Robert Palmer: Clues (1980)

Clues has always struck me as the record in which Palmer shifted from blued-eyed soul to new wave. He even added synthesizers. There were two big hits on this LP: Looking for Clues and the Johnny and Mary. The real surprise for me is the cover of Gary Numan's I Dream of Wires, which features Numan himself on keyboards.

Sadly, the record is only thirty minutes in length. Despite that, I rank it in my top three Palmer records.

Robert Palmer: Secrets (1979)

Secrets was the first Robert Palmer record I ever owned. I picked it up because I liked the lead-off single, Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor Doctor), a tune he did not write. I discovered that there were far better tracks on the record. I sold my copy at a lawn sale one year ages ago (along with a number of Robert Palmer 12" singles), when I decided to divest myself of some records. Later, I found a mintish copy in a dollar bin somewhere and decided to bring it back into my collection.

My favourite track on this record is What's it Take?, a Palmer original. There's some great rhythm and percussion in that tune. I also love Jealous. I think there are better Palmer records, but this is not too bad.

Robert Palmer: Double Fun (1978)

Robert looks he is living every man's dream on the cover of this LP. He died young, at age 54. That was sad, but that's what heavy smoking does to a body.

I think there are three cover versions on this record. I have no idea what inspired Palmer to do a rendition of the Kinks' You Really Got Me. That's a total fail, in my books.

I like this record. 

Robert Palmer: Some People Can Do What They Like (1976)

I don't know if Robert had a reputation as a player, but one just gets the sense that he was. Following that great cover image for Pressure Drop, he appears here with Playboy's Playmate of the month for April 1976. They are playing strip poker. That's a win-win, if you ask me. It looked like he was having a good time all of the time, but smoking too much.

Palmer wrote only two of these songs, plus he co-wrote another with his old pal from Vinegar Joe.

Robert Palmer: Pressure Drop (1975)

The adolescent boy in me simply loved this record jack, both front and especially back. After this record, Palmer moved to Nassau. I wish I had done that.

Again, Palmer wrote just over half of these tunes. On balance this is a really smooth and soulful record.

Robert Palmer: Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley (1974)

"The career of blue-eyed soul singer Robert Palmer was a study in style versus substance. While the performer's earliest work won praise for its skillful assimilation of rock, R&B, and reggae sounds, his records typically sold poorly, and he achieved his greatest notoriety as an impeccably dressed lounge lizard. By the mid-'80s, however, Palmer became a star, although his popularity owed less to the strength of his material than to his infamous music videos: taking their cue from the singer's suave presence, Palmer's clips established him as a dapper, suit-and-tie lady's man who performed his songs backed by a band comprised of leggy models, much to the delight of viewers who made him one of MTV's biggest success stories. " [source]

And so begins Allmusic's biography of the late Robert Palmer. I will have to dissent, for I have always loved Palmer's music, even when it reached its misogynistic fever pitch in the Addicted to Love and Simply Irresistible videos. Wikipedia's introduction is far more charitable: "He was known for his distinctive, soulful voice, eclectic mix of musical styles on his albums, combining soul, jazz, rock, pop, reggae, blues, and sartorial acumen." [source] 

I first heard Palmer singing Bad Case of Loving (Doctor Doctor) -- one of a number of songs he recorded but didn't write -- on the radio in my dad's car, I think. But, that song was from a later record. He wrote just over half of the songs on Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley, and he did a fabulous job in arranging.

Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley begins with a excellent trio of tunes that all run seamlessly together and introduce a really funky and soulful album. I find it a shame that most people know him for Addicted to Love. I'm willing to bet, also, that most people are unfamiliar with his work with Vinegar Joe, with whom he made two records in 1971 and 1972.

I have a Canadian pressing of this record.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: Architecture & Morality, the Singles (2021)

This was a difficult cover to photograph. It's like taking a photo of a mirror. sadly the cover material seems a bit weak, and it had bruised corners and some creases on the back when it arrived in the mail from the UK. This one, I think, was sold only from the band's shop. 

The cover spells out the band name name with the conjoined oe (œ) like, Manœuvres. I am not sure if this has opened before. I suppose I should really go have a look.

From superdeluxeedition.com

"To mark the records’s 40th anniversary, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark will release the three singles from 1981’s Architecture & Morality together on one album, along with associated tracks: unreleased demos, studio sessions and live performances."

Some notes from Discogs: 

Format:
Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Burgundy
Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Red
Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Purple

Issued in a tri-fold gatefold sleeve with inner sleeves matching the original release artwork. Disc 1 is burgundy. Disc 2 is red. Disc 3 is purple.
Limited edition of 2000 copies

The tracks are:

Souvenir
Motion & Heart (Amazon Version)
Sacred Heart
Souvenir (Demo)
Choir Song (Rough Mix)
Motion & Heart (Live at Drury Lane, 1981)
Joan Of Arc
The Romance Of The Telescope (Unfinished)
Joan Of Arc (Live at Drury Lane, 1981)
Joan Of Arc (Rough Mix)
New Song (Georgia Demo)
She’s Leaving (Demo)
Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)
Navigation
Sealand (Demo)
Submarines
Maid of Orleans (Demo)
Joan Of Arc (Maid of Orleans) (Live at Drury Lane, 1981)

This sounds familiar, yet different:

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark/OMD: Souvenir, the Sigles Collection, 1979 - 2019 (2019)

This triple LP release compiles OMD's forty singles from 1979 - 2019. From a Discogs comment:

"Completists take note and rejoice! Track 3, Messages, is the (relatively) rare 7" remix, and not the Lp version. It is a short version of the 10" remix that appears almost everywhere else. This is the first time that this version of this track has appeared on cd, I believe."

While the vinyl set contains one new track (Don't Go), the deluxe CD box set has a lot more material, including a bunch of unreleased tracks. This is a cool compilation.

OMD [Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]: Live With The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (2018)

The triple LP version was released on clear vinyl and includes tunes recorded in Liverpool on October 6th and 7th, 2018. Some of the reviews were harsh, but, overall, I alike this effort. Stanlow is a triumph on its own, though the audience ruined the end of the track by breaking into applause way too soon.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark [OMD]: What Have we Done (2017)

Of course, the title should really be What Have We Done? What happened to proper punctuation? The three tracks on this 12" are:

What Have We Done (12" Extended Mix)
HAHAHA
What Have We Done (Single Version)

This is a good track. It makes me wish that Paul would sing more.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark [OMD]: The Punishment Of Luxury (2017)

This 12"single contains the following:

The Punishment Of Luxury (12" Extended Mix)
Lampe Licht
The Punishment Of Luxury (Single Version)

This release was limited to 1000 copies. There are currently copies for sale on Discogs, starting at about $41.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark [OMD]: The Punishment Of Luxury (2017)

Allmusic awards this record 3.5 stars, which I think is too parsimonious. It's far better than that, even if simply because of Isotype, which is a great single. I think the previous two records were better, but this is pretty darn good.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark [OMD]: Isotype (2017)

The flipside of Isotype is Skin. My kids love the Isotype video. This was the first single from The Punishment of Luxury.

OMD [Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark]: Architecture & Morality / Dazzle Ships 05.16 Royal Albert Hall (2016)

I have no idea what the proper title of this record is. 

From Discogs:

"Limited to 1,000 copies via Pledge Music in three panel gatefold sleeve of the OMD concert held at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday 9th May 2016."

The above explains why the prices on Discogs start at £60 and run up to £99.95! The triple LP was bundled with 2 CD-Rs, which were also released separately. That's right! Bizarrely, these are CD-Rs, not CDs. Why? And yet, these CD-Rs are pricey too.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: Access All Areas (2015)

The following is taken from a comment on this item on Discogs:

Unearthed live recording from the ITV archives. To be precise, this concert was recorded at the Nottingham Playhouse, UK on 28th July 1980, for ITV's Rockstage programme (aired in April 1981). It was a rare one-off summer show and they played two songs from the yet to be recorded album 'Organisation'. This is the first time that the original 'Enola Gay' (unfinished) version is released. Notice the absence of the drum machine, its slightly different structure and original verses. Then, despite the short set, the quality of the recording is surprisingly good. Lighting was less gloomy than the classic Theatre Royal Drury Lane 1981 concert. 

The CD/DVD version was released in 2015, with a CD version and LP version appearing the following year. The LP is, of course, a picture disc. Access All Areas refers to a unlimited backstage pass, also known as AAA. Access all Areas is also the name of a series of recordings from various acts.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD] ‎– Julia's Song (Dub Version) (2015)

From Discogs: Released on Record Store Day 2015.

'Julia's Song (Dub Version)' is the same track as the first part of 'Julia's Song (Extended Version)', b-side to the 1984 Talking Loud And Clear 12" single, the second part of which has been released on the 2015 Deluxe edition of Junk Culture. 

I believe that this was a limited edition, but I am not sure. The flipside is 10-1.

OMD [Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark]: Dazzle Ships At The Museum Of Liverpool

Discogs treats this release as an EP, which I think is odd because it contains seven tracks:

Radio Waves
Genetic Engineering
Dazzle Ships (Parts II, III & VII)
4-Neu
International
The Romance Of The Telescope
Dazzle Ships (Parts I, IV, V & VI)

There are apparently 750 copies, but someone noted that more copies were made to correct for errors. All I can say that is: I wish I had been there.

OMD [Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark]: Metroland (2013)

The flipside to Metroland is The Great White Silence. It's a pretty good b-side. 

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: English Electric (2015)

Who would have thought that the year 2015 would bring one of OMD's best records? I am still stunned by how good this record is. It pays overt respect to Dazzle Ships and it also has a good deal of glossy electronic pop that would appeal to any OMD fan.

Night Cafe, on it's own, is magical, a return to some Architecture and Morality sounds, with a beautiful melody and polished electronic sound. My fav tune might be Metroland, which is a delicious Kraftwerkesque tune. On the other hand, Dresden is also pretty cool.

The question about Kissing the Machine is which is the better version, this or the 1993-original with Karl Bartos. It's a tough call, as they are so similar. This is an excellent record, which is a bit better the History of Modern.

OMD [Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark]: History of Modern Part I (2011)

The History of Modern Part I compact disc is packed with stuff, like parts II, III, and IV, plus five remixes of Part I and four other tracks. This 10" single has only two edits of History of Modern Part I plus VCR and The Grand Deception, which are not on the History of Modern LP. This, as noted on Discogs, is true:

"Track B1 and B2 are erroneously swapped on sleeve and label"

Surprisingly, this 10" disc goes for, on average, north of $35. Even more surprisingly, the CD goes for much more.

OMD [Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark]: History of Modern (2010)

By my count, this is the second OMD record, after Dazzle Ships, to be credited to OMD rather than to Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark. Some singles have that credit too. I wonder why they opted to use the acronym from time-to-time. Perhaps it was a design consideration.

The original line-up reformed for this release, after the Sugar Tax, Liberator, and Universal albums, which were really Andy McCluskey solo records.

History of Modern is a fabulous record. I think it's a real return to form. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this is a truly great record. Both McCluskey and Humphreys argue that the subsequent record is better. That is probably true, but it doesn't undermine how good this is.

This record was pressed in 2010 and 2018. I have the original first pressing which came with the CD.

OMD [Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]: Live, Architecture & Morality & More (2008/2018)

4000 copies of this numbered, deluxe edition were released in 2018. It contains a CD of the entire show, recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon on May 19th, 2007. Previously, the album was released on CD in 2008. An LP version, on coloured vinyl, appeared in 2014. This is a good set packed with great tunes, including the entire Architecture & Morality LP, but with a different running order.

Here's another gripe with Discogs, which is always overly fastidious about how it credits records. The title, printed on the cover, is Live Architecture & Morality & More, which I have transcribed as Live, Architecture & Morality & More. A comma seems necessary. Discogs views it this way: Live  (Architecture & Morality & More). It's interesting, but wrong, in my humble opinion.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: Call My Name (1991)

Call My Name is also from Sugar Tax. My UK 12" has the 12" version of Call My Name plus a mix of Brides of Frankenstein. I didn't love this period of OMD without Paul Humphreys. I don't hate this period either, but it's a little less wonderful than the earlier and later OMD periods.

OMD [Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark]: Universal (1996)

Much like the Liberator record, I find this to be far less interesting OMD. Allmusic agrees:

"Universal is a rote collection of synth-pop and dance-pop from OMD, demonstrating only a fraction of the sophisticated craft that made its predecessor Liberator enjoyable, and none of the adventurous spirit of their '80s records." [source]

Incidentally, I once heard an interview with OMD, after they reformed, and Paul said he really likes this record. It could be that I have just not listened to this record enough. 

OMD [Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]: Liberator (1993)

Once Paul and Andy went in separate directions, the band became less interesting, at least to me. Andy soldiered on under the OMD banner, and Paul did other things. This is OK, but I think its far too commercial, top 40ish, or something. This is miles and miles away from Messages. Still, I do like some tracks.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way) (1991)

My version of this 12" single has four edits of the title track (originally from the Sugar Tax album), plus Sugar Tax, the title track to the Sugar Tax LP that wasn't even on that LP.

Diesel Fingers Mix
Abstract Mix
Constant Pressure 12"
Prize of Beauty Mix

This is the dance-pop era of OMD. 

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark [OMD]: Sugar Tax (1991)

It took almost five years, but OMD finally released its eighth album on May 7, 1991. Because it was released in 1991, it's not easy to obtain on vinyl, especially in North America. In fact, I have never seen a copy anywhere in any store since it came out.

The second odd thing is that Paul Humphreys left the band after the last record, so Andy McCluskey soldiered on by himself. Oddly, McCluskey's name appears nowhere on the record or jacket or inner sleeve. Instead, credit is given simply to OMD.

The last weird thing is that the song Sugar Tax appears on the b-side of Then you Turn Away, because it was not ready in time for the record's release date. It also appears on the 12" releases of Pandora's Box and Sailing on the Seven Seas.

This record has more of a pop dance feel than OMD's previous efforts. McCluskey recorded three records as OMD without Paul, and then he, too, called it quits, for a while anyway.

OMD [Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]: Sailing on the Seven Seas (1991)

This is a promotional copy (not for sale!) that has 5 versions of the titular track. These are:

Dancing On The Seven Seas
Sailing On The Seven Seas (Larrabee Mix)
Sailing On The Seven Seas (Original Mix)
Sailing On The Seven Seas (Extended Mix)
Floating On The Seven Seas

The record comes in a plain black cardboard sleeve. My copy is lacking the hype sticker that Discogs references:

"Sticker:
Orgasmic Musical Delights
Here's 3 uptempo and 2 sleaze remixes of Sailing On The Seven Seas
Get Ready To Dance"

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark [OMD]: Sailing on the Seven Seas (1991)

Side A: Sailing on the Seven Seas
Side B: Floating on the Seven Seas

I can't say that I am a fan of side B. Side A is cool, however.

OMD [Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark]: Brides of Frankenstein (1988)

All of these details, I have stolen from Wikipedia, because, once again, this draft post disappeared from Blogger and I cant be bothered to rewrite it.

"Brides of Frankenstein" is a medley of excerpts from various Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark songs mixed with dance rhythms by Mike "Hitman" Wilson and Steve "Silk" Hurley. It was released as a 12-inch single in 1988 in the United States and Canada. In 1991, both tracks were released as B-sides of the "Call My Name" CD single.

Songs used in the mix:

Locomotion
Messages
Secret
So in Love
If You Leave
We Love You

The B-side contains a dub mix. I'm not a big fan of this.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: The Best of OMD (1988)

I have two copies of this record. The first has a slight warp, but it plays fine. Warps, even if they do not affect sound, irritate me. I'd say that this a a really good overview to 1988, when the original band split. The track selections are bang on.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: Dreaming (1988)

In some respects, this is a sad song as it was the last single to feature the band's original lineup. It was released as the forthcoming single from The Best of OMD. There are lots of examples of bands adding a track to a best of compilation, and I wonder if any of those tracks have tanked. Fortunately, this is a pretty good track. It sounds like it could have appeared on The Pacific Age.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: Shame (1987)

Yikes, another post that inexplicably disappeared from my drafts in Blogger. This 12" has three version of Shame. They are the original album mix, the extended re-recorded mix, and the re-recorded version.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: We Love You (1986)

Three versions (extended, 7", and dub) are on this release. I hadn't see this video before, not that is is brilliant, or anything. I don't mind this track, but it pales in comparison to the early OMD.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark [OMD]: The Pacific Age (1986)

I almost hate to say it, but this is my least favourite OMD record, to 1986. I might even say that I dislike the record. I would rank it in last place of all OMD records. I won't go as far as to say that I hate it, but I struggle to find much to appreciate in it. I like (Forever) Live and Die on some level. Southern has always felt like a noble song, if you can call it a song. I don't mind Shame and The Dead Girls. I've never really liked Stay, and even Anny McCluskey agrees with me on that one, if I can accept what he said in an interview. I just do not get what they were doing here. Here is the reception section from Wikipedia, which really sums it up:

The Pacific Age met with negative reviews from the British music press. Melody Maker described the record as "Wheezing, crumpled and limp... a bitter, bitter disappointment". In Sounds, it was portrayed as "Slick and slobbery, just a bunch of bored (sounding) professionals really". In a retrospective review, Trouser Press said: "Except for the smoothly contrived hit "(Forever) Live and Die" and the catchy "We Love You," this dilettantish mess is less a set of songs than a meaningless collection of sounds." A more favourable Dave Connolly of AllMusic noted "OMD's mastery of melody and mood" and wrote that the group "continues to string snippets of sound together to create interesting patterns", as well as "bring their technical skill to bear on a few cuts". In a 2013 online poll, The Pacific Age was voted the 46th best album of 1986 based on the opinions of almost 53,000 respondents. Andy McCluskey said that on The Pacific Age, the band had "lost the plot" due to being afforded "no real time to take stock and write some decent material"; he also feels that the album's production "just doesn't sound like [OMD]". McCluskey noted that the record features tracks he wishes the band had never released, but considers "(Forever) Live and Die" to be "a good song" [source]

There's not much that I can add to that. In isolation, the songs do not irk me so much, but as a set, there is something really unsatisfying about them.

Orchestral Manœuvres In The Dark [OMD]: (Forever) Live And Die (1986)

Here's another post that disappeared from my drafts after I had written it. So, I am not going to say anything beyond this:

It has two version of the title tracks plus a tune called This Town. 

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: If You Leave (1986)

This Canadian pressing of If You Leave uses the Pretty in Pink cover photo. since I guess it came out after the film. The track listing differs from the original UK 12" single. It has

If You Leave (12" mix)
La Femme Accident (12" mix)
Fire Gun
If You Leave

So. here's the Pretty in Pink video to go with the Pretty in Pink cover. 

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: If You Leave (1986)

If You Leave was recorded for the film Pretty in Pink, a film I did see when it was released, but never again. I don't know if I could deal with the anguish of my passing youth if I had to see it again. Maybe it's best that it lives on in faded memory.

This UK 12" single wad released on April 28, 1986.

The band wrote "If You Leave" after John Hughes decided to change the ending to Pretty in Pink after poor test audience reactions. Hughes had asked the band for a song for the new ending two days before they were due to begin a tour, and "If You Leave" was written and recorded in under 24 hours as a result. The song was deliberately written at a tempo of 120 BPM, to match the speed of "Don't You (Forget About Me)", which the dancers in the scene had initially danced to. Despite this songwriter Andy McClusky later noted that an editing error meant that the dancing appears out of sync regardless. The original ending featured another OMD song, "Goddess of Love", which was released on The Pacific Age later in 1986. [source]

This release contains the extended version of If You Leave, plus 88 Seconds in Greensboro, a truly awesome OMD tune (even though it deals with the Greensboro Massacre), and a live version of Locomotion:

If You Leave (Extended Version)
88 Seconds in Greensboro
Locomotion (Live Version)

Orchestral Manœuvres In The Dark [OMD]: La Femme Accident (1985)

There are two 12" versions of this release. The single disc version contains three tracks:

La Femme Accident (7' Version)
Firegun
La Femme Accident (12' Version)

The other is a limited edition double disc with that contains the three tracks listed above, plus a live version of Locomotion and the studio cut of Enola Gay on record two. This is the double disc release.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: Secret (1985)

Ugh, this is another in a series of posts that I wrote and were somehow deleted. I have no idea how this happened, but it is irritating.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: Crush (1985)

I think that Junk Culture introduced the idea that OMD might be migrating towards a more mainstream sound, or at least a moderately more mainstream sound. In fact, So in Love and Secret became big commercial hits for the band. Bigger things were in store for the band with the Pretty in Pink soundtrack the following year. Even with the move towards the centre, the band still held onto some of the earlier experimentation, with tracks like Crush and The Lights are Going Out.

Watching the video for Bloc Bloc Bloc reminded me that there may really be life for a trombonist after all. It's not all William Riker. (I played the trombone for a few years when I was younger, and I have regretted the choice ever since. I wished I had chosen a more versatile and smaller instrument). Also, I have to say that I love The Native Daughters Of The Golden West.

If you want a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Crush, including studio footage, interviews, and the music videos, you should watch Crush: The Movie, but youtube seems to have removed it. (Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/156924990) Oh well.

I'd hate to give the impression that I do not like this record, because I really love it, even if it creeps, at least a little, into more accessible territory.

I paid about $1 for this LP.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: Enola Gay / Souvenir (1981)

Discogs gives this release the title: "Enola Gay / Souvenir." I think that's incorrect. Those are simply the names of the tracks on side A. Side B has Motion and Heart (Amazon Version) and Annex.

So, who really knows what this is called? I'm tempted to use Super Sound Single, but that is really a series, not a title. The record labels don't help either, as they only contain the name of the band and the titles of the tracks.

Anyway, the important thing is that this 12" was pressed only in Germany in 1981. I would say that this is scarce. I have only seen one copy ever.

Orchestral Manœuvres In The Dark [OMD}: So In Love (Extended Mix) (1985)

This version of So in Love contains the extended mix. The other two tracks are the same as the previous release of So in Love. I am not a huge fan of this extended mix. It's OK, but it's not so much better than the original.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: Telegraph (Extended Version) (1983)

This 12" single contains an extended mix of the title track with 66 and Fading on the reverse. If that tunes sounds familiar, it's because it's the synth part from Silent Running from Dazzle Ships, but it has been slowed down and reversed, or so I have read.

Orchestral Manœuvres In The Dark [OMD}: So In Love (1985)

So in Love was the lead track from Crush. This U 12" single contains that tune (in the album edit) plus Concrete Hands (Extended) and Maria Gallante.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: Never Turn Away (1984)

This UK 12" contains

Never Turn Away (Extended Version)

and

Wrappup
Waiting For The Man (Live)

Wrappup is a remix of All Wrapped Up, also from Junk Culture. I was somewhat amazed that OMD covered the Velvet's Underground's Waiting for the Man, but one can never underestimate the influence that the VU had and continues to have. I prefer the original. 

OMD [Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark]: Tesla Girls (1984)

I'm not quite sure where I got this, but this US pressing of Tesla Girls has three versions of that track. They are:

Tesla Girls (Specially Remixed Version)
Tesla Girls (Instrumental Version)
Tesla Girls (Video Version)

This record came in a generic sleeve, and I am not sure if that was a replacement or the way it was issued. Discogs shows this release in a picture sleeve.

O.M.D. [Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, OMD]: Tesla Girls (1984)

The third single from Junk Culture was Tesla Girls, about which Wikipedia says:

The song title refers to Nikola Tesla and was suggested by Martha Ladly, who had also suggested the Architecture & Morality album title. Tesla is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. "The references to electric chairs and dynamos is actually a reference to dynamos which was essential for the use of the alternating current and anything electrical basically," said Andy McCluskey in an on-line Q&A session in 1998.

And this

"Tesla Girls" met with a few detractors on release, including musician and writer Kim Wilde, who called the song "inane and monotonous". Critic Dave Thompson, in a retrospective review for AllMusic, described the track as "electrifying" and a "quintessential dance number", while praising its lyrics. Colleague Ned Raggett also commended the song's words, as well as its melody and "brilliant, hyperactive" intro. Louder Than War journalist Paul Scott-Bates wrote that "Tesla Girls" is "as perfect as pop singles get".

For me, this a a nearly perfect early 80s new wave pop song. The 12" contains Tesla Girls backed with Garden City and Telegraph (Live). A couple of notes about the release:

Band name appears as O.M.D. on the front cover, spine and sleeve credits,
OMD on the label credits and
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark on the label.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark [OMD]: Talking Loud and Clear (1984)

This 12" single was dropped on June 4, 1984. I have an original UK pressing. Side A contains an extended version of the titular track, while side B has an extended mix of Julia's Song, from the first record. Or, at least that's what the label suggests. In reality, each side has two separate tracks divided by bands. So, we have this:

A
Talking Loud And Clear 2:41
Talking Loud And Clear 6:09

- which you can hear here. And,

B
Julia's Song 4:11
Julia's Song 4:16

- which you can hear here.

The video for the single version is quite bizarre, though I think I want to be in it. They are singing loudly and clearly.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: Junk Culture (1984)

I suppose a band has to ask itself what to do after confounding critics and fans with an under- appreciated album that was both way ahead of its time and a commercial failure. Prior to Dazzle Ships, OMD delivered a true musical masterpiece. Inevitably, perhaps, the band shuffled towards a more popular sound, but without completely giving up the experimentation.

On the commercial side, we have Talking Loud and Clear, Tesla Girls, and Locomotion, which are all terrific tunes. Some of the lesser known songs are equally good, like Never Turn Away, Love and Violence, Hard Day, and the calypsoish All Wrapped Up. And then there are a couple of songs that fall into the experimental category, like White Trash and the epic instrumental title track, Junk Culture.

It adds up to a fantastic record that brushes the fringes of a commercial record, but offers to enough to long-standing fans to keep them interested. More than anything, it presaged where the band would go next, with a true move into commercial territory.