this kiss you give is never gonna fade away.").Įnola Gay was released on the Dindisc label on 7" (DIN 22) and 12" (DIN 22-12) on 26 September 1980, a week later than had been originally planned (Record Mirror had given a release date of 19 September in mid-August).The B-side was another new track Annex, also produced with Mike Howlett. The song regrets the event (".you should've stayed at home yesterday.") and emphasises the legacy of the event ". The bomb's nickname 'Little Boy' is also referenced in the lyrics. The cheery musical style belie the lyrical content, dealing with the Hiroshima massacre casied by the nuclear bomb being dropped by the titular war plane. This was Howlett's only addition to the original arrangement, ".a window of space before the final resolution." (Howlett, 2009, p.68). The song also contains an uncharacteristic "drum solo" middle eighth which gives the song an extra 'push' into its finale. The song's drum machine and synth intro make the song instantly recognisable even before the main riff is played. Typically there is no sung chorus, which is replaced by a melodic synth riff, and a second synth riff which follows the sung verse melody line. The song is an upbeat dance song, with a strong beat produced by a combination real drums and a drum machine, as well as McCluskey's bass guitar and a bass synthesiser. The lead vocal was then re-recorded at Advision, where Lawrence Diana's new mix was preferred. Howlett had visited the group in Liverpool to listen to an early recording and arrangement, before moving to Ridge Farm for final recording and mixing. The final recorded version was produced by Mike Howlett and OMD. These were closer to the final official release although still presented some notable differences. Live versions were also aired in July and September, prior to the single release. The song was still in its nascent phase, with a slightly different structure and lyrics as yet fully developed, although the characteristic melody riff and even the CR 7 drum machine intro (later done on a Roland CompuRhythm) can be recognised in the session version. An early version was also recorded for their second Peel session in April 1980, some months before its official release.
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There is evidence of the song being played on the group's first headlining tour (see 14 March 1980). It was originally intended to be included on the band's debut album although was not finished in time. He allegedly wrote the song without Paul Humphreys because his partner was out working as a building site labourer at the time. The subject matter of Enola Gay stems from McCluskey's interest in history and in particular in World War Two.