"This is the room, this is the wall..."

'Electricity' was released on this day in 1979. OMD's debut single, issued on the Factory label, the song was also one of the first compositions that Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys wrote together. 🎹 The song rapidly became the band's signature song and served as a pioneering synth-pop song. 💽

"‘The Grand Ballet’ is NASA’s orbital data presented as an endlessly evolving audiovisual journey in time and space.” OMD finally unveil details of their NASA collaboration. www.electronicsound.co.uk/news/when-om...

Love Will Tear Us Apart. Remembering Ian Curtis of Joy Division, who passed away on this day in May 1980. 🖤 📸Kevin Cummins.

The whole timeline for 'Sister Marie Says' is very odd. Let's dive in... The official chronology of the song is likely correct, but if it is, then where is the proto-version of SMS? OMD have been clear about mining the vaults for anything the OMD label can be slapped on.

Keep drafting up expanded statements on the recent Messages website issues, but even being diplomatic results in lengthy draft essays that remain confusing unless you're on the inside track. 😐

"There's an idea for an album with us working with other people. Asking people we admire and respect to come to sing with us or play with us." Andy McCluskey briefly touches on OMD's plans for the band's 50th Anniversary in 2028 in this new interview... news.err.ee/1610023465/o...

'Walking On The Milky Way'. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdhY...

Heaven is cold Without any soul...

'So In Love' was released on this day in 1985. Taken from OMD's sixth studio album 'Crush', the song was one of the last songs written for the album. It was originally going to be dropped, but Martin Cooper persuaded Andy and Paul to demo it. 'So In Love' reached No. 27 in the UK charts.

'Computer World' was released on this day in May 1981. Kraftwerk's eighth studio album, it included the singles 'Computer Love'/'The Model' and 'Pocket Calculator'.🎹 The album reached No. 15 in the UK charts.💽

From the TEC archives: Back in 2019 Imogen Bebb reviewed 'Transform', the ninth studio album from Howard Jones 🎹 www.electricity-club.co.uk/howard-jones...

'Sugar Tax' was released on this day in May 1991. OMD's eighth studio album, it featured the singles 'Sailing on the Seven Seas', 'Pandora's Box', 'Then You Turn Away' and 'Call my Name'. The album reached No. 3 in the UK charts.

Remembering Soft Cell's Dave Ball, born on this day in May 1959. 🖤

'Stand Above Me' was released on this day in May 1993. The first single from OMD's album 'Liberator', it reached No. 21 in the UK charts.

'Messages' by OMD was released on this day in May 1980. Taken from their self-titled debut album, 'Messages' was a re-recorded new arrangement of the original track under the eye of producer Mike Howlett. 🎹 The single reached No. 14 in the UK charts and became the band's first major chart success.🎸

'Junk Culture' was released on this day in April 1984. OMD's fifth studio album, it included the singles 'Locomotion', 'Talking Loud and Clear', 'Tesla Girls and 'Never Turn Away'. The album reached No. 9 in the UK charts.

Incidently, on the topic of 'lost songs', 'Experiments in Vertical Take Off' exists purely as a title and was never actually written. 😉

Back in 2001, some of this material appeared to be hands-on in the studio. But Archive Vol 1 is sourced (often blindly) from an off-site vault. Whether there were 2 separate locations for unreleased material is unclear. In any case, 'Suspicion' should have been on Archive Vol 1 as an obvious choice.

Other tracks on the slate included 'Sugar Tax/Liberator' era compositions such as 'Self Destruct', 'Kiss Of Death', 'Twins' & 'Sanctus' ('Kiss Of Death' is the best OMD song of that era by a country mile).

'Sister Marie Says' was also considered (as 'Sister Marie Gabriel'). Incidently, this song is referenced as originally being from 1981 - which has always sounded a little dubious (and the wiki page notes are a little odd). The lyrical references certainly didn't arrive until the mid 90s.

The album list included the 'lost' late 80s song 'Suspicion' which was looked at as a possible single, but was replaced with its B-side track 'Dreaming'. 'Yellow Press' was another track composed at the time.

Some unreleased OMD material was briefly considered for inclusion on 2001 B-side album Navigation. This idea was shelved in favour of a standalone release worked up from a rough list of the known unreleased songs at the time (also combined with whatever Andy McCluskey could find in the studio).

Written a whole lot of words this week on OMD's curious history of unreleased material, given a boost lately by some of the odd commentary on the Archive Vol 1 release. Along the way, some observations on the differences between the original 2001 album concept and what would become Archive Vol 1.

The existence of Archive Vol 1 continues to break the brains of a subset of OMD fans. They're convinced it wasn't available before RSD (it was), You can't stream it (you can), other CDs in the 2019 Souvenir Box Set are actually Archive Vol 2 (they're not). Why is this album confusing people? 🤔

Some shops are making their RSD titles available for online sales, including Rough Trade (which had copies of the Archive Vol 1 release earlier today). Act fast! www.roughtrade.com

An informative look at OMD classic 'Enola Gay'. www.musicradar.com/artists/i-wa...

Remembering producer Martin Hannett who passed away on this day in April 1991. A partner/director at Factory Records, Hannett also produced music by artists including Joy Division, the Durutti Column, A Certain Ratio, OMD, Magazine, John Cooper Clarke, New Order and Happy Mondays. 📸 Kevin Cummins

A reminder that the vinyl release of Archive Vol 1 will be available as part of Record Store Day this weekend. 📀

Dusty Springfield was born on this day in 1939. Here's one of her finest moments alongside the Pet Shop Boys. ❤ www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn9E...

Pandora's Box, starring Louise Brooks, to screen with live score at Wilton's Music Hall in London. See louisebrookssociety.blogspot.com/2026/04/pand...

'Shame' was released this day in 1987. The third single taken from OMD's 1986 album, 'The Pacific Age', it is a re-recording produced by Rhett Davies. The single reached no. 52 on the UK Singles Chart.

"Can't park there m8..."

I didn't wanna see you Not when you're at your best... www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZYi...

'Locomotion' was released on this day in 1984. OMD's first single from their album 'Junk Culture', it demonstrated a much more pop-orientated direction for the band with its steel drum percussion and brass elements. 'Locomotion' reached No. 5 in the UK charts.

Hi-Brid- 'That's not gay'.🎹 www.youtube.com/watch?v=vam7... #MondayMashup

Remembering Vangelis, born on this day in 1943. Best known for his Academy Award-winning score to 'Chariots of Fire', as well as scoring 'Blade Runner', 'Missing', 'Antarctica', 'The Bounty', '1492: Conquest of Paradise' and 'Alexander'. Vangelis sadly passed away in May 2022.

Her dream's to give her heart away Like an orphan on a wave... www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uks_...

'Metroland' was released on this day in 2013. The lead single from OMD's album 'English Electric', which represented the second studio album by the band since OMD's reformation following 2010's 'History of Modern'.

'Please', the debut album by Pet Shop Boys, was released on this day in 1986. The album featured the singles 'West End Girls', 'Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)', 'Suburbia' and 'Love Comes Quickly'. 'Please' reached No. 3 in the UK charts.

OMD's 'Kleptocracy' EP was released digitally on this day in 2024. It included a remix by Tiny Magnetic Pets as well as B-side track 'Silver Cloud' (a cover of the La Düsseldorf classic) and the Cephid remix of 'Kleptocracy'.

Depeche Mode album 'Violator' was released on this day in 1990. The band's seventh studio album, it featured the singles 'Personal Jesus', 'Enjoy the Silence', 'Policy of Truth' and 'World in My Eyes'. 'Violator' reached No. 2 in the UK Album Charts.

Kraftwerk's 'Radio-Activity' album to get special 50th Anniversary release on blu-ray audio this coming May.

'Black Celebration' was released on this day in 1986. Depeche Mode's fifth studio album, it featured the singles 'Stripped', 'A Question of Lust', 'A Question of Time' and 'But Not Tonight'. 🎹 The album reached No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart.

'Sailing on the Seven Seas' by OMD was released on this day in 1991. The single reached No. 3 in the UK charts. Along with 1981's 'Souvenir', it is the band's highest-charting UK hit to date. It also charted at No. 3 in Austria and Sweden, No.5 in Ireland and No.9 in Germany.

The Best Of OMD. 🎹

The classic first two albums from 1980.