Sunday May 9, 2021 “If You Leave” Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)
From the classic movie Pretty in Pink which was written and directed by John Hughes whose music selection for his movies was always as thoughtful as his excellent films. And apparently I have been living under a rock all these years since Pretty in Pink was released in 1986 as I just discovered that the Molly Ringwold character in the film was Andie Walsh, making her a cinematic relative.
In addition to Molly Ringwold, Pretty in Pink actors also included so many other future stars but most prominent for me was Andrew McCarthy (Blane McDonnough) as he would go on to do movies, Broadway plays, TV series and would direct many of those as well. But for me his major accomplishment will always be the philosophical treatise on the implications of death, Weekend at Bernies.
The band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) was commissioned to write the closing song for the movie, which they did but when John Hughes tested Pretty In Pink, the audiences hated the ending because Blane (Andrew McCarthy) didn’t redeem himself. So when Hughes changed the ending based on audience research OMD had twenty four hours to deliver a new song that fit the new ending, which they also did, and wrote “If You Leave”
Their only major US hit, “If You Leave” is not typical for OMD musically but who can resist a big hit.
Stay safe and well...and the signature song for the movie “Pretty in Pink” was written by Richard Butler and recorded by his group, the Psychedelic Furs in 1981, five years before the movie.