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
Love
Ultravox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It didn't mean that much to me
I thought I had it all
I didn't see the mystery
I stood the test of time
I took the step to find
Love's great adventure
They didn't mean that much to me
They rang around my head
Like empty tuneless harmonies
Love's great adventure mine
Lying side by side
It didn't mean that much to me
I started to enjoy
The poetry and symphonies
I took it in my stride
I hailed the Day i tried
Love's great adventure
A fool who couldn't see
It didn't mean that much to me
I couldn't understand
That's how the game is meant to be
Love's great adventure mine
Standing on my own
It didn't mean that much to me
I thought I had it all
I didn't see the mystery
I stood the test of time
I took the step to find
Love's great adventure
The lyrics of Ultravox's song "Love's Great Adventure" speak to the themes of love, self-discovery and growth. The opening lines suggest that the singer was content with standing on their own, and did not see the value or necessity of love. However, as the song progresses, the singer begins to realize the emptiness of their words and the beauty of love. The line "I took the step to find Love's great adventure" is particularly significant, suggesting that the singer has taken a leap of faith, embraced love and is ready to embark on a new adventure.
The second verse of the song speaks to the transformative power of love on the singer's life. At first, lying beside someone did not mean much to them, but as they become more open to love, they begin to appreciate the poetry and music that a connection with someone can bring into their life. The singer starts to see the world in a new light, finding joy and beauty in things they had previously overlooked or dismissed.
The final verse of the song sees the singer looking back on their journey and recognizing that they were a fool for not realizing the value of love sooner. However, they are now content with the knowledge they have gained and are excited about the future possibilities that Love's Great Adventure holds for them.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing on my own
Being independent and self-sufficient
It didn't mean that much to me
I didn't realize the value of independence
I thought I had it all
I believed that I had everything I needed
I didn't see the mystery
I failed to recognize the unknown aspects of life
I stood the test of time
I endured the challenges that life presented
I took the step to find
I made a conscious effort to search for
Love's great adventure
The journey of love, which is exciting and unpredictable
I spoke a million words
I communicated frequently
They didn't mean that much to me
I didn't attach much significance to my words
They rang around my head
They echoed in my mind
Like empty tuneless harmonies
Like meaningless sounds
Love's great adventure mine
The journey of love belongs to me
Lying side by side
Being physically near each other
It didn't mean that much to me
Being close didn't hold much significance to me
I started to enjoy
I began to appreciate
The poetry and symphonies
The artistic expressions of love
I took it in my stride
I accepted it calmly
I hailed the Day i tried
I felt proud of myself for trying
Love's great adventure
The journey of love, which is exciting and unpredictable
A fool who couldn't see
I was foolish and couldn't perceive
It didn't mean that much to me
I didn't recognize the value of what was happening
I couldn't understand
I couldn't comprehend
That's how the game is meant to be
That's how love is supposed to work
Love's great adventure mine
The journey of love belongs to me
Standing on my own
Being independent and self-sufficient
It didn't mean that much to me
I didn't realize the value of independence
I thought I had it all
I believed that I had everything I needed
I didn't see the mystery
I failed to recognize the unknown aspects of life
I stood the test of time
I endured the challenges that life presented
I took the step to find
I made a conscious effort to search for
Love's great adventure
The journey of love, which is exciting and unpredictable
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER THOMAS ALLEN, MIDGE URE, WARREN REGINALD CANN, WILLIAM CURRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TobiAnimados
I heard for the fist time Dancing With Tears in my Eyes and Vienna about 12 years ago, but I started listening all the Midge Ure music about 3 years ago, now is one of my favorite artists, he has an incredible voice!
Gary Carr
Ultravox
Gary Carr
Oct 31, 2017
Sue Be One Kanobee
I just can’t get enough of this song
Ultravox are the best Midge Ure is a great guy I love the pause for Midge Ure to catch his breath
Gary Carr
Ultravox
Pasi A.
This video and its intense music is basically my 1980’s in about 3 minutes.
Jayne Falconer
I forgot how good Ultravox were, I was a fan years ago and I love them again 😄
Gary Carr
Ultravox
Jim Strachan
The 80s were great, at the time we didn’t know how great.
Geoffrey Jonathan Wilson
I agree.