Navigation The OMD B-Sides

**Navigation The OMD B-sides** (sometimes stylised to *Navigation the omd b-sides*) is a 19-track compilation album of OMD B-sides, first issued on CD on 14 May 2001. The compilation came about via the official OMD website and fan forum of the time, and was compiled by moderator Paul Browne in collaboration with Andy McCluskey and Virgin records.

The album was issued during a time of inactivity for OMD although demonstrated that interest in the band was still very much active and helped also to maintain the band's profile. It is OMD's fourth compilation album.

## Content

The album is a chronological compilation of single issue B-sides, most of which had not previously been made available in a digital format. The compilation is not a complete list of B-sides, however, as some tracks had to be omitted, based partly on a fan forum survey (see Omissions).

The first and earliest track on the album is an alternative version of Almost, recorded in 1979 and previously unreleased, while the chronology concludes with Sugar Tax, a 1991 B-side and CDS bonus track which gave its name to the eponymous album although does not feature on it.

The CD tracklisting concludes with the addition of (The Angels Keep Turning) The Wheels Of The Universe, a track which was previously only available as a limited edition one-sided 7" single included free with initial copies of the *Junk Culture* LP.

The version of 66 & Fading included here is an edit of the original B-side to Telegraph and remains unique to this release.

## Tracklisting

CD Virgin 724381024829

1. Almost
2. I Betray My Friends
3. Waiting For The Man
4. Annex
5. Sacred Heart
6. The Romance of the Telescope
7. Navigation
8. 4-Neu
9. 66 & Fading (edit)
10. Her Body In My Soul
11. The Avenue
12. Garden City
13. Concrete Hands
14. Firegun
15. This Town
16. Gravity Never Failed
17. Burning
18. Sugar Tax
19. (The Angels Keep Turning) The Wheels Of The Universe

### Notes

1. ↑ also labelled 'Alternative version', produced by OMD & Paul Collister
2. ↑ coupled with Motion & Heart (Amazon version) on both the 7" and 10" of the Souvenir single.
3. ↑ also labelled as "(Unfinished)" although differs little form the 'finished' version on the *Dazzle Ships* album.
4. ↑ coupled with Of All the Things We've Made on the 12" of Maid of Orleans, which later appeared on the *Dazzle Ships* album.
5. ↑ an extended version of Concrete Hands featured on the So In Love 12" (see also Ommissions)

## Omissions

Aside from remixes, extended versions, album tracks and live recordings, the compilation omits some OMD B-sides from the running order namely:

* Taking Sides Again (Messages 7"/10") - *a 'dub' version of Messages*
* Motion & Heart (Amazon Version) (Souvenir 7"/10") - *new recording of the track featured on Organisation*
* Wrappup (Never Turn Away 7"/12") - early version of All Wrapped Up featured on *Junk Culture*
* Maria Gallante (So In Love 2x7")
* Drift (Secret 7"/12")
* Satellite (Dreaming 7"/12")
* Vox Humana (Then You Turn Away CDS, Ltd.)
* All She Wants Is Everything (Pandora's Box, 7"/CDS)
* Strange Sensations (Dream Of Me (Based On Love's Theme) 7"/CDS)
* The Place You Fear The Most (Dream Of Me (Based On Love's Theme) CDS)
* Can I Believe You (Stand Above Me 7"/CDS)
* Every Time (Everyday 7"/CDS)
* Mathew Street (Walking On The Milky Way CDS/CASS)
* The New Dark Age (Walking On The Milky Way CDS/CASS)

## Legacy

Although incomplete, *Navigation* remains a worthy audio documentation of OMD's B-sides in the twentieth century, which often represented the group's more 'experimental' side with respect to the more 'commercial' parent A-sides. It was also, at the time, a unique digital support for many tracks which had previously only been available on vinyl or on limited runs of CDs.

The album was later made available on digital streaming platforms.

## External links

* Discogs
* Musicbrainz
* Spotify