Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Enola Gay

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s “Enola Gay” is one of the most distinctive recordings of the early synth-pop era, pairing an irresistibly bright electronic melody with the sombre subject of nuclear warfare. Released in 1980 as the only single from the album Organisation the song was written by Andy McCluskey and produced by OMD with Mike Howlett.

The title refers to the B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. McCluskey had a longstanding fascination with Second World War aircraft and researched the bombing before writing the song. Rather than delivering a conventional protest anthem, he created something deliberately ambiguous, allowing the cheerful, almost playful music to contrast sharply with the horror behind the subject matter.

Musically, “Enola Gay” is built around a simple but unforgettable synthesizer melody, electronic bass and the distinctive rhythm of a Roland CR-78 drum machine. Interestingly, the song does not feature a conventional sung chorus; instead, its melodic synthesizer hook effectively takes its place. The recording itself went through several revisions, with McCluskey unhappy enough with an early mix to have the initial pressing abandoned. New vocals were recorded with Howlett’s guidance, and elements from different sessions were eventually combined for the finished version.

The result is a remarkable piece of pop music: catchy, melodic and danceable on the surface, yet carrying an unmistakably serious anti-war message underneath. “Enola Gay” perfectly demonstrates OMD’s ability to make challenging subjects accessible through inventive and memorable electronic pop.

The song peaked at No. 08 in the UK singles chart on the 1st November 1980.