Showing posts with label Andy McCluskey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andy McCluskey. Show all posts

May 30, 2025

45 RPMs 95: Orchestral Manouvers In the Dark (OMD) – Maid Of Orleans

  ~   
45 RPM single front cover 
Cover Design [Stained Glass] by Anton Wolff 
photo of cover by Styrous® 
    
    
On May 30, 1431, In Rouen, France, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake as a heretic at the age of 19. She is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronation of Charles VII of France during the Hundred Years' War. Claiming to be acting under divine guidance by visions from the archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine, she became a military leader who transcended gender roles and gained recognition as a savior of France.       
 
 
45 RPM single back cover 
photo of cover by Styrous® 
 
 
45 RPM single back cover detail 
detail photo of cover by Styrous® 
 
 
Charles sent Joan, who was about seventeen years old, to the siege of Orléans as part of a relief army. She arrived at the city in April 1429, wielding her banner and bringing hope to the demoralized French army. Nine days after her arrival, the English abandoned the siege. Joan encouraged the French to aggressively pursue the English during the Loire Campaign, which culminated in another decisive victory at Patay, opening the way for the French army to advance on Reims unopposed, where Charles was crowned as the King of France with Joan at his side.        
 
 
1876 illustration by A.C. Mihael  
 
 
Joan was born in Domrémy in northeast France in 1412. After the unsuccessful siege of Paris in September 1429 and the failed siege of La Charité in November. Her role in these defeats reduced the court's faith in her. In early 1430, Joan organized a company of volunteers to relieve Compiègne, which had been besieged by the Burgundians, French allies of the English. She was captured by Burgundian troops on May 23 and handed to the English in November. She was put on on accusations of heresy, which included blaspheming by wearing men's clothes, acting upon visions that were demonic, and refusing to submit her words and deeds to the judgment of the church. She was declared guilty and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431, aged about nineteen.                
 
 
Miniature of Joan's Execution from The Vigils of King Charles VII, 
anonymous (c. 1484      
Bibliothèque nationale de France 
  
 
In 1456, an inquisitorial court reinvestigated Joan's trial and overturned the verdict, declaring that it was tainted by deceit and procedural errors. Joan has been described as an obedient member of the Catholic Church, an early feminist, and a symbol of freedom and independence. She is popularly revered as a martyr. After the French Revolution, she became a national symbol of France. In 1920, Joan of Arc was canonized by Pope Benedict XV and, two years later, was declared one of the patron saints of France. She is portrayed in numerous cultural works, including films, literature, music, paintings, sculptures, and theater.         
 
 
 
 
45 RPM single record sleeve 
photo of cover by Styrous®  

 
 
My favorites of those portrayals were in the film, Joan of Arc, by Ingred Bergman in 1948 and the song Maid Of Orleans, written by Andy McCluskey of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark on May 30, 1981, the 550th anniversary of the death of Joan of Arc. 
 
 
45 RPM single front cover detail 
Cover Design [Stained Glass] by Anton Wolff  
detail photo of cover by Styrous® 
 
 
The short vocal by McCluskey is beautiful: passionate, reverent, soaring and warm. The instrumentation is intense and dramatic yet ethereal.     


Maid Of Orleans 

[Verse 1]
If Joan of Arc had a heart
Would she give it as a gift?
To such as me who longs to see
How an angel ought to be?


[Verse 2]
Her dream is to give her heart away
Like an orphan on a wave
She cared so much, she offered up
Her body to the grave



 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
45 RPM single side 2 
photos by Styrous® 
 



        
Tracklist:

Side 1:

Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz Of Joan Of Arc)
Producer – Richard Manwaring
Written By McCluskey* - 4:09

Side 2:

Of All The Things We've Made
Written By McCluskey*, Humphreys* - 3:31

B2

Navigation
Written By McCluskey*, Humphreys* - 3:26

Credits:
 
    •    Design [Stained Glass] – Anton Wolff
    •    Mastered By – BilBo (3)
    •    Producer – OMD*
    •    Sleeve – Brett Wickens, Peter Saville (2) 
 
Notes:

Mastered at Tape One.
℗ 1981 Dindisc/Dinsong Ltd.
© 1981 Dindisc Ltd.

This is the first issue with a special silver foil sleeve and b-side listed as "Experiments In Vertical Takeoff".

The 12" stained glass sleeve design has three variations:
1st issue (this entry) - silver foil (mirrored) sleeve (sword and wings are silver foil), silver foil back, b-side listed as "Experiments In Vertical Takeoff"
2nd issue Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Maid Of Orleans - silver printed sleeve (sword and wings are printed silver), white back, b-side listed as "Experiments iIn Vertical Takeoff"
3rd issue Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Maid Of Orleans - white sleeve (sword and wings are white), white back, b-side listed as "All The Things We've Done"

The single was originally to have featured a B side track titled “Experiments In Vertical Take Off.” The song hadn't actually been written at the time, but merely existed as a title. The single sleeves were subsequently printed with this title, but Andy and Paul had decided against the idea, and chose a brand new song called “Navigation.”

The original sleeve design for the 12" version used an embossed coin motif on a silver foil sleeve. The band weren't happy with this design, which led to the new stained glass version. A limited number of the coin foil sleeves, however, were issued.

Barcode and Other Identifiers        
         
    •    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, etched - Variation 1): DIN-40-12 A2
    •    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, etched - Variation 1): DIN-40-12 B1 END STAGE THREE
    •    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, etched - Variation 2): DIN-40-I2.A.I BILBO . TA1PE
   •    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, etched - Variation 2): DIN.40.I2 B2 END STAGE THREE BILBO TAPE ONE
    •    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, etched - Variation 3): DIN.40.12 A2
   •    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, etched - Variation 3): DIN.40.12 B2 END STAGE THREE BILBO TAPE ONE

OMD* – Maid Of Orleans
Label: Dindisc – DIN 40-12
Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Single, Limited Edition, Metallic Silver Sleeve
Country: UK
Released: Jan 15, 1982
Genre: Electronic
Style:
Synth-pop
        
        
        
Viewfinder links:       
         
Ingred Bergman              
Joan of Arc                    
Andy McCluskey       
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)
     
Net links:       
         
Fandom ~ Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)         
Interesting Literature ~ Maid of Orleans by OMD: Meaning and Analysis    
Post-Punk Monk ~ Rock GPA: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [part 11]    
     
YouTube links:      
         
Joan of Arc complete film 1948 (1 hr, 39 mins, 23 secs)              
OMD ~ Maid Of Orleans         
OMD ~ Maid Of Orleans (live)                 
OMD ~ Maid Of Orleans (extended version) (9 min., 25 secs.)                
OMD ~ Maid Of Orleans (digital remix)                
         
        
         
        
        

Styrous® ~ Monday, September 7, 2020






      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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Andy McCluskey articles/mentions

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mentions:     
      
Dazzle Ships     
New Wave/punk      
OMD – Maid Of Orleans      
     
     
Andy McCluskey      
date & photographer unknown     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
 
 
 
 

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February 27, 2018

20,000 vinyl LPs 128: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) ~ Dazzle Ships

Today, February 27, is the birthday of Paul Humphreys, one of the founders of the electronic New Wave group, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD). For this event I've chosen one of my favorite albums by OMD, Dazzle Ships (1983).     

Although I've known the title and cover art (designed by Peter Saville) reference a painting by Vorticist artist Edward Wadsworth, which painting I didn't know. I was recently informed by Lon Clark the painting, titled Dazzle-ships in Drydock at Liverpool, was based in turn on dazzle camouflage (link below). Dazzle-ships in Drydock, is in the collection of the National Art Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Canada.  


What a mind-blower that was! Dazzle camouflage, also known as razzle dazzle (in the U.S.) or dazzle painting, was a family of ship camouflage used extensively in World War I, and to a lesser extent in World War II and afterwards. Credited to the British marine artist Norman Wilkinson, though with a it consisted of complex patterns of geometric shapes in contrasting colours, interrupting and intersecting each other (link below).       


The album cover

The music is divided into "time zones"; this is reflected in the physical graphic design of the gatefold, die-cut album cover in the British issue (this recording) but not the US pressing. There are die-cuts, holes, punched into the appropriate locations on the map of the world on the interior of the gatefold album.     



The record sleeve has different color configurations on each side so when inserted one way, the time zones are indicated in orange; when inserted the other way, the time zones are indicated in yellow.      










The music

Dazzle Ships is the fourth album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released in 1983. The title and cover art (designed by Peter Saville) allude to a painting by Vorticist artist Edward Wadsworth based on dazzle camouflage, titled Dazzle-ships in Drydock at Liverpool.       

Dazzle Ships had six conventional pop songs, up-tempo numbers and ballads. Two of them, The Romance of the Telescope and Of All the Things We've Made were remixed versions of songs previously issued on B-sides to earlier singles (on the Joan of Arc single, The Romance of the Telescope was described as "unfinished"). Radio Waves, not to be confused with the Roger Waters song by the same name, was a new version of a song from McCluskey and The Id, the pre-OMD band Paul Humphreys played in. Two singles were released from the album, Genetic Engineering and Telegraph, which achieved moderate chart success in the United Kingdom and on American rock and college radio. Both were also released as 7" vinyl picture discs.  

My favorite song on the album was not one of the "hits", of course. It is Silent Running, not to be confused with the film nor the song by Mike and the Mechanics. Running is very short but very beautiful (YouTube link below).    

A terrific dance song is the energetic, Telegraph. It starts quietly and tinkly then bursts into a fast as a speeding train tempo.

Of All the Things We've Made is a great song to be danced to fast or slow depending on who you're with and how you're feeling.       

The album was released on Virgin Records, however, to maintain the image of being signed to an "indie" label, the record purported that the album was released by the fictitious "Telegraph" label.   

  
vinyl LP label, side 1
photo by Styrous®
 

Dazzle Ships was the follow-up release to the band's hugely successful Architecture & Morality (1981). OMD, then at their peak of popularity, opted for a major departure in sound on the record, shunning any commercial obligation to duplicate their previous LP. The album is noted for its experimental content, particularly musique concrète sound collages, and the use of shortwave radio recordings to explore Cold War and Eastern Bloc themes.    

It's these typewriter, experimental, shortwave radio signals, etc., sounds that make this album so interesting on so many levels. McCluskey has said, "We wanted to be ABBA and Stockhausen. The machinery, bones and humanity were juxtaposed." They did an excellent job on that score!  

The Radio Prague track is the actual interval signal of the Czechoslovak Radio foreign service, including the time signal and station ID spoken in Czech. Time Zones is a montage of various speaking clocks from around the world. Neither Radio Prague nor Time Zones carry any writing credit at all, with OMD being credited only for arranging the tracks. The tracks This Is Helena, ABC Auto-Industry and International also include parts of some broadcasts recorded off-air (a presenter introducing herself, economic bulletin and news, respectively). The track Genetic Engineering is an homage to Kraftwerk, with the vocal arrangement drawing heavily on the structure employed on their track Computer World from the album of the same.







Epilogue

Most of the reviews of the time were unfavorable, however, Maxim Jakubowski acknowledged that a few of the tracks "recapture the melancholy brilliance of the past". More forgiving was the Melody Maker article by Paul Colbert, who wrote that "as an album from start to finish it's a challenge and a reward". Reviewer Johnny Black in Smash Hits hailed the new musical direction saying, "the songs are waiting to be found and are as melodic, passionate and vital as ever". Right on!

The record peaked at #5 on the UK Albums Chart and remained in the top 20 for six weeks (rising from #19 to #16 in its second-to-last week), and achieved sales of 300,000 copies. It was deemed a flop in comparison to multi-million selling predecessor Architecture & Morality (1981), which prompted OMD to move in a more conservative musical direction on future releases. This is a shame as the experiments in this album indicate that there might have been exciting and innovative work to come.    

Musician and music journalist Bob Stanley commented on its limited impact: "[It] contained no obvious hits and soundtracked the cold war at its coldest... Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's Dazzle Ships came to be viewed as a heroic failure – the ultimate commercial suicide."

The LP has garnered positive retrospective appraisals from publications such as Record Collector, The A.V. Club, Q and The Quietus, among others. John Bergstrom of PopMatters said the album "is rightly considered a lost classic". Pitchfork journalist Tom Ewing wrote: "Luckily, you don't need a contrarian streak to love it... history has done its own remix job on Dazzle Ships, and the result is a richer, more unified album than anyone in 1983 could have imagined." Ned Raggett in AllMusic said the record "beats Kraftwerk at their own game", and described it as "dazzling indeed"; he and colleague David Jeffries hailed the album as a "masterpiece"—an opinion echoed by numerous critics. DIY writer Gareth Ware said: "Like a strange piece of modernist architecture, it's a collection of awkward, jagged polygons which come together to form a cohesive mass at the last possible moment... [Dazzle Ships] demands attention."        

It's important to keep your eye on the target but like a Vorticist painting, Dazzle ships made everyone miss their mark!    
 











Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Radio Prague, Arranged By – OMD* - 1:18

A2 - Genetic Engineering - 3:42

A3 - ABC Auto-Industry - 2:06

A4 - Telegraph    - 2:57

A5 - This Is Helena, Vocals [Additional] – Maureen Humphreys- 1:58

A6 - International - 4:26

Side 2:

B1 - Dazzle Ships (Parts II III & VII) - 2:21

B2 - The Romance Of The Telescope 3:26

B3 - Silent Running - 3:33

B4 - Radio Waves, Written-By – Floyd*- 3:44

B5 - Time Zones, Arranged By – OMD*Recorded By – Andy Dunkley, Dirk Hohmeyer, Jean Michel Reusser*, Keith Nixon, Michael Stark (2), Paul Ward (4), Sue Sawyer, Tony Lawrence (3)- 1:49

B6 - Of All The Things We've Made - 3:23

Companies, etc.

    Phonographic Copyright (p) – Virgin Records Ltd.
    Copyright (c) – Virgin Records Ltd.
    Published By – Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.
    Recorded At – The Gramophone Suite
    Recorded At – Gallery Studios
    Recorded At – Mayfair Studios
    Mixed At – The Manor
    Mastered At – Master Room

Credits:

    Design – B. Wickens*, K. Kennedy*, M. Garrett*, P. Saville*, P. Pennington*
    Engineer – Brian Tench, Ian Little, Keith Richard Nixon*, OMD*
    Management – Gordian Troeller
    Management [Assisted By] – Ines Troeller, Steve Baker (8), Susan Pippet
    Mastered By – Arun Chakraverty
    Performer – G. A. McCluskey*, M. A. Holmes*, M. H. Cooper*, P. D. Humphreys*
    Producer – OMD*, Rhett Davies
    Written-By – OMD* (tracks: A2 to B3, B6)

Notes:

Recorded at The Gramophone Suite, Gallery Studio, Mayfair Studio.
Mixed at The Manor Studios.
Mastered at The Master Room.

"Dazzle Ships" title suggested by Peter Saville after a painting by Edward Wadsworth.

℗ 1983 Virgin Records Limited
© 1983 Virgin Records Limited
Except "The Romance Of The Telescope" & "Of All The Things We've Made" ℗ 1981 Virgin Records Limited

Comes in a die-cut gatefold sleeve with pink and yellow inner sleeve.
Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Matrix / Runout (Side 1): V-2261-A1
    Matrix / Runout (Side 2): V-2261-B1
     
OMD* ‎– Dazzle Ships
Label: Virgin ‎– V 2261, Telegraph (2) ‎– V 2261
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Gatefold
Country: UK
Released: 04 Mar 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop, Experimental

  
               
               
Viewfinder links:     
YouTube links:     
        
OMD ~ Dazzle ships
             Silent Running
             Of All the Things We've Made   
             Radio Waves   
             This Is Helena    
             international
             Time Zones      
             Telegraph
             Telegraph (Live at Royal Albert Hall 2016)      
             Genetic Engineering [Live at the Museum of Liverpool]
            


Happy birthday, Paul! 



Styrous® ~ Tuesday, February 27, 2018  



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