And the Hello there and welcome to Soe de Jaker on songwriting, this is Simon and this is Brian.

And joining us today is a massively influential British electronic pop duo who achieved

huge international success with their experimental yet impossibly catchy brand of synth pop

and have come to be rightly regarded as one of the all-time great Merseys

bands. To date they've sold over 40 million records worldwide and they recently

released a 40th anniversary retrospective

Deluxe Box set entitled Souvenier containing their 40 singles and a host of specially selected

unreleased and live recordings. We're chuffed to bits to welcome Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys

of orchestral manoeuvres in the Dark to the show.

We met with Andy and Paul, aka the Lennon and McCartney of Synthopop at the Universal Offices in London's Kings Cross in early October.

Been a long time in the pipeline this one, Bry?

It has, yeah, they've evaded our clutches several times in the past, but we finally caught up with

them. As you always say, we have the patience of serial killers.

We do. Both gentlemen grew up in the village of Meles on the northern coast of the

whirral in Merseys. Yes we're venturing over the water once again listeners. Andy and Paul first

met at primary school in the early 60s but didn't become friends until quite a bit later.

Andy began learning guitar as a teen but abandoned it when he bought a bass with his 16th birthday money.

Around the same time he discovered craft work and developed an interest in alternative art.

He became the bass player in a band called Equinox, later taking over his lead singer, and Paul was their roadie.

Paul actually spotted Andy walking around Mel's Park with his bass slung over his shoulder and asked him to join the band.

The pair discovered a shared love of the

likes of craft work and Brian Eno and would listen to records together at Paul's

...