OMC (band)

OMC (Otara Millionaires Club)

Company type	Musical act
Industry	Music
Founded	1992
Founder	Phil Fuemana
Headquarters	Auckland , New Zealand
Products	Music recordings, singles, albums

OMC, an abbreviation for Otara Millionaires Club, was a New Zealand musical act that began as a group and later evolved into a duo before vocalist Pauly Fuemana became its sole representative. The act gained widespread recognition for the 1996 single "How Bizarre", which the Australasian Performing Right Association has hailed as one of New Zealand's most iconic songs. The band's name is derived from Ōtara, a low-income suburb in Auckland.

Formation and Early Years (1992–1995)

The Otara Millionaires Club was established in 1992 by Phil Fuemana, who had previously been involved with Houseparty and Fuemana. Phil collaborated with his younger brother Pauly to record two songs for producer Alan Jansson’s Urban Pacifica compilation Proud: An Urban-Pacific Streetsoul Compilation. Jansson was known for his work as composer and producer with the 1980s synthpop band Body Electric.

Following the disbandment of the original lineup in 1994, Pauly Fuemana joined forces with Jansson, with Pauly taking the role of frontman and public persona while Jansson served as producer and co-writer. They abbreviated the group's name to OMC. Pauly handled lead vocals and multiple instruments, whereas Jansson contributed to songwriting, oversaw arrangements, and managed studio production.

How Bizarre Era (1995–1997)

Under Simon Grigg's Huh! label, OMC released the track "How Bizarre" in New Zealand toward the end of 1995. The single quickly rose to prominence, securing the number one position for three consecutive weeks in early 1996 and selling over 35,000 copies. Vocalist and rapper Sina Saipaia, credited as "Zina," provided the memorable sung refrain and backing vocals; she also toured with the group and appeared in the music video.

The song achieved number one status in Australia for five weeks, moving more than 150,000 units and earning platinum certification. It peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top spot across various European countries and other international markets.

In the United States, "How Bizarre" remained on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 chart for 32 weeks, reaching number one in August 1997 due to extensive radio airplay. This accomplishment made OMC the first New Zealand act to top a Billboard chart. However, it did not appear on the Billboard Hot 100 because it was not commercially released as a single there—a requirement at that time. The track received BMI's "million airplay" recognition for two consecutive years.

OMC’s third single, "On the Run," attained number 56 on UK charts in 1997.

In 1996, OMC issued their debut album How Bizarre, which sold over 500,000 copies in the United States and charted internationally. Global sales between 1995 and 2000 are estimated between three and four million units.

Subsequent Releases and Later Years (1997–2010)

Following the success of "How Bizarre," OMC put out singles such as "Land of Plenty," which reached New Zealand's top five; "Right On," which achieved platinum certification in New Zealand; and "On The Run," which saw modest success in both the Netherlands and UK markets. By 1998, Fuemana and Jansson resolved a royalties dispute through arbitration, resulting in Fuemana compensating Jansson while Jansson relinquished all claims to the band’s name and royalties.

The duo reunited briefly in 2005, releasing "4 All of Us" featuring actress Lucy Lawless in 2007.

In 2002, "How Bizarre" was ranked number 71 on William Shatner's list of the 100 Greatest One-hit Wonders.

Passing of Pauly and Phil

Phil Fuemana died from a heart attack on 28 February 2005.

Pauly Fuemana passed away on 31 January 2010 at Auckland’s North Shore Hospital after suffering from progressive demyelinating polyneuropathy, an autoimmune nerve condition. He was aged 40 at his death and is survived by his wife and six children. After his passing, "How Bizarre" briefly reappeared on New Zealand’s music charts.

Discography

Albums

Title	Details	Highest Chart Positions				Certifications (sales thresholds)
		NZ	CAN	SWI	US
How Bizarre	Released: 27 September 1996 Label: huh! Catalogue: HUH6 Formats: CD, cassette	5	44	35	40	RMNZ: Gold MC: Platinum RIAA: Gold

Singles

Year	Single	Peak Chart Positions										Certifications (sales thresholds)	Album
		NZ	AUS	AUT	BEL (Fl)	GER	NED	SWE	SWI	UK	US Radio
1994	"We R the OMC" (as The Otara Millionaires Club)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Proud: An Urban-Pacific Streetsoul Compilation
1995	"How Bizarre"	1	1	1	14	2	11	4	4	5	4	RMNZ: Triple Platinum ARIA: Platinum BPI: Platinum BVMI: Gold	How Bizarre
1996	"Right On"	11	88	—	—	83	—	—	—	—	—	RMNZ: Gold
	"On the Run"	30	—	—	57	82	98	—	—	56	—
1997	"Land of Plenty"	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Love L.A."	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2007	"4 All of Us"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Non-album single

Awards

New Zealand Music Awards

Since their inception in 1965, the New Zealand Music Awards have annually honored outstanding achievements within New Zealand’s music industry.

Template:Awards table ! Ref. |-

| rowspan="4" |1996 || OMC || Most Promising Group || Template:Won || rowspan="10" |

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| Paul Fuemana (OMC) || Most Promising Male|| Template:Won

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| "How Bizarre" || Single of the Year || Template:Won

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| Alan Jansson for "How Bizarre" (OMC) || Engineer of the Year|| Template:Won

|-

| rowspan="5" |1997 || How Bizarre || Album of the Year || Template:Nom

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| Rick Huntington & Alan Jansson for How Bizarre by OMC || Album Cover of the Year || Template:Nom

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| Rick Huntington & Alan Jansson for How Bizarre by OMC || Engineer of the Year || Template:Nom

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| Alan Jansson for How Bizarre by OMC || Producer of the Year || 

|-

| OMC || International Achievement || 

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|1998 || OMC || International Achievement || 

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