Crush

Crush is the title of the sixth studio album by British band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in June 1985. As well as going Top 20 in the UK Crush was also the bands' first chart album in the US.

Preceded by the single So In Love, the album reached no.13 in the UK Top 40, spending a total of four weeks in the chart.

Although not completely moving away from OMD's more experimental sound, many tracks represent the group's desire to break the US market. The lead single So In Love was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, although the follow-up Secret fared less well in both countries, only just making the Top 40 in the UK. A third single La Femme Accident failed to make the Top 40.

The overall sound and success of Crush however gave the group more recognition in the US and they were consequently invited to make a contribution to the soundtrack of the teen-movie Pretty in Pink. The track If You Leave reached no.4 on the American Hot 100 in May 1986 and remains one of their best known songs in the US. The single featured 88 Seconds in Greensboro on the B-side, a song chronicling the Greensboro massacre of November 1978, which also features on the Crush album.

Personnel

 * Andy McCluskey - lead vocals, bass, keyboards
 * Paul Humphreys - keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocal on Secret
 * Martin Cooper - keyboards, saxophone
 * Malcolm Holmes - drums, persussion,

Tracklisting
original release Virgin CDV 2349
 * 1) So In Love 3:30
 * 2) Secret 3:56
 * 3) Bloc Bloc Bloc 3:28
 * 4) Women III 4:26
 * 5) Crush 4:27
 * 6) 88 Seconds In Greensboro 4:16
 * 7) The Native Daughters Of The Golden West 3:58
 * 8) La Femme Accident 2:50
 * 9) Hold You 4:00
 * 10) The Lights Are Going Out  3:57

vinyl LP and cassette (V2349 & TCV2349) break between tracks 5 & 6.

Crush The Movie

 * The album issue was supplemented by a feature length movie documenting the making and recording of the album, issued by Virgin Video on VHS. It was made available on DVD on the Souvenir 40th anniversary boxset in 2019.