This version of ‘Enola Gay’ is a collaborative effort between Ooberfuse with Japanese chiptune artist Hibari (who has worked with the duo previously). They’ve crafted a catalogue of music that includes the ethereal pop of ‘On My Knees’, the driving rhythms of ‘Call My Name’ and the reflective moods of ‘ Father’.
Ooberfuse are a London-based duo formed by Cherrie Anderson and Hal St John.
‘Enola Gay’ has since proved to be a popular song for other bands to cover in the subsequent years since its original release, but there’s a certain poignancy to the latest approach to the song, designed to coincide with the anniversary of the event. It also proved to be the band’s biggest international hit on its release and reached the Top Ten in the UK. Hiroshima seems like an odd choice of inspiration for a synth-pop song, but OMD’s 1980 single ‘Enola Gay’ somehow managed to exist as both an engaging electronic pop song as well as carrying a thought-provoking message at the same time. But the years in-between have also seen a variety of debates and discussions, as well as some unusual ideas sparked by the event. Today marks the 75th Anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, a day which invites reflection on the event and also provides an opportunity for commentary. It marked a terrible step forward into a new era in how warfare is conducted, while also spawning a debate on the use of nuclear weapons that continues to this day. He hoped the track “conveyed an ambivalence about whether it was the right or the wrong thing to do”.This kiss you give, it’s never going to fade away…Īlthough the history of the 20th Century is littered with significant events, there’s probably few that can match the scale and impact of the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. However, McCluskey stated that he “wasn’t really politically motivated to write the song”, which was informed by a fascination with World War II bombers. Note that the song was also released during controversy surrounding Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s decision to allow US nuclear missiles to be stationed in Britain. The track was written by vocalist/bass guitarist Andy McCluskey and is an OMD’s signature song, the track does not feature a vocal chorus for instance and is recognisable by its strong, distinctive lead synthesizer hook. The track, taken from the band’s 1980 album “Organisation”, has since its release been considered as a perfect soundtrack to the yearly remembrance of the bombing. The phrase, “Is mother proud of Little Boy today?”, is an allusion to both the nickname of the uranium bomb, as well as the fact that pilot Paul Tibbets named the aircraft after his mother. Were these bombings war-crimes or a necessary evil thereby preventing casualties that an invasion of Japan would have involved (estimated at one million casualties)? Those who oppose the bombings believe that atomic bombing is fundamentally immoral, that the bombings counted as war crimes, and that they constituted state terrorism.Īlso OMD’s anti-war song “Enola Gay” reflects on the decision to use the bomb and ask the listener to consider whether the bombings were necessary (“It shouldn’t ever have to end this way”).
It wasn’t the first time that the allied forces turned to killing large amounts of civilians as the Dresden bombing already showed earlier that same year when four raids – carried out between 13 and 15 February 1945 – destroyed the city of Dresden killing an estimated 22,700 to 25,000 people. It caused the death of around 140,000 civilians. 74 years ago today, the Japanese city of Hiroshima was destroyed by an atomic bomb, ‘Little Boy’, carried by the USAAF B-29 Superfortress bomber, named Enola Gay.