Ultravox

[wanderlust]

ASTRADYNE is awesome

[theraven1979]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP0Psd_lu5w

Jim

ASTRADYNE is awesome

[paulinblack]

Remember watching this on TOTP and thinking it was fantastic.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HyqSk-Gta ... re=related

I bought the album and then thought this was better:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbl_5q5m3-I

The whole album was good, but this became my favourite of theirs:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=E05x8bT9FM0

Paul

[FenDale]

Is that Midge laying down the guitar on "All Stood Still"? - that's some commendable work indeed on that track. I love how he lets the feedback hang and he riffs off it.


Jim

Midge is a bit of a forgotten guitar hero. I remember reading about how he got a phone call from Phil Lynot who asked him if he could pop over to the States where Thin Lizzy were touring, the following day to play guitar as one of the two regulars had suddenly become unavailable (can't remember the circumstances, which guitarist whether it was illness, left band in a huff mid-tour or what) and he had to learn the whole set on the plane over and basically got off and played the first gig! That takes some doing even for the most seasoned session pro so he's got to have some fair ability!

I think that this was between the Rich Kids and Ultravox although it may have been between Slick (eeekkk!!!) and the Rich Kids. I think I'll have a google and see what I can find!

Good spot though, Jim. I've got the Ultravox Singles Collection on vinyl and still give it a whirl every now and again. I have a soft spot for "Hymn", mainly because of what I was up to when I first heard
it

[FenDale]

Here you go:

"During the 1979 concert season, Gary Moore missed a flight to one of the band's shows and was subsequently fired and replaced by Midge Ure for the rest of the tour. As they were opening for Journey and Eddie Money, Thin Lizzy was only on stage for a fifty minute set each show. Although Ure quickly learned enough of the group's material to play the set, there was not enough time to rehearse a two hour show for their scheduled performance at the Reading Festival. Ure had made a previous commitment to join a band called Ultravox that September, but they agreed to wait until he had completed his tour dates with Thin Lizzy, which were slated wrap up on November 1st, but ended up stretching into late April of the following year.

For a tour of Japan and Australia that followed, Dave Flett was brought in to play guitar, which allowed Midge Ure to switch to keyboards on some songs. Thin Lizzy now had the ability to feature three lead guitars. Flett had been a member of Manfred Mann's Earth Band at the time of their hit single "Blinded By The Light".

When the last show of the Japanese tour had finished, Dave Flett left the group and was replaced by Snowy White for the tour of Ireland that followed. Phil Lynott had seen White play with Pink Floyd's road band at Madison Square Gardens while auditioning potential replacements. Snowy signed on in November of 1979 and began touring with the band the following Spring. When the Irish tour had wrapped up around the end of April 1980, Midge Ure left the band. "

[grayo]

Was lucky enough to see Ultravox live on several occasions. One of the best live gigs I've been to (along with Raven Tour 1979 in Cardiff and Bow Bow Wow in 1982 in Cardiff) was at the end of 1980 on the Vienna Tour. It was after Sleepwalk was released as a single and just before they released Vienna as a single. I had a copy of the album to try get it signed and as I queued to get into the venue, the band all walked out the venue and past me. I was so shocked that I didn't click for a while that it was them and didn't wanna leave the queue as I wanted to get to the front of the stage so I never got it signed at all! Actually did get to meet Midge Ure in Bristol in 1981 and he was great.

The gig itself was awesome and they played every track from the album (starting with Astradyne, followed by New Europeans, just like on the album!). They also played Hiroshima Mon Amour, Slow Motion and The Quiet Man and I was in seventh heaven. Saw them on every subsequent tour and they cocked it all up as far I'm concerned with the sacking of Warren Cann and the release of the bloody awful U-Vox.

Also saw them with the Billy Currie lead Ultravox and had a piss standing next to him! Also blagged my way to the VIP room with my mate Welsh Alan who you may have seen at every Stranglers gig there is and who's on the front of the Friday The Thirteenth DVD!!

Loved Ultravox especially the Quartet and Rage In Eden albums. Be bloody marvellous if they could reform.......

Fly straight with A Man Of Two Worlds.........

[theraven1979]

Cheers mate - very interesting that.

Jim

Here you go:

"During the 1979 concert season, Gary Moore missed a flight to one of the band's shows and was subsequently fired and replaced by Midge Ure for the rest of the tour. As they were opening for Journey and Eddie Money, Thin Lizzy was only on stage for a fifty minute set each show. Although Ure quickly learned enough of the group's material to play the set, there was not enough time to rehearse a two hour show for their scheduled performance at the Reading Festival. Ure had made a previous commitment to join a band called Ultravox that September, but they agreed to wait until he had completed his tour dates with Thin Lizzy, which were slated wrap up on November 1st, but ended up stretching into late April of the following year.

For a tour of Japan and Australia that followed, Dave Flett was brought in to play guitar, which allowed Midge Ure to switch to keyboards on some songs. Thin Lizzy now had the ability to feature three lead guitars. Flett had been a member of Manfred Mann's Earth Band at the time of their hit single "Blinded By The Light".

When the last show of the Japanese tour had finished, Dave Flett left the group and was replaced by Snowy White for the tour of Ireland that followed. Phil Lynott had seen White play with Pink Floyd's road band at Madison Square Gardens while auditioning potential replacements. Snowy signed on in November of 1979 and began touring with the band the following Spring. When the Irish tour had wrapped up around the end of April 1980, Midge Ure left the band. "

[norman normal]

I bought Rage in Eden when it came out. Have also listened a lot to most of their hits

[BazinBlack]

Now I do like Ultravox but an ex took me to a gig circa 80/81 at the Hammersmith Odeon and it was very much a sit down gig until they played Vienna which was right near the end. Then all the New Rom's got up and began to move/dance. She also made me go a John Foxx gig at the Lyceum which was ok, from what I could remember.

Bazza

[Andy Oushudno]

Had a look at Ultravox many years ago, was around77/78
went to Top of the World in Stafford.
John Fox was then the singer and they were more in a punk vein then.
A lot better than the commercial side of the music business than followed with Midge Ure (only my oppinion of course ).

[Alias]

Had a look at Ultravox many years ago, was around77/78
went to Top of the World in Stafford.
John Fox was then the singer and they were more in a punk vein then.
A lot better than the commercial side of the music business than followed with Midge Ure (only my oppinion of course ).

Ultravox - Live System: 10.19.77, Stockholm, Sweden (ZIP file)
Ultravox - Slow Motion 78: 12.26.78, The Marquee, London (ZIP file)
Ultravox - Peel Session, 11.21.77 (ZIP file)

all free, here:

http://www.eggcityradio.com/?p=74


"ULTRAVOX - two live sets + Peel Session ‘77

Ultravox gets major short shrift because people immediately associate them with the Midge Ure skinny-tie period, and not the John Foxx post-punk savagery period. For the Peel Session below, the band recorded a track from their first self-titled LP, and two tracks from their then-brand-new second effort, “Ha! Ha! Ha!”. Foxx’s lyrics are sharp and insightful, just about as pertinent as John Lydon’s words, particularly here on “Artificial Life” and “Young Savage”, two blistering critiques of punk’s fashionable side. The version of “Young Savage” here has more fire and energy behind it than the original studio version, and is my favorite recording of theirs." it says.

[Alias]

See what he means here:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1OX4EnGfU

Pretty good, actually.