OMD (Credit: Alex Lake)
OMD to release special 40th anniversary box set Souvenir, a greatest hits collection along with a special exhibition at the BME and Getintothis’ Jane Davies has all you need to know.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark continue their 40th anniversary celebrations with the announcement of a career box set, ‘Souvenir’ and brand new greatest hits collection – out October 4.
The special box set will comprise of 5 CDs and 2 DVDs housed in a 10” box set, together with a hardback book, poster and a series of 10” prints.
Alongside the box set, there will also be a 2CD and 3LP format which will be a brand new greatest hits package, spanning the band’s 40-year career.
This includes all the singles from Electricity to What Have We Done, as well as the exclusive brand new single, Don’t Go’
Written and produced by both Paul and Andy, and recorded at Bleepworks in London, the new song Don’t Go melds together the plaintive melancholia of McCluskey’s lyrical refrain and the soaring synth melody from Paul Humphreys, combining to create the classic style of OMD.
Over the past 40 years, OMD have sold 25 million singles and 15 million albums courtesy of a very large and loyal global fan base.
Their 13 albums include recently reissued Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (1980), Organisation (1980), Architecture & Morality’(1981) and Dazzle Ships (1983).
The audio discs include all the band’s singles from Electricity to What Have We Done as well as a brand new single Don’t Go, exclusive to this release.
The box set also includes a previously unreleased live show from the Hammersmith Odeon in 1983, 22 previously unreleased demos from the archive which have been selected and mixed by Paul Humphreys, rare and unreleased live material from the BBC and an entire live show from the Mermaid Theatre in 2011.
One of the DVDs contains BBC TV performances from Top Of The Pops, Old Grey Whistle Test, Later With Jools Holland and more.
The other contains a live show from Sheffield City Hall in 1985, another live show from the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1981, as well as Crush – The Movie.
The book contains unseen photos, single sleeve artwork, an introduction by Paul Morley and sleeve notes to accompany the archive material by Andy McCluskey.
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Alongside the box set, there will be a new greatest hits package in the form of a 2CD or 3LP format.
In addition to enlarging their record collections, fans will be able to visit a special commemorative exhibition dedicated to their synth pop heroes at Liverpool’s British Music Experience.
The exhibition will run from October 11, 2019 until January 5, 2020 and will feature the band’s instruments, clothing, prints, posters and Andy’s binders full of ideas, photos and press cuttings.
A special launch event and Question and Answer session hosted by Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys will take place on Thursday October 10 . Tickets are on sale on August 30 at 10 am.
Fans of the Wirral synth pop pioneers can also look forward to an extensive UK tour scheduled for the autumn as follows:
October
Weds 23 – Belfast, Ulster Hall
Sat 26 – Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
Sun 27 – York, Barbican
Mon 28 – Hull, Arena
Weds 30 – Gateshead, Sage
Tues 31 – Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
November
Fri 1 – Manchester, O2 Apollo
Sun 3 – Sheffield, City Hall
Mon 4 – Liverpool, Empire
Tues 5 – Birmingham, Symphony Hall
Thurs 7 – Leicester, De Montfort Hall
Fri 8 – Bath, Pavilion
Sat 9 – Oxford, New Theatre
Mon 11 – Guildford, G Live
Tues 12 – Portsmouth, Guildhall
Weds 13 – Watford, Colosseum
Fri 15 – Cambridge, Corn Exchange
Sat 16 – Ipswich, Regent Theatre
Sun 17 – Bexhill, De La Warr Pavilion
Tues 19 – Bournemouth, Pavilion Theatre
Weds 20 – London, Eventim Apollo
From all accounts it looks like it is going to be a very busy autumn for one of synthpop’s most enduring and ever evolving bands.
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