Category: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

February 13, 2017

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – So In Love (Special American Dance Mix) (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

BTG Week Of LOVE!

“So in Love” is a song by the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1985 as the first single from the album Crush. The artwork, designed by XL Design, and the promo video were both influenced by the Mexican Day of the Dead festival.

Critic Dave Thompson in AllMusic praised “So in Love” as a “rich and sumptuous number” that is “well in keeping with the group’s signature styling”. Colleague Tom Schulte described the song as being – along with the following year’s “If You Leave” – the “pinnacle” of the band’s musical progression.

Although “So in Love” was the first single from Crush, it was one of the last songs written for the album. It was originally dropped until band member Martin Cooper persuaded Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys to make a demo for the song. Andy McCluskey said it was about the painful end of a relationship. It was their first hit in the United States, after five years of trying to “break” the States.

“So In Love” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 on August 31, 1985. The song remained on the chart for seventeen weeks, peaking at the #26 position. “So In Love” reached #27 in the U.K..

**This 12″ promo was released in the general issue picture sleeve that shows the B-side as being “Concrete Hands (Extended)”. The labels list the mixes on both sides as “Special American Dance Remix” but track durations are different.

SIDE A:
So In Love (Special American Dance Remix) (12″ Version) 5:40

SIDE B:
So In Love (7″ Version) 3:29

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	So In Love	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#26
1985	So In Love	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#16

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: A&M Records ‎– SP-12143
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Stephen Hague
Sleeve – XL Design
Written-By – OMD*, Steve Hague*

NOTES:
Original version appears on the LP “CRUSH”

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: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series 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

October 28, 2015

OMD – Brides Of Frankenstein (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1988

New 2015 Re-Rip!
Meticulously Remastered!
First time in 24bit Flac!

Originally posted October 19, 2011

“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 to promote the compilation The Best Of OMD. It was released as a 12-inch single in 1988 in the United States and Canada. The single debuted on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart on December 3, 1988 peaking at #9 spending seven weeks on the survey.

SIDE A:
Brides Of Frankenstein (Mix) 7:14

SIDE B:
Brides Of Frankenstein (Dub) 6:18

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1988	Brides Of Frankenstein	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#7
1988	Brides Of Frankenstein	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	#16

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: A&M Records ‎– SP-12285
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Acid House, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer, Mixed By – Mike “Hitman” Wilson, Steve “Silk” Hurley
Written-By – OMD*

NOTES:
Featuring excerpts of monster hits from Best of OMD:
– Locomotion
– Messages
– Secret
– So in Love
– If You Leave
– We Love You

Produced and Mixed for Real World Productions.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
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: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

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

March 31, 2015

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Genetic Engineering / Telegraph (Canada 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1983

“Genetic Engineering” is a song by British band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released as the first single from their fourth studio album Dazzle Ships. Frontman Andy McCluskey has noted that the song is not an attack on genetic engineering, as many assumed at the time, including veteran radio presenter Dave Lee Travis upon playing the song on BBC Radio 1. McCluskey stated: “I was very positive about the subject. People didn’t listen to the lyrics…I think they automatically assumed it would be anti.”

Charting at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart, “Genetic Engineering” ended the band’s run of four consecutive Top 10 hits in the UK. It was also a Top 20 hit in several European territories, and peaked at number 5 in Spain. It missed the United States Billboard Hot 100 but made number 32 on the Mainstream Rock chart. US critic Ned Raggett lauded the “soaring”, “enjoyable” single in a positive review of Dazzle Ships for AllMusic, asserting: “Why it wasn’t a hit remains a mystery.”

Critics in prominent music publications have suggested that the first 45 seconds of the song were a direct influence on Radiohead’s “Fitter Happier”, which appears on that band’s 1997 album OK Computer. Theon Weber in Stylus argued that the Radiohead track is “deeply indebted” to “Genetic Engineering”.

SIDE A:
Genetic Engineering (Extended Version) 5:10

SIDE B:
Telegraph (Extended Remixed Version) 4:42
Remix – Rhett Davies

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1983	Genetic Engineering	U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks	#32

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin ‎– VSX 1170
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM, Limited Edition
Country: Canada
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – OMD*, Rhett Davies
Written-By – Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

NOTES:
From the Virgin LP “DAZZLE SHIPS”

Find the 12″ On DISCOGS

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removeal: 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

November 25, 2014

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – (Forever) Live And Die (John “Tokes” Potoker – Extended Mix) (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

This is the first U.K. 12″ pressing for the Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) single “(Forever) Live and Die”. Remixed by American remixer John “Tokes” Potoker. The story behind this remix is that the band was not happy with it so it was withdrawn. Virgin Records had already printed about 5,000 copies crediting John “Tokes” Potoker as the remixer. Some of these copies did make it into record shops.

The band later went with the Tom Lord-Alge remix and ir was later released. I posted that mix back in April 2014.

The single was a Top 10 hit in Canada and many European territories, and a Top 20 hit in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. It was the last of the group’s singles to reach the UK Top 20 before Humphreys left in 1989, and Andy McCluskey continued OMD on his own.

SIDE A:
(Forever) Live And Die (John “Tokes” Potoker – Extended Mix)
Remix – John “Tokes” Potoker*

SIDE B:
(Forever) Live And Die (7″ Version) 3:36
This Town 3:46

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	(Forever) Live And Die	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#19
1986	(Forever) Live And Die	U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary	#25
1986	(Forever) Live And Die	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play	#37

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin ‎– VS 888-12
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Gloss Sleeve
Country: UK
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Engineer – Tom Lord-Alge
Producer – Stephen Hague

NOTES:
The picture sleeve on this release has a Gloss finish on both sides, there is an alternate sleeve that has a matte finish.

From the LP “THE PACIFIC AGE”

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Speed Control: Pro-Ject Speed Box S
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: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

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