biggest-selling single of 1982. "Maid of Orleans" has sold four million copies worldwide.
"Souvenir" is a song written by Paul Humphreys and Martin Cooper of English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), and released as the first single from the group'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 utilising a synthesizer hook in place of a vocal chorus. The song has garnered praise from critics and fellow artists.
The discography of English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) includes 14 studio albums and 46 singles, among other releases. The group issued their debut single, "Electricity", in 1979, and achieved several international top 10 hits during the 1980s and 1990s, including their signature songs "Enola Gay" (1980) and "If You Leave" (1986). OMD's albums Architecture & Morality (1981), The Best of OMD (1988) and Sugar Tax (1991) were certified platinum or higher in the UK; the gold-certified Dazzle Ships (1983) became one of the band's more influential works.
"La Femme Accident" is a song by the English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the third and final single from their sixth studio album Crush (1985). Like two of their previous singles, it references Joan of Arc. Unlike those two singles, it was not a substantial hit, peaking at No. 42 in the UK.
"Dreaming" is a song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark initially released in January 1988 as a single from their compilation album The Best of OMD.
Messages: Greatest Hits is a compilation release by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), issued in 2008. At the time it was the most comprehensive of the band's retrospective packages, featuring a CD of 20 charting singles and a DVD of all the band's music videos. Material was drawn from the group's recording career from 1979 to their first disbandment in 1996.
History of Modern is the eleventh studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 20 September 2010 by 100% Records. It is their first album since 1996, and the first to feature the classic four-piece OMD line-up since 1986's The Pacific Age. It was recorded remotely, with band members compiling the tracks via the Internet.
English Electric is the twelfth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), and their second since the 2006 reformation of the group. Preceded by lead single "Metroland" on 25 March 2013, it was released on 5 April by 100% Records. Unlike predecessor History of Modern (2010), which was compiled remotely via the Internet, English Electric saw OMD co-founders Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys write and record in person, with the aim of recreating their artistic chemistry in years past. The album was largely inspired by McCluskey's then-recent divorce.