Blogocentric Formulations

How Bizarre

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Song: "How Bizarre"
Artist: O.M.C.
Album: How Bizarre


I listened to this song pretty much nonstop in 1996. I remember thinking it had a really unique, catchy sound and it was from a band I'd never heard of previously (or since). Turns out they were a music group from New Zealand and O.M.C. stands for "Otara Millionaire's Club" which is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that Otara is one of Auckland's poorest suburbs. This song was their only recognizable hit in the U.S., rising to No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 Chart due to the high amount of airplay it received. It should be noted that this song never actually charted on the Billboard Top 100, but that's because it was never released as a commercially-available single. Despite that, BMI certified it as a "million airplay" song two years in a row, and the album of the same name was certified platinum and reached No. 40 on the Billboard Top 200.

While the band didn't have another hit in the United States, three other songs from their debut album gained popularity in Australia, the Netherlands, the UK, and their native New Zealand. "How Bizarre" ended up being named one of the greatest New Zealand songs of all time by the Australasian Performing Right Association. While the band briefly reunited in 2005 to release a song featuring actress Lucy Lawless as a guest vocalist (as bands tend to do ), I wouldn't be counting on a sustained reunion anytime soon... front man Pauly Fuemana passed away from an auto-immune disorder similar to multiple sclerosis in January 2010. His death did bring about a revitalization of "How Bizarre," though, as it briefly re-entered the New Zealand music charts in the weeks after Pauly's death.

I got most of this info from online research, though. Maybe Elle - on hiatus or one of the other "Kiwis on WDC!"  can offer some first-hand knowledge of one of New Zealand's most popular musical exports.