Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark British rock band Date of Birth: 01.01.1978 Country: Great Britain

1. Founding and Early Years
2. Departure and Reformation
3. Origins and Initial Members
4. Early Success with 'Messages' and 'Enola Gay'
5. Commercial Breakthrough and 'Architecture & Morality'
6. Experimentation, Disbandment, and Reunion

Founding and Early Years

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), a British synth-pop band, was formed in 1978 by Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys on the Wirral Peninsula, England. By the end of 1980, Malcolm Holmes and Martin Cooper joined the original duo, and this quartet (with some minor lineup changes) would remain the core of the band until 1989.

Departure and Reformation

In 1989, Humphreys, Cooper, and Holmes left OMD to form their own project, The Listening Pool. McCluskey retained the band's name and continued recording and touring with a revolving cast of musicians. After McCluskey's retirement in 1996, Humphreys briefly fronted OMD as a solo project, occasionally inviting former members Cooper and Holmes to join him.

In late 2005, the band's website announced the reunion of the classic OMD lineup, with plans to tour and record a new studio album. The reunited quartet embarked on a successful tour in 2007, which was repeated in 2008 and 2009. OMD has since announced an upcoming album release, "History of Modern," scheduled for 2010.

Origins and Initial Members

OMD founders Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys met as schoolboys at Meols Cop High School in the Wirral, Merseyside, England, in the early 1960s. As teenagers in the mid-1970s, the friends performed in various local bands.

In the mid-1970s, McCluskey formed the band Equinox, where he played bass guitar and sang vocals. Malcolm Holmes joined on drums, while Humphreys served as a roadie. It was at this time that Andy and Paul developed their affinity for electronic music, particularly influenced by Kraftwerk.

Following Equinox's demise, McCluskey joined Pegasus, and later the short-lived Hitlerz Underpantz (which also featured Humphreys). Andy typically played bass and sang, while Paul initially provided technical support before transitioning to keyboards.

Early Success with 'Messages' and 'Enola Gay'

The band's debut album was released in 1980 and was primarily recorded by Humphreys and McCluskey, with assistance from Id drummer Malcolm Holmes and Wirral saxophonist Martin Cooper. The album featured simple, synth-based melodies that were typical of the electronic music of the time.

After DinDisc Records released a re-recorded (and slightly remixed) version of the track "Messages" as a single, it became a surprise hit and gave OMD their first chart success. The band soon produced a music video for the song with the help of Dalek I Love You founder Dave Hughes.

On the heels of the single's success, the band embarked on a tour, supported by Malcolm Holmes on drums and Dave Hughes on synthesizers. Hughes would eventually depart and be replaced by Martin Cooper.

Commercial Breakthrough and 'Architecture & Morality'

The second album, "Organisation" (some say the title is a nod to the band Organization, a predecessor to OMD's beloved Kraftwerk), was written by the trio of Humphreys, McCluskey, and Holmes. The single "Enola Gay" (named after the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima) became the band's second major hit. Notably, the song was originally intended for the debut album but was not initially selected. Its style, perhaps as a result, slightly contrasts with the more somber tone of the second album.

The subsequent tour saw the addition of fourth member Martin Cooper, playing keyboards from his position as saxophonist in Dalek I Love You. The band's third single, "Souvenir," was another hit, and it remains their most successful song to date. In November 1981, OMD released their breakthrough album, "Architecture & Morality," which was a critical and commercial success in the UK and Europe.

Experimentation, Disbandment, and Reunion

Unfortunately, the 1983 project "Dazzle Ships" failed to achieve the same level of success. The setback affected the confidence of Humphreys and McCluskey and prompted them to abandon their experimental approach in favor of a more mainstream sound.

"Junk Culture" (1984) was a more pop-oriented album that also marked the band's first use of digital samplers. The album's success reaffirmed OMD's decision, and the subsequent single "Locomotion" further solidified their popularity.

In 1985, OMD expanded to a six-piece with the addition of guitarist and trombonist Graham Weir and trumpeter Neil Weir. They released "Crush" (1985) to mixed reviews, though the track "So In Love" became a single that propelled OMD into the American charts, giving them international status.

The band continued to build its American following in 1988, but their newfound success coincided with the group's demise. Humphreys left first, dissatisfied with the band's increasing commercialization. Weir, Cooper, and Holmes soon followed. Andy worked on OMD solo for a time, hiring temporary backing musicians when needed. However, by 2006, he expressed his desire to revisit the band's earlier format.

An "Architecture & Morality" tour with other classic tracks was initially planned, which later expanded to include talk of a new album. The reformation was fully realized, and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark have continued to perform and produce music as their classic quartet, with a new album on the horizon.