Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (album)
| Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | ||||
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LP sleeve by Peter Saville and Ben Kelly
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| Studio album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | ||||
| Released | 22 February 1980 | |||
| Recorded | The Gramophone Suite, Liverpool, 1978–79 | |||
| Genre | Synthpop, Electro pop | |||
| Length | 37:42 | |||
| Label | Dindisc | |||
| Producer | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Chester Valentino | |||
| Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Colin Larkin | |
| International Musician | (favourable) |
| Melody Maker | (favourable) |
| NME | (favourable) |
| Pitchfork Media | (7.3/10) |
| Q | |
| Trouser Press | (favourable) |
| Smash Hits | 7½/10 |
| Sounds | (favourable) |
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is the self-titled debut album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1980. It peaked at number 27 in the UK Albums Chart. "Electricity" and "Red Frame/White Light" were low charting singles taken from the record. A re-recorded version of "Messages" provided OMD with their first hit in the UK, reaching number 13. The album was remastered and re-released in 2003, with six bonus tracks.
The record has received generally favourable reviews, although later releases by the group were more warmly received. It has nonetheless been named as one of the best electronic albums of the 1980s, and has been championed by major artists such as ZZ Top and Vince Clarke of Erasure (formerly chief songwriter of Depeche Mode, Yazoo and The Assembly).
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is also the title of a 1981 compilation album of tracks from this release and Organisation, issued only in the United States.
Rather than hire studio time for the album, OMD used their advance from Dindisc to build their own Liverpool recording studio, The Gramophone Suite. The band predicted that they would be dropped by the label due to disappointing sales, but would at least own a recording studio. Still generally a duo performing alongside a TEAC 4-track tape recorder christened "Winston", OMD enlisted Malcolm Holmes and Martin Cooper during the recording of the album. They performed on "Julia's Song" and would become full-time band members in 1981; Dave Fairbairn played guitar on "Messages" and "Julia's Song"
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