Walking on the Milky Way is the title of an OMD song first released in August 1996 as the lead single to the group's 1996 album Universal. It was written by McCluskey, Nigel Ipinson and Keith Small, and was OMD's last Top 40 hit.
Release and reception[]
Walking on the Milky Way was the 'comeback' single for OMD (Andy McCluskey) after the Liberator period. Reception was generally positive and the single enjoyed a high-entry chart placing, no.17, immediately after its release, gaining McCluskey and the band, flanked by string players, a high-profile Top of the Pops appearance on 16 August 1996. Despite being OMD's first top twenty single since Pandora's Box, five years earlier, the single received little radio play, and stayed in the top 40 for just three weeks.
"To be seen as an 80s synth band in the mid-90s was quite a dilemma for me. I sweated blood over a single released in 1996 called Walking on the Milky Way, which I thought was about as good a song as I could write. Radio 1 wouldn't play it, because it wasn't perceived as trendy by their target audience. Because Radio 1 wouldn't play it, Woolworths wouldn't stock it. The upshot of it was that one of the best songs I'd ever written struggled to get to number 17 in the charts." - A. McCluskey, theguardian.com, 23 November 2001.
Formats[]
CDS 1/Cassette[]
- Walking on the Milky Way
- Mathew Street
- The New Dark Age
CDS 2[]
- Walking on the Milky Way
- Joan of Arc (live)
- Maid of Orleans (live)
- Walking on Air (live) (OMD, Kershaw, Massett)
Live tracks were recorded live at Bonn Biskuithalle on 16 November 1993.
The physical singles featured the 'standard' version of the song with a duration of 4:40. A single edit of 4:02 was released as a promo only for radio play, and later featured on compilation albums.
Versions and availability[]
| Version | Available on |
|---|---|
| single edit (4:03) | |
| CDS/album version (4:40) |
|
| live |
|
| promo video |
|
| Top of the Pops 16/8/96 |
Gallery[]
Media[]
See also[]
- The Singles 1988-2019
- Architecture & Morality Classic Album Tour (2007)
- Simple Minds support tour (2009)