The legendary music club in England has opened its doors again. Eric's Club which was opened in Liverpool on October 1, 1976 in a building basement on Mathew Street, has became notable for hosting early performances by many punk, new wave and post-punk bands as well as by The Beatles. Joy Division, Ultravox, Sex Pistols, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Clash are among of the groups who performed some of their first gigs there. For OMD it all started at the Eric's club where they had their debut in 1978 and they came back to re-open the club after 33 years.
Dalek I Love You is a band from Liverpool which was formed in the late 70’s. Originally the band appeared under a name Radio Blank… and was fronted by Adam Gill. Later they changed their name into Dalek I Love You which came about as a result of a compromise between two of the members: Balfe wanted to call the band Dalek (after the Doctor Who villains) and Gill wanted to call the band Darling, I Love You. They released three albums and several singles in the first half of the 80’s.
The original lineup of Dalek I Love You included: Alan Gill (vocals, guitar), Keith Hartley (vocals, guitar), Kenny Peers (drums), Dave Hughes (keyboards), Martin Cooper, Chris Hughes (record producer) aka Merrick and for a very brief time, Andy McCluskey. McCluskey only stayed with the group one month, realizing he could not be happy in a band as singer alone. By the time they were releasing their debut album ‘Compass Kumpass’ they were pared down to Alan Gill and Dave Hughes, while other members were involved in other musical projects. Before the first album release through Phonogram the name of the band got shortened into Dalek I without telling it to the band members so they emerged as Dalek I. The band released three singles form their debut album including the debut single “Freedom Fighters” This is how New Musical Express described the music of Dalek I.
“A prime example of living-room music construction, it features catchy, interlinking little riffs over a plodding beat formed by combining elements of both drums and drum-machines and Gill's calmly urgent vocals. Ingeniously simple but infuriatingly infectious -- rather like an adult Human League on speed -- "Freedom Fighters" is one of the year's best singles so far, and from what I heard of their other material, there's plenty more where that came from.” New Musical Express
After the first album was released the only remaining member Alan Gill joined the group Teardrop Explodes. He co-wrote some songs on the album and even appeared together with the band in the US and UK. Dalek I Love You returned under the original name with a new lineup which also saw some old names including Gordon Hon and Keith Hartley. Together they recorded the second self-titled album. The album was released through Korova and was preceded by two singles “Ambition” and “Holiday in Disneyland”. The sound on the new album was different compared to the debut album. The songs were more upbeat with the funky bass groove. The cover by Geoff Halpin looks like a still from a fifties sci-fi flick (or maybe Dr. Who). The tinted photograph is of a woman, dress torn, reacting to a horrific presence. The lush colours and campy subject matter play off each other -much like they do in Dalek I Love You's music.
After the last single release “Horrorscope” Dalek I Love You split and the band members went different ways. Alan Gill contributed two tracks to the soundtrack of Letter to Brezhnev (1985). This film, directed by Chris Bernard, was set in Liverpool and starred Margi Clarke. In 1985 ‘Naïve’ was released the third album on his own Bopadub label. This record was released on a tape only and it is considered extremely rare. The songs from the album Naive are avilable on http://www.dalekiloveyou.com/.The other two records were reissued ‘Compass Kumpas’ in 1989 and ‘Dalek I Love You’ in 2007.
One of my favorite New wave bands is turning 30 this year. Back in 1978, they had their debut performance at Eric's club in Liverpool. Since then they have had numerous hits at both sides of Atlantic, they were innovative, futuristic, experimental, they have been formed and reformed and in October they celebrate their 30th anniversary. These are the most significant moments and facts in the OMD's musical history.
1. Liverpool
In 2001 the Guinness Book of Records declared Liverpool 'City of Pop' due to the many number one records to have emerged from the city. The most famous band to have come from Liverpool is The Beatles, who played many of their early gigs at the Cavern Club. During the late 70's and early 80's many great bands emerged including OMD who were formed in the second half of the 70's out of the ashes of few local bands who used to experiment with electronic and guitar driven music.
2. German Electronics
The founders of the group Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys both shared their love for early electronic music produced by Kraftwerk and Neu!. These two bands made a great impact on their early records. Even their side project was named after a valve from the diagram on the back cover of Kraftwerk's Radio- Activity album.
3. Eric's Club
Eric's club was a music club in Liverpool which opened in 1976 in a building basement on Mathew Street. It became notable for hosting early performances by many punk and post-punk bands including Elvis Costello, Buzzcocks, The Clash, Joy Division, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Slits, The Stranglers, Ultravox, Wire, XTC and many other contemporary acts of that time. OMD had their debut performance in this club in October 1978.
4. "Enola Gay"
"Enola Gay" was one of the best selling singles released by OMD in the European countries. It reached number one in France, Portugal and Spain. The song appeared on OMD's second album 'Organisation' which was released for Virgin in 1980. The song also caused some contraversary as it was named after a plane which dropped the first atomic bomb in an act of War on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 to bring an end to the Second World War.The song was also released during a major controversy surrounding then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's decision to allow US nuclear missiles to be stationed in Britain.
5. Artwork
The key figure of the artwork design of OMD's record sleeves was Peter Saville. The legendary cover of the New Order single "Blue Monday" (1983) and for example, the sleeve of the Joy Division album 'Unknown Pleasures' (1979) were to bring the Manchester graphic designer worldwide renown. Using a reduced, Modernist style Peter Saville has made key innovations in the field of visual communications, and in recent times he has had a profound effect on the interplay between art, design and advertising. He created the visual design for all OMD's record releases.
6. The Architecture of Sound
In 1981 OMD released their third album entitled 'Architecture and Morality'. It's considered as the group's landmark album which sold over 3 million copies and reached No.3 in the UK and No.1 in Belgium and Holland. The album is gloomy, synth-driven and it struggles with new techniques in sound. Two of OMD's best selling singles were taken from the album including their most successful single in the UK "Souvenir", the first song to feature Paul Humphreys on vocals, as well as "Maid of Orleans" which was their biggest hit in Germany.
The album was reissued last year in May(2007) and it includes a remastered CD and DVD.
7. OMD's Musique Concrete
1983 saw the release of OMD's fourth album 'Dazzle Ships' whose title and cover art alluded to a painting by vorticist artist Edward Wadsworth based on dazzle camouflage. Dazzle Ships was OMD's musical experiment which took them to a whole new level of musical creation. The album contains sound collages, shortwave radio recordings, the sound effects of ships and submarines, speaking clocks and eastern bloc themes. "Genetic Engineering" and "Telegraph" are the only songs that were released as singles.
The album was reissued on 3rd March 2008. The new release featured remastered tracks, bonus tracks and sleeve notes along with new sleeve art which recreates the original 1983 vinyl sleeve.
8. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Pink
In 1984 OMD released their fifth album 'Junk Culture' which marked their return to a poppier sound. They adopted of a classic verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure again and their songs were returning to the charts in UK and they had their first hits in America. The single "So In Love" entered the American Top 40 establishing the group success in the US. In 1985 the band wrote the song "If You Leave" for the John Hughes movie 'Pretty in Pink'. The song was featured on the soundtrack and was a major hit, notably in the US and Canada where it reached the Top 5.
During 1988 the band appeared poised to consolidate their US success. But despite a support slot at Pasadena Rose Bowl with Depeche Mode, a top 20 US hit with "Dreaming" and a successful "Best of" album, OMD split.
9.The New 90's Line Up
While Humphreys, Cooper, and Holmes left OMD to form The Listening Pool, McCluskey recruited Liverpool musicians Lloyd Massett and Stuart Kershaw and continued under the OMD moniker. Initially successful with hits like "Sailing on the Seven Seas" and "Pandora's Box" from their critically acclaimed 'Sugar Tax' LP in 1991, the new line up would release Liberator (1993), Universal (1996), before splitting up in 1996, due to lack of public interest. After the definite split in 1996 the band members were involved in different music projects including songwriting, management and recording with other bands.
10. Reformation
On January 1 2006, Andy McCluskey announced plans to reform OMD with the McCluskey, Humphreys, Holmes and Cooper line up. The original plan was to tour the album 'Architecture & Morality' and other pre-1983 material, then record a new album.
The band released the remastered 'Architecture and Morality' CD with a DVD featuring the Drury Lane concert from 1981 that had previously been available on VHS and 'Dazzle Ships' album's 25th anniversary was celebrated.
The original line up is currently on tour celebrating 30 years of Orchestral Manoevrues in The Dark.
Any OMD activity always brings good news. This is the photo from their recent rehearsals which was published on the official OMD Myspace. You can also find more interesting items and info on their excellent Myspace page. They will also be going on tour this fall.
Dalek I Love You has an new home. Recently while I was browsing for some info about Dalek I Love You, I found a new established website. The website includes a small forum where you can get info about members of Dalek I Love You. There are also exclusive pictures taken from a promo box put together in the 80's when the band had just signed to Warner Bros.The pictures were taken at the Pyramid club in Liverpool, A venue Roger eagle started promoting after the demise of Eric's.Ant the best thing is waiting for you in the download section, Dalek I's ultra rare third album 'Naive' which was released on cassette only.
Pink Industry was a duo of former Pink Military vocalist Jayne Casey and bassist Ambrose Reynolds. Casey Jayne and her brood of mates would become one of the first gaggle of youths which would fly the flag of the 'new wave' in the City of Liverpool in the mid to late 1970's. Already tuned in to what was happening regarding new music and styles from New York-past and present, Casey was ready to open eyes and ears as well as ruffling the feathers of many a passer-by in the city center with her creative and outrageous flair in clothes, hair and make-up.
After Pink Military ended, Casey
joined up with bassist/keyboardist Ambrose Reynolds (a one time member of
Frankie Goes to Hollywood), adding a guitarist after the first album, and
continued to evade commercial success as Pink Industry. Inhabiting and
exploring an original world of sound and vision, Pink Industry continued in the
path that Pink Military was headed during their brief existence. The group
combined the "anything goes" spirit of post-punk with further use of
experimental electronics. Pink Industry sounded something like Siouxsie Sioux
fronting Japan, using bits of guitar, bass, drums, electronics and found audio
to weave a fascinating soft cushion for Casey's plain vocals.
Between 1982 and 1985, they released three albums, one EP and two singles "What I Would Give"and"Don't Let Go". Their third album New Beginnings proved to be their final work together. A series of retrospective packages followed throughout the late 80's and 90's, a self-titled release on Cathexis got the ball rolling in 1988, followed by 1990's Retrospective and 1995's New Naked Technologies.
Most of their recording material was reissued on a New Naked Technology compilation in 2010.
