Souvenir: An OMD Retrospective
Click below on the streaming service of your choice to listen to the playlist as you read along.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) is one of the more intriguing acts of the new wave era. They were pioneers of electronic, synth-based music, and one of the first to shift the stark, experimental sounds of the technology into unabashed pop tunes. As a result, OMD was one of the few acts to break through to widespread success.
The Playlist
“Electricity”
“Messages”
“Enola Gay”
“The Misunderstanding”
“Souvenir”
“Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)”
“Telegraph”
“Radio Waves”
“Locomotion”
“Talking Loud and Clear”
“So in Love”
“Secret”
“If You Leave”
“(Forever) Live and Die”
“We Love You”
“Dreaming”
“Sailing on the Seven Seas”
“Call My Name”
“Stand Above Me”
“Christine”
“Walking on the Milky Way”
“History of Modern, Pt 1”
“Sometimes”
“The Future Will Be Silent”
“Dresden”
“As We Open, So We Close”
“Kiss Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Bang”
“Bauhaus Staircase”
OMD was a duo from Merseyside, England that, at the start, did not seem destined to be pop stars. Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys had known each other since they were children in the 1960s. As teens in the ‘70s, the pair bounced around the area playing in various rock bands, sometimes together and in bands and at other times just crossing paths. They were drawn to the emerging electronics of the time being pioneered by the likes of Germany’s Kraftwerk and ex-glam rocker and now ambience pioneer, Brian Eno. Humphreys focused on keyboards while McCluskey sang and played bass. By late 1978, they agreed to focus on an act together to focus on the electronic style, renaming a side-project of theirs, VCL XI (a Kraftwerk reference), to Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The name was lifted from a drafted lyric of theirs and was purposely selected for its faux pretention, the antithesis of punk.
“Electricity”; “Messages” \ Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1980)
OMD debuted in 1978 in Liverpool. In 1979, they released their first single, “Electricity,” on emergent indie label, Factory Records. It was a great debut, with a catchy melody riding a shimmering synth line, propelled by Paul’s bassline. The tune didn’t catch on, but an opening slot on Gary Numan’s tour helped spread the word.
The debut, self-titled album followed in early 1980 on the label, Dindisc, and was promoted by a new single, “Messages.” This song is covered in some detail in the new wave profile, so I will just reiterate here what a brilliant song it was. It gained them their first chart success, reaching #13 in the UK and helping the LP get to #27. It was a consummate album of the early, post-punk and new wave scene, dominated by synths and packed with quirky sounds, atmospheric moods, and tunes that would both draw you in with great melodies or push you away with experimental and avant garde constructions.
The line-up was essentially the duo, though featured Malcolm Holmes on drums for one track, who had played in some of the bands they’d originally made their way through. Martin Cooper provide sax on one track and there was guitar from Dave Fairbairn on two songs. Otherwise, the album was primarily Humphrey’s keyboards, McCluskey’s bass, and beats and noises they both generated from the synthesizers.
“Enola Gay”; “The Misunderstanding” \ The Organisation (1980)
Later the same year the second album, The Organisation, was released, again on Dindisc. Malcolm Holmes joined the band full-time, and the broader use of drums paired with McCluskey’s bass helped warm up OMD’s sound. The single, “Enola Gay,” was another impeccable pop song built on simple synths. It gave them their first UK top ten single.
Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey
The album’s artwork was done by Peter Saville, who did many Factory artists’ designs. OMD was influenced by the dark wave elements of post-punk, and the album reflected that. The unsettling track, “The Misunderstanding”, was one such example. After the opening of, “Enola Gay”, the rest of the LP didn’t venture much back to that brighter, pop vibe. Despite the less accessible sound, clearly the reputation of the band was growing along with the wider acceptance of synth music. The album peaked at #6 in the UK.
“Souvenir”; “Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)” \ Architecture & Morality (1981)
Still on Dindisc, the third album, Architecture & Morality, was released a year after the prior album. I loved the title of this album and how it matched the pretentiousness of the band name. The title was suggested by Martha Ladly, from Canadian band, Martha and the Muffins, and girlfriend to Peter Hook of Joy Division).
This was the album through which I discovered OMD, though it wasn’t until a few years later and, as usual, due to its presence in my brother’s record collection. One of my favourite memories as a young teen was walking to school early one morning after a big, overnight snowfall. Everything in the city was white and pristine, and I walked with my Sony Walkman, headphones on my ears, listening to this album. The sound of the opener, “She’s Leaving”, while walking in a winter wonderland was affecting. The sparse construction, light sounds, and subtle melodies perfectly matched the whitewashed and glimmering landscape. It was not often I was blissful when walking to school.
More than the first two releases, Architecture & Morality worked together start to finish and made for a complete work of art. Seemingly in greater control of their equipment and what they wanted from it, the duo presented as more self-assured and purposeful. Martin Cooper returned on sax, and like Holmes joined as a full-time member and further filled out OMD’s sound. The album’s experimental elements were balanced with the beautiful melodies, resulting in both stark soundscapes as well as lush, hook-filled tunes. It is OMD’s greatest work and the perfection of their sound, and one of the landmark albums of the synth-pop era.
“Souvenir” provided a perfect example of the album’s pop sound. It was written and sung by Humphreys and took some convincing to get McCluskey onside, who felt the melody was too saccharine. “Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)” was a monumental song and, paired with its slightly more pop-sounding partner, “Joan of Arc”, the two provided an incredible balance of pop and art, sparse and full, bleak and lush. The approach proved successful as the album reached #3 in the UK. It also caught minor attention in the US, reaching #144 on the album chart. The three singles (“Souvenir” and the two “Joan of Arcs”) all went top ten in the UK.
“Telegraph”; “Radio Waves” \ Dazzle Ships (1983)
From an artistic point of view, you had to respect that after the success of Architecture & Morality, the band released one of their most experimental albums, Dazzle Ships. From a commercial perspective, it was ill-advised and set the band’s career back a step. It also probably didn’t ingratiate themselves with their new label, Virgin Records, though they’d remain there for the next thirteen years. The singles did not chart very highly but the album reached #5, no doubt riding on their reputation and prior success. From a creative standpoint, provided an intriguing and memorable LP of the blossoming synth-pop genre, continuing to place OMD at its vanguard.
The lead single, “Genetic Engineering,” was a noisy track lacky melody and gave the listener little to grab onto. It did reach the top twenty. The second single, “Telegraph,” was more in keeping with their pop sound but did less well, falling short of the top forty. The album brought the cooler, bleaker elements of their electronics to the fore. For those that appreciated electronic music and the breadth of experimentation and moods it could achieve, this was a strong album with much to appreciate.
“Radio Waves” was a deep track, offering up a catchy, post-punk, synth rocker. The album’s closer, “Of All the Things We’ve Made,” was a lovely and hypnotic tune with a repetitive guitar riff throughout, altering the sound from the usual synths. The album was a compelling evolution for the band and has influenced many artists, despite it’s lack of commercial appeal over the years.
Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Martin Cooper & Malcolm Holmes
“Locomotion”; “Talking Loud and Clear” \ Junk Culture (1984)
OMD returned to its electro-pop vibe with the fifth album, 1984’s Junk Culture. Although with title track as a dramatic opener, it was not immediately obvious (it was shifted to the third slot for the US release). The second track and the LP’s third single, an unabashed synth-pop song, “Tesla Girls”, made it clear this was to be a more accessible and fun OMD. It was a track I used to like quite a lot, but over time has worn out its welcome with me with its shouty, chanting, staccato, refrains. It fell just short of the top twenty in the UK.
This pop feel of the LP was reinforced by the third track and first single, “Locomotion”. Riding a rhythm that conveyed the feeling of riding a train, and with steel drum accents, it was a clever pop song that revealed the duo’s ability to catch a hook. It delivered them another top ten hit. The second single was the closing track, “Talking Loud and Clear”, one of the more subdued singles in the band’s’ discography but that scored them a top twenty placement. Junk Culture was the band’s fourth consecutive top ten album.
“So In Love”; “Secret” \ Crush (1985)
With Crush in 1985, OMD opted not to alternate to another experimental record. They instead moved further into pop with an album oriented to the broadening electro-pop movement in the US. Stephen Hague was hired to produce. Ironically, they suffered a bit in the UK, only reaching #13 in the album chart, ending their top ten streak. The LP reached #38 in the US, however, the first time they cracked the top one hundred, much less the top forty. It was an example of the differences in preferences between the two markets, reinforcing the dynamic that when a UK act changed its sound to win in North America, it tended to lose ground in their native land.
The first two singles from the album, “So in Love” and “Secret,” did well, with both cracking the top one hundred in the US for the first time. The album lost most of the atmospheric and sparse compositions of their early albums, staying more consistently in their accessible melodies and lighter synth sounds.
“If You Leave” \ Pretty in Pink Soundtrack (1986)
“(Forever) Live and Die”; “We Love You” \ The Pacific Age (1986)
As he did for so many new wave artists of the 1980s, John Hughes recruited OMD to provide a single for one of his movies. Pretty in Pink may have been standard, teen flick fare in movie terms, and another big hit for Hughes, but its soundtrack stood tall in terms of promoting the previously overlooked, UK artists. The OMD single from the soundtrack, “If You Leave,” was the band’s first and only top ten single in the US. It doubled down on the smooth, synth-pop of “So in Love” and delivered an appealing and safe song. Any remnants of the band’s early, experimental, self appeared to be gone.
The album that followed, The Pacific Age, again produced by Hague, was consistent with their new, global-pop sound. “(Forever) Live and Die” was admittedly one of their most polished and lovely pop songs, getting the most out of their harmonizing vocals, synths, and sax. The band’s fuller sound was a result of an expansion to a six-piece lineup, with Graham and Neil Weir added on horns and additional keyboards.
The following singles, “We Love You,” and “Shame,” did not chart well and belied the general weakness of the album. In achieving a safer pop sound, the LP lacked energy, personality, and the artistic distinctiveness that OMD once had. In the ‘80s, alternative artists would be accused of ‘selling out,’ which suggested compromising one’s artistic aims with a calculated design towards commercial – read ‘dull’ – output. This album seemed the very definition of that notion. Results were mixed, as the album again reached the top twenty in the UK but fell short of the top forty in the US.
OMD had released an album every year since their debut, resulting by 1986 in seven albums over six years. They were one of the top acts in the UK and had achieved a minor breakthrough in the US. The band had expanded along the way from a duo to a sextet, though Humphreys and McCluskey were still the primary writers and the face of OMD. It was understandable if a break was needed, but the timing was difficult since there was momentum to build on. The truth was, fissures were opening in the band, especially between the duo based on creative differences, with Paul having reportedly briefly walked out during the recording of Crush.
“Dreaming” \ The Best of OMD (1988)
1987, therefore, was the first year the band did not release any music. In 1988, there was a compilation album, The Best of OMD. It included a new single, “Dreaming,” that made it to #16 in the US, but again underwhelmed in the UK, only getting to #50. It was again a very pop and dance oriented song, with a steady beat, harmonies, and simple synths. It was a good song, but comparing it to something like, “The Misunderstanding”, made it hard to believe this was the same band. Perhaps this was the crux of the friction between the founding duo.
The album reached #2 in the UK and #46 in the US, their best peak position in the UK and second best in the US after Crush. They toured the US in ’88 as the opener for Depeche Mode, getting to play in stadiums and in front of large audiences. Yet, rather than a catalyst, it was the pinnacle of OMD’s career.
The Weirs left at the band at end of the tour and then Paul followed in 1989. Cooper and Holmes then joined him to form a new band, The Listening Pool, in 1989.
Paul Humphreys seemed to think this too and was unhappy with the musical direction of OMD. Despite their new success the band started to come apart. The Weirs left at the end of the 1988 US tour and then Paul called it quits in 1989. Cooper and Holmes then joined him to form a new band, The Listening Pool, in 1989.
“Sailing on the Seven Seas”; “Call My Name” \ Sugar Tax (1991)
“Stand Above Me”; “Christine” \ Liberator (1993)
“Walking on the Milky Way” \ Universal (1996)
This left Andy McCluskey as the last man standing in OMD. Surprisingly, he decided to carry on under the OMD name. He leveraged members of the Liverpool dance act, Raw Unlimited, for writing (Stuart Kershaw, in particular) and recording but had a different group for touring. The first release was the 1991 album, Sugar Tax. McCluskey’s knack for melody and pop held the OMD sound in stead but now fully embraced a dance approach more than the edgier feel of the early LPs. He was rewarded with an album that reached #3 in the UK, equalling Architecture & Morality as the highest charting OMD release. The singles, “Sailing on the Seven Seas” and “Pandora’s Box (It’s a Long, Long Way)”, were both top ten UK singles. Oddly, given the pop-dance nature of the album, neither the songs nor the album charted in the US. This effectively closed OMD’s career in North America and entrenched them as an ‘80s band.
McCluskey went on to release two more albums in the 1990s with a varied list of contributors. The style remained firmly entrenched in pop and dance. Synths were still prominent, though with modern technology the sound could be warmer and more polished, which made for nice but less engaging results. They were pleasant and solid albums, especially if you like the synth-dance sound, which in the ‘90s had established a solid place in the music world despite the rise of grunge and the trippy sounds of Madchester and rave/trance/acid house music. For me, “Christine” was the only song that rose to a relative quality of OMD’s earlier work.
Only one of the singles from the two albums cracked the top twenty in the UK, “Walking on the Milky Way”. Liberator reached #14 to be the eighth consecutive top 20 LP in the UK, but Universal only reached #24, making it the least successful OMD album since the debut. In terms of overall sales, neither reached gold status in the UK, making the albums overall the worst selling to date. In the face of these declining results, Andy decided to retire the OMD name.
“History of Modern, Pt. 1”; “Sometimes” \ History of Modern (2010)
Humphreys and McClusky stayed busy in the 2000s playing with different acts, producing, and touring with the OMD material. A request to perform in 2006 for the German television show, Night of the Proms, led the duo to reform (check out this decent documentary on the band, which was done on the occasion of this reunion). Joined by Malcolm Holmes and Martin Cooper, the original line-up from the early albums was restored. They first toured and released a complete performance of Architecture & Morality, along with a live album and DVD of the performance, and then did a performance with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in 2009.
In 2010, they released their first album in twenty-four years with the core duo as principal songwriters. The album, History of Modern, announced a return to their early sound with the lead song, “New Babies; New Toys”. It led with an edgy and forceful bassline that seemed to renounce the dance-pop sound of the late ‘80s and ‘90s.
However, there were still lots of pop-synth sounds on the album, but not quite as smoothed over. Part one of the title track showed how this came together. The song, “Sometimes”, revealed OMD was a modern synth act with a slightly groovier, almost soulful sound that also permeated several other songs, such as “Save Me.” A song like “Pulse” lessened the pop format for a modern, techno-R&B blend. It was a decent return for the band and the album reached #28 in the UK. Though it was the worst charting album of their career, it was still pretty good after a fourteen year absence (or more if you exclude the McCluskey led years). The first singles, “If You Want It” and “Sister Marie Says” charted very low in the UK and were the last to chart.
“The Future will be Silent”; “Dresden” \ English Electric (2013)
“As We Open, So We Close”; “Kiss Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Bang” \ The Punishment of Luxury (2017)
Two more albums have been released by OMD in the past few years. English Electric was a good album, mixing their pop-synth sound with some of the experimentation and variety that marked their earlier work. They returned the use of the short, interlude songs that often brought some of their moodiest moments on their albums. On this LP they were digitally voiced compositions. It was probably their best album since Crush or maybe even Dazzle Ships.
The Punishment of Luxury, which shared the name of a great UK punk band from the late ‘70s, was a return to more of the synth-pop sound. It has taken a few listens for me to warm up to it but overall I still don’t think it’s a very strong LP. I noticed more of a political bent to the lyrics, especially evident in the song, “Kiss Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Bang.” The album was led by several singles released last year. The lead single was “Isotype,” a song that seemed to tip its hat to some Kraftwerk influences but ultimately settled into an uninspiring synth-pop tune. The second single was the title track, and it was a bland, techno-pop song with the usual Auto-Tuned vocals that seemed to infiltrate every song these days. The album got stronger as it went, but ultimately never grabbed your ear.
OMD now relies on touring to make a living, as do all musical acts in contemporary times, though to their credit they also produce new music to carry them along. My wife and I saw them in July 2013, an occasion which unfortunately resulted in Malcolm Holmes suffering a cardiac incident near the end of the show. This led to the cancellation of the rest of the tour and eventually, Malcolm retiring from the band, to be replaced by Stuart Kershaw. Therefore, we will venture out this week looking forward to a show in which hopefully the only memories will be of the music and the celebration of a band with a long and successful career.
OMD is a band that enjoyed groundbreaker status, a solid period of commercial success as one of the leading synth-pop acts of the 1980s, and now is continuing to explore the sounds and technology they helped pioneer. They had a penchant for great melodies and could blend the more esoteric reaches of their sound with catchy hooks and accessible tunes. They should not be dismissed as a simple pop band or as basic keyboard players. Humphreys and McCluskey managed to forge new ground with limited and unreliable technology in its earliest forms and create brilliant songs, displaying a creativity and talent that built a well-regarded legacy. They also produced one of the most seminal albums of their generation with, Architecture & Morality, which showed synth music could be beautiful, expansive, and artistic. This band has a little something for everyone, whether you appreciate the nerdy, intellectual posture of ‘Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’ or the accessible and friendly face of ‘OMD.’
UPDATE November 2025
We enjoyed the OMD show we attended in the days following the publication of this original profile in 2018. However, it did not leave us wanting more and have bypassed the three additional times they’ve come through Toronto since. However, in the last visit in 2025, they played two shows at the 2,500 capacity venue, History, showing they are not lacking for support and interest in their shows. They actually seem to be growing their audience, which is surprising and impressive.
“Bauhaus Staircase” \ Bauhaus Staircase (2023)
To their credit, OMD has not toured just to celebrate the past. They continue to release new music. In 2023, they issued their fourteenth LP, Bauhaus Staircase. It was consistent in style and tone to the prior LP, Punishment of Luxury, remaining in the electro-pop and dance genres. There were no tracks of particular distinction, though several had some interesting moments, such as the first halves of “Slow Train” and “Don’t Go,” but the intrigue tended to dissolve into smoother, lacklustre synth-pop. The album’s lead track was the title track, revealing the core sounds and styles of the album – a bit catchy and very electronic.
OMD is now almost twenty years into its reunion, which I suppose is more of a third phase, following the initial run and then the McClusky led period. They have had a consistent line-up of Humphreys, McClusky, Cooper, and after Holmes retirement, Kershaw. The future is a bit uncertain for OMD as they approach their fiftieth anniversary. They are in the midst of a fortieth anniversary re-release of Crush, just did a big tour, yet prior to the release of Bauhaus Staircase, McClusky suggested that would be their last album. The duo are in the latter half of their sixties, so I would be surprised if that’s true. But, given they’ve only released two albums in the past twelve years, we will be patient to see if more will come.
