Have some perfection today, to make up for the fact that I have been a very lax overlord recently, this is only my third post in a whole month; it’s not that I don’t love you, its just life things take up a lot of my time.
1980’s pop music simply didn’t get any drier, or more arch than Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Enola Gay; to be fair there are early Etruscan ruins in the desert that are wetter and less, umm, archy than this 12″.
Named after the B-29 superfortress that flew the nuclear bombing mission on Hiroshima, itself named after the pilot’s mum, Enola Gay is a thoughtful, thought-provoking anti-war song that I must have danced to a million times without ever once thinking about what it was about.
It's 8:15, And that's the time that it's always been
We bounce along, grooving to Andy McCluskey’s bass and Paul Humphreys’ jaunty keys not stopping to process the lyrics – its a technique I have always loved, really serious or sad songs that hide behind a jaunty tune – such a clever trick when its done well, or perfectly like here. It’s 8:15 for ever because that’s when Little Boy detonated, famously stopping timepieces citywide.
Enola Gay, Is mother proud of little boy today?
The pilots were proud and remained so of what they had done, I am far more in the camp of Claude Eatherly who flew the weather reconnaissance mission (‘Conditions normal and you’re coming home‘) who became an anti nuclear activist thereafter, horrified by what he had helped to put in train.
Ah-ha, Enola Gay, It shouldn't ever have to end this way
Enola Gay is a wonderfully tight single, clocking in at 3:33 even on my 12″ version. The way that OMD don’t use a conventional chorus, instead deploying a synth break in the space where one should be is so clever. It suits Andy McCluskey’s offhand vocals so well too, he is a talented man*. Smart, danceable pop offering food for thought, how wonderful.
It baffles me that at the time, admittedly a very different time, Enola Gay apparently encountered a lot of resistance as it was perceived as a gay anthem. My fellow humans really do disappoint me sometimes. I mean, come on a) it is just a word b) it is a song about the bombing of Hiroshima FFS! c) so bloody fucking what if it was intended as a gay anthem! d) repeat a-d above loudly, with additional swearing.
I was somewhat heartened though to read of the current US administrations’ ham-fisted fuck-witted attempts to ‘de-gayize’ all US military history and just how truly stupid that revealed them as being^.
I will pledge my allegiance to clever. I will pledge my troth to OMD’s Enola Gay.
We got your message on the radio
1319 Down.
PS: is it me or are WordPress fucking about with fonts and styles needlessly in this editor again? Stop it!”
*and a very nice one according to Mrs 1537, who has met him a good few times.
^leaving aside all issues of ethics, practicality and humanity for now; let us just focus on how moronic it rightly makes them look.
Synthpop perfection indeed. This was on the first pop compilation I owned, a K Tel “hits of 1980” product. I loved it. Also notable not just for the noble anti-war sentiment but McCluskey’s coded message to future us that he will be responsible for Atomic Kitten.
‘Enola Gay’ the plane still exists in The Smithsonian collection and natch controversy and protest has dogged most attempts to display or properly interpret it. Sigh.
PS – is that a coded nod to the Manics in your title?
Atomic Kitten – we must remember ; if we forget the past we are doomed to repeat it.
And well done, yes it was a highly coded Manics reference.
This is such a brilliant tune.
Interesting- I always wrote them off as uncool one-hit wonders, but this is excellent.
I liked the song, it was one of those that stick in your mind.
OMD were the aural wallpaper of that era for me. Lots of the older kids I looked up to loved them. I was never a direct fan but I know quality when I hear it and this is 3:33 of perfection.
I came to OMD quite late, but can say I enjoy them rather a lot. There is an archness that one must be in the right mood for, but I do love the stripped back nature of their electro-pop.
Favourite OMD moment for me cam in an Alan Partridge episode. He back announced an album cut, something along these lines:
“That was OMD from their album ‘Architecture and Morality,’ two different but equally hot potatoes.”
God bless Mr Partridge. OMD are from the Wirral, where I live – press often say Liverpool because it’s nearby, but we are our own proud little peninsula.
Enola is just perfect, you couldn’t add or subtract anything to/from it which would improve it.
I own this and Architecture, which is kind of all I think I need.