Retrovision: Ultravox - Passing Strangers

Ultravox' video for the song Passing Strangers has been remastered. The song was released in 1980 and was the second Ultravox with Midge Ure on voclas.

Ultravox! 'The Island Years' Compilation Announced

Caroline International have announce the release of Ultravox! early work recorded for Island Records in 1977 and 1978. As most of you know this is known as pre Midge Ure Ultravox era when John Foxx was leading a band. This box set will include the first three albums namely 'Ultravox!', 'ha!-ha!-ha!' and 'Systems of Romance' plus and a bonus disc of rarities.  Each of the CDs are packaged in their own wallet and housed in a clamshell box. 'The Island Years' is released on 20 May 2016.

Ultravox' - Ultra Box Set Announced for Late October

Chrysalis Records have announced the release of a new Ultravox box set. 'The Albums 1980-2012' is a nine-CD collection featuring the six Midge Ure era studio albums – 'Vienna' (1980), 'Rage in Eden' (1981), 'Quartet' (1982), 'Lament' (1984) and 'U-Vox' (1986) – as well as live records 'Monument' (1983) and 'Return to Eden' (2009). The story is brought right back up to date with the inclusion of 'Brilliant', last year’s studio album featuring the classic line-up after a recording hiatus of almost three decades. All the LPs from the 1980s have been newly remastered by Steve Rooke at Abbey Road Studios. 

The CDs will be in card sleeves and housed in a clamshell box. The Albums 1980-2012 is released on 28 October 2013.

Source:

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/

Midge Ure's Greatest Hits to be Released on a 2CD Compilation The Works

Demon Music Group have announced the release of a brand new Best of compilation by Midge Ure. Midge Ure fronted Ultravox in the new Romantic Eighties – but his career, whether guesting for Thin Lizzy and Visage, getting Band Aid up and running with Bob Geldof or a string of superb solo albums, amounts to much more. This in-depth look at those solo releases runs from Eighties chart-topper ‘If I Was’ through Nineties big-seller ‘Breathe’ and also includes extended and live versions of songs.

http://www.demonmusicgroup.co.uk/Product.aspx?ProductID=6282

 

Simple Minds Announce November Tour with Special Guest Ultravox

Ultravox are proud to announce a series of joint shows with great friends Simple Minds in November 2013. The four UK arena shows will see the band sharing the bill for the first time in the UK after parallel careers spanning 30+ years. Tickets on sale from Weds March 20th. Also imminent is an HD, live concert from Ultravox's European tour in October 2012. This multi camera shoot will be available on Blu ray as well as DVD. A release date is yet to be finalised but it is planned to be released mid to late summer to coincide with the November shows.

Best of 1982 - The Album List

The rise of synthesizers continued to shape the landscape of pop music, gaining dominance and emerging as a potential formula for future success. The Human League maintained their chart-topping presence and received the BRIT Award for Best Breakthrough Act, solidifying their status as pioneers of the synth-pop movement. Inspired by their success, other bands such as Depeche Mode, Yazoo, and Soft Cell adopted synthesizers as primary instruments, contributing to the launch of the Second British Invasion in the United States.

This musical invasion introduced new styles, rhythms, and stars to American audiences, with acts like Duran Duran, The Human League, Eurythmics, Billy Idol, and more making a significant impact. However, the era also saw the dissolution of some iconic bands from the late '70s and early '80s, including Blondie, Adam and The Ants, ABBA, and Japan, marking the end of their influential musical journeys.

Ultravox Tour Dates Announced

Following the release of their brand new studio album 'Brilliant' Ultravox will embark on UK tour this Autumn. The tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday 18th May. They have also launched album microsite which features the tour dates, track previews and various competitions. 'Brilliant' is scheduled to be released on May 28, 2012.  

www.ultravoxbrilliant.com
 

Ultravox Announce New Album Details

Ultravox have announced details of their brand new album which is going to be released on May 28th on EMI records. The album is entitled 'Briliant' and it is the first Ultravox album by the classic line-up recorded in 28 years. As it is announced in the newsletter, the album features 12 brand new tracks and it is dramatic, passionate and truly epic in scale and sound. 'Brilliant' sees Ultravox expanding their classic sonic template and reminding us of their strength as songwriters of the highest calibre. Full details of the album will be revealed soon along with the thirteen-date tour they will be embarking on later this year. 

Album pre-order links and more info coming soon. 

www.ultravox.org.uk

Best of 1981 - Top 50 Singles List

Following the tragic death of John Lennon in December 1980, the world was still in mourning after the loss of one of the most influential musical masterminds of all time. All this did also had impact on the charts as where his biggest hits "Woman" and "Imagine" could be found again. Even Roxy Music paid tribute to him by covering "Jealous Guy".

Apart from this, the charts were still dominated by the rising stars of 1980, Adam and the Ants while The Police had more hits. Human League re-formed this year exiting the dark phase and releasing "Don't You Want Me Baby" which together with Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" helped to emblem the music style which would in the coming years be known as Synth-pop.

Along with the increasing popularity of synth driven music, the New Romantic movement slowly grew to fame as new kids adopted synths and started wearing lipstick. Perhaps the biggest event of the year was the launch of MTV which aired "Video Killed The Radio Star" by The Buggles. The song became a huge hit and a symbol for the new platform which would give the music industry a new face and dimension.

 

 During our 30 year anniversary of 1981 in 2011, the following album were voted Top 50 singles by Burning Flame friends and readers including in-house votes.

Updated: 05/2020

01. Ultravox- Vienna 
02. The Cure- Charlotte Sometimes 
03. The Human League- Don't You Want Me 
04. Siouxsie and the Banshees- Spellbound 
05. New Order- Ceremony 
06. Soft Cell- Tainted Love 
07. Talking Heads- Once in a Lifetime 
08. Duran Duran- Planet Earth 
09. Ultravox-The Voice 
10. Japan- Quiet Life 
11. Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough 
12. Simple Minds- Love Song 
13. Kraftwerk- Computer Love 
14. The Specials - Ghost Town 
15. Heaven 17 -We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang 
16. David Bowie - Up The Hill Backwards 
17. Kim Wilde - Kids in America 
18. Depeche Mode- New Life 
19. Men At Work - Down Under 
20. Soft Cell - Memorabilia 

Retrovision: Ultravox- The Voice

Thirty years ago, Ultravox had a huge hit with "The Voice", their second single which was taken form the album 'Rage in Eden' released in the same year. The song was recorded in Conny Plank's Studio in Cologne, Germany and it reached the top 20 in the UK peaking at # 16. There were two different videos made for the single. One has the band miming a performance in a slanted room with the band members appearing to be standing at an unnatural angle. The other video is more elaborate, contains war imagery, single-word slogans in knock-out text, features Billy Currie appearing as a radio announcer, and Midge Ure as a soldier.

OMD Revisit Eric's Club

The legendary music club in England has opened its doors again. Eric's Club which was opened in Liverpool on October 1, 1976 in a building basement on Mathew Street, has became notable for hosting early performances by many punk, new wave and post-punk bands as well as by The Beatles. Joy Division, Ultravox, Sex Pistols, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Clash are among of the groups who performed some of their first gigs there. For OMD it all started at the Eric's club where they had their debut in 1978 and they came back to re-open the club after 33 years.

 
OMD performing "Electricity"

Best of 1981- The Albums List

The year 1980 was marked by a profound sense of loss with the tragic death of John Lennon in December. The music world mourned the passing of one of its most influential figures, and Lennon's iconic hits like "Woman" and "Imagine" reappeared on the charts as a tribute to his enduring legacy. Roxy Music also paid homage with a cover of "Jealous Guy."

Despite the somber atmosphere, the charts were still lively with the sounds of rising stars like Adam and the Ants, while The Police continued to dominate. Human League made a notable return, emerging from a dark phase and releasing "Don't You Want Me Baby." This, coupled with Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," played a crucial role in defining the emerging genre known as Synth-pop.

Simultaneously, the New Romantic movement began to gain traction, with young artists embracing synthesizers and distinctive fashion choices, including lipstick. A groundbreaking moment in the music industry occurred with the launch of MTV, featuring "Video Killed The Radio Star" by The Buggles as its inaugural video. This song became a symbol of the new platform that would reshape the music industry, ushering in a new era of visual storytelling and musical dimension.

New Ultravox Album Confirmed

After the successful return to the music scene in 2009 with the Return to Eden tour, Ultravox have signed a recording deal with Universal Records and have been working on a new album since late 2010 which is nearing completion. The band has also announced the release of the brand new EP, 'Moments from Eden', due to be released by 'Eden Recording Ltd' on February 21,2010. The 4 track CD is also comes out as a Limited Edition 10" vinyl disc and features "New Europeans", "White China", "Love's Great Adventure" and "Herr X" - a special version of "Mr X", with Warren Cann vocalizing in German.

http://www.ultravox.org.uk/

Best of 1980- The Album List

The year 1980 marked a fascinating intersection, straddling the influences of the 1970s while gradually embracing the emerging trends of the new decade. Chart-toppers like Blondie, Abba, The Police, and The Jam continued to dominate the music scene. Notable achievements included David Bowie securing his second number one hit, and Kate Bush becoming the first British female artist to claim a No.1 album.

However, amidst the musical successes, 1980 also witnessed tragic losses that left an indelible mark on the industry. Ian Curtis of Joy Division tragically took his own life just before the band's scheduled US Tour, while John Lennon, an iconic figure in music, was shot dead outside his New York City apartment. These losses left families and legions of fans grieving.

The year concluded with John Lennon's posthumous release, "{Just Like) Starting Over," topping the UK charts, serving as both a poignant farewell and a herald of the new decade.

Ultravox's Vienna No.1 Campaign

Please join in the final push on the last 2 days until midnight this Saturday; Friday 9th & Saturday 10th April. Buy the Vienna single MP3 download a few times if you can - gift them to friends, ask friends and family to buy you copies as an early birthday present, tell everyone in your address book, etc.
Find the download links on this page:
http://www.ultravox.org.uk/facebook.shtml

(All images are copyrighted by their respective copyright owners)

Ultravox- Vision of Blue

In 1983, Ultravox released their song "Visions of Blue" and recorded a video for the MTV airplay which contained brief nudity. It two showed topless women with bare breasts, draped in towels washing themselves beside a fireplace. This video was banned by the BBC and MTV due to nudity exhibition. An edited version was later provided for broadcast on Top of the Pops. Since this form of nudity has become quite harmless, the original version of the video can also be found on YouTube.

Ultravox Return to Eden

Ultravox perform "Visions In Blue" live on stage at Glasgow's Clyde Auditorium (SECC) on April 11, 2009, the second date on their Return To Eden reunion tour. The "Return To Eden" tour continuous...

www.ultravox.org.uk/tour-dates

Ultravox' Return To Eden

Ultravox will reunite for the first time since their performance at Live Aid 1985. Warren Cann, Chris Cross, Billy Currie and Midge Ure - all four members of the 1980s Ultravox lineup will reunite for the UK tour in 2009 entitled 'Return to Eden'. The tour will kick off on April 10th for 14 dates.

John Foxx

John Foxx is the stage name of an English musician Dennis Leigh. Originally he was the lead singer of the first Ultravox lineup, before starting a solo career in 1979. Primarily associated with synthesizer music, he also pursued a parallel career in graphic design and education.

John Foxx began early to experiment with tape recorders and synthesizers. In 1973 he formed a band that would eventually be called Tiger Lily. The band played frequently around London in the mid seventies. After few name changes Tiger Lily was transformed in Ultravox! with an exclamation mark. Ultravox released three albums with Foxx as the lead singer including 'System of Romance', often regarded as the first synth pop album. In the beginning of 1979 Ultravox was dropped by their record label and the band came to parting of the ways during their tour. John announced his plan to go solo.

“The band thing is a phase – like being in a gang. You can’t really be part of a gang all your life; it begins to feel undignified and it stunts your growth, unless you want to be a teenager forever. Some do. Some don’t. The benefits were the Gestalt - where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, a very powerful experience - and working in a closed society with people who have the same aim”.Foxx for barcodezine.com

After signing to Virgin Records Foxx achieved minor chart success with his first solo single “Underpass”.This single was the third track on Foxx' all-synthetic sounding debut album 'Metamatic', released in the same year. The next LP 'Garden' followed in 1981 and this recording saw a departure of the electronic sound we were used to listen to on 'Metamatic'. 'Garden' was bearing a greater resemblance to Foxx' swansong with Ultravox' 'System of Romance'. The Garden's starting point was in fact a song called "Systems of Romance", written by Foxx for the earlier album but not released at the time. His third solo album 'In Mysterious Ways' was released in 1985 and it did not bring any commercial success and neither did it bring any progression in the music of John Foxx. Compared to the career of the new Ultravox, Foxx' career always remained in shadows. After 'In Mysterious Ways', Foxx gave up his public career in pop music. He sold his recording studio and returned to his earlier work as graphic artist, working under his original name.

In the early 90's Foxx made some brief appearances in the music scene by doing some collaborations and writing music for computer games. In 1997 Foxx made a return to the music scene with the simultaneous release of two albums, 'Shifting City' and 'Cathedral Oceans'. 'Shifting City' was a collaboration with Manchester's Louis Gordon, an updated stylistic return to Foxx' Metamatic synth pop sound that also displayed the influence of 1990s underground dance music and the 'triphop' style. 'Cathedral Oceans', on the other hand, was a solo John Foxx record, an ambient return to his Catholic youth and his love of the cathedrals of England and Europe. Its roots included traditional evensong, Gregorian Chant, Brian Eno, Harold Budd, and German band Cluster.

In April 2005 Foxx guested on Finnish DJ Jori Hulkkonen's album 'Dualizm', where he provided vocals for "Dislocated" which Hulkkonen had written especially for him. Two years later, in December 2007, Foxx exhibited some of his photographic works in an exhibition called Cinemascope at the Coningsby Gallery in West London. The works were part of three collections, "Grey Suit Music", "Tiny Colour Movies" and "Cathedral Oceans".

Retrovision- Ultravox!- Hiroshima Mon Amour -live-