"Never Turn Away" 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 music, electronic band formed in Wirral Peninsula, Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboar ...

(OMD), released on 29 October 1984 as the fourth and final single from their fifth studio album, ''

Junk Culture ''Junk Culture'' is the fifth studio album by English electronic music, electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 30 April 1984 by Virgin Records. After the commercial disappointment of the Experimental music, experime ...

'' (1984).

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. ...

sings lead vocals on the track.

History

The song was first featured on the band's "Showcase Tour" in September 1983 in an unfinished form with the unofficial title of "The Never Song". The short tour, intended to re-establish the band after the commercial flop of '' Dazzle Ships'' earlier in the year, also featured other new songs which would appear on the ''

'' album in 1984, as well as the future "Never Turn Away" B-side "Wrappup". Although writing credits are attributed to "OMD", "Never Turn Away" was written by Paul Humphreys. In a 1998 interview Andy McCluskey stated that although the idea for the title was his, Humphreys wrote everything else, adding "I honestly don't know what Never Turn Away's about". It was the band's second single to feature Humphreys on vocals after "

Souvenir A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a m ...

" in 1981.

Critical reception

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'' writer Carl Brown Jr. named "Never Turn Away" as the standout track from ''Junk Culture'', calling it "a soft, subtle song that succeeds from both a melodic and lyrical viewpoint". Conversely, ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...

'' reviewer and

Pet Shop Boys The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo i ...

singer

Neil Tennant Neil Francis Tennant (born 10 July 1954) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and music journalist, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Chris Lowe in 1981. He was a journalist for ''Smash Hits'', and a ...

– otherwise a proponent of OMD – described the track as "sad, drifting music" and "boring". OMD frontman

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 ...

later joked, "Well, he would know!" Retrospectively,

John Bergstrom John Bergstrom (born March 3, 1973) is an American music critic and journalist. Career He is best known for his features and reviews on the international webzine ''PopMatters''. He is also a contributor to ''Trouser Press''.PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' described the song as "beautiful". Ned Raggett in

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 databas ...

singled out the "elegiac" number as one of the highlights from its parent album.Raggett, Ned
Junk Culture

. Retrieved 10 February 2015.

B-sides

The song "Wrappup" is a dubbed version of the song "All Wrapped Up" (which features on ''

''). The second B-side, a live version of "Waiting for the Man", only featured on the extended version of the single (the extended version of "Never Turn Away" has an extra verse added to the song). The live version of "

Waiting for the Man "I'm Waiting for the Man" is a song by American rock band the Velvet Underground. Written by Lou Reed, it was first released on their 1967 debut album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''. The lyrics describe a man's efforts to obtain heroin in H ...

" was recorded at the

Hammersmith Odeon The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Ha ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on the Junk Culture tour, featuring additional brass parts by Graham and Neil Weir who had worked with the band on the ''Junk Culture'' album. The 7" picture disc features a unique extended version of "Never Turn Away". "Wrappup" is available on the bonus disc of the 2015 deluxe re-issue of ''Junk Culture'', although on initial pressings "All Wrapped Up" was included in its place by mistake. The disc also includes the extended version of "Never Turn Away".

Track listing

All tracks written and composed by OMD; except where noted. 7" vinyl # "Never Turn Away" – 3:57 # "Wrappup" – 4:00 7" vinyl picture disc # "Never Turn Away" – 4:34 # "Wrappup" – 4:00 12" vinyl # "Never Turn Away" (extended version) – 6:31 # "Wrappup" – 4:00 # "

" (live) (

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...

) – 3:31

Charts

References

External links

* {{authority control 1984 singles Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark songs Songs written by Paul Humphreys 1984 songs Virgin Records singles