Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)
Encyclopedia
"Joan of Arc" is a song by British band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
and was the third single released from their third studio album Architecture & Morality
.
To prevent confusion with their previous single "Joan of Arc
", the song was retitled "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz of Joan of Arc)" for its single release. Both songs are about the French heroine Joan of Arc
and both reached the Top 5 on the UK Singles Chart
- although this single was more successful in Europe, where it topped the charts in several countries. The song was used during the climax and closing credits to the final episode of the second series of Ashes to Ashes
.
on 30 May 1981, the 550th anniversary of Joan of Arc's death.
The song is in 6/8 time
, giving it a waltz
-like style. With only eight lines of text it is almost an instrumental. The main theme is a synthesized bagpipe tune (played on the Mellotron
--- consisting of the "female choir" and the "3-Violins" presets). The intro is made of strange noises and was added later:
, released in 1983. "Navigation" was the title track for the 2001 B-sides compilation album Navigation: The OMD B-Sides
. The early 12" single sleeves list the track "Experiments In Vertical Take Off" , but this song was never written.
Side one
Side two
Side one
Side two
The sleeve erroneously states that there are 12" versions of "Maid of Orleans" and "Joan of Arc" on the CD single.
near Aldfield
, North Yorkshire
in December 1981 during the snowy winter and the indoor shots at The Manor Studio
. The video was directed by Steve Barron
and featured Julia Tobin
, an actress from the Royal Shakespeare Company
as Joan of Arc. The promo video is included on the video version of The Best of OMD
and on the bonus DVD of the 2007 reissue of Architecture & Morality.
and was inspired by a stained glass
design by Anton Wolff.
There are several sleeve designs for the 12" version. The original sleeve design featured an embossed coin motif on a silver foil. It was only released for a limited time, because the band didn't like this design. It was replaced with a similar stained glass sleeve as the 7" version in several variations.
Very other bands covered the song Mila Mar in 2000, Third Bass in 2001, Voi feat. DJ Frost & Talla 2XLC
, Z-People in 1998, S.O.S. in 1997 and many more.
In 2009, Maid of Orleans was covered by the German DJ and radio presenter "DJ Happy Vibes" as a very dodgy house track.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England...
and was the third single released from their third studio album Architecture & Morality
Architecture & Morality
Architecture & Morality is the third album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1981. It is the group's most commercially and critically successful album, selling over 3 million copies. Released just eighteen months after their debut album, it demonstrated both OMD's continuing musical...
.
To prevent confusion with their previous single "Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc (OMD song)
"Joan of Arc" is a song by British band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released as the second single from their third studio album Architecture & Morality.The video for Joan of Arc was filmed at Fountains Abbey, North Yorkshire...
", the song was retitled "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz of Joan of Arc)" for its single release. Both songs are about the French heroine Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
and both reached the Top 5 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
- although this single was more successful in Europe, where it topped the charts in several countries. The song was used during the climax and closing credits to the final episode of the second series of Ashes to Ashes
Ashes to Ashes (TV series)
Ashes to Ashes is a British science fiction and police procedural drama television series, serving as the sequel to Life on Mars.The series began airing on BBC One in February 2008. A second series began broadcasting in April 2009...
.
The song
Maid of Orleans had originally been written by Andy McCluskeyAndy McCluskey
George Andrew "Andy" McCluskey is the lead singer, bass guitarist, and primary songwriter for the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark ....
on 30 May 1981, the 550th anniversary of Joan of Arc's death.
The song is in 6/8 time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
, giving it a waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
-like style. With only eight lines of text it is almost an instrumental. The main theme is a synthesized bagpipe tune (played on the Mellotron
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
--- consisting of the "female choir" and the "3-Violins" presets). The intro is made of strange noises and was added later:
The B-sides
The songs on the B-sides are "Navigation" and "Of All the Things We've Made" (12" and CD single only). Both songs can be found as bonus tracks on the remastered versions of Architecture & Morality. "Of All the Things We've Made" was added to the track list of their next album Dazzle ShipsDazzle Ships (album)
The "Manor Version" of "Telegraph" was recorded at the same time as Architecture & Morality. "Swiss Radio International" was dropped from the album at the last minute...
, released in 1983. "Navigation" was the title track for the 2001 B-sides compilation album Navigation: The OMD B-Sides
Navigation: The OMD B-Sides
Navigation: The OMD B-Sides is a compilation album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark . It was released in 2001 by Virgin Records and contains a variety of B-sides from their DinDisc and Virgin output.-Reception:...
. The early 12" single sleeves list the track "Experiments In Vertical Take Off" , but this song was never written.
7" vinyl single
- UK: DinDisc DIN 40
Side one
- "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)" (Andy McCluskey) – 4:09
Side two
- "Navigation" (Paul HumphreysPaul HumphreysPaul Humphreys is a British musician.-Life and career:He is best known as a member of synth pop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark , which he founded with Andy McCluskey in 1978.He grew up on the Wirral Peninsula in North West England, during which time he developed his interest in German...
/McCluskey) – 3:26
12" vinyl single
- UK: DinDisc DIN 40-12
Side one
- "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)" – 4:09
Side two
- "Of All the Things We've Made" (Humphreys/McCluskey) – 3:31
- "Navigation" – 3:26
3" Mini CD single
- Virgin CDT27 released 5 December 1988
- "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)" (12" Version) – 4:13
- "Joan of Arc" (12" Version) (McCluskey) – 3:51
- "Navigation" – 3:30
- "Of All the Things We've Made" – 3:27
The sleeve erroneously states that there are 12" versions of "Maid of Orleans" and "Joan of Arc" on the CD single.
Promotional video
For the promotional video, the outdoor shots were made at Fountains AbbeyFountains Abbey
Fountains Abbey is near to Aldfield, approximately two miles southwest of Ripon in North Yorkshire, England. It is a ruined Cistercian monastery, founded in 1132. Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved Cistercian houses in England. It is a Grade I listed building and owned by the...
near Aldfield
Aldfield
Aldfield is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England, about three miles west of Ripon. It is the closest village to Fountains Abbey....
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
in December 1981 during the snowy winter and the indoor shots at The Manor Studio
The Manor Studio
The Manor Studio was a recording studio in the manor house at the village of Shipton-on-Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England, north of the city of Oxford. It was the first residential recording studio in the UK...
. The video was directed by Steve Barron
Steve Barron
Steven "Steve" Barron is a director and producer, best known for directing the films Coneheads , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the innovative music videos for a-ha's "Take on Me" and Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"....
and featured Julia Tobin
Julia Tobin
Julia Tobin is an English actress from Newcastle upon Tyne, and is best known for playing Brenda Hope in the comedy drama series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Joan of Arc in the music video for "Maid of Orleans" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark...
, an actress from the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
as Joan of Arc. The promo video is included on the video version of The Best of OMD
The Best of OMD
The Best of OMD is a compilation album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1988. Despite the band's waning popularity both in the UK and abroad, it sold extremely well....
and on the bonus DVD of the 2007 reissue of Architecture & Morality.
Chart performance
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 2 | |
| Belgium Singles Chart | 1 | |
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Singles Chart |
32 | |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 1 | Gold |
| German Media Control Charts Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... Singles Chart |
1 | |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
5 | |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
7 | |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 1 | |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 4 | |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
4 | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... : Silver |
Sleeves
The cover was designed by Peter Saville, Carol Wilson and Brett WickensBrett Wickens
Brett Wickens , is a Canadian and British Creative Director living and working in the USA.Canadian-born Brett Wickens is a creative director and partner in the design studio Ammunition, which was named one of the top ten Most Innovative Companies in Design in 2011 by Fast Company magazine -- for...
and was inspired by a stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
design by Anton Wolff.
There are several sleeve designs for the 12" version. The original sleeve design featured an embossed coin motif on a silver foil. It was only released for a limited time, because the band didn't like this design. It was replaced with a similar stained glass sleeve as the 7" version in several variations.
Covers
Watergate recorded a cover version of 'Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)' as "Maid Of Orleans (The Battle II)" in the year 1999.Very other bands covered the song Mila Mar in 2000, Third Bass in 2001, Voi feat. DJ Frost & Talla 2XLC
Talla 2XLC
Talla 2XLC, real name Andreas Tomalla, is an electronic music producer and DJ whose work has spanned from industrial music to trance music.-History:In 1979, Talla 2XLC began DJing with the sounds of Kraftwerk, YMO, and Depeche Mode....
, Z-People in 1998, S.O.S. in 1997 and many more.
In 2009, Maid of Orleans was covered by the German DJ and radio presenter "DJ Happy Vibes" as a very dodgy house track.