Category: OMD

August 7, 2024

OMD – Pandora’s Box (It’s A Long, Long Way) (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1991

“Pandora’s Box” (subtitled “It’s a Long, Long Way” for the US release) is a song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released by Virgin on 24 June 1991 as the second single from their eighth studio album, Sugar Tax (1991). The song, which deals with the less glamorous side of celebrity, was inspired by silent film actress Louise Brooks and is named after the 1929 film Pandora’s Box in which she starred.

The single was a top-10 hit in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe. In the United States, the song was a top-twenty dance hit reaching #11 on the Billboard Dance Chart.

Andy McCluskey wrote “Pandora’s Box” about the silent film actress Louise Brooks. He told the Edinburgh Evening News in 1991, “I’ve been fascinated by her for eight or nine years now. The more I learned the more fascinated I became. [She’s] absolutely the sort of woman you’d fall in love with on first sight and absolutely the sort of person that you desperately shouldn’t go anywhere near.

The music video for “Pandora’s Box” is in black and white and features Louise Brooks and singer Andy McCluskey. According to the video intro, all of the scenes of Brooks in the video are from the original 1929 film.

SIDE A:
A1 – Pandora’s Box (It’s A Long, Long Way) (Diesel Fingers Mix) 6:10
Edited By [Editing By] – Eric “Moe” Rosenberg
Engineer [Engineered By] – Kennan Keating
Keyboards [Additional Keyboards By] – Joey Moskowitz
Producer [Additional Production By], Remix [Remix By] – Carl Segal

A2 – Pandora’s Box (It’s A Long, Long Way) (Abstract Mix) 6:35
Arranged By [Brass Arranged By] – Snake Davis
Guitar [Guitar By] – John Themis
Mixed By – Paul Wright, Steve Anderson
Remix [Remix By], Producer [Post Production By], Keyboards [Keyboards By] – Steve Anderson
Saxophone [Sax By] – Snake Davis
Trumpet [Trumpet By] – John Thirkell

SIDE B:
B1 – Pandora’s Box (It’s A Long, Long Way) (Constant Pressure 12″) 4:39
Mixed By – Dani Griffiths, Guy Forrester

B2 – Pandora’s Box (It’s A Long, Long Way) (Prize Of Beauty Mix) 5:35
Arranged By [Brass Arranged By] – Snake Davis
Guitar [Guitar By] – John Themis
Mixed By – Paul Wright, Steve Anderson
Remix [Remix By], Producer [Post Production By], Keyboards [Keyboards By] – Steve Anderson
Saxophone [Sax By] – Snake Davis
Trumpet [Trumpet By] – John Thirkell

B3 – Sugar Tax 4:05
Mixed By – Guy Forrester

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1991	Pandora’s Box (It’s A Long, Long Way)	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music / Club Play	#11
1991	Pandora’s Box (It’s A Long, Long Way)	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music / Maxi-Singles Sales	#25
1991	Pandora’s Box (It’s A Long, Long Way)	U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	#19

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin Records America, Inc. – 0-96338, Virgin – 0-96338
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1991
Genre: Electronic
Style: House, Euro House, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Mastered By – Eddy Schreyer
Producer – OMD*
Written-By – OMD*

NOTES:
From the album “SUGAR TAX”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon 2M Black PnP MkII
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
DAC: Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal. I appreciate your help.

July 31, 2024

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Secret (Re-Mix) (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1988

NEW 2024 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Originally posted November 18, 2014

“Secret” is a 1985 song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the second single from their album Crush. Paul Humphreys sings lead vocals on the track. It became their second US Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at number 63, and also made number 34 on the UK Singles Chart.

The song was featured in the 1988 movie Arthur 2: On the Rocks and its soundtrack album; it was also re-released to radio in the US as the follow-up to The Best of OMD track “Dreaming”, approximately one month before the movie’s premiere. The new 1988 remix received renewed airplay on several US contemporary hit stations, but it did not re-chart on the Hot 100.

The video for “Secret”, directed by Andy Morahan, shows various vintage black & white film clips, including footage of the Beatles, interspersed with new black & white footage of Humphreys and a woman processed to look like old home movies; additionally, there are color scenes of Humphreys singing. The theme is that a woman deserts her current love interest (McCluskey) to return to the arms of her true love (Humphreys). McCluskey’s character observes the two lovers together and, though sad, gallantly accepts that his love interest should instead be with Humphreys’ character, before walking into the distance along the shore. The clip was filmed at Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex.

The New 1988 Remixes were only released in the United States.

SIDE A:
Secret (New 12″ Remix) 5:52
Secret (New 7″ Remix) 3:47

SIDE B:
Secret (Old 12″ Remix) 6:13
Telegraph (Live) 3:55

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: A&M Records – SP-12272, Virgin – SP-12272
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Composed By – OMD*
Producer – OMD* (tracks: B2), Stephen Hague (tracks: A1 to B1)
Remix – OMD* (tracks: A1, A2)

NOTES:
“Secret” Original version appears on the A&M album “The Best Of O.M.D.” SP-5186
“Telegraph” Recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon, London 1983. (Previously Unreleased).
This version of Telegraph had previously been released overseas on the Tesla Girls single in 1984.

Printed in the U.S.A.
114 BPM

Vinyl appears to be standard black, but is actually pressed on dark brown translucent vinyl, sometimes referred to as “audiophile” or “virgin vinyl”, possibly unstickered Quiex II pressing, which A&M often used in the 1980s.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon 2M Black PnP MkII
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
DAC: Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal. I appreciate your help.

September 20, 2019

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – If You Leave (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

Brand NEW 2019 transfer using a new piece of equipment the Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC which I purchased a couple of days ago. I am still evaluating the GT40a but so far I am very impressed. This piece of equipment has been around for a while and has great reviews and won some awards along the way. Full specs and pictures coming over the weekend.

Originally posted March 15, 2012

“If You Leave” is a 1986 song by the British synthpop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD). It was recorded for the soundtrack to the film Pretty in Pink (1986), in which it is played prominently during the final scene. Along with 1980’s “Enola Gay”, the track has been described as the band’s signature song.

“If You Leave” is the group’s highest-charting single in the United States, where it reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1986. The song was also a Top 5 entry in Canada and New Zealand and charted at number 15 in Australia. A distinguishing track of the 1980s, it has had an enduring presence on radio.

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, singer Andy McCluskey later noted that an editing error meant 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.

** Vinyl appears to be standard black, but is actually pressed on very dark brown, barely translucent vinyl, sometimes referred to as “audiophile” or “virgin” vinyl, possibly unstickered Quiex II pressing, which A&M often used in the 1980s.

SIDE A:
If You Leave (Extended Version) 6:00
Producer – Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Tom Lord-Alge

SIDE B:
La Femme Accident (Remixed Version) 5:35
Producer – OMD*Recorded By [Re-recorded By] – OMD*, Tom Lord-Alge

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	If You Leave	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#4
1986	If You Leave	U.S. Billboard US Hot Adult Contemporary Chart	#24
1986	If You Leave	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#31

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: A&M Records ‎– SP-12176
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM, R
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Design – Caz Hildebrand
Written-By – OMD*

NOTES:
“If You Leave” Original version appears on the Motion Picture Soundtrack “Pretty In Pink”
“La Femme Accident” Original version appears on the A&M album “Crush”

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
DAC/Phono Pre-amp: Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.

May 4, 2017

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Shame (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Shame” is a song by British band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark released as the third single taken from their 1986 album, The Pacific Age, although it is a re-recording made after the album’s release, presumably in early 1987, and was produced by Rhett Davies (as opposed to the original album version which was produced by Stephen Hague).

“Shame” was scheduled for release as a single whilst OMD were still on tour. The band had suggested “Stay” as a possible single from the album, but label Virgin thought “Shame” had more potential. The band relented, although feeling the album version was too slow, and recruited Rhett Davies to give the song more of a polish.

The B side Goddess of Love was lifted straight from the album The Pacific Age and was the song which was originally intended to be used for the Pretty in Pink movie soundtrack before the group came up with “If You Leave”, which was featured in the movie.

The single reached no. 52 on the UK Singles Chart. It has never been included on any of OMD’s singles compilation albums, making it unique to this release. The 7″ re-recorded version has never had a digital release.

A promotional video was made for the single and is included on the DVD of the CD/DVD release Messages: Greatest Hits.

SIDE A:
Shame (Extended Re-Recorded Version) 6:57
Producer – Rhett Davies

SIDE B:
Shame (7″ Re-Recorded Version) 3:52
Producer – Rhett Davies

Goddess Of Love 4:28
Engineer – Tom Lord-Alge
Producer – Stephen Hague

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin ‎– VS 938 12, Virgin ‎– VS 938-12
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Artwork By [Cover] – Mick Haggerty
Composed By – O.M.D.*
Photography – Paul Cox

NOTES:
Manufactured in the UK

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi