If You Leave (song)

Last updated

"If You Leave"
If You Leave 2.jpg
Single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
from the album Pretty in Pink soundtrack
B-side "La Femme Accident"
Released1986
Recorded1986
Genre
Length4:25
Label Virgin (UK)
A&M (US)
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark singles chronology
"La Femme Accident"
(1985)		"If You Leave"
(1986)		"(Forever) Live and Die"
(1986)
Music video
"If You Leave" on YouTube

"If You Leave" is a 1986 song by English electronic band 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 OMD's signature song.

Contents

"If You Leave" is the group's highest-charting single on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it reached number 4 in May 1986. The song was also a Top 5 entry in Canada and New Zealand, and charted at number 15 in Australia. A defining track of the 1980s, it was described by Interview as "one of the most influential, zeitgeist-capturing songs ever to be written".

Composition

The end of the film Pretty in Pink , set in a high school prom, was originally meant to feature the OMD song "Goddess of Love" (which the band released on The Pacific Age later in 1986.) [1] However, director John Hughes decided to change the ending to Pretty in Pink after poor test audience reactions, and felt that the new ending required a song with different lyrical content. Hughes asked OMD for a new song to match the feel of the ending, and also specified that it should be written at a tempo of 120 BPM, to match the speed of "Don't You (Forget About Me)", which the actors in the scene had danced to during filming. [2] This request came two days before OMD were due to begin a tour, and as a result "If You Leave" was written and recorded in under 24 hours. [1]

Lyrically the band has stated that the song is about "The end of high school... the ending of your childhood", elaborating that they were trying to capture "this fear of what comes next". [3] Singer Andy McCluskey later noted that an editing error meant the dancing appears out of sync despite the matched tempo. [2]

Critical reception and legacy

"If You Leave" has garnered both praise and derision since its release. Ian Cranna in Smash Hits wrote that the song is "false and contrived and seems to last about 3 years" (but described UK B-side "88 Seconds in Greensboro" as "OMD at their blazing best"). [4] On the other hand, Billboard 's Brian Chin dubbed it a "magical beat/ballad" and a "key cut" from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. [5] Retrospectively, Alfred Soto of The Village Voice said the track "starts promisingly" and features "admirably straightforward" lyrics, but concluded: "Gradually the annoyances become menaces. The parts are garish, overstated; it's a cluttered mix." [6] Trouser Press called the song a "dull ballad" that "was thankfully omitted from OMD's subsequent album, The Pacific Age ". [7]

Conversely, Stereogum critic Ryan Leas considered the track to be among "the best songs of the '80s", and described its intro/chorus synthesizer melody as "one of the best sounds ever". [8] Andrew Unterberger in Stylus Magazine said that the "gorgeous" song makes the final scene of Pretty in Pink "one of the best in cinematic history". [9] AllMusic journalist Mike DeGagne named "If You Leave" as the best track from Pretty in Pink, adding that "its adult feel and smooth transition from stanza to chorus makes it [OMD's] most memorable song". [10]

Hugo Lindgren in The New York Times Magazine argued that the stateside popularity of "If You Leave" – as well as that of the similarly pop-oriented Crush (1985) – "obscured OMD's legacy as musical innovators" from US audiences, and marked a shift toward "making music for whoever signed the checks". [1] Listeners in OMD's native UK – where the band had gained an audience with edgy, experimental music – were particularly resistant to the track, which peaked at no. 48 on the UK Singles Chart. [11] Frontman Andy McCluskey commented: "It's a blessing to have such a big hit, but a shame that it overshadows so many other good songs for the US audience. We have many European fans who hate the song." [12] Along with 1980's "Enola Gay", "If You Leave" has been described as OMD's signature song. [13] [14]

In 2016, Entertainment Weekly journalist Dana Falcone described "If You Leave" as a "now-classic tune" and "OMD's best-known song to Americans". [15] Kevin Wuench of the Tampa Bay Times dubbed the track "a signature song of the '80s that will never leave the radio", [16] while Interview called it "one of the most influential, zeitgeist-capturing songs ever to be written". [17] The track has been included in various "greatest songs" listings; [lower-alpha 1] KOOL-FM named it the third-best new wave song of the 1980s, [18] while Time Out ranked it the 10th greatest track of 1980s cinema. [19] KROQ positioned "If You Leave" as the 16th-best song of 1986; [20] in a poll of 6,528 Slicing Up Eyeballs readers, it was voted the fifth-greatest song of the year. [21]

Track listing

7": Virgin / VS 843 (UK)

  1. "If You Leave" – 4:30
  2. "88 Seconds in Greensboro" – 4:20

7": A&M/Virgin / AM 8669 (US)

  1. "If You Leave" – 4:24
  2. "Secret" – 3:57

7": A&M/Virgin / AM 2811 (US)

  1. "If You Leave" - 4:24
  2. "La Femme Accident" - 3:58

12": Virgin / VS 843-12 (UK)

  1. "If You Leave" (extended version) – 5:59
  2. "88 Seconds in Greensboro" – 4:20
  3. "Locomotion" (live version) – 3:50

12": A&M/Virgin / SP-12176 (US)

  1. "If You Leave" (extended version) – 5:59
  2. "La Femme Accident" (extended version) – 5:36

Personnel

Credits sourced from "Making Music" magazine, the "Vintage Synth" forum and the original album liner notes. [28] [29]

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Charts

Other appearances

Cover versions

Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark</span> English band

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic band formed in 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.

<i>Junk Culture</i> 1984 studio album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

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 we've ever made".

<i>Architecture & Morality</i> 1981 studio album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

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.

<i>Crush</i> (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark album) 1985 studio album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Crush is the sixth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 17 June 1985 by Virgin Records. It is the first of two OMD studio albums to be produced by Stephen Hague. Aimed primarily at the US market, Crush is notable for moving the group towards a more polished sound, although elements of earlier experimentation are still present. During recording the band employed a greater use of organic instrumentation than in the past.

<i>The Pacific Age</i> 1986 studio album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

The Pacific Age is the seventh studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 29 September 1986 by Virgin Records. It was the last of two OMD studio albums produced by Stephen Hague, after Crush (1985). The record exhibits the same refined production values as its predecessor while venturing into the realm of mid-1980s sophisti-pop, retreating further from the group's experimental beginnings.

<i>Liberator</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Liberator is the ninth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 14 June 1993 by Virgin. Recorded by OMD frontman Andy McCluskey along with musicians enlisted for the multi-million selling Sugar Tax (1991), the album ventures further into the dance-pop style explored by its predecessor.

<i>The OMD Singles</i> Extended play by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

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.

<i>The Best of OMD</i> 1988 compilation album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enola Gay (song)</span> 1980 single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

"Enola Gay" is an anti-war song by the English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), and the only single taken from their second studio album Organisation (1980). Written by lead vocalist and bassist Andy McCluskey, it addresses the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by the aircraft Enola Gay on 6 August 1945, toward the conclusion of World War II. As is typical of early OMD singles, the song features a melodic synthesizer break instead of a sung chorus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">So in Love (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark song)</span> 1985 single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

"So in Love" is a 1985 song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the first single from their album Crush. It reached the top 30 of both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming their first entry on the latter. The track was a top 10 hit in Belgium and Holland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secret (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark song)</span> 1985 single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

"Secret" is a 1985 song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the second single from their album Crush. Paul Humphreys sings lead vocals on the track. It became their second US Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at number 63, and also made number 34 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)</span> 1982 single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messages (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark song)</span> 1980 single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

"Messages" is a song by English electronic 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 their debut single "Electricity", "Messages" features a melodic synth break instead of a sung chorus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Locomotion (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark song)</span> 1984 single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

"Locomotion" is a song by the English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 2 April 1984 as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Junk Culture (1984). It was one of the band's biggest European hits, charting within the Top 5 in the UK, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, while also peaking at No. 14 in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Souvenir (song)</span> 1981 single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetic Engineering (song)</span> 1983 single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

"Genetic Engineering" is a 1983 song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the first single from their fourth studio album Dazzle Ships. The synthesized speech featured on the track is taken from a Speak & Spell, an educational electronic toy developed by Texas Instruments in the 1970s intended to teach children spelling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talking Loud and Clear</span> 1984 single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

"Talking Loud and Clear" is a song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 4 June 1984 as the second single from their fifth studio album Junk Culture (1984). The single was a European hit, reaching the Top 10 in Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, and No. 11 in the UK. It also charted at No. 18 in Germany. The song was edited for its 7" single release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(Forever) Live and Die</span> 1986 single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

"(Forever) Live and Die" is a 1986 song by the English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the first single from their seventh studio album The Pacific Age. Paul Humphreys sings lead vocals on the track. The single peaked at No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart. It was a top 10 hit in Canada and several European territories, and a top 20 hit in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shame (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark song)</span> 1987 single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

"Shame" is a song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the third single taken from their 1986 album, The Pacific Age, although it is a re-recording made after the album's release, presumably in early 1987, and was produced by Rhett Davies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreaming (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark song)</span> 1988 single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

"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.

References

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  2. 1 2 Macantosh, Dan. "ANDY MCCLUSKY OF OMD". Songfacts. Archived from the original on 6 October 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  3. ↑ Professor of rock (21 September 2020). OMD On The Story of 80s Love Song "If You Leave". YouTube. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021.
  4. ↑ Cranna, Ian (7 May 1986). "Single Reviews (OMD – '88 Seconds in Greensboro')". Smash Hits . 8 (10): 41.
  5. ↑ Chin, Brian (22 February 1986). "Dance Trax". Billboard . p. 57.
  6. ↑ Soto, Alfred (19 June 2012). "OMD's 'If You Leave' Can't Get Out Of Here Soon Enough". The Village Voice . Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  7. ↑ "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". Trouser Press . Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  8. ↑ Leas, Ryan (12 February 2016). "Neon Nostalgia". Stereogum . Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  9. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (3 October 2003). "Top Ten Musical Moments from Pretty in Pink". Stylus Magazine . Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  10. ↑ The Best of OMD at AllMusic.
  11. ↑ "If You Leave" review at AllMusic.
  12. ↑ "If You Leave by OMD". Songfacts. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  13. ↑ O'Brien, Jon. "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Live in Berlin". AllMusic . Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  14. ↑ "'Now I'm bored and old': 27 deliberately confounding follow-ups to popular successes". The A.V. Club . 17 August 2009. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  15. ↑ Falcone, Dana (28 February 2016). "Pretty in Pink 30th anniversary: OMD 'If You Leave'". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  16. ↑ Wuench, Kevin (28 January 2014). "Tuesday lost and found: OMD's 'Electricity'". Tampa Bay Times . Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  17. ↑ "They Touched You Once, They'll Touch You Twice: A Renaissance for OMD". Interview . 30 March 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
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  29. ↑ "Airy string sound on OMD's If you leave?". forum.vintagesynth.com. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
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