The band was formed in 1973 in London, United Kingdom 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 Misbehaving," before changing their name to Ultravox!, the exclamation point being a reference to the krautrock band Neu! that was 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, as well as from David Bowie and Brian Eno's early pop-fueled albums. Their eponymous debut album was self-produced by the band, yet Brian Eno (whose next job after these sessions was working with Bowie on 'Low') co-produced two songs and Steve Lillywhite also contributed. Sales were disappointing, and neither 'Ultravox!' nor the associated single "Dangerous Rhythm" managed to enter the U.K. charts.
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, they had a growing fan-base. Steve Shears was sacked, later deciding to form the new band Faith Global. Although most of 'Ha!-Ha!-Ha!' was dominated by guitars and electric violin, the final track, "Hiroshima Mon Amour," was a prototypical synth pop song which gave a hint to the band's new direction. It remains a critical and fan favourite of the group's early incarnation, and it was even performed by the group on the 'Old Grey Whistle Test'. In 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. After a US tour in 1979, John Foxx left to pursue a solo career whilst Robin Simon left to join the band Magazine. Musically, the album was a distinct development from the band's previous work and provided a blueprint for Ultravox's subsequent 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.
Midge Ure, an already accomplished musician, was 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 studio project fronted by Steve Strange. Midge therefore replaced John Foxx for their next album, which would become their most successful to date, taking the already influential Ultravox sound and giving it a commercial appeal it had previously lacked.
Recorded in London and mixed by Conny Plank and the band once more in Germany,
Vienna was released on the new label Chrysalis Records in 1980, 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 five, 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.
Ultravox teamed up with legendary producer George Martin for 1982's Quartet, which became their most successful album in the USA.
After touring with their 1984 Lament, and appearing at Live Aid, Warren Cann was fired and pursued a career in acting in the USA. The remaining members, along with Big Country's Mark Brzezicki, resurfaced with U-Vox in 1986 before going their separate ways the following year. Billy Currie and singer/guitarist Tony Fenelle reformed the band in 1992 to record Revelation, and Sam Blue lent his voice to their final release, Ingenuity (1996).
The band's international legion of followers yearned for some sort of reconcilliation. Both Billy Currie and Midge Ure pursued solo careers after the band were put officially on ice by Currie in 1996, Ure continuing to peform solo versions of Ultravox hits live.
Fans were therefore delighted when an announcement came in November 2008 that the 'classic' Cann/Cross/Currie/Ure line-up were to reform and play a fourteen-date UK tour entitled Return To Eden in April 2009. With Vienna and Rage In Eden being remastered and re-released and plans for a greatest hits compilation to accompany the tour, Ultravox are now set for a return to prominence.
After their successful 'Return to Eden Tour', Ultravox signed a deal with Universal Records and talk of new studio albums heated up. On February 21st 2011, a new EP, Moments from Eden, came out.
The band's latest album is 2012's 'Brilliant', featuring the 80s line-up of Midge Ure, Billy Currie, Chris Cross, and Warren Cann. Picking up a strong fan response, their recent touring has brought them to big crowds alongside rockers Simple Minds.
Website: http://www.ultravox.org.uk
Fear in the Western World
Ultravox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Underneath this floor we're on the edge of a cliff
Someone told me Jesus was the Devil's lover
While we masturbated on a magazine cover
[Chorus:]
Dead in the streets
Who's that girl?
Ireland screams
Suburbia stumbles
The tides are turned
I can feel the fear in the Western world
I can feel the fear in the Western world
I can feel the fear in the Western world
I can feel the fear in the Western
The Western world
Mama's still on valium, Daddy puts the news on
TV orphans laugh at the confusion
The audience finds itself on the stage
Fifty million people in a state of decay
(Chorus)
The party goes on behind elevator doors
While the elevator plummets from the 69th floor
All the cars lost in the scrapyards of paradise
The newspaper photographs have all come alive
(Chorus)
I can feel the fear in the Western world
I can feel the fear in the Western world
I can feel the fear in the Western world
I can feel the fear in the Western
The Western world
The lyrics in Ultravox's song Fear in the Western World paint a bleak and disillusioned picture of contemporary society. The opening lines critique the media's obsession with constructing artificial identities, exposing the shallow nature of self-image. The line "underneath this floor we're on the edge of a cliff" conveys a sense of danger and instability, suggesting that modern society is perched on the brink of disaster.
The second verse juxtaposes the profane with the religious by introducing the idea that Jesus and the devil could be lovers. This notion clashes with traditional religious beliefs, a parallel to the contemporary world's chaotic and contradictory values. The last line in this verse ties in a reference to pornographic magazines, further emphasizing the song's message of society's depravity.
The chorus lists off a series of headlines that imply the world is turning to chaos, "Dead in the streets, Ireland screams, Africa burns, Suburbia stumbles, The tides are turned" underscoring the song's sense of social unrest. The song ends with two surreal verses referencing a party going on behind elevator doors in a skyscraper which ultimately plummets to its demise, and abandoned cars in a "scrapyard of paradise" coming to life as frightening, sentient beings.
Overall, Fear in the Western World is a scathing critique of society's descent into chaos and societal fear, glancing at themes that are still very much relevant in modern society.
Line by Line Meaning
Your picture of yourself is a media myth
The image that you hold of yourself is influenced by the media, which projects unrealistic and distorted portrayals of individuals.
Underneath this floor we're on the edge of a cliff
Despite appearing to be stable and secure on the surface, we are actually perched precariously on the brink of disaster and chaos.
Someone told me Jesus was the Devil's lover
Unfounded rumors and lies can spread unchecked, leading to outrageous and offensive beliefs that have no basis in reality.
While we masturbated on a magazine cover
Society encourages and indulges in superficial and meaningless activities, such as objectifying individuals and reducing them to mere images for personal pleasure.
Dead in the streets
Who's that girl?
Ireland screams
Africa burns
Suburbia stumbles
The tides are turned
The world is in a state of upheaval and turmoil, with widespread violence, chaos, and confusion, affecting both developed and developing nations alike.
Mama's still on valium, Daddy puts the news on
TV orphans laugh at the confusion
Individuals use substances and distractions to cope with the bleak state of the world, which has resulted in a generation of disillusioned and disconnected individuals who turn to entertainment as a means of escape from reality.
The audience finds itself on the stage
Fifty million people in a state of decay
Society has become so fragmented and disconnected from reality that individuals feel like they are merely spectators in their own lives, as the world falls into disarray and moral decay.
The party goes on behind elevator doors
While the elevator plummets from the 69th floor
All the cars lost in the scrapyards of paradise
The newspaper photographs have all come alive
Despite the world being on the verge of collapse, people continue to indulge in hedonistic and frivolous activities while unknowingly hurtling towards their own destruction, with all the signs of impending disaster hidden in plain sight.
I can feel the fear in the Western world
I can feel the fear in the Western world
I can feel the fear in the Western world
I can feel the fear in the Western
The Western world
The pervasive sense of apprehension, uncertainty, and anxiety that characterizes the contemporary world is palpable and all-encompassing, affecting the developed Western world to a significant degree.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER THOMAS ALLEN, DENNIS LEIGH, STEVEN SHEARS, WARREN REGINALD CANN, WILLIAM CURRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on The Frozen Ones
A great Ultravox song.
Philip Kassabian
on Dancing With Tears in My Eyes
A great and emotional song.