Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) is an English electronic band formed in Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The outfit comprises co-founders Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, along with Martin Cooper and Stuart Kershaw (drums); McCluskey has been the only constant member. OMD released its debut single, "Electricity", in 1979, and gained popularity throughout Europe with the 1980 anti-war song "Enola Gay". The band achieved broader recognition via the album Architecture & Morality (1981) and its three singles, all of which were global hits.
George Andrew McCluskey is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. He is best known as co-founder, lead singer and bass guitarist of the electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD).
Junk Culture is the fifth studio album by English electronic music band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 30 April 1984 by Virgin Records. After the commercial disappointment of the band's experimental 1983 album Dazzle Ships, OMD and Virgin intended for the band to shift toward a more accessible sound on its follow-up release. The record spawned four singles, including the UK Top 20 chart hits "Locomotion" and "Talking Loud and Clear".
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.
The OMD Singles is a singles compilation album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1998. It reached No. 16 in the UK charts. 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.
The Best of OMD is a compilation album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1988; marking a decade since the band's beginnings.
"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. Along with 1980's "Enola Gay", the track has been described as the band's signature song.
"Enola Gay" is an anti-war song by the British synth-pop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) and the only single from the band's 1980 album Organisation. The track addresses the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by the aircraft Enola Gay on 6 August 1945, toward the conclusion of World War II. It was written by vocalist/bass guitarist Andy McCluskey.
"Walking on the Milky Way" is a song by the British band OMD. It was released as a single in August 1996 and appeared on their Universal album a month later. The song reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's first UK top-twenty hit in over five years, and their last UK top-forty single. The group were flanked by a full string orchestra for their Top of the Pops performance of the song broadcast on 16 August 1996.
"Joan of Arc" is a 1981 song by British band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the second single from their third studio album Architecture & Morality. It became an international hit, reaching the Top 5 in the UK and Canada and number 13 in Ireland.
"Joan of Arc " is a song by British band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) and was the third single released from their third studio album Architecture & Morality. The track has been described by OMD frontman Andy McCluskey as the group's "Mull of Kintyre".
"Red Frame/White Light" is the second single of the synthpop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The song is about a red telephone box in Meols, on the Wirral peninsula in Cheshire, that was used by the band to make calls to organise their gigs in the late 1970s. The track is composed of two alternating major/minor sections, each built around a synthesizer hook. Lyrical content is minimal, comprising mostly brief, spoken word utterances. It was the band's first single to chart.
"Messages" is a song by English synth-pop band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) from their self-titled debut studio album (1980). A re-recorded version of the song was released on 2 May 1980 as the album's third and final single, reaching number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and becoming OMD's first top-40 entry. As with debut single "Electricity", "Messages" features a melodic synth break instead of sung chorus.
"Locomotion" is a song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the first single from their 1984 album, Junk Culture. It was one of the band's biggest European hits, charting within the Top 5 in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands, while also peaking at No. 14 in Germany.
OMD Live: Architecture & Morality & More is a live album and DVD by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. It was recorded at the Hammersmith Apollo, London on Saturday 19 May 2007.
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.
"Souvenir" is a song written by Paul Humphreys and Martin Cooper of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and released as the first single from their 1981 album Architecture & Morality. Sung by Humphreys, the track has minimal lyrical content and is characterised by slowed-down choir sounds offset by pulsing major key piano chords. Its "gentle, sparkling" synthesizer hook substitutes for a vocal chorus, as with other OMD compositions.
The discography of English synth-pop band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) includes 13 studio albums and 40 singles, among other releases. Since the late 1970s, the group have cultivated a legacy as innovators within popular music, with sales of more than 15 million albums and 25 million singles.
"La Femme Accident" is a song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the third and final single from their 1985 album Crush. 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.
"Tesla Girls" is a song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark released as the third single from their 1984 album, Junk Culture. It charted at No. 21 in the UK and Ireland, and No. 33 in the Netherlands. Although only moderately successful on the charts, it became one of the group's biggest club hits.
