Tesla Girls

12" single cover

**Tesla Girls** (OMD) is the title of a song first issued on the 1984 album *Junk Culture* and also released as the third single from the album the same year.

The song title takes its name from electrical and mechanical engineer Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), a pioneer in the development of electrical alternating current, electric motors and the foundation of modern electrical appliances. The song's lyrics therefore deal with the subject of young modern women who use everyday electrical goods thanks to Tesla. The title and idea were suggested by Martha Ladly.

## History

OMD originally developed Tesla Girls during sessions recorded at Highland Studios, Inverness, immediately after completing the tour for their *Dazzle Ships* album in 1983. This demo version was slower than the finished version, with vocals by Maureen Humphreys (including a sampled 'x-y-zee' vocal) being more prominent.

A more developed version of the song was then performed live during the brief tour OMD undertook in September 1983 to showcase new material in order to restore faith among their fans. It was considered one of the stronger and catchier tracks and was in fact played twice at some concerts.

It eventually appeared on the *Junk Culture* album in Spring 1984 and was only released as the third single from the album after Locomotion and Talking Loud and Clear, some months after the album release.

For the US release of *Junk Culture,* Tesla Girls was moved from Side one track 2, to track 1, the album opener, replacing the instrumental title track which was moved to track 3 on side one.

## Single release

Tesla Girls was released as a single in the UK on 28 August 1984 as the follow-up to Talking Loud and Clear. It reached a peak position of 21 on its second week in the Top 40, and after the band appeared on TOTP on 13 September 1984 to perform the song.

### B-side

* The UK 7" version featured a live recording of the *Dazzle Ships* track Telegraph recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon, London (date not stated on release).

* The 12" and cassette releases feature the above track and a brand new song Garden City. The track remained exclusive to this release before being included on the *Navigation: the OMD B-sides* album and the *Junk Culture* deluxe version (2015). The song lyrics contain the expletive "fuck".

### Cover and artwork

* The cover design, featuring a close-up photo of a woman's lips through a bundle of electrical wires, is attributed to 'P / S / A', (Peter Savile Associates) with photography by Trevor Key.

### Promo video

* The promo video for Tesla Girls was directed by Simon Milne and was filmed during a break from the Junk Culture tour in early July 1984. On the subject of the video Andy McCluskey has commented, "*It got close to what we wanted but I guess in those days it could have been done cooler, but we didn’t know how to do it and those were the days of somewhat clumsy storyline videos*”. [1]

### Tracklistings

A. Tesla Girls (3.26)
B. Telegraph live (3.57) (label states "recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon"
(see *Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London 10.05.1983*)
A. Tesla Girls (4.25)
B1 Garden City (3.57)
B2 Telegraph live (4.05) (label states "recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon")
A1 Tesla Girls (Extra Remix) (3.37)
A2 Garden City (3.57)
B1 Telegraph live (4.05)
B2 Tesla Girls (4.25)
tracks as per ltd. edition 12".
The four tracks play same on both sides.

.

## Legacy

* Although Tesla Girls was not a big hit at the time of its release, the track remains one of the group's better known songs, firmly branded as 'eighties' in sound and style. As a song dealing in some way with science and technology (like previous singles Electricity, Telegraph, Genetic Engineering) it also reinforced the group's 'geek' reputation, which they had been so keen to shake off.
* The song has been regularly played during the group's live performances since 1984 to the present. [2]
* Tesla Girls is included on all the group's compilation albums.
* It was the first song to be presented by Bruno Brookes on his *Top of the Pops* debut in September 1984 (see video below).

## See also

* Liverpool, 10 September 1983
* Liverpool, 02 November 1986
* Birmingham, 23 October 1991
* Live at the Mermaid Theatre, London 03.02.2011 ‎
* Live From Your Sofa
* Now That's What I Call Music 4
* Life Moves Pretty Fast - The Music and Movies of John Hughes
* Now Yearbook ’80-’84: The Final Chapter

## External links

* The definitive TESLA GIRLS guide
* Discogs.com
* musicbrainz (incomplete)