The son of a suburban New York schoolteacher, Orlando declined a classical music scholarship to pursue his then current musical interest, glam rock. In the late 1970s, his professional interests turned to disco and shortly thereafter, he established his own record label, "O" Records.
During the 1980s he produced, composed and performed on hundreds of music productions that he released under a myriad of record labels, including: "O" Records, Bobcat Records, Memo Records, Telefon Records, MenoVision Records, Beach Records, Plastic Records, Eurobeat Records, Obscure Records, Beat Box Records, Riovista Records, Intelligent Records, Basic Records, Knowledge Records and others. In the late '80s, at the peak of his success, the one-man-band halted his extensive production output.
Orlando is credited as one of the founding fathers of Hi-NRG pop-dance music. His productions are easily identifiable by their dense synthesizers, rolling bass lines, and resounding percussion. Orlando tracks showcase him playing multiple instruments including keyboards, guitars, drums, percussion and saxophone. The ringing cowbell percussion lines and robotic sequencers heard in "She Has A Way", "The Best Part Of Breakin' Up", and "Native Love (Step By Step)" define the electrifying sound he pioneered.
As a solo artist, Orlando scored hits with tracks "She Has a Way," "How To Pick Up Girls," and "I'm So Hot for You." He created his project concept, The Flirts, to further front his performances. With its ever revolving roster of female session singers and models, Orlando churned out international hits "Passion," "Danger," and "Helpless," which featured Orlando as the sole musician. His legendary association with underground film star Divine resulted in classic club anthems "Native Love (Step By Step)" (featuring Orlando's voice in the chorus), "Love Reaction," and "Shoot Your Shot." He also is famed for founding The Fast, later to be known as Man 2 Man.
When Neil Tennant, then an assistant editor at Smash Hits, and later a member of Pet Shop Boys, was sent to interview The Police in 1983 in New York, he sought out Orlando. Both Tennant and fellow Pet Shop Boy Chris Lowe were impressed by Orlando's sound and productions - "Passion," by The Flirts, being a particular favorite. Orlando decided to produce Pet Shop Boys and released their earliest productions including the original 'West End Girls' and "One More Chance."
Orlando produced and penned numerous hits that span multiple genres in mostly self-created groups and aliases, often just consisting of Orlando himself. He sang lead vocals in many of his groups including One, Two, Three (Another Knife In My Back, Runaway), The Now, Hippies with Haircuts, and Barbie & the Kens (Just a Gigolo). His productions were released under the names: Ian Darby, The Beat Box Boys, Spooge Boy, Something/Anything, New Breed, Jonny Bankcheck, Hotline, Banana Republic, Oh Romeo, Teenrock, The New York Models, Hippies With Haircuts, Girly, Barbie & the Kens, Wow, 1 plus 1, The He Man Band, The Boyd Brothers, Nancy Dean, Ian Darby with Ya Ya, Cha Cha featuring Don Diego, Yukihoro Takanawa, This is House, Joy Toy, Dressed To Kill, Band Of South, Dynasty featuring Dexter D, The Now, "One, Two, Three", Darlene Down, The Fem-Spies, Gangsters of House, Girls Have Fun, Zwei Maenner, Gomez Presley, Gringo Lopez, Patty Phillipe, Malibu, Lilly & the Pink, Miss Tammi Dee, Mc Fritz and the P-Rockers, Charlene Davis, Claus V, Ronnie Goes to Liverpool, The Bang Gang, Bubba and The Jack Attack, Fascination, Free Enterprise, Sandra Ford, Future Generation, Citrus, The College Boys, Condo, The Bigalows, Free Expression, Lola, Lifestyle, I Spies, Latin 1, Kinski Music, Gina Desire, Beachfront, Vision 1 and others. Other aliases of Bobby Orlando include John "Gumball" Gonzales, C. Shore, Cha Cha Garcia, Klaus Vogel, Mein, B. Banora, Yuki, and Gato Perro.
Orlando's songs frequently deal with philosophical themes such as "Try It (I'm in love with a married man)," which was given a contemporary twist when it was re-recorded by Pet Shop Boys in 2003. Many of Orlando's lyrics describe unrequited love, private despair, personal angst and a truth-seeking perspective. Orlando frequently etched philosophical maxims into vinyl records featuring his songs; these adages being literally cut into the grooves near the "lead out" and "lock grooves" of the vinyl. Many of these are rare and are now collector items often selling for hundreds of dollars.
His music appears in numerous motion pictures, including: A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, Wigstock: The Movie, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Valley Girl, Dark Mirror, Flying, High Risk, Rappin, Underground and others. In 2005, Dance-punk band "ShitDisco" from Glasgow Scotland, paid tribute to Bobby Orlando and The Flirts in their first single titled "Disco Blood".
Orlando's musical influence on many present day artists is vast and the sound he created routinely surfaces on Euro, Techno, Italo-disco, Electro, and Hi-NRG releases throughout the world. He has a large international following and is often cited by music historians for his immeasurable contribution to dance music.
His most recent releases are his 2012 CD "Primitive Primal Scream", 2011 CD Social Contract Theory, his 2010, 2011 & 2012 Production Series, and his 2010 CD Bright Nothing World.
Mixed Up World
Bobby O Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a mixed up world
I feel like it's the end of time
The world's corrupt and full of crime
Suicide Hotline, pick up the phone
Too many people are all alone
It's genocide, social war
Can't change the band that's come on you
Can't face what's real, can't face the truth
No use to call the police
There's mad men loose and killers in the street
We've reached the point of destruction
Greed and aborous is our portion
Go to the bar, have another drink
Try real hard to forget to think
Well, I guest it's just another case
Of living fast and in disgrace
Mixed up world
It's a mixed up world
Mixed up world
It's a mixed up world
Runaways in the streets
People die, no food to eat
False prophets everywhere
No-one really seems to care
What's the solution to all the confusion?
Will there be a revolution?
Crazy thoughts in everyone's minds
We're living fast and living to die
Mixed up world
It's a mixed up world
What has happened to all our dreams?
The only word read is porn magazines
Trash hunting, junk on the screen
Thoughts on news and the kids get clean
From New York City to the Berlin wall
The whole world is headed for a fall
Then it comes like a thief in the night
We're living too fast and we're living to die
No faith, broken homes
Too many people are all alone
Charity's given for the crazy man
We're burning up from the van
Crazy thoughts on everyone's minds
No crying, not a tear in the night
Well, I guess it's just another case
Of living fast and in disgrace
Mixed up world
It's a mixed up world
Mixed up world
It's a mixed up world
Bobby Orlando's song, "Mixed Up World," is an example of a dystopian view of the world. In the opening lines, the singer describes the world as "mixed up," meaning that it is disordered, chaotic, and confused. The chorus repeats this idea, emphasizing that the world is in a state of turmoil. The singer then describes several issues he sees in society, such as crime, loneliness, and suicide. He suggests that the world is "genocidal" and in a "social war."
Further, he argues that the authorities are powerless to stop the chaos, and people are left to fend for themselves. He suggests that the world is full of "mad men" and "killers in the street." He even implies that society has reached the brink of destruction. The singer suggests that people are retreating into themselves and trying to ignore reality by drinking alcohol and seeking other distractions.
The singer then asks, "What's the solution to all the confusion?" He wonders if a revolution of some kind is necessary. Still, it seems as though he believes that people are resigned to living in a mixed up world, despite the tragedy and hopelessness that surrounds them.
Overall, the song is a powerful commentary on the state of society, emphasizing the need for change, but also highlighting the difficulty of finding a way forward.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a mixed up world
The world is full of chaos and confusion
It's a mixed up world
The world is full of chaos and confusion
I feel like it's the end of time
The world is in such a state of disarray that it feels like the end of the world
The world's corrupt and full of crime
The world is filled with corruption and crime
Suicide Hotline, pick up the phone
There are too many people who feel alone and hopeless in the world
Too many people are all alone
There are too many people who feel alone and unsupported in the world
Lock the windows, bolt the doors
The world is so dangerous that even locking windows and doors can't keep people safe
It's genocide, social war
The chaos in the world is causing mass destruction and a war between social groups
Can't change the band that's come on you
People can't control the situations they find themselves in
Can't face what's real, can't face the truth
People are unable or unwilling to confront the harsh realities of the world
No use to call the police
The situation is so dire that calling the police won't help
There's mad men loose and killers in the street
The world is so dangerous that even going outside is a risk
We've reached the point of destruction
The world is in such a bad state that it's reaching the point of no return
Greed and aborous is our portion
People are consumed by greed and immoral desires
Go to the bar, have another drink
People turn to alcohol and other vices to escape the harsh realities of the world
Try real hard to forget to think
People try to avoid thinking about the problems in the world
Well, I guest it's just another case
The situation is so common that it's just another example of a larger problem
Of living fast and in disgrace
People live recklessly and with a lack of morality, bringing shame to themselves and those around them
Runaways in the streets
There are too many young people who are homeless and living on the streets
People die, no food to eat
People are dying because they don't have access to basic needs like food
False prophets everywhere
People in power are spreading lies and misinformation
No-one really seems to care
People are indifferent to the problems in the world, or feel powerless to solve them
What's the solution to all the confusion?
People are searching for a way to fix the problems in the world
Will there be a revolution?
People are wondering if a radical change is needed to fix the problems in the world
Crazy thoughts in everyone's minds
People are struggling to cope with the problems in the world, and it's starting to impact their mental health
We're living fast and living to die
People are living recklessly and with little concern for their own lives
What has happened to all our dreams?
People are struggling to achieve their goals and aspirations
The only word read is porn magazines
The world is obsessed with sex and pornography
Trash hunting, junk on the screen
The world is full of meaningless media consumption and entertainment
Thoughts on news and the kids get clean
The media is full of negative news, and young people need to avoid getting sucked into it
From New York City to the Berlin wall
The issues in the world are affecting people all over the globe
The whole world is headed for a fall
The world is descending into chaos and destruction
Then it comes like a thief in the night
Disaster will strike suddenly and unexpectedly
No faith, broken homes
People have lost their faith in both themselves and their communities
Charity's given for the crazy man
People are only interested in helping those who can't help themselves
We're burning up from the van
People are being destroyed by their own vices and recklessness
No crying, not a tear in the night
People have become desensitized to the tragedies and hardships of the world
Well, I guess it's just another case
The situation is so common that it's just another example of a larger problem
Of living fast and in disgrace
People live recklessly and with a lack of morality, bringing shame to themselves and those around them
Mixed up world
The world is full of chaos and confusion
It's a mixed up world
The world is full of chaos and confusion
Mixed up world
The world is full of chaos and confusion
It's a mixed up world
The world is full of chaos and confusion
Contributed by Michael Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@grafiek
Bobby O played all synths on original West End Girls
@RicTezz33
this could be considered a more finished version of his version of West End Girls. it sounds identical.
@robertlawson6429
Probably because he's a song thief...
@romancernjak
โ@@robertlawson6429exactly. his synth work but their ideas.
@andrewshadowy2025
I wish PSB would cover this great tune
It does sound so like them
@magnospeti
West end girls was produced by Bobby Orlando :-)
@midorivid235
I love it <3 <3 <3
@manuelobando7132
Fantastic ๐๐ i love this song
@DJFairborne77
Sounds like the PSB parody, "Inner City Pressure" by Flight Of The Concords!
@ivanloayza1965
West end girls, Bobby O, producer,Made this song ,cause PSB went yo other producer yo remix it's hits.