The Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Singles Poll! OMD!!!

went for Messages in the end, but it was a v difficult choice. There were so many songs in contention, but also so many that were never be in contention, for OMD run the gamut between clever experimentalism and dreary blandness more than any band I know. And the thing is, which is really strange, that the normal formula, that a band runs out of ideas, has less time, is tired or doesn't try so hard, propotionate to the passage of time, does not seem to apply here. OMD Mk II, as we might term it, after Humphries had gone isn't neccessarily a pale shadow of OMD Mk I at all, insofar as Sailing on the Seven Seas and Stand Above Me were v much in contention for my vote. The other OMD Mk II material is admittedly dire.

I nearly went for Electricity, inpulsively. I love the way it takes a seemingly dull subject (lyrically) and makes it sound interesting. You might argue that doing this was v much of its time, like the synths, but, like the synths, why should it be? I also love the way that Electricity sounds like it is v danceable....until you try to dance to it. Unlike that Zappa song whose title escapes me, I doubt that this was deliberate.

Messages, Enola Gay and Souvenir were all in contention. I love the way McLusky sings "anyway-y-y-y-y" on the first of these.

I have to go for "Electricity" on Factory Records which I successfully managed to hype into the Radio Clyde Tartan Thirty for one week back in 1979.

Otherwise all of them up to and including "Telegraph" are brilliant. of the others, "Never Turn Away" is the great lost OMD ballad.

I cannot play "Genetic Engineering" loud enough!

Is "Genetic Engineering" the only UK hit single to have a Neu! tribute ("4 Neu") as its B-side?

possible lone vote here for 'forever live and die'

Or, as Nancy Wilson knows it, "How Glad I Am."

the worst song on here is Dreaming. What is especially bad is that the last word of the lyric is Goodbye. It is even repeated as if they are saying "This is the end of the song. DYS?"

Has to be "Souvenir" for me. Haven't heard the superior Factory version of "Electricity" in a long, long time. Had a soft spot for the Hi-NRG approximations of "Tesla Girls". Saw Paul Humphries and Claudia Brucken supporting Erasure last year as Onetwo, doing "Club Country" as a tribute to Billy Mackenzie's 50th birthday, and an ace version of "Duel", but no OMD oldies.

An incredibly tough choice, as they were THE band who got me into buying records and loving music in an intense way, and each single (and b-side) from 1984 to 1986 is associated with memories of girls and friends and school and heaven knows what, even dross like "So in love" and "Secret", which really were crap and even I knew it in my heart. As for the 90s comeback, I feel that the "Universal" album is an under-rated classic, even if it is a farewell.

But when it comes down to it, I must vote for the song which made me sit up and take notice of them - and music in general - and which inspired me to buy their records and love them so much. Put your hands together for "Genetic engineering". What a bloody song!

Dazzle Ships is best LP obv, but I went for "Talking Loud and Clear" in this poll. "Electricity" a close second.

Is "Genetic Engineering" the only UK hit single to have a Neu! tribute ("4 Neu") as its B-side?
Not if you count "Jenny Ondioline" on the B-side of the "French Disko" reissue ;)

I liked that quote from Michael Rother (or was it Klaus?) where he was walking across a field and heard Stereolab start up one of their tracks, and went "SHIT, WE'RE ON!!" until he realised it wasn't Neu on stage...

Messages

"Electricity" vs "Genetic Engineering" vs "Enola Gay" vs "Messages"

I'll go with "Enola Gay".

souvenir

definitely Souvenir.

Misread the thread title as "...OMG!!!!"

listening to architecture & morality the other day, it struck me how i prefer andy mclusky's and paul humphries' voices over almost all synth pop singers, more so than sylvian's regal, low slung croon, more than phil oakey's austere intoning. there is something quite innocent and unpretentious about their voices that sounds really fresh and pure and suits the intentional (?) naievity of their lyrics

especially paul humphries on 'souvenir'.

"Forever Live and Die," although the synth-sax solo in the middle kinda ruins it.

There's a brilliant song hiding under 'If You Leave's' clutter and clunk but I'm going to go with the consensus and vote for 'Souvenir'.

SO. MANY. GREAT. SONGS. OMG!

it has to be "Joan of Arc" for me, though the 1-2 punch of "Joan of Arc" right into "Maid of Orleans" on the A&M album *and* the singles comp. is FANTASTIC>>>>>>

"Souvenir".

"Dreaming" is the dark horse btw. Actually a great pop song, from an era which otherwise didn't produce much great stuff from them.

"La Femme Accident" and "Sailing On The Seven Seas" are the only post Junk Culture singles you need. I'm not voting either but I'm imparting this information as a community service.

Aaargh, I can't remember which one is "Souvenir" so I can't vote yet. Is it the one they play at the end of "The (UK) Office" Christmas special? Is that even OMD?
I remember my favorites were "So In Love" (which made me very sad, in a good way) and "Secret".

Souvenir: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxAyv4qWyPw

Misread the thread title as "...OMG!!!!"

-- Myonga Vön Bontee, Tuesday, March 18, 2008 7:46 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

t'was my intention. (Also, to make it searchable)

I sort of started this as I couldn't find the chat we'd had before about the Dazzle Ships tour. I'd said there that I just bought the remaster.

You know,it's a fine album, but my overriding impression is: Isn't this the album they should make? As opposed to all poptoney? I'd like to think I'd have loved this album back in the day. In fact, I remember them doing stuff from it on the Tube and being interested (but not having enough money to just buy everything that was interesting and current at the time.

Thanks! My computer doesn't have speakers though :(
At least now I know it's not the one from "the office"

"all I needed - it's my proposal" etc..

There's a Dazzle Ships tour??? ZOMG! I knew they'd done the whole of A&M live recently, but DS is the one album in the history of everything that cries out to have the 'performed complete and in full live' treatment.

Apparently they mentioned this as being what they're doing later this year.

Like OMD!!!! The Orchestral Manouvers In The Dark poll :)

um, yeah?

Is "Enola Gay" just to obvious or something? What a brilliant fucking single.. This poll could do with a bit more Gay love - it's got my vote at least.

"too"

For me it has to be "Genetic Engineering" as I bought the 12", had to return it as it was warped, and the clerk had such trouble writing 'Manoeuvres' that she had to fill out the return slip twice.

"Telegraph" is also great!

"Enola Gay" is among my absolute OMD faves, but "Souvenir" is a more beautiful song. Contrary to popular opionin, I feel that "Organisation" is a more cohesive album than "Architecture And Morality" though.

Haven't heard anything past Dazzle Ships but i have to go with Joan of Arc just over Enola Gay and Souvenir.
Such an amazing group. I really need to get the later albums.

Sometimes when I get up to poop real early in the morning and don't want to turn on the bathroom light I call it an ORCHESTRAL BOWEL MOVEMENT IN THE DARK har har.

Nothing beats the for real local news story "FOUR KESTRELS MANOEUVRE IN THE DARK"

Don't forget the story of Andre Previn vacuuming with the lights off.

Orchestral Man Hoovers In the Dark.

(I know, it's a very old joke, but it's worth repeating)

Contrary to popular opionin, I feel that "Organisation" is a more cohesive album than "Architecture And Morality" though.

^^ this - Organisation was hard to get into at first but it grew on me like nobody's business

"So in Love" may be the underrated one here.

who voted for "la femme accident"?!?

I remember when "Locomotion came out. I liked it, but I could tell there was a light that had gone in the old display that wouldn't be going on again.

I'm sure mine will be the only vote for "Walking on the Milky Way."

OMD? I thought it was the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. Soft spot in my heart for "Jackie Blue."

still..

You couldn't make it up.

Wasn't there an Ozark Mountain Devils song that was like the unofficial theme song for Radio Caroline in the 70s? I heard them play it the other week, something about 'sweet Caroline' (no, not THAT one).

No, have some of this:

RADIO CAROLINE - 1970's

f) ON MY WAY BACK HOME - New Riders of the Purple Sage Track on LP Gypsy Cowboy, CBS 65008 (UK.1972). Used as the station theme during the early Seventies, it features the lyric "on my way back home, sweet Caroline". The New Riders of the Purple Sage were formed in 1970 and named after a 1912 book by Western writer Zane Grey "Riders of the Purple Sage", the "new" was added the following year, the group later shortened their name to The New Riders.

Thanks, I didn't think I was right.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

DAZZLE SHIPS TOUR?

i'm going to investigate this, then come back to the thread.

gah. the stuff you miss when you take a break from ILX.

okay, in no particular order:

1) i can't find anything about a DS tour. that said: i've been waiting TWO AND A HALF FUCKING YEARS for that remaster, and i didn't even realise it was out. hey ho.
it is, despite everything, my favourite album ever made. i shall acquire it ASAP. in fact [tap, type] it should be in the post ASAP.

2) ""Never Turn Away" is the great lost OMD ballad" -- absolutely, yes.

3) so, this best-single thing. i'm tempted to say "telegraph" because nobody else will go for it and i adore it. but, objectively, "genetic engineering" is a better single (with a better B-side). my teenage self would say "joan of arc". but after all this time, all those years of obsession culminating in the abject fucking disaster that was the A&M tour, it's "maid of orleans" and i don't even have to think twice.

ah: found the discussion you mention, mark. hmmm. mccluskey speaks with forked tongue. i'm taking that with a pinch of salt.

HOWEVER: obviously, i'd be there.

AND: they couldn't possibly go in the space of one gig from dazzle ships stuff to fucking bastard cunting walking on the milky way, could they?

ACTUALLY: yes. the arseholes. they could.

STILL: fuck it.

Yes, the first nine are amazing; tempted to vote for only the pop single that encourages people to call a phonebox in Meols.

But it has to be Messages; I have it on a Pinefox compilation tape and it's my daughter's favourite car stereo tune.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

and a fine set they are.

Kind of happy to see "Tesla Girls" doing so well. Not much of an album, but that one song was ace.

surprised, but not entirely displeased. glad "telegraph" got some love.

poor andy mccluskey. one of the only OMD songs he didn't write, and it's no #1 in our poll :)

1. OMD did a tour of the UK last year where they did a (quick) going over of Dazzle Ships and a greatest hits set.

2. The remasted Dazzle Ships is out with SWISS RADIO INTERNATIONAL!!

3. Their most beautiful song was "Sealand".

glad "telegraph" got some love.

No fan of "Dazzle Ships", but "Telegraph" is OK.

1. OMD did a tour of the UK last year where they did a (quick) going over of Dazzle Ships and a greatest hits set

eh? they did an "architecture and morality" tour (cf long, anguished thread with roughly that title) and then a greatest-hits tour after that.

fuck "swiss radio international". i want to hear this demo of "telegraph".

also: there's a little dazzle ships tribute mini-site thing linked from the official OMD pages. worth a look: has the videos for "telegraph" and "genetic engineering" if you've not seen them, plus other random shit.

D'oh, of course. It was the A&M tour last year...!

Maid of Orleans > Joan of Arc

I hate If You Leave.

You hate so much stuff I love and love so much stuff I hate I can't even remember if we've ever found common ground.

Not true! We like many of the same acts.

and we love life

The first song that you've covered in this (awesome) series that I'm actually a fan of, but even I'm not sure if I think that this song is as good as "Follow Me," "What I Am," and "You're So Gay" are bad.

Heh, I don't think 'If You Leave' even made the Top 40 here... the OMD hardcore weren't really impressed. Some of them still aren't. I like tune and the production (that's Phil Collins' drumming that was sampled and re-sequenced on the Fairlight) but the lyrics are terrible.

Souvenir forever.

Messages is still kinda amazing, but I have to say it would be Talking Loud and Clear now I think, there's a delicate quality to it that I love.

The single version of 'Messages' > the album version. You can see why they chose to work with Mike Howlett on Organisation (which is as much of a masterpiece as Architecture & Morality or Dazzle Ships)

Yeah the single version is amazing, two basslines, one of which is quite dissonant and odd for a pop single.

"Brides of Frankenstein" (club promo)

I haven't heard this for a very long time, but the last time I did I found it a bit cringeworthy and incredibly dated.