OMD announce 40th‑anniversary deluxe edition of ‘Crush’
OMD announce 40th‑anniversary deluxe edition of 'Crush'
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) will mark the 40‑year milestone of their breakthrough LP “Crush” with an expanded reissue due 10 October 2025 on UMR/Virgin. “The deluxe edition is “a wonderful opportunity for us to re‑assess the album,” singer and bassist Andy McCluskey says.
“Crush” was originally released on 17 June 1985 and produced by Stephen Hague. Featuring the singles “So In Love” and “Secret,” the record reached No. 13 on the UK Album Chart and gave OMD their first Billboard Hot 100 hit. The 2025 reissue will be available as 2CD, 2LP black or coloured vinyl and digital editions; an exclusive clear‑vinyl 2LP is offered through the band’s UK webstore.
The collection has been remastered from the original analogue tapes and contains seven previously unreleased tracks, including “Wheels of Steel”, “Lana Turner v.1”, “Hold You (Rough)”, “Choral”, “Lana Turner v.2”, “Drift (Demo)” and “All or Nothing (Demo)”. The 2CD edition pairs the original album (“So In Love”, “Secret”, “Bloc Bloc Bloc”, “Women III”, “Crush”, “88 Seconds In Greensboro”, “The Native Daughters of the Golden West”, “La Femme Accident”, “Hold You” and “The Lights Are Going Out”) with a second disc of rare material.
Alongside the unheard songs, this disc includes B‑sides and remixes such as “Concrete Hands”, “Firegun”, “Maria Gallante”, “Drift”, “Secret (Extended Mix)”, “So In Love (Special American Dance Remix)”, “So In Love (Extended)”, “La Femme Accident (12″ Mix)” and “Concrete Hands (Extended)”. All previously unreleased selections were mixed by OMD co‑founder Paul Humphreys.
Each format includes a booklet featuring rare photographs and liner notes by journalist Jason Draper, drawn from recent conversations with McCluskey. McCluskey says the period around “Crush” was marked by intense touring and studio pressure, yet he remains proud of the album’s lyrical themes and “confidence and energy”.
The deluxe editions are available to pre‑order now via the band’s UK webstore (including the clear‑vinyl 2LP). Fans in the United States, Canada and Mexico can order from OMD’s USA webstore for local shipping rates.
About Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)
OMD formed in Meols, Merseyside, England, in 1978 when teenagers Andy McCluskey (vocals/bass) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards/vocals) moved on from their earlier project the Id. The pair combined an experimental, minimalist ethos with pop melodies, helping to pioneer the synth‑pop genre influencing bands like Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, …
They released their debut single “Electricity” in 1979, initially distributing it independently before signing to Dindisc/Virgin in 1980.
Through the early 1980s the band gained popularity with the anti‑war song “Enola Gay” and the album “Architecture & Morality”, which produced three hit singles. A shift toward a more radio‑friendly sound on 1984’s “Junk Culture” paved the way for U.S. success; the following year’s “Crush” cemented that breakthrough. After Humphreys, keyboardist Martin Cooper and drummer Malcolm Holmes departed in 1989, McCluskey continued OMD with a new line‑up until the group disbanded in 1996. McCluskey then co‑founded pop trio Atomic Kitten, while Humphreys formed the duo Onetwo.
OMD reunited in 2006 with McCluskey, Humphreys and Cooper, later adding drummer Stuart Kershaw. The reformed group revisited their early experimental sound while continuing to release new albums and tour internationally. Over their career, OMD have sold more than 40 million records and achieved 14 top‑20 albums in the UK.
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