Bunker Soldiers is the title of an OMD song written by Humpreys/McCluskey and first released as the opening track to the group's debut album.
Although never released as a single, it has remained one of their most performed songs live and a crowd favourite.
It is one of the group's several songs which deal with the subject of war and its futility.
Bunker Soldiers is a relatively short upbeat track with a strong synth hook, not unlike the contemporaneous track Electricity. The lyrics cite "Trained fighting, coordination...khaki uniforms..bloody ditches..propaganda.." etc. The chorus has both Humphreys and McCluskey randomly shouting out the letters which make up the title, and corresponding numbers, where A=1, B=2 etc.
Versions[]
The first studio album version is generally considered as definitive, although it had previously been recorded as part of the group's first John Peel session in 1979, after being a part of the group's live set for some months.
The track was re-recorded for O.M.D., the US compilation of the first two albums although bears minimal differences compared to the 'original'.
It was revisited again in 1983 for OMD's fourth and final Peel session in 1983, featuring Malcolm Holmes' live drums. This version was omitted form the official Peel Sessions release as the 1979 version was considered sufficient to be included. It therefore remains the only Peel session track without an official release. This rendition also reflects the one played live during the Dazzle Ships tour the same year, as documented on the live album included with the Souvenir box set in 2019.
The electronic rhythm track of Bunker Soldiers was also sampled for the controversial Micronauts remix of Electricity in 1998, again showing the similarities between the two tracks.
Availability[]
| Version | Available on | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | ||
| Peel Session #1 |
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| Debut album version | ||
| Re-recorded version |
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| Peel Session #4 |
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| Live (officially released only) | ||
| Perf. date | Release | Notes |
| 1979 | Live at Leigh Rock Festival '79 | low quality audio |
| 1980-07-28 | Theatre Royal, Nottingham (Access All Areas, 2015) | audio+video |
| 1981 | Theatre Royal Drury Lane (VHS 1982) | video |
| 1983 | Hammersmith Odeon (Souvenir boxset, 2019) | audio |
| 2010 | Live In Berlin (2011) | audio |
| 2022 | Atmospheric & Greatest Hits | audio |
Media[]
See also[]
- Manchester, 03 August 1979
- Leigh, 27 August 1979
- OMITD tour
- The Old Grey Whistle Test (18 March 1980)
- Organisation tour
- Architecture & Morality tour
- Dazzle Ships tour
- Junk Culture tour
- Showcase tour