"La Femme Accident" is a song 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), released as the third and final single from their sixth studio album ''
Crush'' (1985). Like two of their previous singles, it references
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= an daÊk} ; 1412 â 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of OrlĂ©ans and her insistence on the coronat ...
. Unlike those two singles, it was not a substantial hit, peaking at No. 42 in the UK.
Release history
The single was released in both 7" and 12" formats. Although the 7" single version does not differ in any way from the album version, the 12" version is a radically different remix. The 12" release features both versions as well as the new track "Firegun". Initial releases of the 12" came with a bonus 12" disc in a
gatefold sleeve featuring a live recording of the 1984 hit "
Locomotion
Locomotion means the act or ability of something to transport or move itself from place to place.
Locomotion may refer to:
Motion
* Motion (physics)
* Robot locomotion, of man-made devices
By environment
* Aquatic locomotion
* Flight
* Locomo ...
" and the 1980 hit single "
Enola Gay". The 12" version of "La Femme Accident" was released as a bonus track on the group's first compilation album ''
The Best of OMD'' in 1988. The 7" version was excluded from this release and subsequent OMD compilation albums until its inclusion on the definitive ''Souvenir'' singles compilation, released in 2019 to mark the bandâs 40th anniversary.
"La Femme Accident" was not released as a standalone single in the US and Canada but coupled with the successful North American single "
If You Leave". The Canadian 12" release of "If You Leave" (1985) also features the 12" mix of "La Femme Accident" although it is an edit of the UK 12" with a timing of 5:38.
"La Femme Accident" features as the B-side of some US versions of the "If You Leave" single. Some issues state a
running time
In computer science, the time complexity is the computational complexity that describes the amount of computer time it takes to run an algorithm. Time complexity is commonly estimated by counting the number of elementary operations performed by t ...
of 3:56, whereas the record actually features the standard 2:50 7" version. Other issues state a duration of 2:42 but record actually plays the 5:39 version.
A music video was made for the song and is included on the CD/DVD compilation ''
Messages: Greatest Hits'' (2008). The video features the two main band members
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. ...
and
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 ...
with Humphreys in the role of a professional
photographer
A photographer (the Greek Ïáż¶Ï (''phos''), meaning "light", and ÎłÏαÏÎź (''graphĂȘ''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who makes photographs.
Duties and types of photographers
As in other ...
in difficulty with a blonde model (the "femme accident") with whom he also seems to be in a relationship. McCluskey on the other hand is in the role of a sharp-suited businessman who, singing the song straight into camera in
close-up, manages to convince a board of members that the model is good material and towards the end of the video is taken away by McCluskey in a
chauffeur driven car leaving a forlorn Humphreys behind.
The single's B-side "Firegun" is available on the OMD
B-side compilation album ''
Navigation: The OMD B-Sides'' (2001).
Critical reception
Anna Martin of ''
Number One
Number One most commonly refers to:
* 1 (number)
Number One, No. 1, or #1 may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Number 1'' (Big Bang album), and the title song
* ''No. 1'' (BoA album), and the title song
* ''No.1'' (EP), by CLC
* ''n.1 ...
'' described "La Femme Accident" as "splendid" and "possibly the best single to have been lifted from the pristine ''Crush''."
In ''
Smash Hits'', Vici MacDonald observed a "pleasant, wistful, plinkety-plunk ballad".
Both journalists noted a similarity to the song "
Can't Get Used to Losing You
"Can't Get Used to Losing You" is a song written by Jerome "Doc" Pomus and Mort Shuman, first made popular by Andy Williams in a 1963 record release, which was a number-two hit in both the US and the UK. Twenty years later, British band the Bea ...
" as sung by
Andy Williams.
Live performances
''La Femme Accident'' was included in the setlist of the band's live performances in 1985 promoting the ''
Crush'' studio album. The band also appeared on 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. ...
...
in 1985 (then known as ''Whistle Test'') to perform the song live.
La Femme Accident has been included in the setlist of each of the concerts OMD have performed live with the
(RLPO), in both 2009 and 2018. The first of these concerts was on 20th June 2009 and a recording is available on the DVD release, âElectricity: OMD with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestraâ. La Femme Accident was also included in the setlist when OMD performed with the
for a second time over consecutive nights on 6th and 7th October 2018, as part of a series of special events by the band to commemorate their 40th anniversary. Recordings were made across both nights and feature on the CD, vinyl and digital release ''Live with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra''.
7": Virgin / VS 811 (UK/Europe)
# "La Femme Accident" â 2:50
# "Firegun"
Some 7" releases printed and manufactured in Germany have side A as the mirrored image of the original side B cover whereas side B is the mirrored image of the original side A cover. The text is on the correct sides and not mirrored. Although the time on the label states 3:43 the singles play the 2:48 album version of "La Femme Accident".
12": Virgin / VSD 811-12 (UK)
# "La Femme Accident" (7" version) â 2:50
# "Firegun"
# "La Femme Accident" (12" version) â 6:15
# "