Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use dmy dates Template:EngvarB Template:Infobox musical artist Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic band formed in Meols, Merseyside in 1978 by Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards, vocals). 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.

McCluskey and Humphreys led the Id, a precursor group, from 1977 to 1978 and re-recorded their track "Electricity" as OMD's debut single in 1979. Weathering an "uncool" image and a degree of hostility from music critics, the band achieved popularity throughout Europe with the 1980 anti-war song "Enola Gay", and gained further recognition via Architecture & Morality (1981) and its three hit singles. Although later reappraised, Dazzle Ships (1983) was seen as overly experimental, and eroded European support. OMD embraced a more radio-friendly sound on Junk Culture (1984); this change in direction led to greater success in the US, and spawned hits including "If You Leave" (from the 1986 film Pretty in Pink).

In 1989, Humphreys and longtime group members Martin Cooper (keyboards, saxophone) and Malcolm Holmes (drums) departed to form the spin-off band the Listening Pool, leaving McCluskey as the sole member of OMD. The group returned with a new line-up and explored the dance-pop genre: Sugar Tax (1991) and its initial singles were hits in Europe. OMD then began to flounder amid the guitar-oriented grunge and Britpop movements, eventually disbanding in 1996. McCluskey later founded girl group Atomic Kitten, for whom he served as a principal songwriter and producer, while Humphreys formed the duo Onetwo alongside lead vocalist Claudia Brücken of Propaganda.

In 2006, OMD reformed with McCluskey and Humphreys revisiting the more experimental territory of their early work. The band have achieved 14 top-20 entries on the UK Albums Chart, as well as global sales of 40 million records. Their 20th century output yielded 18 top-40 appearances on the UK Singles Chart, along with four top-40 entries on the US Billboard Hot 100. Described as one of the most influential synth-pop acts in history, OMD have inspired many artists across diverse genres and disciplines. In 2015, the group established their most enduring line-up, with McCluskey and Humphreys being complemented by Cooper and Stuart Kershaw (drums).

History

1975–1979: Roots and early years

File:Andy McCluskey.JPG

Lead vocalist and co-founder Andy McCluskey in 2011

Founders Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys met at primary school in Meols, England in the early 1960s, and in the mid-1970s, as teenagers, they were involved with various local groups.<ref>Taylor, Paul. Popular Music Since 1955. Mansell Pub., 1985. p. 339. Template:ISBN, Template:ISBN.</ref> By 1975, McCluskey had formed Equinox as bassist and lead vocalist, alongside schoolmate Malcolm Holmes on drums, while Humphreys was roadie. During that time, McCluskey and Humphreys discovered their electronic style, inspired by German band Kraftwerk.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After Equinox, McCluskey joined Pegasus,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and, later, the short-lived Hitlerz Underpantz, alongside Humphreys.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="faq2">Template:Cite web</ref> McCluskey would usually sing and play bass guitar; roadie and electronics enthusiast Humphreys, who shared McCluskey's love of electronic music,<ref name="Lindores">Template:Cite magazine</ref> graduated to keyboards.

In September 1977, McCluskey and Humphreys put together the seven-piece (three vocalists, two guitarists, bassist, drummer, and keyboardist) Wirral band the Id, whose line-up included drummer Malcolm Holmes and McCluskey's girlfriend Julia Kneale on vocals. The group began to gig regularly in the Merseyside area, performing original material (largely written by McCluskey and Humphreys). They had quite a following on the scene, and one of their tracks ("Julia's Song") was included on a compilation album of local bands called Street to Street – A Liverpool Album (1979).<ref name="faq2"/><ref name="familytree">Pete Frame's Rock Family Trees, 1993</ref> Meanwhile, Humphreys and McCluskey collaborated on a side project called VCL XI, whose name was adapted from a diagram on the back cover of Kraftwerk's fifth studio album Radio-Activity (1975), reading "VCL 11". This project allowed them to pursue their more obscure electronic experiments.<ref name="faq2"/>

In August 1978, the Id broke up due to musical differences. Also in August, McCluskey joined Wirral electronic outfit Dalek I Love You as lead vocalist, but quit in September.<ref name="familytree"/> Later in the month, he rejoined Humphreys and their VCL XI project was renamed Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The name was gleaned from a list of song lyrics and ideas that were written on McCluskey's bedroom wall;<ref name=Lindgren>Template:Cite news</ref> and was chosen so they would not be mistaken for a punk band.<ref>Rock Formations: Categorical Answers to How Band Names Were Formed, Dave Wilson, 2004, p. 58</ref><ref name="Rexroat1988">Template:Cite news</ref> Given that OMD intended to play only one gig, the duo considered their moniker to be inconsequential.<ref name="breakfast2010">Template:Cite episode</ref> McCluskey has since expressed regret over choosing "such a very silly name".<ref name="Rexroat1988"/> The contrasting personalities of Humphreys and McCluskey established the band's dynamic, with the former saying that "two Pauls wouldn't get anything done and two Andys would kill each other."<ref name="Bray13">Template:Cite news</ref> They have further described their creative roles as "The Surgeon" (Humphreys) and "The Butcher" (McCluskey).<ref name="Earls2020">Template:Cite web</ref> As working class youngsters,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="HumphreysNeedle">Template:Cite episode</ref> OMD had a limited budget, using second-hand "junk-shop" instruments including a left-handed bass guitar (which McCluskey would play upside-down).<ref name="HumphreysNeedle"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The pair also created their own devices, with Humphreys "making things out of his aunt's radios cannibalised for the circuit boards".<ref name="HumphreysNeedle"/><ref name="RC19">Template:Cite web</ref> Eventually, they acquired a basic Korg M-500 Micro Preset synthesizer, purchased via McCluskey's mother's mail-order catalogue for £7.76 a week, paid over 36 weeks.<ref name="1981CH5">Template:Cite episode</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

OMD began to gig regularly as a duo, performing to backing tracks played from a TEAC 4-track tape-recorder christened "Winston" (after the antihero of George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four). Their debut performance was in October 1978 at Eric's Club in Liverpool.<ref name="RC19"/> Finding themselves on the cusp of an electronic new wave in British pop music, they released a one-off single, "Electricity", with independent label Factory Records. The track was supposed to be produced by the Factory Records producer Martin Hannett. However, the A-side was the band's original demo produced by their friend, owner of Winston and soon to be manager, Paul Collister,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> under the pseudonym Chester Valentino (taken from a nightclub called Valentino's in the nearby city of Chester). The single's sleeve was designed by Peter Saville, whose distinctive graphics contributed to OMD's public image into the 1980s.<ref name="faq2"/><ref name="Lindores"/> "Electricity" became a seminal release within the burgeoning synth-pop movement,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="MettlerJune16">Template:Cite web</ref> and led to the band receiving a seven-album recording contract with Dindisc, worth over £250,000.<ref name=Lindgren/><ref name="RC19"/>

In 1979, OMD were asked to support Gary Numan on his first major British tour. Humphreys noted, "[Numan] gave us our first big break. He saw us opening for Joy Division and he asked us to go on tour with him... we went from the small clubs to playing huge arenas. Gary was very good to us."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Along with Numan, OMD became key figures in the rise of synth-pop.<ref name=Lindgren/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Numan later supported OMD on a 1993 UK arena tour.<ref>Houghton, pp. 81–82</ref>

1980–1988: Classic line-up

Rather than hire studio time to record their eponymous debut album (1980), McCluskey and Humphreys used their advance payment from Dindisc to build their own Liverpool recording studio, called the Gramophone Suite. They predicted that they would be dropped by the label due to disappointing sales, but would at least own a studio.<ref name="RC19"/> The album showcased the band's live set at the time, and included some guest drums from former Id drummer Malcolm Holmes and saxophone from former Dalek I Love You member Martin Cooper. It had a raw, poppy, melodic synth-pop sound.<ref>Browne, Paul. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (2003 remaster). Sleeve notes. Virgin Records.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Dindisc arranged for the song "Messages" to be re-recorded (produced by Gong bassist Mike Howlett) and released as a single—it gave the band their first hit.<ref name="AMbio">Template:Cite web</ref> Dave Hughes (another Dalek I Love You alumnus), who joined OMD in 1980,<ref name="familytree"/> is featured in the "Messages" music video. A tour followed; Winston was augmented with live drums from Malcolm Holmes, and Dave Hughes played synthesizers. Hughes left OMD in late 1980.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The band's second studio album, Organisation (a reference to the band which preceded Kraftwerk,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> founded by Kraftwerk's original members Florian Schneider-Esleben and Ralf Hütter), followed later that year, recorded as a three-piece with Humphreys, McCluskey and Holmes. It was again produced by Howlett, and had a darker, moodier feel largely inspired by the passing of Joy Division lead vocalist and former Factory label-mate Ian Curtis.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The album included the anti-war<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> hit single "Enola Gay", named after the plane that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.<ref name="AMbio"/> The song was intended to be included on the debut studio album, but was left out at the final selection. The tour for this album had a four-piece band line-up, with Martin Cooper recruited for keyboard duties and enlisted as an official group member.<ref name="Lindores"/> The McCluskey/Humphreys/Cooper/Holmes unit came to be regarded as the band's "classic" line-up.<ref name="Mansfield13">Template:Cite web</ref> In early 1981, readers of Record Mirror voted OMD the fourth-best band and eighth-best live act of 1980;<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> NME and Sounds readers named the group the eighth and 10th best new act of the year, respectively.<ref>West, p. 26</ref> In Smash Hits, they were voted both the fifth-best band of 1980 and the eighth-hottest new act for 1981.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Howlett then presided over the recording of a further hit single, "Souvenir", co-written by Cooper and Humphreys. It ushered in a lush choral electronic sound. The song also became OMD's biggest UK hit to date.<ref name="Lindores"/><ref name="A&Mofficial">Template:Cite web</ref> The band's third studio album, Architecture & Morality, was released in the UK and Europe in November 1981, becoming their most commercially successful studio album. The group went into the studio with Richard Manwaring producing.<ref name="Lindores"/><ref name="A&Mofficial"/> Cooper then temporarily dropped out and was replaced by Mike Douglas, but this change was reversed by the time the album was released and a tour followed.<ref>Waller; Humphreys, pp. 92–96</ref> The album's sound saw OMD's original synth-pop sound augmented by the use of the Mellotron<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (an instrument previously associated with progressive rock bands), adding atmospheric swatches of string, choir, and other sounds to their palette. Two more hit singles, "Joan of Arc" and "Maid of Orleans" (which became the biggest-selling single of 1982 in Germany<ref name="stanley">Stanley, Bob. How to lose 3 million fans in one easy step. The Guardian. 7 March 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2013.</ref>) were on the album. Both songs were originally titled "Joan of Arc"; the name of the latter single was changed to Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc) at the insistence of the publishers and to avoid confusion.<ref name="Lindores"/> Readers of Smash Hits voted OMD the seventh-best group of 1981,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> while Record Mirror readers named them the eighth-best band (as well as the 10th-best "new artist") and the third-best live act of the year.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The group came close to breaking up in 1982, with McCluskey later saying, "We had never expected the success, we were exhausted."<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref>

File:20180728 Köln Amphi Festival OMD 0157.jpg

Longtime instrumentalist Martin Cooper in 2018

In 1983, the band lost commercial momentum somewhat, with the release of their more experimental fourth studio album Dazzle Ships, produced by Rhett Davies, perhaps best known for his previous work with Roxy Music and Brian Eno. The record mixed melancholy synth ballads and uptempo synth-pop with musique concrète and short wave radio tape collages. Its relative commercial failure caused a crisis of confidence for Humphreys and McCluskey, and brought about a deliberate move towards the mainstream.<ref name="stanley"/> Their following studio album, 1984's Junk Culture, was a shift to a more pop-style sound, and the band used digital sampling keyboards such as the Fairlight CMI and the E-mu Emulator. The album was a success, reassuring the group about their new direction.<ref name="AMbio"/> The "Locomotion" single returned them to the top five in the UK. Record Mirror readers named OMD the eighth-best live act of 1984.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In 1985, the band expanded to a sextet with the addition of brothers Graham Weir (guitar, keyboards, trombone) and Neil Weir (keyboards, trumpet, bass guitar), and released their sixth studio album, Crush, produced by Stephen Hague in Paris and New York.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sessions were strained, with Humphreys briefly quitting the group.<ref name="messages148–9">Waller; Humphreys, pp. 148–149</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> OMD had been an early presence in the Second British Invasion of the US,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> but achieved their first Billboard Hot 100 hit with the no. 26 entry "So in Love". This led to some success for Crush, which entered the American Top 40. Later in 1985, the band were asked to write a song for the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink (1986). They offered "Goddess of Love", although the ending of the film was re-shot due to a negative response from test audiences. OMD then wrote "If You Leave" in less than 24 hours,<ref name=Lindgren/> and it became a top 5 hit in the US, Canada, and New Zealand. Journalist Hugo Lindgren argued that the success of "If You Leave" has concealed from US audiences the group's history of making innovative music.<ref name=Lindgren/>

In September 1986, the same six piece line-up also released their seventh studio album, The Pacific Age, but the band began to see their critical and public popularity wane notably in the UK. The album's first single, "(Forever) Live and Die", was a top 10 hit across Europe<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and entered the top 20 in both the UK<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and US. On 18 June 1988, OMD supported Depeche Mode at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California where they played to over 60,000 people. They also released the top 20 US hit "Dreaming" and a successful greatest hits album, The Best of OMD. Graham and Neil Weir left the group at the end of the 1988 US tour.

1989–1996: McCluskey-led OMD and disbandment

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Keyboardist and co-founder Paul Humphreys departed in 1989.

As OMD appeared poised to consolidate their US success, the band continued to fracture. Humphreys departed in 1989 amid personal and creative dissension with McCluskey.<ref name="Majewski2014"/> Cooper and Holmes then left OMD to join Humphreys in founding a new band called the Listening Pool.<ref name="AMbio"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> McCluskey recalled, "We were all in agreement that something was wrong. How to fix it was where we disagreed."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Only McCluskey was left to carry on, essentially becoming a solo artist working under the OMD banner. McCluskey's first album from the new OMD was the dance-pop studio album Sugar Tax in May 1991, which charted at No. 3 in the UK. McCluskey recruited Liverpool musicians Raw Unlimited (Lloyd Massett, Stuart Kershaw, Nathalie Loates) as collaborators for the making of Sugar Tax; writing credits carefully distinguished between songs written by OMD (i.e., McCluskey) and songs written by OMD/Kershaw/Massett.<ref>Sugar Tax liner notes. 1991. Virgin Records.</ref> This iteration of the group was initially successful, with hits such as "Sailing on the Seven Seas" and "Pandora's Box", with lesser success on fellow chart entries "Call My Name" and "Then You Turn Away". McCluskey's live band was then composed of Nigel Ipinson (keyboards), Phil Coxon (keyboards), and Abe Juckes (drums) from late 1990. Smash Hits readers voted OMD the sixth-best British group of 1991.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The group's next studio album was 1993's Liberator, which ventured further into dance territory.<ref name="Evans2004"/> It peaked at No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart. The lead single "Stand Above Me" peaked at no. 21 on the UK Singles Chart, with a follow-up single, "Dream of Me", charting at no. 24. Paul Humphreys was credited as co-writer of the single "Everyday" (a No. 59 UK chart entry). The fifth track from Liberator, "Dream of Me", was built around a sample from "Love's Theme" by Love Unlimited Orchestra, a song written and produced by Barry White.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> To release the track as an OMD single, however, McCluskey had to agree that the single release would remove the actual "Love's Theme" sample, but still be officially titled "Dream of Me (Based on Love's Theme)", and furthermore would still give a writing credit to White.<ref>Liberator liner notes. 1993. Virgin Records.</ref>

Also in 1993, McCluskey made contributions to the Elektric Music album Esperanto, a project by former Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> McCluskey returned with a rotating cast of musicians for the more organic Universal (1996),<ref name="RC19" /> which featured two songs co-written by Humphreys as well as a holdover from the Esperanto sessions, co-written by Bartos. The record spawned OMD's first Top 20 hit in five years, "Walking on the Milky Way".

Although both Liberator and Universal produced minor hits, McCluskey retired OMD in late 1996, having faced waning public interest amid the grunge and Britpop movements.<ref name="Majewski2014"/><ref name="Cárdenas"/> A particular source of frustration was the modest commercial response to "Walking on the Milky Way", over which McCluskey said he "sweated blood", considering it "about as good a song as I could write". However, the track was not playlisted by BBC Radio 1, and Woolworths did not stock it. McCluskey said, "I just thought: 'Screw this, I'm not going to bang my head against a brick wall'."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A second singles album was released in 1998, along with an EP of remixed material by such acts as Sash! and Moby.<ref name="Schulte">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Post-1996, McCluskey decided to focus on songwriting for such Liverpool-based acts as Atomic Kitten and Genie Queen, and trying to develop new Merseyside artists from his Motor Museum recording studio. With McCluskey focusing his talents elsewhere, Humphreys decided to work with his new musical partner Claudia Brücken (of the ZTT bands Propaganda and Act) as Onetwo. He also undertook a US live tour under the banner "Paul Humphreys from OMD".<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref>

2006–2012: Reformation and comeback releases

File:Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark 2011.jpg

McCluskey and Humphreys performing in 2011

An unexpected request to perform from a German television show led the group to reunite.<ref name=Lindgren/> On 1 January 2006, McCluskey announced plans to reform OMD with the "classic" line-up of McCluskey, Humphreys, Holmes, and Cooper. The original plan was to tour the studio album Architecture & Morality and other pre-1983 material, then record a new studio album set for release in 2007. In May 2007, the Architecture & Morality remastered CD was re-released together with a DVD featuring the Drury Lane concert from 1981 that had previously been available on VHS. The band toured throughout May and June, beginning their set with a re-ordered but otherwise complete re-staging of the Architecture & Morality album. The second half of each concert featured a selection of their best known hits.<ref>OMD Live: Architecture & Morality & More. 2008. Eagle Records.</ref>

A live CD and DVD of the 2007 tour, OMD Live: Architecture & Morality & More, was released in the spring of 2008; it was recorded at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. Also released was a 25th anniversary re-release of Dazzle Ships, including six bonus tracks. To tie-in with the re-release, the band made the brief "Messages 78-08 30th Anniversary Tour", featuring China Crisis as a support act.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A cover of Atomic Kitten's 2001 hit, "Whole Again" (which had been co-written by McCluskey), was included on Liverpool – The Number Ones Album (2008), marking OMD's first new studio recording in 12 years.

In June 2009, an orchestral concert with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic was played in Liverpool; a recording of this concert was released on DVD in December.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band toured arenas in November and December, supporting Simple Minds on their Graffiti Soul Tour.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> OMD had performed at the Night of the Proms festival in December 2006 in Germany, renewing the experience again in Belgium and the Netherlands that year. They were the headline act at Britain's first Vintage Computer Festival at The National Museum of Computing in June 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

McCluskey recalled, "Once we had toured again... there was only one dangerous but logical next step: to be crazy enough to dare to make new music. The process took about three years as we were conscious that a poor album would undermine all of the positive effects that we had achieved in the touring."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pet Shop Boys keyboardist Chris Lowe encouraged their return to the studio, declaring that "the world needs more OMD records".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band's eleventh studio album, History of Modern, was released in September 2010, reaching No. 28 in the UK Albums Chart and being followed by a European tour.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Reviews of the album were generally favourable.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 28 September, OMD performed as a special guest at the "first ever gig" of the Buggles.<ref name="Horn10">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March 2011, the band played their first North American tour as the "classic" line-up since 1988.<ref name="Mansfield13"/> In September, they appeared at the 2011 Electric Picnic festival in Stradbally, Ireland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In November 2011, OMD returned to the studio and started work on their next album, English Electric.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 12 March 2012, the band played a concert in the Philippines at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In August, OMD performed to South African audiences in Cape Town and Johannesburg.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

2013–2019: Return to prominence

Template:Quote box In 2013, OMD performed at Coachella, a festival in Indio, California, on 14 and 21 April.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Metroland", the first single from the forthcoming studio album English Electric, was released on 25 March 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The album was released in the UK on 8 April, and entered the UK album chart at No. 12 and the German chart at No. 10. Reviews for both the album and their concerts were generally positive.<ref name=Lindgren/> "The Future Will Be Silent", a 500-copy limited edition 10-inch picture disc EP from English Electric, was made available for Record Store Day 2013, and included a then-exclusive non-album track titled "Time Burns".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For Record Store Day 2015, a 1000-copy limited edition 10-inch EP of "Julia's Song (Dub Version)" from Junk Culture was made available, which includes an exclusive non-album track titled "10 to 1".

OMD performed a one-off concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London on 9 May 2016 to a sell-out crowd, playing both Architecture & Morality and Dazzle Ships in their entirety, along with other songs from before 1983. The only song post-1983 played was "History of Modern Part 1". The concert was recorded and made available on double CD right after the show, with a triple LP vinyl recording of the concert also being made available.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band collaborated with Gary Barlow, Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman on the OMD song "Thrill Me", co-written by Barlow and McCluskey for the soundtrack of the 2015 film Eddie the Eagle.<ref>Fly: Songs Inspired by the Film Eddie the Eagle. AllMusic. Retrieved 11 November 2016.</ref> Work began in October 2015 on what was to be their thirteenth studio album The Punishment of Luxury,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which was released on 1 September 2017 and charted at no. 4 in the UK.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> OMD toured Europe and North America in support of the album, with Stuart Kershaw replacing Holmes as the band's drummer, due to the latter's health issues.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

In 2018, OMD published a book titled Pretending to See the Future, which is a first-person "autobiography" about the band. It mixed fan-submitted memories with commentary from McCluskey, Humphreys, Cooper, Holmes, and Kershaw. For people who pre-ordered the book on PledgeMusic, they received a limited-edition flexi-disc containing a previously unheard demo of "Messages" from 1978.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As part of OMD's 40th-anniversary celebrations, they embarked on a UK and European tour in 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band won "Group of the Year" and "Live Act of the Year" in the 2019 Classic Pop Reader Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A retrospective deluxe box set titled Souvenir was also released. The 40th anniversary collection includes the band's forty singles, including a new release titled "Don't Go". It also contains 22 previously unreleased recordings from the group's archive, selected and mixed by Paul Humphreys. Two audio live shows (one from 2011 and one from 2013) are also included, together with two DVDs bringing together two more live concerts (Drury Lane in 1981 and Sheffield City Hall in 1985) plus Crush – The Movie, and various BBC TV performances from Top of the Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test and Later... with Jools Holland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2020–present: Continued acknowledgement

File:OMD Sheffield 2024.jpg

OMD at Sheffield City Hall during 2024 UK Tour

During the COVID-19 lockdown imposed in March 2020, McCluskey "rediscovered the creative power of boredom" and began writing material for OMD's next studio album.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October, the band returned to live performance with a limited-capacity gig at London's indigo at The O2, with proceeds going to their road crew; the event was also streamed online.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2021, the Souvenir box set was nominated for "Best Historical Album" at the Grammy Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also that year, OMD celebrated the 40th anniversary of 1981's Architecture & Morality with a UK tour, and released a triple-vinyl set of the album's singles containing associated B-sides, demo recordings, and live tracks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In March 2022, a pair of concerts with a heavy emphasis on the group's more experimental work (rescheduled from September 2020), took place at the Royal Albert Hall, with a live album based on the shows released through the OMD store.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another re-issue of 1983's Dazzle Ships, featuring previously unheard recordings, was announced for a March 2023 release.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

OMD's fourteenth studio album, Bauhaus Staircase, was released on 27 October 2023;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> it was preceded by a single, the title track, on 22 August.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The record debuted at no. 2 on the UK Albums Chart, matching the peak achieved by The Best of OMD (1988).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> McCluskey has said that Bauhaus Staircase is likely to be the band's final album.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their latest 2024 tour runs from March to October including gigs in the UK, South Africa, Canada and the US.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Artistry and image

Early ethos and presentation

Template:Quote box Electronic band Kraftwerk served as OMD's primary musical influence: McCluskey credits "Autobahn" (1974) with piquing he and Humphreys' interest in electronic music.<ref name="Earls2020"/><ref name="Maxwell2010">Template:Cite web</ref> Other formative influences included the Velvet Underground, Neu!, Roxy Music, Brian Eno and David Bowie.<ref name="Maxwell2010"/> The pair also drew inspiration from Factory Records label-mates Joy Division, particularly during the making of Organisation (1980).<ref name="RC19"/> Disenchanted with the macho guitar rock that was popular among their friends, McCluskey and Humphreys were keen to "slay the rock 'n' roll dragon".<ref name=Lindgren/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Spin wrote that "OMD set about reinventing punk with different applications of dance beats, keyboards, melodies, and sulks", rejecting the genre's "sonic trappings but not its intellectual freedom".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The group found commercial success with a style of synth-pop described as "experimental", "minimal[ist]" and "edgy".<ref name="Shand2019"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> OMD often eschewed choruses, replacing them with synthesizer lines, and opted for unconventional lyrical subjects such as industrial processes, micronations and telephone boxes;<ref name="Ware2013">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Awbi13">Template:Cite web</ref> the BBC said that the band "were always more intellectual" than "contemporaries like Duran Duran and Eurythmics".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Despite the group's experimentation, they employed pop hooks in their music,<ref name="popmatters08">Template:Cite magazine</ref> attaining what AllMusic described as "the enviable position of at once being creative innovators and radio-friendly pop giants".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

According to the NRC, OMD are "known as the band that managed to wring emotion from synthesizer pop".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Scotsman stated that "their music, even with its occasionally cerebral themes, has always been defined by warmth, heart and soul: the sound of machinery manipulated by a tender human touch."<ref name="Scotsman18">Template:Cite web</ref> Musician Vince Clarke felt the group were responsible for educating mainstream audiences that electronic music could have emotion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Michael Grace Jr., founder of indie pop outfit My Favorite, said in 2018, "The thing that strikes me now when I return to OMD is how remarkably human they sound. They are a soul band for an automated age. OMD proposed an honest rendering of the tension, fascination, and occasional terror they felt about how ghosts and machines would get along. It was more Philip K. Dick than Steve Jobs."<ref name="Johnston18"/>

OMD have been recognised as the first of Britain's many "synth duo" acts.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Kerr09">Template:Cite web</ref> Nostalgie wrote that they became "a precursor of a whole generation of duos operating according to the same principle".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although the two original members enlisted other musicians over time, PopMatters said the band remained, "in essence, the songwriting/recording duo of Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys".<ref name="Bergstrom23">Template:Cite web</ref> OMD continues to be termed a "duo" in the media.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

OMD were indifferent to celebrity status, and avoided the calculated fashion stylings of many of their 1980s peers.<ref name="breakfast2010"/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> During live performances, McCluskey developed a frenetic dancing style that has been dubbed the "Trainee Teacher Dance";<ref name="Ryan2019">Template:Cite web</ref> he explains that it stemmed "from the perception that [OMD] were making boring robotic intellectual music that you couldn't dance to".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Journalist Hugo Lindgren noted that the group were perceived as "oddballs, freaks" on the Liverpool scene,<ref name=Lindgren/> while McCluskey has identified himself and Humphreys as "synth punks" and "complete geeks".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> OMD weathered an "uncool" image,<ref name="1981CH5"/><ref name="Wilson2012">The linked page features Wilson's introduction. Move to page (i.e. slide) 6 for his comment on OMD:

• Template:Cite web</ref> and faced hostility from sections of the music press in the 1980s.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Waller; Humphreys, p. 173</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Critic Andrew Collins asserted, however, that the band would eventually "become cool" to the public.<ref name="1981CH5"/>

Record Mirror pondered in 1980 whether McCluskey and Humphreys were emerging as "the Lennon and McCartney of the electronic world".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The press began to describe the duo as "the Lennon–McCartney of synth-pop", which the A.V. Club saw as "a weighty mantle that has as much to do with their hailing from Liverpool as anything".<ref name="O'Neal08"/> The Salt Lake City Weekly remarked that the label "might be a bit hyperbolic, but OMD was indeed ahead of its time".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Scotsman had no reservations about the moniker, labelling OMD a "thoroughly sparkling pop group" with "more hooks than a chain of angling megastores".<ref name="Scotsman18"/>

Mid-1980s style change

File:TonyKanal.jpg

OMD's mid-1980s reinvention alienated some listeners, but was embraced by others, including bassist Tony Kanal of No Doubt.

Although retrospectively lauded, the experimental Dazzle Ships (1983) was a critical and commercial disappointment upon release.<ref name="Thomson23">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Facing potential excision from Virgin Records, OMD moved towards a more accessible sound on the black music-influenced Junk Culture (1984); they also donned more vibrant garments on the album's accompanying tour.<ref name="Thomson23"/><ref>Waller; Humphreys, pp. 132–133</ref> The band continued to incorporate elements of sonic experimentation,<ref name="popmatters08"/><ref name="Elliot">Template:Cite magazine</ref> although their sound became increasingly polished on the Stephen Hague-produced studio albums Crush (1985) and The Pacific Age (1986).<ref name="messages148–9"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Quietus founder John Doran, who was supportive of the group's reinvention, told how it became "quite popular to see OMD as nose-diving into the effluence after Dazzle Ships".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Author Richard Metzger refused to "stick up for anything they recorded" afterwards,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while the A.V. Club alleged that McCluskey would "give up" following that album.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Conversely, music journalist Ian Peel observed "two brilliant, but very different, bands. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, the early 80s Factory descendents... and OMD, the late 80s stadium pop act."<ref name="PeelRC">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The Miami New Times asserted that "even their poppiest records of that postexperimental era, such as Junk Culture and Crush, were clever and beautifully arranged."<ref name="Cárdenas">Template:Cite web</ref> Both of those albums were generally well-reviewed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Musicians have commented on OMD's post-Dazzle Ships output. Moby remarked, "Their earlier records were just phenomenal... a few years on they were making music for John Hughes movies, and they were good at it and I'm glad that they had success with it, but it wasn't nearly as creatively inspiring."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On the other hand, bassist Tony Kanal of No Doubt told how his group experimented with OMD-esque "John Hughes prom-scene movie moment kind of songs", adding that "Junk Culture is great".<ref name="Marchese2012">Template:Cite web</ref> Angus Andrew of Liars hoped that tentative listeners would uncover "the complexity and mastery in OMD's later pop material", and declared himself a fan of the band's work across "all of their phases".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The group themselves describe Junk Culture as an enjoyable "collection of songs" as opposed to a "deep, conceptual" record,<ref name="FC13">Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> and argue that Crush features some strong material despite being hastily written and excessively produced.<ref name="messages148–9"/><ref name="FC13"/> They concede, however, that The Pacific Age "[does]n't work" and marks their "musical nadir".<ref name="Majewski2014"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Critic Jessica Bendinger reflected on OMD's stylistic journey by the late 1980s, saying that "their music has been colored by continual exploration... which has run the gamut from Gregorian-chant-inspired anthems of love to a union of Orchestral-Motown."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> SF Weekly said, "It's hard to think of any 1980s new wave bands that could navigate the genre's spectrum of sound and mood as well as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark."<ref name="Casagrande18">Template:Cite news</ref>

Subsequent reinventions

The McCluskey-led OMD explored a dance-oriented approach on Sugar Tax (1991) and Liberator (1993);<ref name="Evans2004">Template:Cite book</ref> the latter has since been dismissed by McCluskey.<ref name="RC19"/> Ian Peel wrote that the band "defied expectations by updating their sound and becoming, if only briefly, relevant in the 90s".<ref name="PeelRC"/> The group disbanded shortly after the release of Universal (1996), on which they strained for a more organic and acoustic sound.<ref name="RC19"/> In reviewing The OMD Singles (1998), AllMusic asserted that the band "covered in a single career that same territory explored by the Human League, Erasure, Yaz[oo], New Order, and beyond."<ref name="Schulte"/>

Since OMD's 2006 reformation, their material has been seen as more akin to their early output.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> PopMatters wrote that the group's 21st century work represents "one of the more successful second acts in modern pop history".<ref name="Bergstrom23"/> The band are noted for their diverse contributions to the electronic, new wave, experimental, dance and post-punk genres.<ref name="Marder14"/> OMD have undertaken regular UK and international gigs since they reformed, staging their own tours and also embracing '80s revival festivals such as the Rewind Festival and Heritage Live.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Legacy and influence

File:Depeche Mode 1981.jpg

Depeche Mode in 1981; co-founder Vince Clarke (bottom left) said that the band would never have happened without OMD.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

OMD have sold over 40 million records,Template:Efn and are considered one of synth-pop's most influential acts.<ref name="Scotsman18"/><ref name="Casagrande18"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Shey11">Template:Cite web</ref> They were identified by the A.V. Club as "one of the earliest synthesizer-driven bands to break out of the post-punk scene and lead the charge toward the defining sound of the [1980s]."<ref name="O'Neal08"/> PopMatters noted how OMD's work "gave credibility to ambitious pop" and led to "the emergence of a generation of electronic bands", including Talk Talk, ABC, Blancmange, and the Vince Clarke projects Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure.<ref name="Shand2019"/> Clarke recognised OMD as being "ahead of their time", and credited their "really great tunes and ideas" with directly inspiring him to become an electronic musician.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pet Shop Boys found common ground in their affection for OMD, drawing particular inspiration from "Souvenir" (1981).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Lead singer Neil Tennant named the group as "pioneers of electronic music"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>—a viewpoint shared by multiple outlets.Template:Efn

OMD impacted early-to-mid 1980s peers such as Howard Jones,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ptstf">Template:Cite web</ref> Tears for Fears,<ref>Multiple sources:

• Template:Cite episode
• Template:Cite episode
• Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Frankie Goes to Hollywood,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A-ha,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Men Without Hats,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Alphaville,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> China Crisis,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Duran Duran, for whom "Electricity" (1979) was a formative influence.<ref name="Shand2019"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The band became "heroes" to Kim Wilde songwriter/producer, Ricky Wilde.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref> OMD simultaneously made an impression on contemporary rock music, helping to educate New Order's Bernard Sumner that one "could make music without guitars",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and directly inspiring ZZ Top's introduction of electronic instruments and onstage dancing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> OMD were also influential on U2, whose frontman, Bono, adorned his bedroom wall with a poster of their debut album cover; bandmate Adam Clayton later contributed to the group's official biography, Pretending to See the Future (2018).<ref>Multiple sources:
• Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore
• Template:Cite book
• Houghton, pp. 91–92 (Clayton)</ref> OMD's impact extended to industrial artists like Nine Inch Nails,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Skinny Puppy's Nivek Ogre,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Front Line Assembly's Rhys Fulber, who observed an "amazing" combination of "art, experimentation and pop".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ministry's Al Jourgensen found inspiration in "Electricity".<ref>Jourgensen wrote that he "started doing this music influenced by all the music [then-girlfriend] Shannon was exposing [him] to", citing OMD's "Electricity" as an example.
• Template:Cite book</ref>

Simple Minds' Jim Kerr recalled, "I was more than instantly charmed by [OMD]... they had somehow arrived almost fully formed and with a talent for spitfire hooks that permeated right through their songs."<ref name="Kerr09"/> Former Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos lauded the band's "magnificent melodies", likening them to "Italian folk music, the very music [Giacomo] Puccini absorbed".<ref name="ptstf"/> OMD have garnered praise from other 1980s peers including Trevor Horn,<ref name="Horn10"/> Toyah Willcox,<ref name="1981CH5"/> the Human League's Philip Oakey,<ref name="ptstf"/> Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey,<ref name="ptstf"/> and Mute Records founder Daniel Miller,<ref name="ptstf"/> while Gary Numan credited the group for "some of the best pop songs ever written".<ref name="ptstf"/> Frontman McCluskey has gained the admiration of musicians such as Paul McCartney,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Heaven 17's Martyn Ware,<ref name="Ware22">Template:Cite episode</ref> The Teardrop Explodes's David Balfe,<ref name="ptstf"/> and Joy Division's Peter Hook, who labelled him a "really underrated" talent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

OMD helped to inform the 1990s dance music scene.<ref>Multiple sources:

• Template:Cite news
• Template:Cite web
• Template:Cite web</ref> They became an early influence on performers including Orbital,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> David Guetta,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Paul van Dyk,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Mike Paradinas,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Moby, who cited the band as "synth heroes" and a critical factor in his career choice.<ref name="Shey11"/><ref>Houghton, pp. 370–371</ref> OMD have also inspired rock and pop artists like No Doubt,<ref name="Marchese2012"/> the Killers,<ref name="Ranta13"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the xx,<ref name="Bray13"/> Barenaked Ladies,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> MGMT,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> AFI,<ref name="ptstf"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> LCD Soundsystem,<ref name="Ranta13"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> the Shins,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> La Roux,<ref name="Bray13"/> the Divine Comedy,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gary Barlow,<ref name="MettlerJune16"/> Robyn,<ref name="Ranta13">Template:Cite web</ref> Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Belle and Sebastian's Stevie Jackson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Singer Anohni said of Architecture & Morality (1981) and Dazzle Ships (1983): "Those records, they really changed me when I was a kid. I'd never heard anything quite like it... this really scary, futuristic landscape."<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Webarchive.Template:Cbignore</ref> The experimental Dazzle Ships has influenced various acts, including Arcade Fire (and longtime orchestrator, Owen Pallett),<ref name="Earls2020"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Radiohead,<ref name="Earls2020"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Death Cab for Cutie,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Saint Etienne,<ref name="Ware2013"/> Future Islands,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and producer Mark Ronson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its content was sampled by the rappers Kid Cudi and Lushlife.<ref name="Ryan2019"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Elsewhere, "Electricity" directly inspired the creation of indie pop band Nation of Language,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> as well as the radio career of Steve Lamacq.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Houghton, pp. 69–72</ref> The synth-pop artists Our Daughter's Wedding and Hot Chip paid "homage" to OMD in their work,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while indie rock group Low wrote "Cue the Strings" (2005) as a "shout-out" to the band.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Pop singer Boy George said he wished he had written OMD's "The View from Here" (2017).<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> The group's influence extends to indie folk singer Sharon Van Etten,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> alternative metal band Deftones,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> country duo Sugarland,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> actor/writer Scott Aukerman,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> novelist Anna Smaill,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> filmmaker Noah Baumbach,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> physicist Brian Cox,<ref>Houghton, p. 4 (foreword by Brian Cox)</ref> and musician/producer Steven Wilson, who has worked in varied genres. Wilson dubbed OMD a "wonderful collision of ideas", whose albums "stand up very, very well as experimental pop records with the most enjoyable kind of songwriting".<ref name="Wilson2012"/> The group were inducted into the Goldmine Hall of Fame in 2014, being described as "leader[s] in the synthpop movement" and one of rock's most "underappreciated" bands.<ref name="Marder14"/>

Members

File:20180728 Köln Amphi Festival OMD 0151.jpg

Stuart Kershaw (pictured) replaced longtime drummer Malcolm Holmes in 2015.

Current members

• Andy McCluskey – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards, guitar (1978–1996; 2006–present)
• Paul Humphreys – keyboards, vocals (1978–1989; 2006–present)
• Martin Cooper – keyboards, saxophone (1980–1989; 2006–present)
• Stuart Kershaw – drums (1993; 2015–present)

Former members

• Malcolm Holmes – drums, percussion (1980–1989; 2006–2015)
• Dave Hughes – keyboards (1979–1980)
• Michael Douglas – keyboards (1980–1981)
• Graham Weir – guitar, brass, keyboards (1984–1989)
• Neil Weir – brass, keyboards, bass guitar (1984–1989)
• Phil Coxon – keyboards (1991–1993)
• Nigel Ipinson – keyboards (1991–1993)
• Abe Juckes – drums (1991–1992)

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:25 PlotArea = left:115 bottom:90 top:5 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/09/1978 till:{{#time:d/m/Y}} TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = increment:4 start:1979 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1979

Colors =

 id:voc   value:red      legend:Vocals
 id:ww    value:tan2     legend:Wind_instruments
 id:bi    value:skyblue  legend:Brass_instruments
 id:g     value:green    legend:Guitars
 id:key   value:purple   legend:Keyboards
 id:b     value:blue     legend:Bass
 id:dr    value:orange   legend:Drums
 id:pc    value:claret   legend:Percussion
 id:lines value:black    legend:Studio_release
 id:bars  value:gray(0.95)

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 at:22/02/1980 color:black layer:back
 at:23/10/1980 color:black layer:back
 at:08/11/1981 color:black layer:back
 at:04/03/1983 color:black layer:back
 at:30/04/1984 color:black layer:back
 at:17/06/1985 color:black layer:back
 at:29/09/1986 color:black layer:back
 at:07/05/1991 color:black layer:back
 at:14/06/1993 color:black layer:back
 at:02/06/1996 color:black layer:back
 at:20/09/2010 color:black layer:back
 at:05/04/2013 color:black layer:back
 at:01/09/2017 color:black layer:back
 at:27/10/2023 color:black layer:back

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 width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
 bar:Andy McCluskey  from:start till:01/07/1996      color:voc 
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 bar:Andy McCluskey  from:01/01/1980 till:10/07/1984      color:g   width:5
 bar:Andy McCluskey  from:start till:01/07/1996 color:key width:3
 bar:Andy McCluskey  from:01/01/2006 till:end        color:voc 
 bar:Andy McCluskey  from:01/01/2006 till:end        color:b   width:7
 bar:Andy McCluskey  from:01/01/2006 till:end        color:key width:3
 bar:Martin Cooper   from:01/12/1980 till:01/07/1989 color:ww
 bar:Martin Cooper   from:01/04/1983 till:01/07/1989 color:key width:3
 bar:Martin Cooper   from:01/01/2006 till:end        color:key
 bar:Martin Cooper   from:01/01/2006 till:end        color:ww  width:3
 bar:Neil Weir       from:10/07/1984 till:31/12/1988 color:bi
 bar:Neil Weir       from:10/07/1984 till:31/12/1988 color:key width:7
 bar:Neil Weir       from:10/07/1984 till:31/12/1988 color:b   width:3
 bar:Graham Weir     from:10/07/1984 till:31/12/1988 color:g
 bar:Graham Weir     from:10/07/1984 till:31/12/1988 color:bi  width:7
 bar:Graham Weir     from:10/07/1984 till:31/12/1988 color:key width:3
 bar:Paul Humphreys  from:start till:01/07/1989      color:key
 bar:Paul Humphreys  from:start till:01/07/1989      color:voc width:3
 bar:Paul Humphreys  from:01/01/2006 till:end        color:key
 bar:Paul Humphreys  from:01/01/2006 till:end        color:voc width:3
 bar:Dave Hughes     from:01/01/1979 till:01/01/1980 color:key
 bar:Michael Douglas from:01/12/1980 till:01/01/1981 color:key
 bar:Nigel Ipinson   from:01/01/1991 till:01/10/1993 color:key
 bar:Phil Coxon      from:01/01/1991 till:01/10/1993 color:key
 bar:Malcolm Holmes  from:01/04/1980 till:01/07/1989 color:dr
 bar:Malcolm Holmes  from:01/04/1980 till:01/07/1989 color:pc width:3
 bar:Malcolm Holmes  from:01/01/2006 till:01/01/2015 color:dr
 bar:Malcolm Holmes  from:01/01/2006 till:01/01/2015 color:pc width:3
 bar:Abe Juckes      from:01/01/1991 till:01/01/1993 color:dr
 bar:Stuart Kershaw  from:01/01/1993 till:01/10/1993 color:dr
 bar:Stuart Kershaw  from:01/01/2015 till:end        color:dr

</timeline>

Discography

Template:Main Studio albums Template:Col div

• Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1980)
• Organisation (1980)
• Architecture & Morality (1981)
• Dazzle Ships (1983)
• Junk Culture (1984)
• Crush (1985)
• The Pacific Age (1986)
• Sugar Tax (1991)
• Liberator (1993)
• Universal (1996)
• History of Modern (2010)
• English Electric (2013)
• The Punishment of Luxury (2017)
• Bauhaus Staircase (2023)

References

Bibliography

• Houghton, Richard. OMD: Pretending to See the Future (expanded paperback edition). This Day in Music Books. 2019. Template:ISBN
• Waller, Johnny; Humphreys, Mike. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Messages. Sidgwick & Jackson. 1987. Template:ISBN
• West, Mike. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Omnibus Press. 1982. Template:ISBN

External links

• Template:Official website
• Official YouTube channel
• Template:AllMusic
• Template:Discogs artist
• Template:IMDb name