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
Slip Away
Ultravox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I break in the light
Cover my eyes
With the rags of my life
Was I dreaming?
Or did you say
"The frontiers are falling
Let's slip away, let's slip away"
All things fall from me
The bonds and the veils
All things blow by me
My sorrows have sails
Was I dreaming?
Or did you say
"The empires are fading
It's time to be slipping away
Let's slip away, let's slip away"
What am I to do? Don't leave me
What is there to say? I really
We're just wasting time
Let the night takes its place
Color my eyes
With the dusk of this wonderful day
Let's slip away, let's slip away
Letters from lovers
Are lining my grave
Some came too early
And some came too late
Were you speaking?
Or did I say
"The frontiers have fallen
It's time to be slipping away"
"As you call me
My hands they fall open
My mouth, it is frozen
The [Incomprehensible] stumbles
I'm falling slow-motion, dissolve"
The lyrics to Ultravox's "Slip Away" are evocative and thought-provoking, offering a commentary on the nature of time, impermanence, and the human experience. The opening line, "Enter me gently," suggests a desire for a gentle transition into a new phase of life or existence. The singer seems to be reflecting on past experiences, represented by the "rags of my life," and is questioning whether what they are experiencing is real ("Was I dreaming?").
The repeated phrase "Let's slip away" adds to the suggestion of a desire to escape the constraints of the present and move into something more free and unconstrained. The second verse celebrates the release of pain and sorrow and the shedding of boundaries ("All things fall from me / The bonds and the veils / All things blow by me / My sorrows have sails"). Again, the question of reality is presented ("Was I dreaming?").
The final verse deals with mortality, as the singer reflects on letters from lovers that will line their grave. The lines "As you call me / My hands they fall open / My mouth, it is frozen / The [Incomprehensible] stumbles / I'm falling slow-motion, dissolve" suggest a peaceful acceptance of death and the ultimate dissolution of the self.
Overall, "Slip Away" is a melancholic but ultimately peaceful meditation on the transient nature of life and the human desire to escape its limitations.
Line by Line Meaning
Enter me gently
Please be kind to me and don't hurt me as you come into my life.
I break in the light
When I am exposed to the light, I feel weak and fragile, like I might break.
Cover my eyes
With the rags of my life
My past mistakes and regrets are like rags that I use to cover my eyes and shield myself from the truth.
Was I dreaming?
Or did you say
"The frontiers are falling
It's time to be slipping away
Let's slip away, let's slip away"
I can't tell if what you said is real or just a dream, but you suggested that it's time for us to escape from our problems and slip away.
All things fall from me
The bonds and the veils
All things blow by me
My sorrows have sails
As I try to move on from my past, I let go of my attachments and troubles. They float away like sails in the wind.
What am I to do? Don't leave me
What is there to say? I really
I don't know what to do next, please don't abandon me. I am at a loss for words and don't know how to express myself.
We're just wasting time
Let the night takes its place
Color my eyes
With the dusk of this wonderful day
Let's slip away, let's slip away
We're not achieving anything by staying here, so let's let the night take over and bring us the peace we need. Let the sunset's colors wash over our eyes and guide us as we escape from this place.
Letters from lovers
Are lining my grave
Some came too early
And some came too late
The memories of past loves haunt me to the grave, with some leaving too soon and others arriving on the scene too late.
Were you speaking?
Or did I say
"The frontiers have fallen
It's time to be slipping away"
I can't remember if it was you or me who suggested that we slip away from everything as the frontiers collapse around us.
"As you call me
My hands they fall open
My mouth, it is frozen
The [Incomprehensible] stumbles
I'm falling slow-motion, dissolve"
I feel numb and helpless as you call out to me. My body and words fail me, leaving me stumbling and falling apart as I slowly disintegrate.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DENNIS LEIGH, WILLIAM CURRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@luisramirezclaver8022
Live lyrics version
Enter me gently, I break in the light
Cover my eyes, with the rags of my life
Were you speaking
Or did I say
The empires are fading
It's time to be slipping away
Let's slip away
Let's slip away
Letters from lovers are lining my grate
Some came too early and some came too late
Were you speaking
Or did I say
The empires are fading
It's time to be slipping away
Let's slip away
Let's slip away
What am I to do
Don't leave me
What is there to say, I really...
We're just wasting time
Let the night takes it's place
Colour my eyes with the dusk of this wonderful day
Let's slip away
Let's slip away
All things fall from me, the bonds and the veils
All things blow by me, my sorrows have sails
Were you speaking
Or did I say
The empires are fading
It's time to be slipping away
As you call me
My hands they fall open
My mouth it is frozen
The chrysalis tumbles
I'm falling
Slow motion
Dissolve
@johnmontague6588
R.I.P Chris. 😞
@gevansmd1
I saw Ultravox at Hurrah's in NYC, I believe 1978. Klaus Nomi opened. During Rockwrok John Foxx put the microphone in my face and I sang part of the chorus for all to hear.
@rachelar
F*ck like a dog bite like a shark? Better than Massive Attacks inappropriate cover
@juguetes55
This song is beatiful ....is Magic
@highetk
Foxx was a proper frontman. Absolutely brilliant to see him, Chris and Stevie Shears on quality footage such as this.
@jdsbeau1
Stevie missed more than a few notes, but still prefer him to Robin. He did well in the studio.
@AlexanderLaurence
Incredibly sad news tonight of the passing of Chris Cross, bass player with Ultravox. The version with John Foxx in the 1970s was one of my favorite bands. They played their last shows in March 1979 at the Cuckoo's Nest and The Whiskey. John Foxx went solo and the rest continued on with Midge Ure as the singer. Once Gary Numan and Human League had success as synth bands, John Foxx and Ultravox MK2 had more success and hits in the 1980s.
@brynlewis2867
R.I.P. Chris
@francesco5581
what an original song it was ...
@rachelar
Wow, Stevie Shears is the main focus at the end. Like an alternative universe Midge Ure 😂