(Forever) Live and Die

"(Forever) Live and Die"
Single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
from the album The Pacific Age
B-side	"This Town"
Released	26 August 1986[1]
Format	7" vinyl, 7" picture disc, 12" vinyl
Recorded	Studio De La Grande Armée, Paris
Genre	New wave, jazz-funk
Length	3:38
Label	Virgin
Writer(s)	Humphreys, Graham Weir, Neil Weir
Producer(s)	Stephen Hague
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark singles chronology
"If You Leave" (1986) "(Forever) Live and Die" (1986) "We Love You" (1986)

"(Forever) Live and Die" is a song by British synthpop band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the first single taken from their 1986 album, The Pacific Age. It is sung by Paul Humphreys, who ordinarily functions as keyboard player and backing vocalist. The single peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. It was a Top 10 hit in Canada and many European territories, and a Top 20 hit in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. It was the last of the group's singles to reach the UK Top 20 before Humphreys left in 1989, and Andy McCluskey continued OMD on his own.

Contactmusic journalist Dom Gourlay, in a 2011 piece, lauded "(Forever) Live and Die" as a song that "stands the test of time."^[2] Critic Dave Thompson in AllMusic wrote that the track returned the band to its "more organic past", adding: "The rich harmonies blend with the lush synths, the atmosphere is dense, and the lyrics are poignant."^[3]

Producer Stephen Hague is also known for his work with the Pet Shop Boys, often using a chorus effect on Neil Tennant's voice, as he did with Humphreys on this song.

Track listing

7" and 7" picture disc

1. "(Forever) Live and Die" – 3:36
2. "This Town" – 3:44

First 12"

1. "(Forever) Live and Die" (John "Tokes" Potoker - Extended Mix) – 5:45
2. "(Forever) Live and Die" (7" version) – 3:36
3. "This Town" – 3:44

Second 12"

1. "(Forever) Live and Die" (Tom Lord-Alge - Extended Remix) – 5:50
2. "(Forever) Live and Die" (7" version) – 3:36
3. "This Town" – 3:44

Chart performance

Chart (1986/7)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4]	19
Austrian Singles Chart[5]	5
Canadian Singles Chart[6]	10
Dutch GfK Chart[7]	5
Dutch Top 40[8]	3
German Singles Chart	8
Irish Singles Chart[9]	13
New Zealand Singles Chart	14
Swiss Singles Chart[10]	9
UK Singles Chart[11]	11
US Billboard Hot 100[12]	19
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[12]	37
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[12]	25

References

1. "OMD DISCOGRAPHY – SINGLES 1984 - 86". Retrieved 27 April 2009.
2. Gourlay, Dom (July 2007). "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Interview". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
3. "(Forever) Live and Die" review at Allmusic
4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 224. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA from mid 1983 until 19 June 1988.
5. "OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) - (Forever) Live And Die - austriancharts.at (German)". Retrieved 27 April 2009.
6. "RPM Volume 45 No. 11, December 06 1986 - RPM". Retrieved 27 April 2009.
7. "dutchcharts.nl - OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) - (Forever) Live And Die (Dutch)". Retrieved 27 April 2009.
8. "Nederlandse Top 40, week 37, 1990 (Dutch)". Retrieved 27 April 2009.
9. "irishcharts.ie search results". Retrieved 27 April 2009.
10. "OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) - (Forever) Live And Die - hitparade.ch (German)". Retrieved 27 April 2009.
11. "Chart Stats - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - (Forever) Live And Die". Archived from the original on 2007-07-07. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
12. "allmusic ((( Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". Retrieved 27 April 2009.