title: Cooking banana

text: Linnaeus originally classified bananas into two species based only on their uses as food: "Musa paradisiaca" for plantains and "Musa sapientum" for dessert bananas. Both are now known to be hybrids between the species "Musa acuminata" (A genome) and "Musa balbisiana" (B genome). The earlier published name, "Musa" × "paradisiaca", is now used as the scientific name for all such hybrids. Most modern plantains are sterile triploids belonging to the AAB Group, sometimes known as the "Plantain group". Other economically important cooking banana groups include the East African Highland bananas (Mutika/Lujugira subgroup) of the AAA Group and the Pacific plantains (including the Popoulo, Maoli, and Iholena subgroups), also of the AAB Group.


title: Cooking banana

text: "Pisang goreng" ("fried banana" in Indonesian and Malay) is a plantain snack deep-fried in coconut oil. "Pisang goreng" can be coated in batter flour or fried without batter. It is a snack food mostly found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.


title: Cooking banana

text: "Ethakka appam", "pazham" (banana) "boli" or "pazham pori" are terms used for fried plantain in the state of Kerala, India. The plantain is usually dipped in sweetened rice and white flour batter and then fried in coconut or vegetable oil, similar to pisang goreng. It is also known as "bajji" in Southern Indian states, where it is typically served as a savory fast food.


title: Cooking banana

text: In the Philippines, fried bananas are also served with arroz a la cubana and is frequently characterized as one of its defining ingredients.


title: Cooking banana

text: Plantains are used in the Ivory Coast dish "aloco" as the main ingredient. Fried plantains are covered in an onion-tomato sauce, often with a grilled fish between the plantains and sauce.


title: Cooking banana

text: "Boli" or "bole" is the term used for roasted plantain in Nigeria. The plantain is usually grilled and served with roasted fish, ground peanuts and a hot palm oil sauce. It is a dish native to the Yoruba people of Western Nigeria. It is popular among the working class as an inexpensive midday meal.


title: Cooking banana

text: Plantain is popular in West Africa, especially Cameroon, Bénin, Ghana and Nigeria; when ripe plantain is fried, it is generally called "dodo" ("dough-dough"). The ripe plantain is usually sliced diagonally for a large oval shape, then fried in oil to a golden brown color. The diagonal slice maximizes the surface area, allowing the plantain to cook evenly. Fried plantain can be eaten as such, or served with stew or sauce. In Ikire, a town in Osun State in southwestern Nigeria, there is a special way of preparing fried plantain known as Dodo Ikire. This variation of Dodo (Fried Plantain) is made from overripe plantain, chopped into small pieces, sprinkled with chili pepper and then fried in boiling point palm oil until the pieces turn blackish. The fried plantains are then stuffed carefully into a plastic funnel and then pressed using a wooden pestle to compress and acquire a conical shape when removed.


title: Cooking banana

text: In the Western hemisphere, "tostones" (also known as "banann peze" in Haiti, "tachinos" or "chatinos" in Cuba, "platanos verdes fritos" or "fritos verdes" in the Dominican Republic and "patacones" in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, Peru and Venezuela) are twice-fried plantain fritters, often served as a side dish, appetizer or snack. Plantains are sliced in long pieces and fried in oil. The segments are then removed and individually smashed down to about half their original height. Finally, the pieces are fried again and then seasoned, often with salt. In some countries, such as Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, the "tostones" are dipped in creole sauce from chicken, pork, beef, or shrimp before eating. In Haiti, "bannann peze" is commonly served with pikliz, a slaw-like condiment made with cabbage, onions, carrots and scotch bonnet peppers. In Nicaragua, tostones are typically served with fried cheese (Tostones con queso) and sometimes with refried beans. While the name "tostones" is used to describe this food when prepared at home, in some South American countries the word also describes plantain chips, which are typically purchased from a store.


title: Cooking banana

text: In western Venezuela, much of Colombia and the Peruvian Amazon, "patacones" are a frequently seen variation of "tostones". Plantains are sliced in long pieces and fried in oil, then used to make sandwiches with pork, beef, chicken, vegetables and ketchup. They can be made with unripe "patacon verde" or ripe "patacon amarillo" plantains. "Tostones" in the Dominican Republic are only fried once and are thicker than chips. Although there are local names for "tostones" in almost every Latin country, they are still commonly called "tostones" in all of Latin America.


title: Cooking banana

text: "Chifles" is the Spanish term used in Peru and Ecuador for fried green plantains sliced ( thick); it is also used to describe plantain chips which are sliced thinner.


title: Cooking banana

text: In Honduras, Venezuela and Central Colombia, fried ripened plantain slices are known as "tajadas". They are customary in most typical meals, such as the Venezuelan "pabellón criollo". The host or waiter may also offer them as "barandas" (guard rails), in common slang, as the long slices are typically placed on the sides of a full dish, and therefore look as such. Some variations include adding honey or sugar and frying the slices in butter, to obtain a golden caramel; the result has a sweeter taste and a characteristic pleasant smell. The same slices are known as "amarillos" and "fritos maduros" in Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic respectively. In Panama, "tajadas" are eaten daily together with steamed rice, meat and beans, thus making up an essential part of the Panamanian diet, as with Honduras. By contrast, in Nicaragua, "tajadas" are fried unripened plantain slices, and are traditionally served at a "fritanga", with fried pork or carne asada, or on their own on green banana leaves, either with a cabbage salad or fresh or fried cheese.


title: Cooking banana

text: On Colombia's Caribbean coast, "tajadas" of fried green plantain are consumed along with grilled meats, and are the dietary equivalent of the French-fried potatoes/chips of Europe and North America.


title: Cooking banana

text: After removing the skin, "maduro" can be sliced (between thick) and pan-fried in oil until golden brown or according to preference. In the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras (where they are usually eaten with the native sour cream) and Venezuela, they are also eaten baked in the oven (sometimes with cinnamon). In Puerto Rico baked "plátanos maduros" are usually eaten for breakfast and served with eggs (mainly an omelet with cheese), chorizo or bacon. Only salt is added to green plantains.


title: Cooking banana

text: Tacacho is a roasted plantain Amazonian cuisine dish from Peru. It is usually served "con cecina", with bits of pork.


title: Cooking banana

text: In Venezuela, a yo-yo is a traditional dish made of two short slices of fried ripened plantain (see Tajadas) placed on top of each other, with local soft white cheese in the middle (in a sandwich-like fashion) and held together with toothpicks. The arrangement is dipped in beaten eggs and fried again until the cheese melts and the yo-yo acquires a deep golden hue. They are served as sides or entrees.


title: Cooking banana

text: Eto is a Ghanaian traditional dish made from boiled and mashed yam or plantain and typically savored with boiled eggs, groundnut (peanuts) and sliced avocado. For the plantain option called 'Boodie eto', the plantain can be used unripe, slightly ripe or fully ripe. Culturally, eto was fed to a bride on the day of her marriage, but is now a popular dish enjoyed outside of special occasions as well.


title: Cooking banana

text: A traditional mangú from the Dominican Republic consists of peeled and boiled green plantains, mashed with hot water to reach a consistency slightly stiffer than mashed potatoes. It is traditionally eaten at breakfast, topped with sautéed red onions in apple cider vinegar and accompanied by fried eggs, fried cheese or fried bologna sausage, known as Dominican salami.


title: Cooking banana

text: Plantain porridge is also a common dish throughout the Caribbean, in which cooking bananas are boiled with milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg to form a thick porridge typically served at breakfast.In Uganda, cooking bananas are referred to as "matooke" or "matoke", which is also the name of a cooking banana stew that is widely prepared in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and eastern Congo. The cooking bananas (specifically East African Highland bananas) are peeled, wrapped in the plant's leaves and set in a cooking pot (a "sufuria") on the stalks that have been removed from the leaves. The pot is then placed on a charcoal fire and the matoke is steamed for a few hours. While uncooked, the "matoke" is white and fairly hard, but cooking turns it soft and yellow. The "matoke" is then mashed while still wrapped in the leaves and is served with a sauce made of vegetables, ground peanuts, or some type of meat such as goat or beef.


title: Cooking banana

text: Cayeye, also called Mote de Guineo, is a traditional Colombian dish from the Caribbean Coast of the country. Cayeye is made by cooking small green bananas or plantains in water, then mashing and mixing them with refrito, made with onions, garlic, red bell pepper, tomato and achiote. Cayeye are usually served for breakfast with fresh grated Colombian cheese (Queso Costeño) and fried fish, shrimp, crab, or beef. Most popular is Cayeye with fresh cheese, avocado and fried egg on top.


title: Cooking banana

text: In Puerto Rico", mofongo" is made by mashing fried plantains in a mortar with chicharrón or bacon, garlic, olive oil and stock. Any meat, fish, shellfish, vegetables, spices, or herbs can also be added. The resulting mixture is formed into cylinders the size of about two fists and eaten warm, usually with chicken broth. "Mofongo relleno" is topped with creole sauce rather than served with chicken broth. Creole sauce may contain stewed beef, chicken or seafood; it is poured into a center crater, formed with the serving spoon, in the "mofongo". Grated green bananas and yautias are also used to form masa, a common ingredient for dishes such as alcapurria, which is a type of savory fritter.


title: Cooking banana

text: "Fufu de platano" is a traditional and very popular lunch dish in Cuba, and essentially akin to the Puerto Rican mofongo. It is a "fufu" made by boiling the plantains in water and mashing with a fork. The "fufu" is then mixed with chicken stock and "sofrito", a sauce made from lard, garlic, onions, pepper, tomato sauce, a touch of vinegar and cumin. The texture of Cuban "fufu" is similar to the "mofongo" consumed in Puerto Rico, but it is not formed into a ball or fried. "Fufu" is also a common centuries-old traditional dish made in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and other West & Central African countries. It is made in a similar fashion as the Cuban "fufu", but is pounded, and has a thick paste, putty-like texture which is then formed into a ball. West African "fufu" is sometimes separately made with cassava, yams or made with plantains combined with cassava.


title: Cooking banana

text: While cooking bananas are starchier and often used in savory dishes as a result, many Philippine desserts also use cooking bananas as a primary ingredient, such as:


title: Cooking banana

text: In Ecuador, plantain is boiled, crushed, scrambled, and fried into "majado". This dish is typically served with a cup of coffee and bistek, fish, or grated cheese. It is a popular breakfast dish. Majado is also used as a base to prepare "tigrillo" and "bolones". To prepare tigrillo, majado is scrambled with pork rind, egg, cheese, green onions, parsley, and cilantro. To prepare bolones, majado is scrambled with cheese, pork rind, or a mixture of both. The resulting mixture is then shaped into a sphere which is later deep-fried. Both tigrillo and bolones are typically served with a cup of coffee.


title: Cooking banana

text: After removing the skin, the unripe fruit can be sliced thin and deep fried in hot oil to produce chips. This thin preparation of plantain is known as "tostones", "patacones" or "plataninas" in some of Central American and South American countries, "platanutres" in Puerto Rico, "mariquitas" or "chicharritas" in Cuba and "chifles" in Ecuador and Peru. In Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, "tostones" instead refers to thicker twice-fried patties (see below). In Cuba, plantain chips are called "mariquitas". They are sliced thinly, and fried in oil until golden colored. They are popular appetizers served with a main dish. In Colombia they are known as "platanitos" and are eaten with suero atollabuey as a snack. "Tostada" refers to a green, unripe plantain which has been cut into sections, fried, flattened, fried again, and salted. These tostadas are often served as a side dish or a snack. They are also known as "tostones" or "patacones" in many Latin American countries. In Honduras, banana chips are called "tajadas", which may be sliced vertically to create a variation known as plantain strips.


title: Cooking banana

text: Chips fried in coconut oil and sprinkled with salt, called "upperi" or "kaya varuthathu", are a snack in South India in Kerala. They are an important item in sadya, a vegetarian feast prepared during festive occasions in Kerala. The chips are typically labeled "plantain chips" when they are made of green plantains that taste starchy, like potato chips. In Tamil Nadu, a thin variety made from green plantains is used to make chips seasoned with salt, chili powder and asafoetida. In the western/central Indian language Marathi, the plantain is called "rajeli kela" (figuratively meaning "king-sized" banana), and is often used to make fried chips.


title: Cooking banana

text: In southern India, dried plantain powder is mixed with a little bit of fennel seed powder and boiled in milk or water to make baby food to feed babies until they are one year old.


title: Cooking banana

text: In Peru, plantains are boiled and blended with water, spices, and sugar to make chapo. In Kerala , ripe plantains are boiled with sago, coconut milk, sugar and spices to make a pudding.


title: Cooking banana

text: The Philippines uniquely processes saba bananas into banana ketchup. It was originally invented in World War II as a substitute for tomato ketchup.


title: Cooking banana

text: Plantain is 32% carbohydrates with 2% dietary fiber and 15% sugars, 1% protein, 0.4% fat, and 65% water, and supplying of food energy in a reference serving (table). Raw plantain is an excellent source (20% or higher of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin B6 (23% DV) and vitamin C (22% DV), and a good source (10–19% DV) of magnesium and potassium (table).


title: Cooking banana

text: Containing little beta-carotene (457 micrograms per 100 grams), plantain is not a good source of vitamin A (table).


title: Cooking banana

text: The following table shows the nutrient content of raw plantain and other major staple foods in a raw form on a dry weight basis to account for their different water contents.


title: Cooking banana

text: Plantain and banana allergies occur with typical characteristics of food allergy or latex fruit syndrome, including itching and mild swelling of the lips, tongue, palate or throat, skin rash, stomach complaints or anaphylactic shock. Among more than 1000 proteins identified in "Musa" species were numerous previously described protein allergens.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic band formed in Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards, vocals), along with Martin Cooper (keyboards, saxophone) and Stuart Kershaw (drums); McCluskey has been the only constant member. Regarded as pioneers of electronic music, OMD combined an experimental, minimalist ethos with pop sensibilities, becoming key figures in the late-1970s/early-1980s emergence of synth-pop. The band were also one of the original acts involved in the MTV-driven Second British Invasion of the US.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: McCluskey and Humphreys led precursor group the Id from 1977–1978, and re-recorded their track "Electricity" as OMD's debut single in 1979. Weathering an "uncool" image and a degree of hostility from music critics, the band achieved popularity throughout Europe with the 1980 anti-war song "Enola Gay", and gained further recognition via "Architecture & Morality" (1981) and its three hit singles. Although later reappraised, "Dazzle Ships" (1983) was seen as overly experimental, and eroded European support. The group embraced a more radio-friendly sound on "Junk Culture" (1984); this change in direction led to greater success in the United States, and spawned hits including "If You Leave" (from the 1986 film "Pretty in Pink").


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: In 1989, creative differences saw Humphreys and other members form the spin-off band the Listening Pool, leaving McCluskey the only remaining member of OMD. The group returned with a new line-up and explored the dance-pop genre: "Sugar Tax" (1991) and its initial singles were hits in Europe. OMD then began to flounder amid the guitar-oriented grunge and Britpop movements, eventually disbanding in 1996. McCluskey later conceived girl group Atomic Kitten, for whom he served as a principal songwriter and producer, while Humphreys formed the duo Onetwo alongside lead vocalist Claudia Brücken of Propaganda.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: In 2006, OMD reformed with Humphreys and McCluskey revisiting the experimental territory of their early work; the band have achieved 13 top-20 entries on the UK Albums Chart. Their 20th century output yielded 18 top-40 appearances on the UK Singles Chart, as well as four top-40 entries on the US "Billboard" Hot 100. Although sometimes identified as a cult band, OMD have sold over 40 million records worldwide, and have influenced many artists across diverse genres and disciplines.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: Co-founders Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys met at primary school in Meols in the early 1960s, and in the mid-1970s, as teenagers, they were involved in different local groups but shared a distaste for guitar-driven rock with a macho attitude popular among their friends at the time. By 1975 McCluskey had formed Equinox, as bassist and lead vocalist, alongside schoolmate Malcolm Holmes on drums, while Humphreys was roadie. During that time McCluskey and Humphreys discovered their electronic style, inspired by German band Kraftwerk. After Equinox, McCluskey joined Pegasus, and, later, the short-lived Hitlerz Underpantz, alongside Humphreys. McCluskey would usually sing and play bass guitar; roadie and electronics enthusiast Humphreys, who shared McCluskey's love of electronic music, graduated to keyboards.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: In September 1977, McCluskey and Humphreys put together the seven-piece (three vocalists, two guitarists, bassist, drummer, and keyboardist) Wirral band the Id, whose line-up included drummer Malcolm Holmes and McCluskey's girlfriend Julia Kneale on vocals. The group began to gig regularly in the Merseyside area, performing original material (largely written by McCluskey and Humphreys). They had quite a following on the scene, and one of their tracks ("Julia's Song") was included on a compilation album of local bands called "Street to Street – A Liverpool Album" (1979). Meanwhile, Humphreys and McCluskey collaborated on a side project called VCL XI, whose name was adapted from a diagram on the back cover of Kraftwerk's fifth studio album "Radio-Activity" (1975), reading "VCL 11". This project allowed them to pursue their more obscure electronic experiments.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: In August 1978, the Id broke up due to musical differences. The same month, McCluskey joined Wirral electronic outfit Dalek I Love You as lead vocalist, but quit in September. Later that month, he rejoined Humphreys and their VCL XI project was renamed Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The name was gleaned from a list of song lyrics and ideas that were written on McCluskey's bedroom wall; and was chosen so they would not be mistaken for a punk band. Given that OMD intended to play only one gig, the duo considered their moniker to be inconsequential. McCluskey has since expressed regret over choosing "such a very silly name". The contrasting personalities of Humphreys and McCluskey established the band's dynamic, with the former saying that "two Pauls wouldn't get anything done and two Andys would kill each other." They have further described their creative roles as "The Surgeon" (Humphreys) and "The Butcher" (McCluskey). As working class youngsters OMD had a limited budget, using second-hand "junk-shop" instruments including a left-handed bass guitar (which McCluskey would play upside-down). The pair also created their own devices, with Humphreys "making things out of his aunt's radios cannibalised for the circuit boards". Eventually they acquired a basic Korg M-500 Micro Preset synthesizer, purchased via McCluskey's mother's mail-order catalogue for £7.76 a week, paid over 36 weeks.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: OMD began to gig regularly as a duo, performing to backing tracks played from a TEAC 4-track tape-recorder christened "Winston" (after the antihero of George Orwell's novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four"). Their debut performance was in October 1978 at Eric's Club in Liverpool. Finding themselves on the cusp of an electronic new wave in British pop music, they released a one-off single, "Electricity", with independent label Factory Records. The track was supposed to be produced by the Factory Records producer Martin Hannett. However, the A-side was the band's original demo produced by their friend, owner of Winston and soon to be manager, Paul Collister under the pseudonym Chester Valentino (taken from a nightclub called Valentino's in the nearby city of Chester). The single's sleeve was designed by Peter Saville, whose distinctive graphics contributed to OMD's public image into the 1980s. The success of "Electricity" led to the band receiving a seven-album recording contract with Dindisc, worth over £250,000.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: In 1979 they were asked to support Gary Numan on his first major British tour. Humphreys noted, "[Numan] gave us our first big break. He saw us opening for Joy Division and he asked us to go on tour with him... we went from the small clubs to playing huge arenas. Gary was very good to us." Numan later supported OMD on a 1993 UK arena tour.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: Rather than hire studio time to record their eponymous debut album (1980), McCluskey and Humphreys used their advance payment from Dindisc to build their own Liverpool recording studio, The Gramophone Suite. They predicted that they would be dropped by the label due to disappointing sales, but would at least own a studio. The album showcased the band's live set at the time, and included some guest drums from Id drummer Malcolm Holmes and saxophone from Wirral musician Martin Cooper. It had a raw, poppy, melodic synth-pop sound. Dindisc arranged for the song "Messages" to be re-recorded (produced by Gong bassist Mike Howlett) and released as a single – it gave the band their first hit. Dave Hughes, a founder member of Dalek I Love You who joined OMD in 1980, is featured in the "Messages" music video. A tour followed: Winston the tape recorder was augmented with live drums from Malcolm Holmes, and Dave Hughes played synthesizers. Hughes left OMD in late 1980.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: The second studio album "Organisation" (a reference to the band which preceded Kraftwerk, founded by Kraftwerk's original members Florian Schneider-Esleben and Ralf Hütter) followed later that year, recorded as a three-piece with Humphreys, McCluskey and Holmes. It was again produced by Howlett, and had a moodier, dark feel largely inspired by the passing of former Factory label-mate, and Joy Division lead vocalist, Ian Curtis. The album included the anti-war hit single "Enola Gay", named after the plane that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The song was intended to be included on the debut studio album, but was left out at the final selection. The tour for this album had a four-piece band line-up, with saxophonist Martin Cooper (another Dalek I Love You alumnus) recruited for keyboard duties and enlisted as an official group member. The McCluskey/Humphreys/Cooper/Holmes unit came to be regarded as the band's classic line-up. In early 1981, readers of "Record Mirror" voted OMD the fourth-best band and eighth-best live act of 1980; "NME" and "Sounds" readers named the group the eighth and 10th best new act of the year, respectively. In "Smash Hits", they were voted both the fifth-best band of 1980 and the eighth-hottest new act for 1981.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: Howlett then presided over the recording of a further hit single, "Souvenir", co-written by Cooper and Humphreys. It ushered in a lush choral electronic sound. The song also became OMD's biggest UK hit to date. In November 1981, their most commercially successful studio album was released in the UK and Europe – "Architecture & Morality". The group went into the studio with Richard Manwaring producing. Cooper then temporarily dropped out and was replaced by Mike Douglas, but this change was reversed by the time the album was released and a tour followed. The album's sound saw OMD's original synth-pop sound augmented by the Mellotron, an instrument previously associated with progressive rock bands. They used it to add atmospheric swatches of string, choir, and other sounds to their palette. Two more hit singles "Joan of Arc" and "Maid of Orleans" (which became the biggest-selling single of 1982 in Germany) were on the album. "Joan of Arc" and "Maid of Orleans" were originally both titled "Joan of Arc"; the name of the latter single was changed at the insistence of the publishers and to avoid confusion. It became "Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)" and later simply "Maid of Orleans". Readers of "Smash Hits" voted OMD the seventh-best group of 1981, while "Record Mirror" readers named them the eighth-best band (as well as the 10th-best "new artist") and the third-best live act of the year. The group came close to breaking up in 1982, with McCluskey later saying, "We had never expected the success, we were exhausted."


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: In 1983 the band lost commercial momentum somewhat, with the release of their more experimental fourth studio album "Dazzle Ships", produced by Rhett Davies, perhaps best known for his previous work with Roxy Music and Brian Eno. The record mixed melancholy synth ballads and uptempo synth-pop with musique concrète and short wave radio tape collages. Its relative commercial failure caused a crisis of confidence for Humphreys and McCluskey and brought about a deliberate move towards the mainstream. 1984's "Junk Culture" was a shift to a more pop-style sound and the band used digital sampling keyboards such as the Fairlight CMI and the E-mu Emulator. The album was a success, reassuring the group about their new direction. The "Locomotion" single returned the group to the top five in the UK and was an indicator of the group's newfound sound, notably the adoption of a classic verse–chorus form, which is something the group had often previously avoided. "Record Mirror" readers named OMD the eighth-best live act of 1984. In 1985, the band expanded to a sextet, adding brothers Graham Weir (guitar, keyboards, trombone) and Neil Weir (keyboards, trumpet, bass guitar), and released "Crush", produced by Stephen Hague in Paris and New York. The success of the single "So in Love" in the US "Billboard" Hot 100 also led to some success for the album which entered the American Top 40, establishing the group in the US. During this period, the band also recorded a version of "So in Love" in duet with the French pop singer Étienne Daho.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: Later in 1985 the band were asked to write a song for the John Hughes film "Pretty in Pink". They offered "Goddess of Love", although the ending of the film was re-shot due to a negative response from test audiences. OMD then wrote "If You Leave" in less than 24 hours and it became a top 5 hit in the US, Canada, and New Zealand in 1986. At the end of this year, the same six piece line-up also released "The Pacific Age", but the band began to see their critical and public popularity wane notably in the UK. The album's first single, "(Forever) Live and Die", was a top 10 hit across Europe and entered the top 20 in both the UK and US. Journalist Hugo Lindgren argued that the success of "If You Leave" has concealed from US audiences the band's history of making innovative music.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: During 1988 OMD performed as the opening act for Depeche Mode's Music for the Masses Tour at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on 18 June 1988. They also released the top 20 US hit "Dreaming" and a successful greatest hits album, "The Best of OMD". Graham and Neil Weir left the band at the end of the 1988 US tour.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: As OMD appeared poised to consolidate their US success, the band continued to fracture. Humphreys departed in 1989 amid personal and creative dissension with McCluskey. Cooper and Holmes then left OMD to join Humphreys in founding a new band called the Listening Pool. McCluskey recalled, "We were all in agreement that something was wrong. How to fix it was where we disagreed."


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: This left only McCluskey to carry on, essentially becoming a solo artist working under the OMD banner. McCluskey's first album from the new OMD was the dance-pop "Sugar Tax" studio album in May 1991, which charted at No. 3 in the UK. McCluskey recruited in 1989 Liverpool musicians Raw Unlimited (Lloyd Massett, Stuart Kershaw, Nathalie Loates) as collaborators for the making of "Sugar Tax": writing credits carefully distinguished between songs written by OMD (i.e., McCluskey) and songs written by OMD/Kershaw/Massett. This iteration of the group was initially successful with hits like "Sailing on the Seven Seas" and "Pandora's Box", with lesser success on fellow chart entries "Call My Name" and "Then You Turn Away". McCluskey's live band was then formed by Nigel Ipinson (keyboards), Phil Coxon (keyboards), and Abe Juckes (drums) from late 1990. "Smash Hits" readers voted OMD the sixth-best British group of 1991.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: The studio album "Liberator", which ventured further into dance territory, was released in 1993. It peaked at No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart. The lead single "Stand Above Me" peaked at no. 21 on the UK Singles Chart, with a follow-up single, "Dream of Me", charting at no. 24. Paul Humphreys, while no longer part of the group, co-wrote the single "Everyday" (a No. 59 UK chart entry). The fifth track from "Liberator", "Dream of Me", was built around a sample from "Love's Theme" by Love Unlimited Orchestra, a track which was written and produced by Barry White. To release the "Dream of Me" track as an OMD single, however, McCluskey had to agree that the single release of the track would remove the actual "Love's Theme" sample, but still be officially titled "Dream of Me (Based on Love's Theme)", and furthermore would still give a writing credit to White.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: Also in 1993, McCluskey made contributions to the "Esperanto" studio album, a project by former Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos (then working under the moniker of Elektric Music).


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: McCluskey returned with a rotating cast of musicians for the more organic "Universal" (1996), which featured two songs co-written by Humphreys as well as a holdover from the "Esperanto" sessions, co-written by Bartos. The record spawned OMD's first Top 20 hit in five years, "Walking on the Milky Way".


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: Though both "Liberator" and "Universal" produced minor hits, McCluskey retired OMD in late 1996, having faced waning public interest amid the grunge and Britpop movements. A particular source of frustration was the modest commercial response to "Walking on the Milky Way", over which McCluskey said he "sweated blood", considering it "about as good a song as I could write". However, the track was not playlisted by BBC Radio 1, and Woolworths did not stock it. McCluskey said, "I just thought: 'Screw this, I'm not going to bang my head against a brick wall'." A second singles album was released in 1998, along with an EP of remixed material by such acts as Sash! and Moby.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: Post-1996, McCluskey decided to focus on songwriting for such Liverpool-based acts as Atomic Kitten and the Genie Queen, and trying to develop new Merseyside artists from his Motor Museum recording studio. With McCluskey focusing his talents elsewhere, Humphreys decided to work with his new musical partner Claudia Brücken, of the ZTT bands Propaganda and Act, as Onetwo. He also undertook a US live tour under the banner "Paul Humphreys from OMD".


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: An unexpected request to perform from a German television show led the group to reunite. On 1 January 2006, McCluskey announced plans to reform OMD with the McCluskey, Humphreys, Holmes, and Cooper line-up. The original plan was to tour the studio album "Architecture & Morality" and other pre-1983 material, then record a new studio album set for release in 2007. In May 2007, the "Architecture & Morality" remastered CD was re-released together with a DVD featuring the Drury Lane concert from 1981 that had previously been available on VHS. Through May and June, the band toured with the "classic" line-up of McCluskey, Humphreys, Holmes and Cooper. They began their set with a re-ordered but otherwise complete re-staging of the "Architecture & Morality" album. The second half of each concert featured a selection of their best known hits.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: In Spring 2008, a live CD and DVD of the 2007 tour, "", recorded at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, was released as was a 25th anniversary re-release of "Dazzle Ships", including six bonus tracks. In October 2008 they made the brief "Messages 78-08 30th Anniversary Tour", to tie-in with the "Dazzle Ships" album's 25th anniversary. China Crisis supported OMD on this tour.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: In June 2009, an orchestral concert with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic was given in Liverpool. A recording of this concert was released on DVD in December. In November and December, the band returned to arena touring as support for Simple Minds. OMD had performed with Night of the Proms in December 2006 in Germany and renewed the experience again in Belgium and the Netherlands that year. They were the headline act at Britain's first Vintage Computer Festival at The National Museum of Computing, Bletchley Park, in June 2010. On 28 September 2010, OMD performed as a special guest at the "first ever gig" of the Buggles. Their eleventh studio album, "History of Modern", was released in September, reaching No. 28 in the UK Albums Chart. A European tour followed in autumn.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: In March 2011, OMD played their first North American tour as the original line-up since 1988. In September, the band appeared at the Electric Picnic 2011 festival in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland. In November 2011, OMD returned to the studio and started work on their next album, "English Electric". On 12 March 2012, the band played a concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines. In August, OMD performed to South African audiences in Cape Town and Johannesburg.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: In 2013, OMD performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on 14 and 21 April. "Metroland", the first single from the forthcoming studio album "English Electric" was released on 25 March 2013, and included the B-side "The Great White Silence". The album "English Electric" was released in the UK on 8 April and entered the UK album chart at No. 12 and the German chart at No. 10. Reviews for both the album and their concerts were generally positive. For Record Store Day 2013, on 20 April, a 500-copy limited edition 10-inch picture disc EP "The Future Will Be Silent" from "English Electric" was made available, which includes a then-exclusive non-album track titled "Time Burns". For Record Store Day 2015, on 18 April, a 1000-copy limited edition 10-inch EP "Julia's Song (Dub Version)" from "Junk Culture" was made available, which includes an exclusive non-album track titled "10 to 1".


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: OMD performed a one-off concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London on 9 May 2016 to a sell-out crowd, playing both "Architecture & Morality" and "Dazzle Ships" in their entirety, along with other songs that were pre-1983. The only song post-1983 played was "History of Modern Part 1". The concert was recorded and made available on double CD right after the show. A triple LP vinyl recording of the concert was also made available. The band collaborated with Gary Barlow, Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman on the OMD song "Thrill Me", co-written by Barlow and McCluskey for the soundtrack of the film "Eddie the Eagle" (2015). In October, work was begun on what was to be their thirteenth studio album "The Punishment of Luxury", which was released on 1 September 2017. OMD toured Europe and North America in support of the album, with Stuart Kershaw replacing Holmes as the band's drummer, due to the latter's health issues.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: In 2018, OMD published a book titled "Pretending to See the Future", which is a first-person "autobiography" about the band. It mixed fan-submitted memories with commentary from McCluskey, Humphreys, Cooper, Holmes, and Kershaw. For people who pre-ordered the book on PledgeMusic, they received a limited-edition flexi-disc containing a previously unheard demo of "Messages" from 1978.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: As part of the group's 40th-anniversary celebrations, they embarked on a UK and European tour in 2019. OMD won "Group of the Year" and "Live Act of the Year" in the 2019 "Classic Pop" Reader Awards. A retrospective deluxe box set titled "Souvenir" was also released. The 40th anniversary collection includes the band's forty singles, including new release "Don't Go". It also contains 22 previously unreleased recordings from the group's archive, selected and mixed by Paul Humphreys. Two audio live shows, one from 2011 and one from 2013, are also included together with two DVDs bringing together two more live concerts – Drury Lane in 1981 and Sheffield City Hall in 1985 – plus "Crush – The Movie", and various BBC TV performances from "Top of the Pops", "The Old Grey Whistle Test" and "Later... with Jools Holland". The box set was nominated for "Best Historical Album" at the 2021 Grammy Awards.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: James Hunter of "Spin" wrote that "OMD set about reinventing punk with different applications of dance beats, keyboards, melodies, and sulks", rejecting the genre's "sonic trappings but not its intellectual freedom". The band found commercial success with a style of synth-pop described as "experimental", "minimal[ist]" and "edgy". OMD often eschewed choruses, replacing them with synthesizer lines, and opted for unconventional lyrical subjects such as industrial processes, micronations and telephone boxes; the BBC said that the group "were always more intellectual" than "contemporaries like Duran Duran and Eurythmics". Despite the band's experimentation, they employed pop hooks in their music, attaining what AllMusic's Ned Raggett described as "the enviable position of at once being creative innovators and radio-friendly pop giants". They were influenced by electronic artists such as Kraftwerk, Brian Eno and Neu!, as well as more mainstream acts like David Bowie and Roxy Music. OMD drew inspiration from former Factory Records label-mates Joy Division, particularly during the making of "Organisation" (1980). The group also recorded two Velvet Underground covers.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: OMD were indifferent to celebrity status, and avoided the calculated fashion stylings of many of their 1980s peers. During live performances, McCluskey developed a spasmodic dancing style that has been dubbed the "Trainee Teacher Dance"; he explains that it stemmed "from the perception that [OMD] were making boring robotic intellectual music that you couldn't dance to". Journalist Hugo Lindgren noted that the band were perceived as "oddballs, freaks" on the Liverpool scene, while McCluskey has identified himself and Humphreys as "synth punks" and "complete geeks". Gareth Ware of "DIY" called OMD "one of the guiding lights of British synth-pop... albeit one with a disarming naivety and warm characterful nature at odds with the sleek, chic image cultivated by the likes of [the] Human League and Depeche Mode." Critic Andrew Collins said the group represented a wave of "uncool" pop stars who would eventually "become cool" in the public eye.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: The experimental "Dazzle Ships" (1983) was a critical and commercial disappointment upon release. This prompted OMD to move towards a more accessible sound on the black music-influenced "Junk Culture" (1984); the band also donned more vibrant garments on the album's accompanying tour. The group continued to incorporate sonic experimentation, although their sound became increasingly polished on the Stephen Hague-produced studio albums "Crush" (1985) and "The Pacific Age" (1986).


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: Some journalists have rejected the group's post-"Dazzle Ships" reinvention, while others have expressed an appreciation for the new direction. Sean O'Neal of "the A.V. Club" said OMD would "give up" creatively, while "the Quietus" founder John Doran wrote, "It's quite popular to see OMD as nose-diving into the effluence after "Dazzle Ships" but the truth is there is still much to recommend." Although "Junk Culture" is seen to represent a shift toward a more pop-oriented style, some critics feel that the group did not relinquish their experimental ethos until 1985, the year in which they released "Crush". Elements of earlier experimentation have nevertheless been observed on "Crush" and follow-up "The Pacific Age".


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: Musicians have commented on OMD's mid-1980s output. Michael "Telekinesis" Lerner wrote that "Junk Culture" "was not something [he] could sink [his] teeth into", adding that he did not invest in the band again until after their reunion. Moby remarked, "Their earlier records were just phenomenal... a few years on they were making music for John Hughes movies, and they were good at it and I'm glad that they had success with it, but it wasn't nearly as creatively inspiring." On the other hand, bassist Tony Kanal of No Doubt said, "[OMD] inspired us to try and do our own John Hughes prom-scene movie moment kind of songs... "Junk Culture" is great." Angus Andrew of Liars referred to "the complexity and mastery in OMD's later pop material", calling himself "a fan of OMD albums from all of their phases".


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: "Spin" journalist Jessica Bendinger wrote in 1988, "[OMD's] music has been colored by continual exploration... which has run the gamut from Gregorian-chant-inspired anthems of love to a union of Orchestral-Motown."


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: The McCluskey-led OMD explored a dance-oriented approach on "Sugar Tax" (1991) and "Liberator" (1993); critic Ian Peel wrote that the band "defied expectations by updating their sound and becoming, if only briefly, relevant in the 90s". The group disbanded shortly after the release of "Universal" (1996), on which they strained for a more organic and acoustic sound. McCluskey recalled a negative media perception of the band by the mid-1990s, saying, "At the height of indie rock and Britpop, we were totally out of fashion." Since OMD's 2006 reformation, their material has been seen as more akin to their early output. In 2021, Paul Robb of Information Society remarked that the group were "still putting out incredible music".


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: OMD have been named as pioneers of electronic music, and a seminal act within the synth-pop genre; McCluskey and Humphreys have themselves been dubbed the "Lennon–McCartney of synth-pop". "PopMatters" described the band as "the most important and influential group of the late 1970s/early 1980s birth of electropop", while "the Stranger" noted they "have influenced hundreds since their early-'80s heyday". Hugo Lindgren of "the New York Times" wrote that the band cultivated a "legacy as musical innovators", adding, "The genre they helped invent — file under 'synth pop' — proved hugely popular." The group were one of the original acts involved in the MTV-driven Second British Invasion of the US, and are credited with helping define the sound of 1980s and early 1990s popular music. Several of their recordings – including the albums "Architecture & Morality" (1981) and "Dazzle Ships" (1983) – have been described as particularly influential.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: OMD experienced hostility from sections of the music press, once being described in "Smash Hits" as "possibly the most faceless band in pop". "Record Mirror" told how they received a "thorough tarring of the same brush" as then-reviled artist Gary Numan, but were able to weather "this almost certain kiss of death". "The Independent" said, "[OMD] might not attract the kudos of Depeche Mode, Joy Division and New Order, but they were certainly as significant... The UK's answer to krautrockers Kraftwerk and Neu! were always more unusual and conceptual than they were given credit for." Philip Oakey of the Human League, another 1980s act who attained greater reverence, stated, "OMD were making better records than we were." Despite their often-difficult relationship with critics, the group have earned a loyal following; broadcaster Chris Evans remarked, "There are fans, and then there are OMD fans. [Their] fans may be among the greatest in the world... they are devout." The band also enjoys a large fanbase within the LGBT community, which McCluskey says they cherish. "Architecture & Morality", regarded as OMD's seminal album, had sold over four million copies by early 2007; "Sugar Tax" (1991) had sold more than three million by the same time period. 1980 single "Enola Gay" has sold over five million copies. Although viewed by some journalists as a cult band, OMD have sold over 40 million records in total, with sales of 15 million albums and 25 million singles as of 2019.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: OMD were an early influence on Depeche Mode founders Vince Clarke, Andy Fletcher and Martin Gore. Clarke, who established Depeche Mode's electronic sound before going on to create Yazoo and Erasure, cites OMD as his primary inspiration to become an electronic musician. He has further credited the group for educating mainstream audiences that electronic music could have emotion, stating, "OMD are the guys who did that. They had a really good voice, and they created real songs. I mean, they were the songs that if you played on a guitar, if someone's singing them without synthesizers, they would say, 'Hey, that's a good song, yep, I get that'." OMD influenced the electronic direction of acts such as New Order, Tears for Fears, Howard Jones, Alphaville, and ZZ Top, who publicly championed the band's debut studio album and incorporated elements of McCluskey's "Trainee Teacher Dance" into their live show. Frankie Goes to Hollywood looked up to OMD in their youth, and Pet Shop Boys drew inspiration from the group during their formative years; vocalist Neil Tennant identified OMD as "pioneers of electronic music". 1979 single "Electricity" was influential on a young Duran Duran, while 1980's "Messages" was a key inspiration for Kim Wilde songwriter and producer, Ricky Wilde.


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: OMD have influenced later artists including No Doubt, the Killers, Moby, Deftones, Barenaked Ladies, MGMT, AFI, Paul van Dyk, Sharon Van Etten, Arcade Fire orchestrator Owen Pallett, Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante, Take That's Gary Barlow, Belle and Sebastian's Stevie Jackson, and Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson, who said the band's albums "stand up very, very well as experimental pop records with the most enjoyable kind of songwriting." 1983's "challenging" commercial flop, "Dazzle Ships", has been celebrated by acts such as Saint Etienne, Death Cab for Cutie, Future Islands and producer Mark Ronson. OMD were named as childhood favourites by LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy and the Shins' James Mercer, while Sash! recognised the group as widely influential on DJ/producers and "one of the leading bands in the 80s and 90s regarding electronic music/production". The group's influence also extends to country outfit Sugarland, countertenor Andreas Scholl, novelist Anna Smaill, physicist Brian Cox, and Steve Lamacq, who became a DJ after hearing "Electricity".


title: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

text: OMD's songs have been covered, remixed or sampled by acts including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Boy George, Kid Cudi, Good Charlotte, Leftfield, Scooter, NOFX, Hot Chip, Nada Surf, Angel Olsen, and David Guetta, who described the opportunity to rework the band's material as "a thrill for any electronic musician". Console sampled "Sacred Heart" (1981) for his 1998 instrumental track "Crabcraft", to which Björk added vocals, retitling it "Heirloom" (2001). OMD are also the subject of two 2001 tribute albums, which feature interpretations by the likes of White Town, the Faint, Mahogany and Acid House Kings. The official biography "OMD: Pretending to See the Future" (2018) features tributes from fellow artists such as Kraftwerk's Karl Bartos, U2's Adam Clayton, Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey, the Teardrop Explodes' David Balfe, and Gary Numan, who credited the group for "some of the best pop songs ever written".


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: The Number of the Beast is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 22 March 1982 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Harvest and Capitol Records. The album was their first to feature vocalist Bruce Dickinson and their last with drummer Clive Burr.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: "The Number of the Beast" was met with critical and commercial success, and became the band's first album to top the UK Albums Chart and reach the top 40 of the US "Billboard" 200. The album produced the singles "Run to the Hills" and "The Number of the Beast", the former of which became the band's first top-ten UK single. The album was also controversial, particularly in the United States, due to the religious references in its artwork and the title track's lyrics. Since the release of "The Number of the Beast", "The Beast" has become an alternate name for Iron Maiden and was later used in the titles of some of their compilations and live releases, including "Best of the Beast" and "Visions of the Beast".


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: "The Number of the Beast" is Iron Maiden's only album to include songwriting credits for Clive Burr, and was the band's first album to feature writing by guitarist Adrian Smith. In addition, the release saw Steve Harris adopt a different approach to writing, which would cater more for new vocalist Bruce Dickinson. The album's producer Martin Birch remarked, "I simply didn't think [former vocalist Paul Di'Anno] was capable of handling lead vocals on some of the quite complicated directions I knew Steve wanted to explore ... When Bruce joined, it opened up the possibilities for the new album tremendously."


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: According to several interviews Dickinson was heavily involved in writing several of the album's songs, and in particular the tracks "Children of the Damned", "The Prisoner" and "Run to the Hills". Owing to his previous band Samson's ongoing contractual issues, Dickinson could not legally have any writing credit. The recording and mixing of the album had to be completed in only five weeks, after the band had spent too long constructing the new songs. This was allegedly because the group were for the first time creating a new album from scratch, with very little material written prior to the record's pre-production stage. However, live recordings show that five of the album's songs had been premiered live already at a few shows towards the end of the Killer World Tour in November and December 1981. With "Invaders" being a re-write of an earlier song, "Invasion", this suggests only two tracks – the title track and "Gangland" – were written after the 1981 tour ended.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: Music press reports told stories of unexplained phenomena occurring during the sessions at Battery Studios, such as lights turning on and off of their own accord and the recording gear mysteriously breaking down. These odd occurrences climaxed when Birch was involved in a car accident with a mini-bus transporting a group of nuns, after which he was presented with a repair bill for £666.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: Like all of Iron Maiden's album artwork during the 1980s and early 90s, it was painted by Derek Riggs. The cover was originally created for the song "Purgatory", but manager Rod Smallwood deemed it of too high a calibre for a single release and decided to save it for "The Number of the Beast". The original 1982 artwork includes a blue sky in the background; a mistake by the printers of the cover, this was corrected to black when the album was remastered for compact disc in 1998.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: The album attracted controversy, particularly in the United States, due to the lyrics of the title track and the cover art depicting Eddie controlling Satan like a puppet, while Satan is also controlling a smaller Eddie. Smallwood explains that the concept was to ask "who's the really evil one here? Who's manipulating who?" According to Riggs, this was inspired by a Doctor Strange comic book, "which had some big villain with Doctor Strange dangling on some strings like a puppet – it was something I read as a child back in the 1960s, I think," while the images of hell were "taken from my knowledge of medieval European Christian art which was full of such scenes".


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: According to US professor Bryan A. Bardine, "this album evokes power, passion and music that present darker themes and images."


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: The artwork has been parodied by crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death for the cover of their 1999 album "Bigger than the Devil", and on a T-shirt by Streetwear brand Diamond Supply Co.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: "It's probably thick," remarked Kiss bassist Gene Simmons of the sleeve. "It's probably got elves and dragons holding it up!"


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: "Run to the Hills" was released as a single on 12 February 1982, two weeks before Iron Maiden's UK tour, acting as a preview for the forthcoming album, which would not be released until two days after the British dates ended. Released alongside a music video, made using live footage and clips from Buster Keaton films, the single performed remarkably well, earning the band their first top ten entry in the UK Singles Chart. As they were rushing to complete the album in time, as well as record and mix the single for an even earlier release, the band hastily selected "Total Eclipse" as the B-side.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: As they had written too much material, they had to choose between "Total Eclipse" and "Gangland" for the "Run to the Hills" B-side, with the understanding that the other song would appear on the album. Several band-members have since expressed regret over the decision, with Steve Harris commenting, "We just chose the wrong track as the B-side. I think if 'Total Eclipse' had been on the album instead of 'Gangland' it would have been far better." On top of this, Harris has stated that the record's opening track, "Invaders", was not good enough, commenting that it "could have been replaced with something a bit better, only we didn't have anything else to replace it with at the time. We had just enough time to do what we did, and that was it." "Total Eclipse" was added to the 1998 CD reissue, and replaced "Gangland" on the 2022 40th Anniversary reissue vinyl.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: While the title track was considered by many religious groups in the United States as evidence that Iron Maiden was a Satanic band, the song was in fact inspired by a nightmare that bassist Steve Harris had, triggered by watching the film "" late at night. In addition, Harris has stated that the lyrics were also influenced by Robert Burns' "Tam o' Shanter". The track opens with a spoken introduction from the Book of Revelation, read by actor Barry Clayton. According to Dickinson, the band originally approached Vincent Price to record the passage, but were unwilling to pay Price's fee of £25,000. Although the liner notes state that the passage is from Revelations 13:18, the first line comes from 12:12.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: The closing song "Hallowed Be Thy Name" has remained in all but two of the band's setlists since the album's recording (the only exceptions being the Maiden England World Tour 2012–14, and the second leg of the Book of Souls World Tour in 2017). AllMusic describes the track as "perhaps the most celebrated of the band's extended epics; it's the tale of a prisoner about to be hanged, featuring some of Harris' most philosophical lyrics." Several band-members have since stated that it is one of their favourite tracks, with Dickinson describing it as "fantastic" and that performing it live is like "narrating a movie to the audience." A live version of the song was released in 1993, gaining the band another top ten placement in the UK Singles Chart.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: "Children of the Damned" is based on the films "Village of the Damned" and "Children of the Damned", which in turn were adapted from the novel "The Midwich Cuckoos" by John Wyndham. On his last radio show for BBC Radio 6, during a segment in tribute to the late Ronnie James Dio, Dickinson mentioned that "Children of the Damned" was inspired by Black Sabbath's "Children of the Sea".


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: "The Prisoner" was inspired by the British TV show of the same name, and features dialogue from its title sequence. The band's manager, Rod Smallwood, had to telephone Patrick McGoohan to ask permission to use the audio clips for the song and was extremely hesitant during his conversation with whom Smallwood himself describes as "a real bona fide superstar actor". McGoohan was reported to have said "What did you say the name was? A rock band, you say? Do it." Iron Maiden later made another song based on the series, "Back in the Village" from 1984's "Powerslave".


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: "22 Acacia Avenue" is the second song in the "Charlotte the Harlot" saga, which was originally written by Adrian Smith several years earlier, while playing in his old band, Urchin. According to Smith, Steve Harris remembered hearing the song at an Urchin concert in a local park, and modified it for "The Number of the Beast" album.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: The album was strongly opposed by social conservatives – especially in the United States, where Iron Maiden were accused of being Satanists. Public burnings of the band's catalogue were organised, although some religious groups smashed the records with hammers, for fear of inhaling fumes from burning vinyl. It is not known whether their caution was based on toxicological or theological concerns. The subsequent tour was subject to numerous boycotts and demonstrations: venues were sometimes surrounded by activists who handed out leaflets and, in one case, a 25-foot cross was carried in protest. Harris has stated, "It was mad. They completely got the wrong end of the stick. They obviously hadn't read the lyrics. They just wanted to believe all that rubbish about us being Satanists."


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: Since its release, the album has received consistent critical acclaim, with AllMusic describing it as "among the top five most essential heavy metal albums ever recorded. A cornerstone of the genre." Sputnikmusic calls it "a classic in the world of metal", while BBC Music praised the record's complex arrangements, stating "Whereas even some of the venerable HM institutions (think Black Sabbath) would struggle to make material that was something more than a collection of minor-key riffs, Iron Maiden pull this feat off with considerable élan." "Q" magazine placed the album at No. 100 in its list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever" in 2000; in 2001 named it one of the "50 Heaviest Albums of All Time"; and in 2006 placed it at No. 40 in its "40 Best Albums of the '80s" list. IGN and Metal Rules placed it third and second, respectively, in their lists of the Top Heavy Metal Albums, and "Guitar World" ranked it at No. 17 on their list of "100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time". "Classic Rock" placed it at No. 15 in their list of the "100 Greatest British Rock Albums", describing it as "the most important metal album of the decade", and it was voted No. 1 in HMV's list of "The Best British Albums of the Past 60 Years" in 2012. "The Number of the Beast" is one of two Iron Maiden records listed in Robert Dimery's book, "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" (1980's "Iron Maiden" being the other). In 2017, it was ranked 4th on "Rolling Stone" list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time".


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: In 2001, the BBC made a about "The Number of the Beast" as part of the "Classic Albums" series, which was released on DVD in the same year.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: In 2022, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the album's release, "Number Of The Beast" was named #1 of 'The 25 greatest rock guitar albums of 1982' list in Guitar World.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: "The Number of the Beast" was a big commercial success worldwide. "The New York Times" reported in 2010 that 14 million copies have been sold and by December 2021 it had sold almost 20 million copies worldwide. It was the band's first record to top the UK charts, entering at No.1 on 10 April, maintaining the top position for a further week, and remaining in the Top 75 for a total of 31 weeks. It entered the "Billboard" 200 at No.150 and peaked at No.33. The album reached the top ten in Austria and Sweden, and No.11 and No.13 in Canada and Norway, respectively.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: It was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on 4 October 1983 (eventually going platinum in 1986). The album reached No.11 in Germany and was certified gold ten years later. It received a 3× platinum award in Canada for sales exceeding 300,000 units.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: The two singles, "Run to the Hills" and the title track, debuted in the UK singles chart at No.7 and No.18, respectively. Both songs entered the Irish Singles Chart in the same order, and reached No.16 and No.19.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: On 24 October 2002, progressive metal outfit Dream Theater played the original album in its entirety at La Mutualité in Paris, France. The performance was recorded and has been released through the band's YtseJam Records label.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: "Run to the Hills" was covered on the tribute album "Numbers From The Beast", featuring vocalist Robin McAuley, guitarists Michael Schenker and Pete Fletcher, bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Brian Tichy. "A Tribute to the Beast, Vol. 2" features covers of "Children of the Damned", by Sebastian Bach of Skid Row fame, and "Hallowed Be Thy Name", by Iced Earth, who have also covered "Hallowed Be Thy Name" and "The Number of the Beast" on their own album, "Tribute to the Gods". "Hallowed Be Thy Name" has also been covered by Machine Head on "", which was released by "Kerrang!" magazine in 2008, and by Cradle of Filth, while the title track has also been covered by Billy Corgan's band Djali Zwan on the soundtrack of the film "Spun". Acoustic reinterpretations of "Children of the Damned" and "22 Acacia Avenue" were included on the album "Across The Seventh Sea" (2012) by the tribute project Maiden uniteD.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: Several of the record's songs have been used in video games: "Run to the Hills" is featured in "SSX On Tour" as the opening theme, "", and a cover version is included in "Rock Band", the only song in the game listed as 'Impossible' for all instruments. In addition, "The Number of the Beast" (as the original master recording), "Run to the Hills" and "Hallowed Be Thy Name" (the latter being a live recording found on "") were made downloadable to "Rock Band" on 8 June 2009; "The Prisoner" was made downloadable on 22 May 2012. "The Number of the Beast" was also featured in "" (master recording), and on "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4".


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: "The Number of the Beast" was released on 22 March 1982 through EMI and its sister label Capitol in the United States. The album was reissued in 1995 with a bonus CD containing two songs ("Total Eclipse", and a live version of "Remember Tomorrow") that had been the B-sides of the album's two singles. The US version of the 1995 reissue incorrectly gives Paul Di'Anno a songwriting credit for "Total Eclipse"; the song had actually been written by Harris, Murray, and Burr.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: The album was also reissued in 1998 by EMI and Sanctuary/Columbia in the US as an enhanced CD version, which included photos, band history and the music videos for the songs "The Number of the Beast" and "Run to the Hills", in addition to "Total Eclipse", which was restored to the album's track listing (having been excluded from the original edition due to space constraints). This version mistakenly lists the track lengths for "22 Acacia Avenue" and "The Number of the Beast" as 4:49 and 3:50; they are in fact 6:38 and 4:51, respectively.


title: The Number of the Beast (album)

text: On March 18, 2022 (UK, Europe) and March 25th (USA) the band will release a new cassette version of the album for the fortieth anniversary of the album's original release.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the sympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is sometimes considered part of the autonomic nervous system, and sometimes considered an independent system.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: The autonomic nervous system is responsible for regulating the body's unconscious actions. The parasympathetic system is responsible for stimulation of "rest-and-digest" or "feed and breed" activities that occur when the body is at rest, especially after eating, including sexual arousal, salivation, lacrimation (tears), urination, digestion, and defecation. Its action is described as being complementary to that of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for stimulating activities associated with the fight-or-flight response.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: Nerve fibres of the parasympathetic nervous system arise from the central nervous system. Specific nerves include several cranial nerves, specifically the oculomotor nerve, facial nerve, glossopharyngeal nerve, and vagus nerve. Three spinal nerves in the sacrum (S2–4), commonly referred to as the pelvic splanchnic nerves, also act as parasympathetic nerves.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: Owing to its location, the parasympathetic system is commonly referred to as having "craniosacral outflow", which stands in contrast to the sympathetic nervous system, which is said to have "thoracolumbar outflow".


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: The parasympathetic nerves are autonomic or "visceral" branches of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Parasympathetic nerve supply arises through three primary areas:


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: As in the sympathetic nervous system, efferent parasympathetic nerve signals are carried from the central nervous system to their targets by a system of two neurons. The first neuron in this pathway is referred to as the preganglionic or presynaptic neuron. Its cell body sits in the central nervous system and its axon usually extends to synapse with the dendrites of a postganglionic neuron somewhere else in the body. The axons of presynaptic parasympathetic neurons are usually long, extending from the CNS into a ganglion that is either very close to or embedded in their target organ. As a result, the postsynaptic parasympathetic nerve fibers are very short.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: The oculomotor nerve is responsible for a number of parasympathetic functions related to the eye. The oculomotor PNS fibers originate in the Edinger-Westphal nucleus in the central nervous system and travel through the superior orbital fissure to synapse in the ciliary ganglion located just behind the orbit (eye). From the ciliary ganglion the postganglionic parasympathetic fibers leave via short ciliary nerve fibers, a continuation of the nasociliary nerve (a branch of ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)). The short ciliary nerves innervate the orbit to control the ciliary muscle (responsible for accommodation) and the iris sphincter muscle, which is responsible for miosis or constriction of the pupil (in response to light or accommodation). There are two motors that are part of the oculomotor nerve known as the somatic motor and visceral motor. The somatic motor is responsible for moving the eye in precise motions and for keeping the eye fixated on an object. The visceral motor helps constrict the pupil.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: The parasympathetic aspect of the facial nerve controls secretion of the sublingual and submandibular salivary glands, the lacrimal gland, and the glands associated with the nasal cavity. The preganglionic fibers originate within the CNS in the superior salivatory nucleus and leave as the intermediate nerve (which some consider a separate cranial nerve altogether) to connect with the facial nerve just distal (further out) to it surfacing the central nervous system. Just after the facial nerve geniculate ganglion (general sensory ganglion) in the temporal bone, the facial nerve gives off two separate parasympathetic nerves. The first is the greater petrosal nerve and the second is the chorda tympani. The greater petrosal nerve travels through the middle ear and eventually combines with the deep petrosal nerve (sympathetic fibers) to form the nerve of the pterygoid canal. The parasympathetic fibers of the nerve of the pterygoid canal synapse at the pterygopalatine ganglion, which is closely associated with the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve (CN V). The postganglionic parasympathetic fibers leave the pterygopalatine ganglion in several directions. One division leaves on the zygomatic division of CN V and travels on a communicating branch to unite with the lacrimal nerve (branch of the ophthalmic nerve of CN V) before synapsing at the lacrimal gland. These parasympathetic to the lacrimal gland control tear production.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: A separate group of parasympathetic leaving from the pterygopalatine ganglion are the descending palatine nerves (CN V branch), which include the greater and lesser palatine nerves. The greater palatine parasympathetic synapse on the hard palate and regulate mucus glands located there. The lesser palatine nerve synapses at the soft palate and controls sparse taste receptors and mucus glands. Yet another set of divisions from the pterygopalatine ganglion are the posterior, superior, and inferior lateral nasal nerves; and the nasopalatine nerves (all branches of CN V, maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve) that bring parasympathetic innervation to glands of the nasal mucosa. The second parasympathetic branch that leaves the facial nerve is the chorda tympani. This nerve carries secretomotor fibers to the submandibular and sublingual glands. The chorda tympani travels through the middle ear and attaches to the lingual nerve (mandibular division of trigeminal, CN V). After joining the lingual nerve, the preganglionic fibers synapse at the submandibular ganglion and send postganglionic fibers to the sublingual and submandibular salivary glands.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: The glossopharyngeal nerve has parasympathetic fibers that innervate the parotid salivary gland. The preganglionic fibers depart CN IX as the tympanic nerve and continue to the middle ear where they make up a tympanic plexus on the cochlear promontory of the mesotympanum. The tympanic plexus of nerves rejoin and form the lesser petrosal nerve and exit through the foramen ovale to synapse at the otic ganglion. From the otic ganglion postganglionic parasympathetic fibers travel with the auriculotemporal nerve (mandibular branch of trigeminal, CN V) to the parotid salivary gland.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: The vagus nerve, named after the Latin word "vagus" (because the nerve controls such a broad range of target tissues – "vagus" in Latin literally means "wandering"), has parasympathetic functions that originate in the dorsal nucleus of the vagus nerve and the nucleus ambiguus in the CNS. The vagus nerve is an unusual cranial parasympathetic in that it doesn't join the trigeminal nerve in order to get to its target tissues. Another peculiarity is that the vagus has an autonomic ganglion associated with it at approximately the level of C1 vertebra. The vagus gives no parasympathetic to the cranium. The vagus nerve is hard to track definitively due to its ubiquitous nature in the thorax and abdomen so the major contributions will be discussed. Several parasympathetic nerves come off the vagus nerve as it enters the thorax. One nerve is the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which becomes the inferior laryngeal nerve. From the left vagus nerve the recurrent laryngeal nerve hooks around the aorta to travel back up to the larynx and proximal esophagus while, from the right vagus nerve, the recurrent laryngeal nerve hooks around the right subclavian artery to travel back up to the same location as its counterpart. These different paths are a direct result of embryological development of the circulatory system. Each recurrent laryngeal nerve supplies the trachea and the esophagus with parasympathetic secretomotor innervation for glands associated with them (and other fibers that are not PN).


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: Another nerve that comes off the vagus nerves approximately at the level of entering the thorax are the cardiac nerves. These cardiac nerves go on to form cardiac and pulmonary plexuses around the heart and lungs. As the main vagus nerves continue into the thorax they become intimately linked with the esophagus and sympathetic nerves from the sympathetic trunks to form the esophageal plexus. This is very efficient as the major function of the vagus nerve from there on will be control of the gut smooth muscles and glands. As the esophageal plexus enter the abdomen through the esophageal hiatus anterior and posterior vagus trunks form. The vagus trunks then join with preaortic sympathetic ganglion around the aorta to disperse with the blood vessels and sympathetic nerves throughout the abdomen. The extent of the parasympathetic in the abdomen include the pancreas, kidneys, liver, gall bladder, stomach and gut tube. The vagus contribution of parasympathetic continues down the gut tube until the end of the midgut. The midgut ends two thirds of the way across the transverse colon near the splenic flexure.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: The pelvic splanchnic nerves, S2–4, work in tandem to innervate the pelvic viscera. Unlike in the cranium, where one parasympathetic is in charge of one particular tissue or region, for the most part the pelvic splanchnics each contribute fibers to pelvic viscera by traveling to one or more plexuses before being dispersed to the target tissue. These plexuses are composed of mixed autonomic nerve fibers (parasympathetic and sympathetic) and include the vesical, prostatic, rectal, uterovaginal, and inferior hypogastric plexuses. The preganglionic neurons in the pathway do not synapse in a ganglion as in the cranium but rather in the walls of the tissues or organs that they innervate. The fiber paths are variable and each individual's autonomic nervous system in the pelvis is unique. The visceral tissues in the pelvis that the parasympathetic nerve pathway controls include those of the urinary bladder, ureters, urinary sphincter, anal sphincter, uterus, prostate, glands, vagina, and penis. Unconsciously, the parasympathetic will cause peristaltic movements of the ureters and intestines, moving urine from the kidneys into the bladder and food down the intestinal tract and, upon necessity, the parasympathetic will assist in excreting urine from the bladder or defecation. Stimulation of the parasympathetic will cause the detrusor muscle (urinary bladder wall) to contract and simultaneously relax the internal sphincter muscle between the bladder and the urethra, allowing the bladder to void. Also, parasympathetic stimulation of the internal anal sphincter will relax this muscle to allow defecation. There are other skeletal muscles involved with these processes but the parasympathetic plays a huge role in continence and bowel retention.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: A study published in 2016, suggests that all sacral autonomic output may be sympathetic; indicating that the rectum, bladder and reproductive organs may only be innervated by the sympathetic nervous system. This suggestion is based on detailed analysis of 15 phenotypic and ontogenetic factors differentiating sympathetic from parasympathetic neurons in the mouse. Assuming that the reported findings most likely applies to other mammals as well, this perspective suggests a simplified, bipartite architecture of the autonomic nervous system, in which the parasympathetic nervous system receives input from cranial nerves exclusively and the sympathetic nervous system from thoracic to sacral spinal nerves.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: The afferent fibers of the autonomic nervous system, which transmit sensory information from the internal organs of the body back to the central nervous system, are not divided into parasympathetic and sympathetic fibers as the efferent fibers are. Instead, autonomic sensory information is conducted by general visceral afferent fibers.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: General visceral afferent sensations are mostly unconscious visceral motor reflex sensations from hollow organs and glands that are transmitted to the CNS. While the unconscious reflex arcs normally are undetectable, in certain instances they may send pain sensations to the CNS masked as referred pain. If the peritoneal cavity becomes inflamed or if the bowel is suddenly distended, the body will interpret the afferent pain stimulus as somatic in origin. This pain is usually non-localized. The pain is also usually referred to dermatomes that are at the same spinal nerve level as the visceral afferent synapse.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: Heart rate is largely controlled by the heart's internal pacemaker activity. Considering a healthy heart, the main pacemaker is a collection of cells on the border of the atria and vena cava called the sinoatrial node. Heart cells exhibit automaticity which is the ability to generate electrical activity independent of external stimulation. As a result, the cells of the node spontaneously generate electrical activity that is subsequently conducted throughout the heart, resulting in a regular heart rate.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: In absence of any external stimuli, sinoatrial pacing contributes to maintain the heart rate in the range of 60-100 beats per minute (bpm). At the same time, the two branches of the autonomic nervous system act in a complementary way increasing or slowing the heart rate. In this context, the vagus nerve acts on sinoatrial node slowing its conduction thus actively modulating vagal tone accordingly. This modulation is mediated by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and downstream changes to ionic currents and calcium of heart cells.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in heart rate regulation by modulating the response of sinoatrial node; vagal tone can be quantified by investigating heart rate modulation induced by vagal tone changes. As a general consideration, increased vagal tone (and thus vagal action) is associated with a diminished and more variable heart rate. The main mechanism by which the parasympathetic nervous system acts on vascular and cardiac control is the so-called respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). RSA is described as the physiological and rhythmical fluctuation of heart rate at the respiration frequency, characterized by heart rate increase during inspiration and decrease during expiration.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: Another role that the parasympathetic nervous system plays is in sexual activity. In males, the cavernous nerves from the prostatic plexus stimulate smooth muscles in the fibrous trabeculae of the coiled helicine arteries of penis to relax and allow blood to fill the two corpora cavernosa and the corpus spongiosum of the penis, making it rigid to prepare for sexual activity. Upon emission of ejaculate, the sympathetics participate and cause peristalsis of the ductus deferens and closure of the internal urethral sphincter to prevent semen from entering the bladder. At the same time, parasympathetics cause peristalsis of the urethral muscle, and the pudendal nerve causes contraction of the bulbospongiosus (skeletal muscle is not via PN), to forcibly emit the semen. During remission the penis becomes flaccid again. In the female, there is erectile tissue analogous to the male yet less substantial that plays a large role in sexual stimulation. The PN cause release of secretions in the female that decrease friction. Also in the female, the parasympathetics innervate the fallopian tubes, which helps peristaltic contractions and movement of the oocyte to the uterus for implantation. The secretions from the female genital tract aid in sperm migration. The PN (and SN to a lesser extent) play a significant role in reproduction.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: The parasympathetic nervous system uses chiefly acetylcholine (ACh) as its neurotransmitter, although peptides (such as cholecystokinin) can be used. The ACh acts on two types of receptors, the muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic receptors. Most transmissions occur in two stages: When stimulated, the preganglionic neuron releases ACh at the ganglion, which acts on nicotinic receptors of postganglionic neurons. The postganglionic neuron then releases ACh to stimulate the muscarinic receptors of the target organ.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: In vertebrates, nicotinic receptors are broadly classified into two subtypes based on their primary sites of expression: muscle-type nicotinic receptors (N1) primarily for somatic motor neurons; and neuronal-type nicotinic receptors (N2) primarily for autonomic nervous system.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: Sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions typically function in opposition to each other. The sympathetic division typically functions in actions requiring quick responses. The parasympathetic division functions with actions that do not require immediate reaction. A mnemonic to summarize the functions of the parasympathetic nervous system is SSLUDD (sexual arousal, salivation, lacrimation, urination, digestion and defecation).


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: The functions promoted by activity in the parasympathetic nervous system are associated with our day-to-day living. The parasympathetic nervous system promotes digestion and the synthesis of glycogen, and allows for normal function and behavior.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: Parasympathetic action helps in digestion and absorption of food by increasing the activity of the intestinal musculature, increasing gastric secretion, and relaxing the pyloric sphincter. It is called the “rest and digest” division of the ANS.


title: Parasympathetic nervous system

text: The terminology ‘Parasympathetic nervous system’ was introduced by John Newport Langley in 1921. He was the first person who put forward the concept of PSNS as the second division of the autonomic nervous system.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is a centre-left political alliance of predominantly left-leaning political parties in India. It was formed after the 2004 general election. The largest party in UPA is Indian National Congress (INC). It formed a government with support from other left-aligned parties in 2004 after no single party could get the majority.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: UPA was formed soon after the 2004 general elections when no party had won a majority. The then ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 181 seats of 544, as opposed to the UPA's tally of 218 seats.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: The Left Front with 59 MPs (excluding the speaker of the Lok Sabha), the Samajwadi Party with 39 MPs and the Bahujan Samaj Party with 19 MPs were other significant blocks that supported UPA at various times. UPA did not achieve a majority, rather it relied on external support, similar to the formula adopted by the previous minority governments of the United Front, the NDA, the Congress government of P. V. Narasimha Rao, and earlier governments of V. P. Singh and Chandra Shekhar.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: An informal alliance had existed prior to the elections as several of the constituent parties had developed seat-sharing agreements in many states. After the election the results of negotiations between parties were announced. The UPA government's policies were initially guided by a common minimum programme that the alliance hammered out with consultations with Jyoti Basu and Harkishan Singh Surjeet of the 59-member Left Front. Hence, government policies were generally perceived as centre-left, reflecting the centrist policies of the INC.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: During the tenure of Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, the constituents of the UPA were, by mutual consent, supporting his government.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: On 22 July 2008, the UPA survived a vote of confidence in the parliament brought on by the Left Front withdrawing their support in protest at the India–United States Civil Nuclear Agreement. The Congress party and its leaders along with then SP leader Amar Singh were accused of a "cash for vote" scam as part of the cash-for-votes scandal, in which they were accused of buying votes in Lok Sabha to save the government. During UPA I the economy saw steady economic growth and many people escaped poverty.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: In the Indian General Election in 2009, the UPA won 262 seats, of which the INC accounted for 206. During UPA II, the alliance was broiled in scams. This ranged from 2G spectrum to Coalgate scam. These scams impacted UPA's image nationwide and the approval rating for the govt fell. In addition many members left for YSRCP. This started a domino effect with members leaving to form their own parties and parties such as DMK leaving the alliance altogether. During this time UPA struggled with state election and leadership stability. The alliance suffered a defeat in 2014 Lok Sabha elections as it won only 60 seats. In addition UPA won only one state election and got wiped out from Andhra Pradesh 0 where they previously had 150+ MLA.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: From 2014 to 2017, UPA won only 3 state elections. This was blamed on the alliance's failed leadership and weakness compared to the NDA. In addition the party lost power in states where they had once won state elections as in Bihar. In 2017 the alliance lost again. In 2018 UPA had a phenomenal comeback in the state elections as the party won important in Karnataka, Rajasthan and others. More parties joined the alliance and it was stronger than ever.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: In 2019 Indian general election when UPA won only 91 seats in the general election and failed to secure the opposition post. The alliance lost another state to BJP with the party winning by-polls and pushing the UPA into the minority.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: Towards the end of 2019, the alliance made huge gains in Haryana, won in Jharkhand and formed a sub alliance called Maha Vikas Aghadi to form the government in Maharashtra with Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena leading the ministry. Shiv Sena had been a member of NDA for twenty five years. It left NDA and joined UPA in 2019.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: Since 2020, more parties joined the alliance. The alliance lost the Bihar election that everyone expected it to win but in 2022, ruling party JD(U) left National Democratic Alliance and rejoined UPA to form government in Bihar. In addition UPA only won 1 out of the 5 state elections in 2021. However the alliance made significant gain in a number of MLA races. UPA and MVA lost control of Maharashtra due to crisis and split in Shiv Sena. However, UPA won the state election in Himachal Pradesh.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: UPA runs a few Sub-Alliance in an effort to connect to more parties. The goal of the sub-alliance is to get parties which do not want to be in the UPA national level but only in state level :-


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: Note that it refers to nomination by alliance, as the offices of President and Vice President are apolitical.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: The winter session of parliament in October 2008 came under intense criticism from the Left parties and the BJP to demand a full-fledged winter session instead of what was seen as the UPA to having "scuttled the voice of Parliament" by bringing down the sittings to a record low of 30 days in the year. The tensions between the UPA and the opposition parties became evident at an all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee when the leader of opposition, LK Advani questioned the status, timing and schedule of the current session of parliament.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: Karunanidhi had said he felt "let down" by the "lukewarm" response of the Centre and had demanded amendments in the resolution on Sri Lanka.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: One of the amendments was to "declare that genocide and war crimes had been committed and inflicted on the Eelam Tamils by the Sri Lankan Army and the administrators".


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: The second one was "establishment of a credible and independent international commission of investigation in a time-bound manner into the allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law and crime of genocide against the Tamils". Karunanidhi said Parliament should adopt the resolution incorporating these two amendments.


title: United Progressive Alliance

text: The UPA was criticised for its alleged involvement scams such as the Commonwealth Games Scam of 2010, the 2G spectrum case, and the Coalgate scam. Apart from the above-mentioned scams, the UPA has been under intense fire for the alleged doles handed out to the son-in-law of the Gandhi family, Robert Vadra, by UPA-run state governments.


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is an anti-ship and land-attack missile developed by the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA).


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: The original Norwegian name was Nytt sjømålsmissil (literally "New sea target missile", indicating that it is the successor of the Penguin missile). The English marketing name Naval Strike Missile was adopted later. According to Kongsberg the NSM/JSM is selected by Norway, Poland, Malaysia, Germany, the United States (as RGM-184), Japan, Romania, Canada, Australia and Spain as of 2022.


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role air-launched version of the NSM currently in development.


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: The Naval Strike Missile's initial serial production contract was signed in June 2007. It has been chosen by the Royal Norwegian Navy for its s and s. In December 2008 the NSM was selected by the Polish Navy, which ordered fifty land-based missiles (including two for testing) in deals made in 2008 and 2011, with delivery planned for 2013–2016. The final milestone was completed in June 2011 with tests at Point Mugu. On 12 April 2011, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense announced phase 2 of development.


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: On October 10, 2012, the Royal Norwegian Navy fired an NSM for the first time. The vessel in question was the HNoMS "Glimt", a "Skjold"-class patrol boat. On Wednesday, June 5, 2013, the Royal Norwegian Navy made the first test firing of an NSM missile carrying a live warhead against a target vessel. The decommissioned HNoMS "Trondheim" was hit and the munition functioned as intended.


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: In June 2013 Poland completed the Coastal Missile Division equipped with 12 NSMs and 23 vehicles on Jelcz chassis (including 6 launchers, 2 TRS-15C radars, 6 fire control vehicles, and 3 command vehicles). Ultimately, the Coastal Missile Division will be equipped with 12 launchers carrying 4 missiles each for a total of 48 missiles. In December 2014 Poland ordered a second batch of launchers and missiles to equip a Naval Strike Missile battalion.


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: In late July 2014, the U.S. Navy confirmed that the NSM would be tested aboard the littoral combat ship . The test occurred successfully on 24 September 2014. Kongsberg and Raytheon teamed to pitch the NSM to equip the LCS as its over-the-horizon anti-ship missile in 2015. By May 2017, the extended-range Boeing RGM-84 Harpoon and Lockheed Martin LRASM had been withdrawn from the Navy's Over-the-Horizon Weapon System (OTH-WS) competition, leaving the NSM as the only remaining contender. On 31 May 2018, the Navy officially selected the NSM to serve as the LCS' OTH anti-ship weapon. The $14.8 million initial contract award to Raytheon calls for the delivery of Kongsberg-designed "encanistered missiles loaded into launching mechanisms; and a single fire control suite,” and buys about a dozen missiles; the entire contract value could grow to $847.6 million if all contract options are exercised. The Navy plans to deploy the NSM in late 2019. The NSM will be designated as the RGM-184A in US service.


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: During RIMPAC 2014 the frigate "Fridtjof Nansen" made a successful firing of the NSM during a SINKEX, with the missile impacting and detonating as designed.


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: In the LIMA exhibition 2015, Malaysia announced that the Naval Strike Missile had won the contract to fulfil the Royal Malaysian Navy's "Maharaja Lela"-class's anti-ship missile requirement.


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: In February 2017, the Norwegian government announced that the German Navy will acquire "a significant amount" of Naval Strike Missiles under a deal valued at "more than 10 billion NOK".


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: In October 2019 the USS "Gabrielle Giffords" fired off a Naval Strike Missile at a surplus US Navy frigate, USS "Ford", which was towed close to Guam, in the Pacific, to act as a target in a SINKEX.


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: The NSM is to be used by the U.S. Marine Corps as part of the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), which places an NSM launcher unit on an unmanned JLTV-based mobile launch platform to enable the Marines to fire anti-ship missiles from land.


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: The state-of-the-art design and use of composite materials is meant to give the missile sophisticated stealth capabilities. The missile will weigh slightly more than and have a range of more than . NSM is designed for littoral waters ("brown water") as well as for open sea ("green and blue water") scenarios. The usage of a high strength titanium alloy blast/fragmentation warhead from TDW is in line with the modern lightweight design and features insensitive high-explosive. Warhead initiation is by a void-sensing Programmable Intelligent Multi-Purpose Fuze designed to optimise effect against hard targets.