Forty-five years ago today, on 6 November 1981, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark released their third album, Architecture & Morality, through Dindisc. It was the record that turned the Wirral duo from new-wave outsiders into a chart act.
Recorded over two months at the Gramophone Suite in Liverpool, the Manor Studio in Shipton-on-Cherwell and Mayfair Studios in London, the album was produced by Richard Manwaring with the band and Mike Howlett. Nine tracks, 37 minutes, and hardly a wasted second.
Three singles took it into the UK top five: “Souvenir” reached number 3, “Joan of Arc” number 5, and “Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)” number 4, going on to become Germany’s best-selling single of 1982. The album itself peaked at number 3 in the UK and topped the Dutch chart.
The sleeve was designed by Peter Saville with Brett Wickens, and the title comes from David Watkin’s 1977 book “Morality and Architecture”.
Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys have returned to the record over the years, with a singles reissue for its 40th anniversary in 2021 and full live performances alongside “Dazzle Ships” at the Royal Albert Hall.
Apple Music – https://music.apple.com/us/album/architecture-morality/714757729
Side-Line – https://www.side-line.com/omd-architecture-morality-turns-45/
Official Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDIYOiQUi2s
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