The portrait of OMD

Andy: Hello, he is Paul Humphreys
Paul: and he is Andy McCluskey
Andy: and we used to be OMD!

Commentator: We meet them in London and it's over 15 years ago since they were making music together as OMD.

Andy: If we saw that we would be that successful we had never chosen the name Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.

Commentator: They produced all their hits with the synthesizer.

Andy: Look, I was famous, same were you.
Paul: Oh, look at my hair!
Andy: Where did it go?

Commentator: Despite of their success, they did not become rich.

Andy: What we actually sold and what the record company gave us, that was really different. We got one penny for every record.

Commentator: I can't believe that, you were really rich popstars.

Andy: Dressed like this? Do we look rich?
The album had done over 3 million and we played all over the world. And we got home and we still lived at home with hour mothers in small rooms with small beds, lot's of gold albums on the wall and I looked: What is wrong with this picture?

Commentator: It was worthwhile to live with their mothers.
Strange guy: I can't imagine the 80s without OMD.

The performance

Olli Geissen: Who is born 1989 (the year in which the wall fell) is now 16 years old and that's exactly the time for which OMD did not stand on stage together. And now the sensatinal reunion! Here are Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphrey: OMD.

The interview

Olli Geissen: As I told before, you (to say it friendly) drifted apart in 1989 and now you are on stage together again. Did you ever thought that this could really happen again or was that thought impossible in the past?

Paul: Well, we always said sort of never say never with these kind of things and Andy carried on OMD when I left in 1990 and we always kept in touch and we always were friends. So we always thought
of some point we'll get together and do things again.

Olli Geissen: We have seen posters "Welcome back OMD"... Is that what now is going on now, are you really back again and will we be able to enjoy you again?

Andy: Well, we got at to do this show, that's a good start and that's a good fun. And we always had been very much supported in Germany and we had around 25 fans at our hotel today, and I see a few of them there...

Olli Geissen: How hard the work sometimes is we documented here... Here you are working in the studio or, well, you had sort of a relaxing-phase...

Andy: It was hell. It was really hot.
Paul: That was at the studio montserrat but it is no more because of the volcano. It's sad becaus it's a beautiful studio and we worked really hard as you can see on this picure...

Olli Geissen: We just listened to Maid of Orleans, your greates hit, but you did not really believe that at the beginining, did you?

Andy: Well, no, I actually wrote to songs about Joan of Arc. Maid of Orleans was the first, I was hmm, that's not very good and we did a second one and both were singles in England and Paul and the rest of the band actually said to me: "this one is quite good" and then the record company said: "that's a single". And I said: I don't believe it will be a hit but if you want to release it and...

Olli Geissen: And what for a hit!
That sometimes the two had to relax should not only be allowed but is also well comprehensible. Where is that? Is it at one of your homes?

Andy: No, that's also in the studio!

Olli Geissen: Ah, that's also at work in the studio and is also not existing any more, well... Well, we - and I am speaking for the whole sofa now - would wish that what you just said will become true, that this performance was the starting shot, that you will stay together and new records and cds will be released, so that we could enjoy you during the next years. Thank you very much for your visit and all the best.

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