Messages is slightly longer than the version featured on the 7" release.

Waiting For The Man was originally performed by The Velvet Underground and appears on their debut album The Velvet Underground And Nico.

The original release had a two-tone grey label which listed Chester Valentino (aka Paul Collister) as producer. DinDisc had scrapped the original album mix but hadn't bothered amending the labels which should have correctly credited Mike Howlett. Later releases featured different coloured record labels including red, green and a pink/white combination. These later labels also correctly credit Mike Howlett.

Although copies of the original pressings were destroyed, a handful of the 10" release with the album version did escape destruction. Some of these were given away as part of a competition for the OMD fan club in 1980.

The girl featured in the sleeve photo was actually Peter Saville's girlfriend at the time.

Waiting For The Man was regularly performed at many of OMD's early live performances.

The run-out grooves on the A-Side read: "Or a Bilbo bigee" and the B-Side states: "P.T.O. Unrepentant".