Andy McCluskey
Encyclopedia
George Andrew "Andy" McCluskey (born 24 June 1959, Heswall
, Wirral
, England
) is the lead singer, bass guitarist
, and primary songwriter
for the band
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
(OMD).
He met Paul Humphreys
at Great Meols Primary School, in Elwyn Road, and played with him in several bands, including Hitlerz Underpantz, VCL XI and The Id
. McCluskey then attended Calday Grange Grammar School
in West Kirby
. McCluskey briefly joined Dalek I Love You
as their lead singer, but left because he wanted to sing his own song
s. McCluskey teamed up with Humphreys again to form OMD in the late 1970s. They were successful, especially in their native United Kingdom
where they had several hit singles
. They are best known in the United States
for their song "If You Leave
" from the Pretty in Pink
soundtrack album
.
Humphreys and the rest of the band split with McCluskey in 1989, with McCluskey retaining the OMD name. He released three more album
s under the band's moniker including their biggest selling album, Sugar Tax (1991). Due to the diminishing sales of the following two albums Liberator (1993) and Universal
(1996) he disbanded the group. A decade later, in 2006, McCluskey reunited with Humphreys and the other former OMD members for a successful reformation of the band.
group Atomic Kitten
. Their song "Whole Again
", co-written by McCluskey, was his first UK No.1, and he and his fellow songwriters were nominated for the Ivor Novello Award for excellence in songwriting. In 2002, the band sued to terminate the songwriting/production
agreement between themselves and McCluskey.
More recently, McCluskey formed White Noise Records and publishing label where he tried to recreate the formula of Atomic Kitten with Liverpool girl group, The Genie Queen. He also bought a recording studio, The Motor Museum, in Liverpool.
TV
in June 2005, with the promise of more gigs
to follow. 2007 saw the first tour of the reformed OMD, including Martin Cooper
and Malcolm Holmes
, commemorating the twenty-sixth anniversary of the release of their masterpiece album Architecture & Morality
. The album itself was remastered and re-released to coincide.
The band released a CD and DVD of their triumphant Hammersmith Apollo
(London) live gig from the 2007 reunion tour in the spring of 2008 before undertaking a short tour to celebrate thirty years as a band in the autumn of 2008, concluding at London's historic Roundhouse
venue on 7 October 2008. A compilation of their singles and videos, Messages: Greatest Hits
, was released to coincide with the tour. On 20 September 2010 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark released their 11th studio album History of Modern
, their first in 14 years.
Heswall
Heswall is a town in Wirral, in the county of Merseyside, England. Administratively, it is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. At the time of the 2001 Census, the total population of the ward was 16,012 , which included the nearby villages of Barnston and Gayton...
, Wirral
Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
The Metropolitan Borough of Wirral is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, in North West England. It has a population of 311,200, and encompasses of the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula. Major settlements include Birkenhead, Wallasey, Bebington, Heswall, Hoylake and West Kirby. The city of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is the lead singer, bass guitarist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, and primary songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
for the band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England...
(OMD).
He met Paul Humphreys
Paul Humphreys
Paul Humphreys is a British musician.-Life and career:He is best known as a member of synth pop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark , which he founded with Andy McCluskey in 1978.He grew up on the Wirral Peninsula in North West England, during which time he developed his interest in German...
at Great Meols Primary School, in Elwyn Road, and played with him in several bands, including Hitlerz Underpantz, VCL XI and The Id
The Id
-External links:*...
. McCluskey then attended Calday Grange Grammar School
Calday Grange Grammar School
Calday Grange Grammar School is a non-denominational selective state grammar school, founded in 1636, situated on Caldy Hill above the town of West Kirby on the Wirral . The school admits boys from the ages of 11 through to 18, and girls for the sixth form only...
in West Kirby
West Kirby
West Kirby is a town on the north-west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, England, at the mouth of the River Dee across from the Point of Ayr in North Wales. To the north-east of the town lies Hoylake, with the suburbs of Grange and Newton to the east, and the village of Caldy to the...
. McCluskey briefly joined Dalek I Love You
Dalek I Love You
Dalek I Love You may refer to:* Dalek I Love You, a synthpop group* Dalek I Love You , the group's self-titled album* Dalek I Love You , an audio play broadcast on BBC Radio...
as their lead singer, but left because he wanted to sing his own song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s. McCluskey teamed up with Humphreys again to form OMD in the late 1970s. They were successful, especially in their native United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
where they had several hit singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. They are best known in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for their song "If You Leave
If You Leave
"If You Leave" is a 1986 song by the British synthpop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. It was recorded for the soundtrack to the film Pretty in Pink where it was played prominently during the final scene...
" from the Pretty in Pink
Pretty in Pink
Pretty in Pink is a 1986 American teen romantic comedy-drama film about teenage love and social cliques in 1980s American high schools. It is one of a group of John Hughes films starring Molly Ringwald, and is commonly identified as a "Brat Pack" film...
soundtrack album
Pretty in Pink (soundtrack)
The Pretty in Pink soundtrack album was released in 1986 for the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink, a now classic coming-of-age film about teenage love and social cliques in a 1980s American high school....
.
Humphreys and the rest of the band split with McCluskey in 1989, with McCluskey retaining the OMD name. He released three more album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s under the band's moniker including their biggest selling album, Sugar Tax (1991). Due to the diminishing sales of the following two albums Liberator (1993) and Universal
Universal (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark album)
-Personnel:* Andy McCluskey – vocals, keyboards, production, mix on tracks 8–9* Matthew Vaughan – keyboards on tracks 1, 4, 8, and 10, guitar on tracks 2, 3, and 5, piano on track 3, bass on track 9, production on tracks 1–7, and tracks 10–12...
(1996) he disbanded the group. A decade later, in 2006, McCluskey reunited with Humphreys and the other former OMD members for a successful reformation of the band.
Atomic Kitten and The Genie Queen
In 1998, McCluskey founded the UK popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group Atomic Kitten
Atomic Kitten
Atomic Kitten were an English girl group from Liverpool, first established in 1997. Created by Andy McCluskey, the final line-up, and most commercially successful, consisted of Natasha Hamilton, Liz McClarnon, and Jenny Frost...
. Their song "Whole Again
Whole Again
"Whole Again" is the fifth single released from British popband Atomic Kitten's debut studio album, Right Now, and the first single released from the album in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The group persauded Virgin Records to release the track as a tribute to band member Kerry...
", co-written by McCluskey, was his first UK No.1, and he and his fellow songwriters were nominated for the Ivor Novello Award for excellence in songwriting. In 2002, the band sued to terminate the songwriting/production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
agreement between themselves and McCluskey.
More recently, McCluskey formed White Noise Records and publishing label where he tried to recreate the formula of Atomic Kitten with Liverpool girl group, The Genie Queen. He also bought a recording studio, The Motor Museum, in Liverpool.
OMD reformation
McCluskey and Humphreys reformed OMD for a performance on GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in June 2005, with the promise of more gigs
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
to follow. 2007 saw the first tour of the reformed OMD, including Martin Cooper
Martin Cooper (artist)
Martin Cooper is a painter and a musician.-Musical career:From 1980 until 1989 Cooper was a member of the rock group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Prior to joining OMD, Cooper played the saxophone at some of their concerts, or they used his pre-recorded work. He also played with Dalek I Love...
and Malcolm Holmes
Malcolm Holmes
Malcolm Holmes is a British drummer. He is best known for being the drummer with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, with whom he had a #3 UK hit with "Souvenir" and a #4 US/#48 UK hit with "If You Leave."-Biography:...
, commemorating the twenty-sixth anniversary of the release of their masterpiece album Architecture & Morality
Architecture & Morality
Architecture & Morality is the third album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1981. It is the group's most commercially and critically successful album, selling over 3 million copies. Released just eighteen months after their debut album, it demonstrated both OMD's continuing musical...
. The album itself was remastered and re-released to coincide.
The band released a CD and DVD of their triumphant Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo is a major entertainment venue located in Hammersmith, London. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, being re-named the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962...
(London) live gig from the 2007 reunion tour in the spring of 2008 before undertaking a short tour to celebrate thirty years as a band in the autumn of 2008, concluding at London's historic Roundhouse
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
venue on 7 October 2008. A compilation of their singles and videos, Messages: Greatest Hits
Messages: Greatest Hits
Messages: Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and features the band's most successful songs accompanied by a DVD of all the bands' music videos....
, was released to coincide with the tour. On 20 September 2010 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark released their 11th studio album History of Modern
History of Modern
History of Modern is the eleventh studio album by British synthpop band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark . It is their first album since 1996, and the first album featuring the classic 4-piece line-up since 1986's The Pacific Age. The album was released in the UK on 20 September 2010, reaching to...
, their first in 14 years.