Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - debut album
February 22, 2020
If you only know the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark for their mid-80s John Hughes pop hit, "If You Leave," you're missing out! Formed in 1978, OMD were one of the first English bands to embrace and build on the electronic music pioneered by Kraftwerk and the experimentation of Brian Eno, mixing a drum machine named Winston and the analog synths of Paul Humphreys with Andy McCluskey's bass playing and vocals.
Touring with Gary Numan and Joy Division in 1979, OMD's self-titled debut would show up on many "Best of the '80s" lists, and OMD's influence is massive — they've been lauded by everyone from LCD Soundsystem to Death Cab for Cutie to Gwen Stefani to even ZZ Top, who became huge fans and would play this album over the PA before their gigs in the early '80s.
This week, it's the 40th anniversary of the debut by OMD on Teenage Kicks.