Record Mirror

**Record Mirror** was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991. Together with rivals NME and Sounds it became one of the biggest selling music weeklies in the UK during the seventies and eighties. As well as carrying main features on bands and artists of the moment, it also featured news of new releases, tour dates and other gossip-style news items. Record Mirror also featured singles and albums charts and was further specialized in disco, later dance, music with specialist features on people, equipment and record releases.

## OMD

### Main features

*list of features in Record Mirror om OMD which usually consist of an interview, commentary and photos. May also be 'front cover' features. (Links to dedicated OMD-Wiki pages, where applicable, otherwise on-line sources).*

#### 1981

* Issue dtd. 19 April 1981: feature: "Dark Stars, Chris Westwood tries a few Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark" (pp.30-31, see aslo live review below)
* Issue dtd. 29 August 1981: front cover photo, interview and feature, "*The Uncertainity Principle*", by Mark Cooper (pp.1, 4&6)
* Issue dtd. 28 November 1981: interview and feature including full page colour picture, "Playing the game", by Daniela Soave (pp.20-22)

#### 1982

* Issue dtd. 20 February: front cover photo (AM), interview and feature, "*Ominous Miserable Despairing",* by Mike Nicholls (pp. 1, 4&6)
* Issue dtd. 17 July (p.7) "Second Manoeuvre" - news item stating that OMD will be releasing a brand new single shortly, and that the band were about to go into the studio to record their fourth LP which will be released "some time in October". Neither of these things happened, although the news item also reports that "their own label" Telegraph Records had already been established. [1]
* Issue dtd. 08 November 1982: two page feature "*One of the best new bands in America*", by Lesley O'Toole (pp.28&29)

#### 1984

* Issue dtd. 18 February (p.6) - news announcement of upcoming 'short tour' with dates and new album called 'Junk Culture' (no news of single)[2]
* Issue dtd. 30 June: *Around the World with OMD*, by Paul Sexton. AM & PH give their opinions on various locations inclusing China, Bangkok, Venice, Paris etc. Full page colour pic of the duo (pp.34-35)
* Issue dtd. 03 November (p.16): not a full feature as such, but OMD are guest reviewers for the new singles releases. Among the records reviewed, Never Turn Away.

#### 1985

* Issue dtd. 18 May 1985: cover and two page colour feature, "*Manoeuvre closer*", by Robin Smith (pp. 1, 20-21); So In Love also reviewed (p.13)

### Other mentions, news, reviews

#### 1978-79

* Issue dtd. 25 November 1978 (p.41): Upfront Live date at Liverpool Eric's with Teardrop Explodes listed (*earliest known mention*)
* Issue dtd. 22 September 1979: Tours (p.5): news that OMD will be supporting "Tubeway Army" on their forthcoming tour and that "album" Electricity will be available from 28 September.
* Issue dtd. 03 November: Tours (p.5) live dates for 01, 02, 03 November
* Issue dtd. 24 November: Albums (p.24) *Street to Street* album reviewed, "*The ID have now evolved into Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark but Julia's Song featured here shows them at their electronic best*." (Chris Buckley)
* Issue dtd. 08 December 1979: "Up Front" (pp.27-28), gigs at Electric Ballroom, London on 07 & 08 December with Talking Heads listed
* Issue dtd. 22 December 1979: Tours (p.5), OMITD tour dates announced (with photo)

#### 1980

* Issue dtd. 16 February 1980 (p.4): News: "High Dark" - news of debut album release, "high tech" sleeve and live dates.
* Issue dtd. 12 April 1980 (p.5): Tours news lists live gig Camden Electric Ballroom 11 April
* Issue dtd. 19 April 1980 (p.38): Live review of London Electric Ballroom gig, 11 April. (see also main feature above)
* Issue dtd. 20 September 1980 (p.2). News: OMITD 2: news of live dates as a four-piece (unnamed "drummer and keyboards player") starting November
* Issue dtd. 27 September 1980: Live review of concert at Porstmouth Guildhall (19 September)
* Issue dtd. 04 October 1980 (p.14): Singles review, Enola Gay, "Note the tricky aural wallpaper effect in the middle - followed by an outstanding percussion break..".
* Issue dtd. 01 November 1980 (pp.36-37): Upfront: "ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK start manoeuvring at Aylesbury Friars (Saturday).....", pic. of AM
* Issue dtd. 22 November 1980 (p.3): "Demand for OMITD", news of date added 17 December, Hammersmith Odeon.
* Issue dtd. 27 December 1980: end of year UK Singles and Album charts: Enola Gay (43), *Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark* (60). Staff Choice: Singles, Enola Gay (joint no.8 with Treason & A Song from Under the Floorboards)

#### 1981

* Issue dtd. 03 January (p.8) "Can We Quote You On That?" Andy McCluskey: "*The Liverpool drug thing has grown out of bedsitterland, you go home and you trip out. We still live at home so we've never been in that position.*"
* Issue dtd. 07 November (p.19) *Architecture & Morality* review, "OMD Architects of the Future", Daniel Soave (4\*)
* Issue dtd. 12 December (p.27) Charts / Star Choice - Andy McCluskey Top 5 choices: 1) Neu! 75 & *La Düsseldorf,* 2) Kraftwerk - *Radio Activity* 3) Creola - Messa Luba 4) Roxy Music - *Roxy Music* 5) Laurie Anderson - Oh Superman 6) Leonard Cohen - Bird on a Wire, Sisters of Mercy, Famous Blue Raincoat
* Issue dtd. 26 December (Review of 1981) - Daniela Soave places Souvenir at no.2 in her Singles chart, and Glasgow Apollo (11 November) as best gig of the year.

#### 1982

* Issue dtd. 09 January (p.3) "Manoeuvres - second on Arc" - release news for new single Maid of Orleans.
* Issue dtd 16 January (p.9) Singles reviews by Sunie, Maid of Orleans, ".*.a better listen than the last (Joan of Arc). Top three with no bother, of course.*"
* Issue dtd. 23 January (p.9) **1981 Poll Results** (Category - Pos.): Gig/Live Band - 3, New Artist - 10, Band - 8, Album - 5 (*A&M*); Chartfile (p.27) - UK Singles - Maid of Orleans at no.31 (b/w pic.)
* Issue dtd. 30 January (p.29) Maid of Orleans Songwords (with b/w pic.). UK Singles charts no.17.

#### 1983

* Issue dtd. 15 January (p.6) "Dazzling Manoeuvres", news of new single (Feb 11), album (March 4) and tour (from April 14).
* Issue dtd. 30 April (p.20) "Andy panders" - review of Hammersmith Odeon gig, "cum on feel the noize", "*played at a volume that nearly brought the house down*"
* Issue dtd. 20 August (p.6) "Out on Manoeuvres"[3] news of short tour in September "*to showcase some new material*".

#### 1984

* Issue dtd. 31 March 1984 (p.4) "OMD take main line": news of release of new single Locomotion and upcoming album *Junk Culture*
* Issue dtd. 28 April 1984 (p.16): "The Cultured club", *Junk Culture* album review (5 stars)
* Issue dtd. 05 May 1984; competition to win Locomotion picture disc and OMD T-shirt (p.32); UK Singles chart (p.42) Photo and caption "OMD have engineered another hit" (Locomotion at no.6)
* Issue dtd. 19 May 1984 (p.2) very early photo of AM & PH singing into microphones in a studio.
* Issue dtd. 02 June 1984 (p.4); news of new single Talking Loud and Clear and tour dates for September/October; feature on Liverpool music scene, AM contributes, OMD mentioned on cover.
* Issue dtd. 09 June 1984 (p.16); Talking Loud and Clear single reviewed.
* Issue dtd. 22 December (pp.14-15): "Snow Business", Britain's pop stars say how they'll be spending Christmas - AM, "I'll be skiing in the mountains in California...", PH, "Christmas will be spent in Los Anglese with my wife and her family...".

#### 1985

* Issue dtd. 26 January (p.15) "The Hitlist 1984, pt.2 G-O" - OMD four chart entries (with b/w photo)
* Issue dtd. 15 June (p.5): "Crush on OMD", news item for imminent release of new album *Crush*, and Jobs For a Change concert set for 07 July.
* Issue dtd. 22 June (p.16) *Crush* album review by Robin Smith, "*Go and get 'Crush' now*" (5/5 'Wicked')
* issue dtd 05 October (p.34); News of cancellation of tour "scheduled to begin end of October", and new dates starting in February.
* Issue dtd. 19 October (p.12): Singles reviews, La femme accident, "..*a third mediocre single from the 'Crush' LP.*" - also mentions OMD are currently on tour with The Thompson Twins.

#### 1986

* Issue dtd. 04 January (p.12), 'What Are They Doing in '86?': OMD, ".. *planning a tour and working ion another album...releasing soundtrack single from Pretty in Pink*'."
* Issue dtd. 15 February (p.35), live review of Empire Theatre, Liverpool gig. "..pre-shrink wrapped, pre-digested pop pap, the pot noodles of the music biz."
* Issue dtd. 01 November 1986: News Digest (p.30): "*OMD Fall in Love*", news of We Love You single release on Nov. 03, "..*there are no fewer than four versions available.., so take your choice OMD fans*".

#### 1988

* Issue dtd. 23 January (p.7): News announcement for new single Dreaming and *The Best of OMD* album later in the year. Also mentions last year was spent "*writing fresh material*" and that the band are "*currently lining up some eagerly anticipated British dates*."
* Issue dtd. 27 February (p.10): News announcement of *The Best of OMD* album and video release date.
* Issue dtd 12 November (p.37): DJ Directory reviews Brides of Frankenstein (Mix), with b/w photo.

#### 1989

* Issue dtd. 18 March 1989 (p.44), CROSSWORD, 8 Across: Performed by in the Dark by Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey (10,10)