Electricity (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark song)
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"Electricity" is the 1979 debut single by English
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
band
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic band formed in Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards, vocals), along with Martin Co ...
(OMD), featured on their eponymous debut album the following year.
Andy McCluskey George Andrew McCluskey (born 24 June 1959) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. He is best known as the lead singer and bass guitarist of the electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), which he founded a ...
and
Paul Humphreys Paul David Humphreys (born 27 February 1960) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who is best known for his contributions to Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), a new wave band which he founded alongside Andy McCluskey in 1978. ...
sing the lead vocals on the track together in unison. As with single " Messages" from the same album, the song features a melodic synthesizer break as opposed to a sung chorus. The track is a holdover from defunct Wirral group
the Id The Id were a new wave/ synthpop band from the Wirral, Merseyside, England formed in 1977. They are best recalled as the precursor to the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), in which Id members Andy McCluskey (bass, vocals), Paul Hu ...
, who were led by McCluskey and Humphreys. Following OMD's release of "Electricity" on
Factory Records Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus. The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, the Duru ...
, the band were offered a recording contract with
Dindisc Dindisc (often rendered DinDisc) was a UK record label, an imprint of Virgin Records but operating semi-independently, which issued new releases from mid-1979 through early 1982. It is no longer active, but CD reissues on Virgin still mention the ...
, who twice re-issued the single. An October 2019 re-release, through
Virgin EMI Virgin EMI Records was a British record label owned by the Universal Music Group that was formed in 2013. In June 2020, the label was rebranded as EMI Records, and operates Virgin Records as an imprint of the new EMI Records. History Virgin ...
, topped the
UK Vinyl Singles Chart The Official Vinyl Singles Chart is a weekly record chart in the United Kingdom. It is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the music industry. It lists the top 40 most popular singles in the vinyl format each week. The char ...
. "Electricity" has been recognised as one of the most influential songs of its era, and has been praised by multiple recording artists.


Background

"Electricity" was the first song that Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys wrote together at the age of 16. It addresses society's wasteful usage of energy resources. Inspired by Kraftwerk's " Radioactivity", the track was described by McCluskey as "a faster, punkier version of 'Radioactivity' with a chorus." As with single " Messages" from the same album, a sung chorus is substituted for a melodic synthesizer break. McCluskey and Humphreys originally recorded "Electricity" as members of OMD precursor group
the Id The Id were a new wave/ synthpop band from the Wirral, Merseyside, England formed in 1977. They are best recalled as the precursor to the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), in which Id members Andy McCluskey (bass, vocals), Paul Hu ...
, in early 1978. After OMD's first concert, opening for
Joy Division Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...
in a 1978 appearance at Eric's Club in Liverpool, McCluskey was inspired to send a demo of the song to
Factory Records Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus. The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, the Duru ...
founder
Tony Wilson Anthony Howard Wilson (20 February 1950 – 10 August 2007) was a British record label owner, radio and television presenter, nightclub manager, impresario and a journalist for Granada Television, the BBC and Channel 4. As a co-founder o ...
. They later heard that while he was not impressed with it, his wife was, so he bought it from them and released it as a single. Its ensuing success led to them receiving a seven-album record deal with
Dindisc Dindisc (often rendered DinDisc) was a UK record label, an imprint of Virgin Records but operating semi-independently, which issued new releases from mid-1979 through early 1982. It is no longer active, but CD reissues on Virgin still mention the ...
, worth over £250,000.


Reception

"Electricity" was a hit with veteran DJ John Peel, who gave the song regular play on his late-night radio show; as a result, the British music press quickly picked up on the song. Adrian Thrills of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' cited it as "the best example of
Factory Records Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus. The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, the Duru ...
to date – excellent, melodic, synthesiser pop." He also lauded B-side "Almost", calling it "a doleful, heartsick slab of electronic angst." In a review of 1980 single " Enola Gay", Jonathan Green of ''
The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in ...
'' described both it and "Electricity" as a "super pop song". Conversely,
Garry Bushell Garry Bushell (born 13 May 1955) is an English newspaper columnist, rock music journalist, television presenter, author, musician and political activist. Bushell also sings in the Cockney Oi! bands GBX and the Gonads. He managed the New York C ...
gave a negative review in ''
Sounds In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
'', in which he remarked, "If
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was ten years younger and a
Tubeway Army Tubeway Army were a London-based new wave band led by lead singer Gary Numan. Formed at the height of punk rock in 1977 the band gradually changed to an electronic sound. They were the first band of the electronic era to have a synthesiser ...
fan, this is what he'd sound like... who wants to listen to a bunch of
Scouse Scouse (; formally known as Liverpool English or Merseyside English) is an accent and dialect of English associated with Liverpool and the surrounding county of Merseyside. The Scouse accent is highly distinctive; having been influenced he ...
rs whining about electricity anyway?" (Bushell later called his "less than generous" appraisal a "mistake".) David Hepworth, who re-appraised the track in the same publication, opined that OMD's sound "commands your attention" and lauded the single for being "packaged with as much taste as it's played." "Electricity" peaked at no. 2 on the ''Sounds'' Alternative Chart in the summer of 1979, and was later featured on ''NME''s end-of-year list. In a retrospective review, Ned Raggett of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
described the song as "pure zeitgeist, a celebration of synth pop's incipient reign". Critic Dave Thompson called it a "perfect electro-pop number".


Legacy

Danny Eccleston of ''
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'' recognised "Electricity" as important to "the dawn of UK synth-pop", while ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''s
Mary Harron Mary Harron (born January 12, 1953) is a Canadian filmmaker and screenwriter, and former entertainment critic. She gained recognition for her role in writing and directing several independent films, including '' I Shot Andy Warhol'' (1996), ''Am ...
wrote that it "pioneered a new electronic pop". Author and musician
Rudi Esch Rüdiger "Rudi" Esch (born 10 August 1966 in Düsseldorf) is a German musician, author and music consultant. As a musician, he is best known as the former bass player for industrial band Die Krupps and the punk band Male. Career In 1982, Esch ...
described "Electricity" as "a song that started a new movement"; Esch borrowed its title for his book, ''Electri_City: The Düsseldorf School of Electronic Music'' (2016). Andrew Trendell of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' identified the track as a "classic" and "one of the most influential singles of the post-punk era".
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and
Blaqk Audio Blaqk Audio is an American electronic music duo, formed by current AFI members Davey Havok and Jade Puget under Interscope Records. Their debut album, '' CexCells'', was released on August 14, 2007, and reached number eighteen on the ''Bill ...
frontman
Davey Havok David Paden Marchand (born David Paden Passaro, November 20, 1975), known professionally as Davey Havok, is an American singer and musician who is the lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band AFI (band), AFI, the synth-pop band Blaqk Audio, the ...
called the song "groundbreaking".
Erasure Erasure () is an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a membe ...
bandleader
Vince Clarke Vincent John Martin (born 3 July 1960), known professionally as Vince Clarke, is an English synth-pop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been the main composer and musician of the band Erasure since its inception in 1985, and was previously ...
(formerly chief songwriter of Depeche Mode and Yazoo) told the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, "When I was 18 or 19 I heard a single called 'Electricity' by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. It sounded so different from anything I'd heard; that really made me want to make electronic music, 'cause it was so unique." Alphaville's Marian Gold cited the song as an inspiration for his group, noting that it bolstered their confidence in pursuing synth-pop. "Electricity" was a fixture in the DJ sets of Duran Duran's
Nick Rhodes Nick Rhodes (born Nicholas James Bates, 8 June 1962) is an English keyboardist and producer, best known as a founding member, keyboardist, and only continuous member of the band Duran Duran. He is also informally monikered as "The Controller ...
; bandmate John Taylor cited it as an early influence on the band.
BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...
's
Steve Lamacq Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music. Early life He attended The Ramsey Academ ...
has named the "wonderful" track as his inspiration to become a radio DJ, and musician Ian Devaney formed the group Nation of Language after hearing the song.
Brett Wickens Brett Wickens (born April 15, 1961 in Hamilton, Ontario) is a British-Canadian creative director known for his work with identity design. He is a partner for the Ammunition Design Group, and is currently living and working in the San Francisco ...
of
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and Ceramic Hello noted that he was "initially inspired" by the track, as well as its cover art. "Electricity" has been praised by other musicians. Ted Ottaviano of Book of Love, a band heavily influenced by OMD, said of the song, "I've never heard anything so simple and sophisticated all at the same time... t'sone of my all-time faves." Mute Records founder Daniel Miller wrote, "I remember thinking, 'My God, that's an amazing pop song'."
Philip Oakey Philip Oakey (born 2 October 1955) is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the lead singer, songwriter, and cofounder of British synth-pop band the Human League. Aside from the Human League, Oakey has enjoyed an e ...
of
the Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...
called it a "brilliant single", while Simple Minds frontman
Jim Kerr James Kerr (born 9 July 1959) is a Scottish singer and the lead singer of the rock band Simple Minds, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States. Ot ...
commented, "I bought it and played it nonstop... I was downright jealous to be honest, and I still am."
David Balfe David Balfe (born 1958 in Carlisle, Cumberland) is a musician and record company executive, most notable for playing keyboards with the Teardrop Explodes, founding the Zoo and Food independent record labels, signing Blur and for being the subj ...
of
The Teardrop Explodes The Teardrop Explodes were an English post-punk/neo-psychedelic band formed in Liverpool in 1978. Best known for their Top Ten UK single " Reward", the group originated as a key band in the emerging Liverpool post-punk scene of the late 1970s. ...
recalled "admiring" the track. The song has been covered by artists including NOFX, Apoptygma Berzerk and MGMT. '' Q'' argued that "
The Kids Aren't Alright "The Kids Aren't Alright" is a song by the Offspring. It is the fifth track from the band's fifth studio album, ''Americana'' (1998), and was released as its third single. It became another top 10 hit on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. The so ...
", by punk rock band
the Offspring The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guit ...
, "borrows heavily" from the track; the magazine pointed to NOFX's punk cover of "Electricity" as evidence. In May 1980, ''
ZigZag A zigzag is a pattern made up of small corners at variable angles, though constant within the zigzag, tracing a path between two parallel lines; it can be described as both jagged and fairly regular. In geometry, this pattern is described as ...
'' readers voted "Electricity" the 15th-best single of the past year;
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ranked it the 23rd-greatest song of 1981 (the year of its US release). In a later poll of 8,180 ''
Slicing Up Eyeballs ''Slicing Up Eyeballs'' is an American website dedicated to rock music, in particular 1980s college rock. Founded in 2009 by journalist and music critic Matt Sebastian, the site publishes content including news, interviews, and polls. It has been ...
'' readers, the track was voted the 69th-best of 1980.


"Electricity" and "Almost" versions

There are many different versions of the two songs that were present on OMD's debut single. After the band left
Factory Records Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus. The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, the Duru ...
, DinDisc attempted twice to score a hit with "Electricity". Consequently, four versions of "Electricity" and three of "Almost" exist. ;Version I *"Electricity" (3:36) and "Almost" (3:50) were originally recorded at
Cargo Studios Cargo Studios was a recording studio located on Kenion Street, off Drake Street, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It was opened in 1977 by John Brierley (who had gained notoriety in the early 1970s as producer of Tractor's first two albums) ...
, Rochdale and produced by
Martin Hannett James Martin Hannett (31 May 1948 – 18 April 1991), initially credited as Martin Zero, was an English record producer, musician and an original partner/director at Tony Wilson's Factory Records. Hannett produced music by artists including Joy ...
under the moniker Martin Zero, to be released by
Factory Records Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus. The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, the Duru ...
. ;Version II *The band felt Hannett had overproduced their songs somewhat, so they recorded new versions at Henry's Studio, Liverpool. These versions were produced by themselves and band manager Paul Collister under the moniker Chester Valentino. *A compromise was reached for the versions used on the single. This first Factory single contains the band's version of "Electricity" (3:44) and the Hannett version of "Almost" (3:50). *Version II of "Almost" (3:43) remained unreleased until appearing on the 2001 compilation; '' Navigation: The OMD B-Sides''. ;Version III *The
album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
versions of "Electricity" (3:39) and "Almost" (3:44) differ from the previous versions, and were used for the third and final release of the single. "Electricity" was remixed from the original Hannett version. It is also the version used on the 1988 ''
Best Of A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
'' and the 1998 ''
Singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...
'' collections and is the best-known version of the song. The album version of "Almost" is similarly a remix of Hannett's version. ;Version IV ("Electricity" only) *A fourth mix of "Electricity" (3:43) was produced by
Mike Howlett Michael John Gilmour Howlett (born 27 April 1950) is a record producer and teacher based in the United Kingdom and Australia. Career In the late 1960s, Howlett was the bassist in Sydney pop band the Affair, which included vocalist Kerrie Bidde ...
. This version of "Electricity" was recorded during the ''
Organisation An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from ...
'' sessions when the band decided to extend the instrumental section in the middle of the song. It was initially released on the ''Dindisc 1980'' compilation album in 1980. In 2003, it was released on CD as a bonus track on the re-issue of ''
Organisation An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from ...
''. ;The Micronauts Remix *A radical remix by dance music act The Micronauts was released in 1998 both as part of '' The OMD Remixes'' release and as part of the bonus disc of the special edition ''
The OMD Singles ''The OMD Singles'' is a singles compilation album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1998. It reached number 16 on the UK Albums Chart. Originally, the compilation was to include a second disc of new remixes; however, this idea ...
'' (France only).


Release history


Singles

The following singles have been released:


Albums

"Electricity" and "Almost" have been released on the following OMD albums:


Sleeve design

The sleeve was designed by Factory's designer Peter Saville. The band and Saville met in a Rochdale pub and exchanged ideas. Saville told them about a book of avant-garde musical scores which he'd come across. Andy McCluskey said that he sometimes wrote down the tunes he composed in a similar shorthand. This led to the unusual graphics that feature on the sleeve. Saville suggested to use shiny black ink on black paper. Neither OMD nor
Tony Wilson Anthony Howard Wilson (20 February 1950 – 10 August 2007) was a British record label owner, radio and television presenter, nightclub manager, impresario and a journalist for Granada Television, the BBC and Channel 4. As a co-founder o ...
believed it could be done, but Saville persuaded a printer to do the job. The
thermographic printing Thermographic printing refers to two types of printing, both of which rely on heat to create the letters or images on a sheet of paper. The simplest type of thermography is where the paper has been coated with a material that changes colour on ...
was a success, but the place set on fire three times, so eventually only 5,000 sleeves were printed. The reissue sleeves were standard white on black printed sleeves.


2019 re-release

A special edition of the single was released on 27 September 2019 by
Virgin EMI Virgin EMI Records was a British record label owned by the Universal Music Group that was formed in 2013. In June 2020, the label was rebranded as EMI Records, and operates Virgin Records as an imprint of the new EMI Records. History Virgin ...
, as part of the group's 40th anniversary celebrations. The A-side features the Hannett/Cargo Studios version of "Electricity", incorrectly listed as the
Factory Records Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus. The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, the Duru ...
version, while the B-side has a new remix of "Almost" by
Vince Clarke Vincent John Martin (born 3 July 1960), known professionally as Vince Clarke, is an English synth-pop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been the main composer and musician of the band Erasure since its inception in 1985, and was previously ...
. The limited edition release is pressed on clear vinyl and the sleeve is an adaptation of the original Peter Saville design. This version debuted on the
UK Vinyl Singles Chart The Official Vinyl Singles Chart is a weekly record chart in the United Kingdom. It is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the music industry. It lists the top 40 most popular singles in the vinyl format each week. The char ...
at no. 1.


Track listing


1979 original release


2019 re-issue


Notes


References


External links


Lyrics for "Electricity".
{{authority control 1979 songs 1979 debut singles 1980 singles Environmental songs Factory Records singles Virgin EMI Records singles Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark songs Songs about science Songs written by Andy McCluskey Songs written by Paul Humphreys