SUGAR TAX
CATALOGUE MDV2648
FORMAT MD
LABEL VIRGIN
RELEASE DATE 07/05/91
CHART 3
SLEEVE DESIGN Area. Photography by Trevor Key
RECORDED The Pink Museum, Liverpool, The Strongroom, London, The Townhouse, London, Amazon Studios, Liverpool
PRODUCER OMD
 
CURRENT VALUE £10 - 15
TRACK LISTING WRITERS PRODUCER RECORDED
SAILING ON THE SEVEN SEAS OMD/Kershaw OMD  
PANDORA'S BOX OMD OMD  
THEN YOU TURN AWAY OMD/Kershaw/Massett OMD  
SPEED OF LIGHT OMD Howard Gray  
WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID OMD OMD  
BIG TOWN OMD OMD  
CALL MY NAME OMD Andy Richards  
APOLLO XI OMD Andy Richards  
WALKING ON AIR OMD/Kershaw/Massett Andy Richards  
WALK TALL OMD/Kershaw/Massett OMD  
NEON LIGHTS Hutter/Schneider/Bartos OMD  
ALL THAT GLITTERS OMD/Kershaw/Massett Andy Richards  
 

The title Sugar Tax refers to everything sweet having a price, particularly in relationships. The actual track Sugar Tax, ironically, doesn't appear on the album due to it being unfinished prior to the release of the album.

Sailing On The Seven Seas was the first single taken from the album. The song came about when Andy was walking down the road and the Gary Glitter-esque drum rhythm came into his head.

Pandora's Box was inspired by silent movie star Louise Brooks. The song title refers to Brooks' most famous film Pandora's Box (1929).

Then You Turn Away was the third release from the album.

Speed Of Light was about how a relationship changes over time and draws comparisons with aspects of physics - such as the speed of light.

Big Town is a metaphor for the music industry.

Call My Name was the fourth single taken from the album.

Apollo XI uses samples taken from the actual Apollo space missions. A special mix of the track was pressed up on white label 12" for clubs.

Walking On Air took its initial inspiration from the house that Andy was living in at the time which was over 500 years old. He thought about all the people who had lived there and imagined footsteps walking up the staircase. These spectral thoughts were translated into the song to suggest a ghost from someone's past.

Walk Tall was originally a song called Coming To See You. It also uses a choral sample from Misere by Allegri.

Neon Lights is a cover version of the song by Kraftwerk which originally featured on their 1978 album The Man Machine.

All That Glitters was a song that played on the idea of deception - to be taken in by something that appeared to be better than it actually was.

 

This release was on a the MiniDisc format - a format produced by Sony as a possible successor to the CD being recordable and able to hold as much data as a CD.

However, sales of pre-recorded titles on MiniDisc were disappointing and Sony stopped production in 2001. The only other OMD title that was issued on MiniDisc was The OMD Singles in 1998.

Both this release and the DCC version are exceptionally rare.

The sleeve design is actually an oil sculpture.

Due to a change of track listing, some of the credits on the album sleeve are actually incorrect. Carmen Daye sang the backing vocals on Speed Of Light, Doreen Edwards sang the backing vocals for All She Wants Is Everything, Sue Forshaw sang some backing vocals for Sailing On The Seven Seas (but is almost undetectable in the mix). Stuart Kershaw and Natalie Loates don't actually appear on the album. Christine Mellor sang the backing vocals for Pandora's Box. Ann Heston (Pink Museum secretary) provided the high chorus for Walk tall.