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
Man Of Two Worlds
Ultravox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Miles from all that moves
Breathing solitude, seeking confidence
A gift to me
Feeling spirits never far removed
Passing over me
And I greet them with open arms
As you turn to a man of two worlds
Taobh ri taobh, tha sinn mar aon de dha shaoghail
Làmh nam làimh, gabhadh aithne air linn a dh'fhalbh
Reading passages of ancient rhyme
Cut so deep, so old
Telling tales of travelers and mystery
Hearing spirits never far removed
Calling out aloud
When the time comes, they'll talk to me
Hand fighting hand
As you turn to a man of two worlds
Taobh ri taobh, tha sinn mar aon de dha shaoghail's
mo làmh nad làimh, gabhadh aithne air na tìrean chéine
Hand fighting hand
As you turn to a man of two worlds
Feel the presence moving into me
Painting pictures with its words
Oh, seeing places that I've never seen
Like a door thrown open
On a life I've lived before
Taobh ri taobh, do làmh nam làimh
Tha sinn mar aon de dha shaoghail
Taobh ri taobh, do làmh nam làimh
Tha sinn mar aon de dha shaoghail
The lyrics of Ultravox's song "Man Of Two Worlds" reflect a person seeking solace and knowledge from the past. The first stanza begins with the lines "Taking shelter by the standing stones, Miles from all that moves," which suggests the singer's desire to escape from the hectic present and find comfort in the stillness of ancient sites. The line "Feeling spirits never far removed" indicates the character's openness to the mystical world inhabited by spirits, which gives him the confidence to face the challenges of the present.
The second stanza incorporates Scottish-Gaelic lyrics and suggests that the singer seeks to connect with his heritage by reading "passages of ancient rhyme" and listening to the spirits calling out to him. The third stanza describes the singer's experience of seeing new places and a life he has lived before, suggesting that he has accessed knowledge from his past life through the open door of his mind.
The chorus of the song ("Hand fighting hand as you turn to a man of two worlds") signifies the singer's realization that he is no longer just a part of the present world but has become a "man of two worlds" by accessing the knowledge of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Taking shelter by the standing stones
Finding refuge in the ancient, mystical sites
Miles from all that moves
Isolated from the hustle and bustle of the world
Breathing solitude, seeking confidence
Embracing solitude to gain self-assurance
A gift to me
A blessing that has been bestowed upon me
Feeling spirits never far removed
Sensing the presence of otherworldly entities
Passing over me
Flowing around me like a gentle breeze
And I greet them with open arms
Welcoming the spirits with a receptive and accepting nature
Hand fighting hand
Balancing and reconciling conflicting aspects of oneself
As you turn to a man of two worlds
Becoming adept at navigating the opposing forces in one's life
Reading passages of ancient rhyme
Studying the poetic verses of the past
Cut so deep, so old
Carrying profound wisdom and antiquity
Telling tales of travelers and mystery
Recounting the stories of those who have journeyed through the unknown
Hearing spirits never far removed
Listening to the whispers of the supernatural
Calling out aloud
Speaking to the spirits with clarity and intention
When the time comes, they'll talk to me
Anticipating future communications from the spirits
Feel the presence moving into me
Sensing the spiritual energy flowing into one's being
Painting pictures with its words
Creating vivid mental images through spiritual communication
Oh, seeing places that I've never seen
Experiencing new and unexplored realms through spiritual contact
Like a door thrown open
Enabling access to previously hidden aspects of reality
On a life I've lived before
On a past life that has now been revealed
Taobh ri taobh, do làmh nam làimh
Side by side, hand in hand
Tha sinn mar aon de dha shaoghail
We are like one of two worlds
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER THOMAS ALLEN, MIDGE URE, WARREN REGINALD CANN, WILLIAM CURRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Grzegorz _
Jeden z wielu rewelacyjnych utworów tej grupy. Zawsze w moim sercu i wspomnieniach: Man of two worlds
Alfredo Novoa Yaksic
Brilliant mix and editing of one of the most beautiful Ultravox's songs with the all times classic tale Wuthering Heights in its movie version from 1992, with the great Juliette Binoche and the magnificent british actor, Ralph Finnes.
Boo Spanyer Cassiopeia
Lyrics: Taking shelter by the standing stones Miles from all that moves Breathing solitude, seeking confidence A gift to me Feeling spirits never far removed Passing over me and I greet them with open arms Hand fighting hand As you turn to a man of two worlds Taobh ri taobh tha sinn mar aon de dha shaobhail Do lambh nam lambh gabhal aithne air leim a ghablh
Barbara Pilipovic
..not just one of Their greatest..but one of The greatest songs ever...
Boo Spanyer Cassiopeia
Reading passages of ancient rhyme Cut so deep so old Telling tales of travellers and mystery Hearing spirits never far removed Call out aloud When the time comes they'll talk to me Hand fighting hand As you turn to a man of two worlds Taobh ri taobh tha sinn mar aon de dha shaobhail Do lambh nam lambh gabhal aithne air leim a ghablh Hand fighting hand As you turn to a man of two worlds
Caleidoscópio Literário
Awesome song! Wonderful movie!
Boo Spanyer Cassiopeia
Feel a presence moving into me Painting pictures with fast words Seeing places that I've never seen Like a door thrown open on a life I've lived before Taobh ri taobh tha sinn mar aon de dha shaobhail Do lambh nam lambh gabhal aithne air leim a ghablh Mar e shealbhaichis mi an tiodhlac seo ahonisa S mo lambh n'ad lambh smuainich air na tireauu ceinne S mi deaunabh gardochas da raire
BAZWHITE
This combination and mixing is not far off perfect
nemrudband
great vibes...ultravox best !!
P B
ultravox always were magic ,