An update on the B-sides album: Andy has finally managed to source Waiting For The Man, which he hadn't heard for years. While he appreciates the fact that some of the B-sides have stood the test of time quite well, he describes Waiting For The Man as "dreadful". Whether or not this means the song will be missing off the final cut of the B-sides album remains to be seen....

Despite the ongoing delays and negotiations the B Sides album is getting ever closer to release. In a few weeks we hope to bring you a definite track listing for what will be appearing on the album. As stated previously, the album will initially be issued as a signed and numbered special edition via the website.

The B-sides Survey is now closed.  Thanks to all the people who submitted their suggestions (even those who voted more than once!). Hopefully we'll have more news on the  B-sides album to report very soon.

Virgin have sent on a tape of the B-sides to Andy who has been spending some time reacquainting himself with the tracks. In fact, Andy hasn't heard many of the songs for quite a few years and was quite surprised at some of the memories they brought back.

Andy was particularly impressed with The Avenue which he now rates as joint 1st, alongside The Romance Of The Telescope, in his own list of favourites .

On hearing Navigation again, Andy remembered that the sound effects at the end of the song had actually been taken from a cassette recording that he and Paul Humphreys had produced around 1976/77. It was a combination of a noise machine that Paul had constructed and Andy blowing down a cardboard tubaphone. If you listen carefully you can also hear Paul's dog Cameron barking in the background!

Regarding the album itself, not every B-Side will actually fit on and so some tough choices will have to be made. 66 And Fading is scheduled to be included, for instance, but Andy is considering editing the track down from just over 6 minutes to 2 to allow other songs to be included.

Both the  B-sides and Peel Sessions releases are being held up while legal discussions are underway. Andy is currently in legal discussions with Virgin regarding the B-side production costs, including the actual number of CD's to be pressed. Meanwhile, Virgin's legal dept. are in separate discussions with Strange Fruit regarding the Peel Sessions.

A lot of people have been asking questions about extended mixes and remixes of OMD songs. The forthcoming album is just a B-sides compilation and there's also the Peel Sessions release to look forward to. Obviously we cannot do too much at once and we will have to see how well received those releases are before considering other projects.

More on the OMD B-sides: Virgin have apparently stated that they have the master tapes for all of the B-side tracks. A DAT copy will be with Andy by next week and then the process of selecting the track listing for the album can really take off.

 19th May 1999

Andy has finally heard back from Virgin who have confirmed they have sourced the master tapes of the OMD B-sides They're planning to cut a DAT of the 24 possible tracks so that Andy can take a fresh listen to the B-sides as a whole. He's also taking into consideration the responses to the B-sides Survey

Thanks to everyone who has submitted to the  OMD B-sides survey so far. The responses have certainly been enlightening and even surprising in some cases. Some people have suggested that we include every single B-side and extra track on the album. While this might please the die-hards, it would be an expensive project involving the production of a double CD  and might not make the best commercial album.  A lot of the later tracks are also available on CD already and so the emphasis at the moment is to feature the earlier  material. A lot of difficult choices lie ahead but feel free to continue providing us with your comments and suggestions.

Regarding the B-sides album, Andy has finally heard back from Virgin and someone is actively engaged in sourcing those master tapes......

Many thanks for all the B-side Album suggestions and comments that we've received. The task of sourcing the original master tapes is currently in progress. The most interesting point to make is that this album will feature at least 1 brand new unreleased song, possibly 2.

The songs in the running for extra tracks include:

• Sister Maria Gabriel - a track originally considered for inclusion on Universal but dropped, ironically, for being as Andy described it "too much like OMD". 
• Kiss Of Death - a bittersweet slice of pop that came very close to being included on the 1993 Liberator album.
• Thank You - Another Universal demo that Andy describes as having a "metal" sound in the tradition of bands such as Led Zepplin(!). Epic in the style of Native Daughters Of The Golden West from the Crush album.

A single is also being considered as a real possibility with Sister Maria Gabriel being the prime contender.

The plans to produce a B Sides album via the website are looking a lot more solid since Andy has been in discussions with Virgin on the feasibility of the project. Obviously, such an undertaking is going to mean a considerable investment and will only be realistic if the people who have been asking for an OMD B Sides album will actually buy the CD.

The album will feature the best of the OMD B Sides and Andy is considering including some unreleased OMD material on the album as a bonus. To complete the package, the CD will also be a limited numbered edition signed by Andy himself.