Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic band formed in Wirral, Merseyside in 1978. The group consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, along with Martin Cooper and Stuart Kershaw (drums); McCluskey has been the only constant member. Regarded as pioneers of electronic music, OMD combined an experimental, minimalist ethos with pop sensibilities, becoming central figures in the late 1970s/early 1980s emergence of synth-pop.
The Id were a new wave/synthpop band from the Wirral, Merseyside, England formed in 1977. They are best recalled as the precursor to the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), in which Id members Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys (keyboards) and Malcolm Holmes (drums) would reunite; Gary Hodgson (guitar) would also reappear as a technician for the new group. A number of the Id's songs, including "Electricity", were re-recorded by OMD.
The Teardrop Explodes were an English post-punk/neo-psychedelic band formed in Liverpool in 1978. Best known for their Top Ten UK single "Reward", the group originated as a key band in the emerging Liverpool post-punk scene of the late 1970s. The group also launched the career of group frontman Julian Cope as well as that of keyboard player and co-manager David Balfe. Other members included early Smiths producer Troy Tate.
Dalek I Love You were a synthpop group from the Wirral, England. At various points in their existence, the band was also known as Dalek I. Record executives at Phonogram shortened the band's name without telling them for the "Freedom Fighters" single.
Dalek I Love You was the eponymous 1983 album from Dalek I Love You. On 2 April 2007, it was made available for the first time on CD.
Compass Kumpas was the first album from Dalek I Love You, shortened to Dalek I for this album and accompanying singles. It was released on May 24, 1980 by Back Door/Phonogram records.
Alan David Gill is an English vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, who formed part of the synthpop band Dalek I Love You and the post-punk/neo-psychedelic band the Teardrop Explodes.
George Andrew McCluskey is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. He is best known as the lead singer and bass guitarist of the electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), which he founded alongside keyboard player Paul Humphreys in 1978. The duo have been described as "electro pioneers".
Paul David Humphreys is an English singer, songwriter and musician who is best known for his contributions to Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), a new wave band which he founded alongside Andy McCluskey in 1978. John Doran in The Quietus remarked: "If, roughly speaking, McCluskey is the intellect and inquisitive nature in the group, then Humphreys is the heart."
Architecture & Morality is the third studio album by English electronic music band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 6 November 1981 by Dindisc. Inspired by religious music, the band 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 Brett Wickens, while its title was derived from the book Morality and Architecture by David Watkin.
Zoo Records was a British independent record label formed by Bill Drummond and David Balfe in 1978. Zoo was launched to release the work of the perennially struggling Liverpool band Big in Japan. The label also released two singles by Lori and the Chameleons, a Balfe and Drummond band which they formed after Big in Japan folded. Zoo Records went on to release early work from The Teardrop Explodes and Echo & the Bunnymen. The label also released the first single, "Iggy Pop's Jacket", by the Liverpool band Those Naughty Lumps.
"If You Leave" is a 1986 song by the British synthpop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD). It was recorded for the soundtrack to the film Pretty in Pink (1986), in which it is played prominently during the final scene, which also features a cameo by the band playing the song. Along with 1980's "Enola Gay", the track has been described as the band's signature song.
"So in Love" is a song by the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released in 1985 as the first single from the album Crush. The artwork, designed by XL Design, and the promo video were both influenced by the Mexican Day of the Dead festival.
25x5: The Continuing Adventures of the Rolling Stones is a documentary featuring rock group The Rolling Stones, charting the period between the band's formation in 1962 and the release of its then latest album, 1989's Steel Wheels. It was directed by acclaimed British documentary-maker Nigel Finch.
Martin Cooper is an English painter and a musician. He is the secondary keyboardist and occasional saxophonist for the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, whom he first joined in 1980.
"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.
David Alan Hughes is an English keyboardist who played in different new wave bands, and later became successful making music for films.
Radio Blank was an English short-lived R&B and punk band formed on the Wirral Peninsula, in November 1976, by Alan Gill (guitar), Keith Hartley (vocals), David Balfe (bass) and Steven Brick (drums).
The Blitz Brothers were an English new wave band based in Merseyside, England, comprising Chris Hughes, Dave Bates (vocals), Steve Lovell (guitars) and Hugh Jones (bass).
Chris Shaw, also known as Chris Teepee, is an English musician from Upton on the Wirral. Shaw is a drummer, synthesizer player and guitarist who has played with various Wirral and Liverpool bands during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
