The Liverpool duo Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey had been playing together in bands for years before founding Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark in 1978.
Hitlerz Underpantz
By the way, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is not the craziest name they ever came up with. An earlier project of the two was called Hitlerz Underpantz, for example. Just try to imagine that. After releasing their first single ‘Electricity’ in 1978, drummer Malcolm Holmes and keyboardist Dave Hughes joined, and OMD became a band.
Enola Gay
In a short time, the band released two albums; Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1980) and Organisation (1980). From the album Organisation, the single ‘Enola Gay’ became a big hit. Surprisingly, not in the Netherlands. The single has since secured a permanent place in the Top 2000.
Joan of Arc
At the beginning of 1982, OMD also scored a big hit in the Netherlands. From the album Architecture & Morality came the single ‘Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)’. It was number 1 for five weeks in the National Hit Parade. The single also did well in many other countries. After the release of Architecture & Morality, keyboardist Dave Hughes left the band and was replaced by keyboardist and saxophonist Martin Cooper.
Albums
The albums the band released throughout the 1980s all charted highly. The band also scored several big hits such as ‘Locomotion’, ‘So in Love’, ‘(Forever) Live and Die’ and ‘Talking Loud And Clear’. In 1986, the group disbanded.
The 90s
Under the name OMD, Andy McCluskey released three albums in the 1990s. With a completely new band, he went on tour. The album sales were disappointing and from 1996 it really went quiet around Andy McCluskey and OMD.
Original line-up
In 2006, the band announced they were reuniting in the original line-up. They performed live and released compilation CDs and live CD/DVDs. In 2010, the first studio album since 1996 was released; History of Modern. And in April 2013, the album English Electric saw the light of day.
Top 2000
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark had two songs in the Top 2000 of 2020:
Enola Gay
The song was written by singer/bassist Andy McCluskey and is about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 by the American B-29 Superfortress bomber named Enola Gay. Although the single appeared in various international charts, despite all the attention from radio broadcaster Veronica, it was not a hit in the Netherlands.
Source NPO Photo: monophonic.grrrl
