Pandora's Box (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark song)

"Pandora's Box" (subtitled "It's a Long, Long Way" for the US release) is a song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released by Virgin on 24 June 1991 as the second single from their eighth studio album, Sugar Tax (1991). The song, which deals with the less glamorous side of celebrity, was inspired by silent film actress Louise Brooks and is named after the 1929 film Pandora's Box in which she starred.

"Pandora's Box"
Single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
from the album Sugar Tax
B-side	"All She Wants Is Everything"
Released	24 June 1991 (1991-06-24)^[1]
Length	4:09 (album version) 4:06 (single version)
Label	Virgin
Songwriter(s)	OMD
Producer(s)	OMD
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark singles chronology
"Sailing on the Seven Seas" (1991) "Pandora's Box" (1991) "Then You Turn Away" (1991)

The single was a top-10 hit in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe. Three remixes were made for this release, remixed by Danny Griffiths, Carl Segal, and Steve Anderson respectively. Anderson's shorter remix is the main single version. Additional remixes and edits appear on promotional and limited editions.

Background

Andy McCluskey wrote "Pandora's Box" about the silent film actress Louise Brooks. He told the Edinburgh Evening News in 1991, "I've been fascinated by her for eight or nine years now. The more I learned the more fascinated I became. [She's] absolutely the sort of woman you'd fall in love with on first sight and absolutely the sort of person that you desperately shouldn't go anywhere near."^[2]

Critical reception

Upon its release, David Quantick of NME remarked, "OMD this week don't know if they are a jovial Hazell Dean group or some wistful Enoesque melancholy merchants. It is this that gives them their force, that occupation of the dichotomous territories between art and pop."^[3] Andrew Hirst of the Huddersfield Daily Examiner picked "Pandora's Box" as the "Single of the Week", observing a "slice of synthesizer sophistication" whose "peculiar guitar twang really makes it".^[4] Alan Jones, writing for Music Week, called it a "melodic, bouncy pop song" that is "entrancing and addictive" and "should easily maintain their renewed impetus".^[5] KROQ ranked it the 21st-greatest song of 1991,^[6] while MTV Europe placed it 55th.^[7] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic Dave Thompson noted a "fabulous dance-fired arrangement", a "jubilant melody" and a "bounding rhythm that defies efforts not to dance along". He added that the upbeat sound belies the "tragic tale" of its lyrics, which handle the "downside of fame and fortune".^[8]

Music video

The music video for "Pandora's Box" is in black and white and features Louise Brooks and singer Andy McCluskey. According to the video intro, all of the scenes of Brooks in the video are from the original 1929 film.

Track listings

UK 7-inch and cassette single^[9]^[10] A. "Pandora's Box" B. "All She Wants Is Everything" UK 12-inch single^[11] A1. "Pandora's Box" (Constant Pressure 12-inch mix) A2. "All She Wants Is Everything" B1. "Pandora's Box" (Abstract mix) UK CD1^[12] "Pandora's Box" "All She Wants Is Everything" "Pandora's Box" (Constant Pressure 12-inch mix) "Pandora's Box" (Diesel Fingers 12-inch mix) UK CD2^[13] "Pandora's Box" "Pandora's Box" (Lost Girl mix) "Pandora's Box" (Abstract mix) "Pandora's Box" (American Venus 7-inch mix) US cassette single^[14] "Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way)" "Sugar Tax"

US 12-inch single^[15] A1. "Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way)" (Diesel Fingers mix) – 6:10 A2. "Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way)" (Abstract mix) – 6:37 B1. "Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way)" (Constant Pressure 12-inch) – 4:48 B2. "Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way)" (Prize of Beauty mix) – 5:35 B3. "Sugar Tax" – 4:07 US CD single^[16] "Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way)" (Andy McCluskey 7-inch) – 4:04 "Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way)" (Constant Pressure 12-inch) – 4:48 "Sugar Tax" – 4:07 "All She Wants Is Everything" – 4:22 Australian CD and cassette single^[17]^[18] "Pandora's Box" "If You Leave" "We Love You" "Locomotion" "All She Wants Is Everthing"

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1991–1992) Peak position Australia (ARIA)^[19] 53 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[20] 7 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[21] 17 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)^[22] 18 France (SNEP)^[23] 49 Germany (Official German Charts)^[24] 11 Ireland (IRMA)^[25] 19 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[26] 7 UK Singles (OCC)^[27] 7 UK Playlist Chart (Music Week)^[28] 4 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)^[29] 11 US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)^[30] 25 US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)^[31] 19

Year-end charts Chart (1991) Position Europe (European Hit Radio)^[32] 27 Germany (Official German Charts)^[33] 67 UK Singles (OCC)^[34] 81

Cover versions

• Estonian singer Jüri Homenja made a cover version of the song named "Pandora laegas".^[35]

References

1. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 22 June 1991. p. 19.
2. Pake, Trevor (26 June 1991). "Meet the hit man of OMD". Edinburgh Evening News. p. 10. Retrieved 12 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
3. Quantick, David (29 June 1991). "Singles". New Musical Express. p. 18. ISSN 0028-6362.
4. Hirst, Andrew (6 July 1991). "Beyond the Beat: Singles". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. p. 29. Retrieved 12 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
5. Jones, Alan (29 June 1991). "Mainstream: Singles". Music Week. p. 10. ISSN 0265-1548.
6. "Top 106.7 Songs of 1991". KROQ-FM. 31 December 1991. Retrieved 20 July 2022 – via RadioHitList.com.
7. "Top 100 of 1991". MTV Europe. 30 December 1991.
8. Thompson, Dave. "Pandora's Box - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
9. Pandora's Box (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Virgin Records. 1991. VS 1331, 114 404.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. Pandora's Box (UK cassette single sleeve). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Virgin Records. 1991. VSC 1331, 411 763.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. Pandora's Box (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Virgin Records. 1991. VST 1331, 614 404.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
12. Pandora's Box (UK CD1 liner notes). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Virgin Records. 1991. VSCDT 1331, 664 404.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
13. Pandora's Box (UK CD2 liner notes). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Virgin Records. 1991. VSCDX 1331.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
14. Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way) (US cassette single sleeve). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Virgin Records. 1991. 4-98771.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
15. Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way) (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Virgin Records. 1991. 0-96338.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
16. Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way) (US CD single liner notes). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Virgin Records. 1991. 2-96338.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
17. Pandora's Box (Australian CD single liner notes). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Virgin Records. 1991. VOZCD 131.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
18. Pandora's Box (Australian cassette single sleeve). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Virgin Records. 1991. VOZC131.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
19. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 209.
20. "OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – Pandora's Box" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
21. "OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – Pandora's Box" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
22. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 32. 10 August 1991. p. 21. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
23. "OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – Pandora's Box" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
24. "OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – Pandora's Box" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
25. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Pandora's Box". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
26. "OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – Pandora's Box". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
27. "OMD: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
28. "Playlist Chart". Music Week. 3 August 1991. p. 18. ISSN 0265-1548.
29. . Billboard. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
30. . Billboard. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
31. . Billboard. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
32. "EHR Year-End Top 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 51–52. 21 December 1991. p. 20. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
33. "Top 100 Singles-Jahrescharts – 1991" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
34. "1991 Top 100 Singles". Music Week. 11 January 1992. p. 20.
35. "Jüri Homeja - Pandora laegas". Retrieved 11 July 2010.

External links

• Lyrics
• Pandora's Box video