This Week's Forgotten Gem of the '80s - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's "Electricity"
Friday July 11, 2008
Early-'80s synth pop from Devo to Yaz maximized the herky jerky rhythms and pulses of electronic music, but England's Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark were probably more strongly tied to that cutting edge heritage than many music fans realize. Any such distorted perception, of course, essentially stems from the group's massive 1986 pop hit, "If You Leave," from the film and soundtrack to Pretty in Pink, but also from the remainder of the decade in which OMD's pop sensibility increased its influence.Still, the band always retained a melodic fascination even through its early years of experimentation, a balance that comes through clearly in the 1980 track "Electricity". In fact, there's as much to be heard here in terms of influence upon a modern keyboard pop group like Keane as there is inspiration drawn from Germany's groundbreaking electronic heroes, Kraftwerk. The central, tinkling melody that drives this tune sounds thoroughly but pleasantly chilling along with the layered synth arrangements, and that mystery goes a long way in advancing OMD consistently as one of synth pop's most underrated pioneers.
Album Cover Image Courtesy of A&M Records
Comments
There was no artist called Yaz.
There was an artist called Yazz, but she didn’t come along til 1988.
Possibly you mean Yazoo.
Anyway, I need your stories about early 80s UK New Romantics: http://www.daveches.co.uk/80s
OMD’s sound represented the doom gloom synth sound of the early 80’s more than any other. OMD and their contemporaries, including Depeche Mode, New Order, and Cabaret Voltaire, were the bands that helped ween me away from American Top40 Radio to brind me into the new British Invasion that then took our country by storm. Bands like Culture Club, Duran Duran, Kajagoogo, Bananarama and A Flock of Seagulls topped the American charts – but OMD and Depech Mode had to wait many more years to gain recognition on this side of the pond. Cabaret Voltaire would never know fame in this country even though they may have been among the most deserving.
Later,
Charles
geekpie, Yazoo was known as Yaz in the US.
Ok, I uploaded a video of me humming it as much as I can remember. It samples a classical piece ( I think) and was a German 80’s hit (again, I think),
Hopefully someone can name it and PM me band and title so I can youtube it later,
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=F0WNPCLI
thanks,
Pj