Ultravox

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For other uses, see Ultravox (disambiguation).
Image:Ultravox-vienlogo.png
Origin London, England
Genre(s) New Wave
Synthpop
New Romantic
Years active 1973–1987 1992–1996
Label(s) Island Records
EMI
Polygram
Members
John Foxx
Chris Cross
Billy Currie
Stevie Shears
Warren Cann
Robin Simon
Midge Ure
Tony Fenelle
Sam Blue
Former members
Hans Zimmer

Ultravox (formerly Ultravox!) was one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic movement, although it both pre- and post-dated New Romantic by several years, drawing inspiration variously from punk, the artier side of glam rock, and latterly straightforward synthpop.

Contents

[edit] Biography

The band was formed in 1973 on the initiative of vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist John Foxx (born Dennis Leigh). Originally known as Tiger Lily, the first lineup included Foxx plus Chris Cross (bass guitar), Billy Currie (keyboards/violins), Stevie Shears (guitar) and Warren Cann (percussion). The group released one single in 1974, a cover of "Ain't Misbehavin'", before changing their name to Ultravox!. (The exclamation point was a reference to krautrock band Neu!, produced by Conny Plank, who later produced some Ultravox albums.) On the strength of their live act, they signed to Island Records in 1976, releasing their eponymous debut album in February 1977.

In common with many other bands which would go on to form Britain's punk and New Wave movements, Ultravox! drew inspiration from the art-school side of glam rock, from bands such as Roxy Music and The New York Dolls, plus David Bowie and Brian Eno's early pop albums. Their eponymous debut album was co-produced by Eno (whose next job after these sessions was working with Bowie on his Low album) and Steve Lillywhite. Sales were disappointing, and neither the album nor the associated single "Dangerous Rhythm" managed to enter the UK charts. Relations within the band were on an occasionally tenuous footing during this time as Foxx declared that he wished to live without emotions, something which was echoed on 'I Want To Be A Machine', a track on the debut album. Relations were thought to be "difficult" during this time!

Ultravox returned later in 1977 with the punkier Ha!-Ha!-Ha!, although sales of both the album and its lead single "ROckwrok" - which, despite a chorus featuring the lines "Come on, let's tangle in the dark / fuck like a dog, bite like a shark", was played on BBC Radio 1 - were still unimpressive, again failing to chart. Stevie Shears left the band to form the new band Faith Global. Although Ha!-Ha!-Ha! was dominated by guitars and electric violin, the final track, "Hiroshima Mon Amour", was a prototypical synthpop song. Arguably one of the first singles by a British band to feature a drum machine, the song pointed the way to Ultravox's developing direction as the energy of punk started to fade and the genre's more creative exponents sought a new direction. It remains a critical and fan favourite of the group's early incarnation, and was performed by the group on the Old Grey Whistle Test. During 1978 the group quietly dropped the exclamation mark, becoming simply Ultravox.

Their third album, 1978's Systems of Romance, was recorded under the ear of Conny Plank at his studio in rural Germany and featured new guitarist Robin Simon. It also failed commercially and Island dropped the band. John Foxx left to pursue a solo career whilst Robin Simon left to join the band Magazine. Musically, the album was markedly different to Ultravox's earlier work, bringing synthesisers to the forefront of the group's sound. Island released a compilation of highlights from the group's first three albums in 1979, Three Into One, which was until the mid-1990s the most widespread of Ultravox's early releases. As none of the albums had generated significant income, tensions within the band - particularly between Currie and Foxx - threatened the band's viability. Island dropping the band was one of the final nails in their coffin but Ultravox undertook a self-financed US tour in the winter of 1978-9. Splitting after their final gig in San Francisco, Foxx declared his intention to go solo, Simon chose to remain in the US and get married and the remaining members made their way back to a Britain in the midst of a "winter of discontent". Foxx subsequently signed to Virgin Records and released his most successful (and influential) album "Metamatic" in 1979. Billy Currie, all but broke, was then recruited by the rising star Gary Numan to play on his debut solo album, "The Pleasure Principle" and its subsequent 'Touring Principle' tour. Currie was a hero to Numan who had inwardly digested Ultravox's albums and had seen them play live several times.

Midge Ure, an already accomplished musician, asked to join the band. He had achieved minor success with semi-glam outfit Slik and Glen Matlock's more punk-inspired The Rich Kids, although in 1979 he was temporarily playing with hard rock band Thin Lizzy. Midge Ure and Billy Currie had met in the Visage project, a band fronted by Steve Strange. Midge therefore replaced John Foxx for their next album, which would become their most successful to date; as with Systems of Romance, it was produced in Germany by Conny Plank. Ironically Ure knew of Ultravox's past, being a fan of "Systems" to the point where the new four-piece outfit (Ultravox mark three, often called "the classic line-up") played songs from "Systems" with Ure singing Foxx's lyrics. The majority of the band's support accepted Ure.

Released in the spring of 1980 and entitled Vienna, the album was released on Chrysalis Records, achieving a substantial hit with the title track (inspired by Carol Reed's The Third Man), which was accompanied with a distinctive video. It topped out at number two (Joe Dolce's "Shaddap You Face" infamously kept it from the top spot) on the UK Top 40 in 1981. The album reached number three, and was soon followed by Rage in Eden (1981), the band returning to Conny Plank's studio for what turned out to be a difficult recording session. The band had the difficult task of following their massive success of the iconic Vienna with something of equal stature. Whereas Vienna had been gigged a great deal prior to a three-week recording process, Rage In Eden took over three months and confounded people once more. Along with its excellent singles "The Thin Wall" and "The Voice", the album featured a long track in three parts on the second side, leading some critics to decry the band as "the new Genesis", something which was well wide of the mark.[citation needed]

Ultravox teamed up with legendary producer George Martin for 1982's Quartet, which became their most successful album in the U.S. and undertook a major world tour. Midge Ure co-wrote and helped produce the 1984 Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?". The group appeared at Live Aid.

1984's successful Lament (including the international hit "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes") was the last to feature the "classic" line-up. Warren Cann was asked to leave Ultravox at the beginning of sessions for their U-Vox LP in 1986, something which caused a great deal of acrimony amongst the support. Cann emigrated to the US and retired from music to become an actor. The U-Vox album is widely regarded as the band#s creative low point with even Currie (and later Ure) describing it as "unfocussed".[citation needed] After that album's mediocre performance in the charts, Ure decided to leave, prompting Cross to do the same. Cross subsequently retired from music, returning to his former career as a psychotherapist. Billy Currie and Robin Simon reunited in 1989 as the short-lived Humania, performing live shows but never making a release until 2006, when Billy released a Humania-recorded album, Sinews of the Soul. Billy reformed Ultravox again in 1992 with Tony Fenelle to record Revelation, and later Sam Blue replaced Tony, lending his voice to their final release, Ingenuity (1996).

An anthology of unreleased Ultravox material is currently in development.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

[edit] Live albums

  • Live In Concert 1981 (1981)
  • Monument (1983) [#9 UK]
  • Future Picture (1995)

[edit] Compilations

[edit] EPs

  • Retro Live EP (1978)

[edit] Singles

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] External links

 v • d • e Ultravox
John Foxx • Chris Cross • Billy Currie • Stevie Shears • Warren Cann • Robin Simon • Midge Ure • Tony Fenelle • Sam Blue
Discography

Studio albums: Ultravox! • Ha!-Ha!-Ha! • Systems of Romance • Vienna • Rage in Eden • Quartet • Lament • U-Vox • Revelation • Ingenuity

Live albums: Live In Concert 1981 • Monument • Future Picture

Compilations: Three Into One • The Collection • Slow Motion • Rare, Vol. 1 • Rare, Vol. 2 • The Voice: The Best of Ultravox • Dancing With Tears In My Eyes • Extended Ultravox • The Island Years • The Very Best Of Midge Ure & Ultravox • Finest

Singles: Dangerous Rhythm • Young Savage • ROckwrok • Slow Motion • Quiet Men • Sleepwalk • Passing Strangers • Vienna • All Stood Still • The Thin Wall • The Voice • Reap The Wild Wind • Hymn • Visions in Blue • We Came To Dance • One Small Day • Dancing with Tears in My Eyes • Lament • Heart Of The Country • Love's Great Adventure • Same Old Story • All Fall Down • All In One Day • Vienna 92 • I Am Alive

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