Enola Gay (song)
Enola Gay is an anti-war song by the British synth-pop group Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark (OMD) from 1980. It is the only single released from their album Organization .
Background and success
The song refers to the B-29 bomber of the same name and the dropping of the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Many listeners who had no precise knowledge about the atomic bombs misunderstood the message of the song and took it Song true as an encrypted clue that the band members are homosexual. Enola Gay was banned from the BBC One children's program Swap Shop because it was feared that young viewers would be sexually influenced. Even so, the song became an international hit and topped the French, Portuguese and Spanish charts. It is now one of the great pop classics and was played during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics .
Cover versions
The song has been covered many times so far. For example, the Spanish pop-rock band Los Petersellers mixed in 1997 in their song Contra la amenaza del Dr. Thedio the music of Enola Gay with its own Spanish text. In 2001 the Serbian punk rock band KBO! the song on their cover album (Ne) Menjajte Stanicu . Also in 2001 the American synth-pop band The Faint covered the song.
In 2007 the German dance band Scooter released a techno version of the song. The Swiss rockabilly formation Hillbilly Moon Explosion also released a version.
Chart placements
| year | Hit parade | placement |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Great Britain | 8th |
| 1981 | Switzerland | 2 |
| 1980 | USA (Dance Music / Club Play Singles) | 34 |
Individual evidence
- ↑ OMD: Enola Gay on Youtube
- ↑ Garin Pirnia: Enola Gay (English). Rolling Stone . June 12, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
- ↑ Johnny Waller, Mike Humphreys: Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark. Messages - Official Biography. Macmillan Education Australia, 1987, ISBN 978-0-283992-346 , p. 80.
- ↑ Katharina Lauck: Olympic Games 2012: Danny Boyle playlist for the opening ceremony. Music Express website . June 26, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
- ^ Enola Gay on the Official Charts Company website. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
- ^ Enola Gay on the Swiss Hit Parade website. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
- ↑ Enola Gay ( Memento from August 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (English) in the Billboard chart overview of Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark on Allmusic . Retrieved October 17, 2015.