Secret (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark song) explained

Secret
Cover:Secret_-_CD_Single.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Album:Crush
Released:[1]
Recorded:1984
Studio:The Manor (Shipton-on-Cherwell, England)
Genre:New wave
Length:3:56
Label:Virgin (UK)
A&M (US)
Producer:
Prev Title:So in Love
Prev Year:1985
Next Title:La Femme Accident
Next Year:1985

"Secret" is a 1985 song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the second single from their album Crush. Paul Humphreys sings lead vocals on the track. It became their second US Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at number 63, and also made number 34 on the UK Singles Chart.

The song was featured in the 1988 movie and on its soundtrack album; it was also re-released to radio in the US[2] as the follow-up to The Best of OMD track "Dreaming", approximately one month prior to the movie's premiere. Though it received renewed airplay on several US contemporary hit stations, it did not re-chart on the Hot 100.

Critical reception

Writing in Number One, Stuart Husband referred to "Secret" as a "pretty song" and "the Manoeuvres' cutest single for many a moon".[3] Stateside, the Gavin Report dubbed it "the strongest OMD track since the tragically overlooked 'Souvenir'."[4] Bill Merrill of the Altus Times noted the song's "smooth combination of airy vocals and catchy hooks",[5] while Cashbox called it a "strong" and "very melodic" track with a "gently pulsing synth beat".[6]

In a retrospective review, Dave Thompson of AllMusic observed an "emotive love song buried in an over-produced behemoth of a backing".[7] Conversely, Thompson's colleague Mike DeGagne lauded the track as one of OMD's best 1980s singles, noting its "adolescent innocence".[8] Rolling Stones Paul Evans described "Secret", and previous release "So in Love", as "flawless singles".[9]

Kevin Hearn of Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies recalled being "in love with the song" and recording a cover version with his high school band.[10] In a poll of 6,852 Slicing Up Eyeballs readers, "Secret" was voted the 74th-best track of 1985.[11]

B-sides

The UK B-side "Drift" was an instrumental song written by Paul Humphreys and Martin Cooper. "Drift" has never been released on CD. The US B-Side "Firegun" is a vocal song credited to the whole band that was later released on their 2001 CD compilation . "Firegun" was released in the UK as the B-side to the band's successive single "La Femme Accident".

Music video

The video for "Secret", directed by Andy Morahan,[12] shows various vintage black & white film clips, including footage of the Beatles, interspersed with new black & white footage of Humphreys and a woman processed to look like old home movies; additionally there are colour scenes of Humphreys singing. The theme is that a woman deserts her current love interest (McCluskey) to return to the arms of her true love (Humphreys). McCluskey's character observes the two lovers together and, though despondent, gallantly accepts that his love interest should instead be with Humphreys' character, before walking into the distance along the shore. The clip was filmed at Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex.

Live performances

The song was part of the setlist during the Crush tour in 1985 and 1986, although more recently it has largely been performed at gigs in the US.[13] A video recording of a short concert held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in aid of Greenpeace on 26 October 1985 shows that Humphreys shared the lead vocal with Andy McCluskey.[14]

Personnel

Credits sourced from "One Two Testing"[15]

Additional Personnel

Track listing

7": Virgin / VS 796 (UK)

  1. "Secret" – 3:54
  2. "Drift" – 4:14

12": Virgin / VS 796-12 (UK)

  1. "Secret" (extended mix) – 6:14
  2. "Drift" – 4:14

7" A&M/Virgin / AM-2794 (US)

  1. "Secret" – 3:54
  2. "Firegun" – 4:36

Initial releases had a bonus disc with:

  1. "Red Frame/White Light"
  2. "I Betray My Friends"

Charts

Chart (1985–1986)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[16] 63
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[17] 37
US Cash Box Top 100[18] 71

Cover versions

A cover of the song by Laura Watling appeared on the 2001 compilation Pretending to See the Future: A Tribute to OMD.

References in other media

The hit Canadian teen drama , which was known for naming episodes in its early seasons after '80s hit songs, named a two-part episode after this song. It was also featured in the 2014 film The Skeleton Twins.

Notes and References

  1. Smith. Robin. 6 July 1985. News. Record Mirror. 6.
  2. Web site: Radio & Records. 1988-06-10. Worldradiohistory.com. 27 March 2022.
  3. Husband. Stuart. Singles. Number One. 13 July 1985. 36.
  4. 28 June 1985. New Releases. Gavin Report. 1563. 29.
  5. Web site: Record review. Altus Times. Merrill. Bill. 18 August 1985. 21 December 2016.
  6. 30 November 1985. Single Releases. Cashbox. 11.
  7. Web site: Secret. Thompson. Dave. AllMusic. 21 December 2016.
  8. Web site: The Best of OMD. DeGagne. Mike. AllMusic. 21 December 2016.
  9. Book: Evans, Paul. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Brackett. Nathan. Hoard. Christian. Simon & Schuster. 4th. 2004. 0-7432-0169-8. 607.
  10. Book: Houghton, Richard. 2019. OMD: Pretending to See the Future. expanded paperback. This Day in Music Books. 414–415. 978-1-9161156-2-0.
  11. Web site: Top 100 Songs of 1985: Slicing Up Eyeballs Best of the '80s Redux — Part 6. 23 December 2019. Slicing Up Eyeballs. 12 June 2021.
  12. Web site: mvdbase.com - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - "Secret". Music Video DataBase. Garcia. Alex S. 31 October 2015.
  13. Web site: Secret by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark . Setlist.fm. 2016-08-30.
  14. Web site: OMD - Live 1985 Full Concert . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/1QKwNwwe2zQ . 2021-12-21 . live. . 30 October 2013 . 2016-08-30.
  15. OMD Crushed . One Two Testing . July 1985 . Jul 1985 . 46–52 . Bacon . Tony .
  16. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Chart History (Hot 100) . . 22 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190924024100/https://www.billboard.com/music/Orchestral-Manoeuvres-in-the-Dark/chart-history/hot-100 . 24 September 2019.
  17. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Chart History (Adult Contemporary) . Billboard . 22 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190924022403/https://www.billboard.com/music/Orchestral-Manoeuvres-in-the-Dark/chart-history/adult-contemporary . 24 September 2019.
  18. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending February 8, 1986 . . 24 December 2020.