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
Stranger Within
Ultravox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I tape up the windows once more
Tight like a cold hand of steel
Don't fear the stranger within
Hands that petrify in the air
Eyes catching things never there
Sweet tension caught on my breath
Don't fear the stranger within
Scared to make the final mistake
Speak to hear the sound of your voice
Don't fear the stranger within
Sit in the corner with your back to the wall
Pray to your God with your head in your hands
Your mask of fear is shrinking fast
It's closing in more amour
You stand on borrowed time, your sweating palms and chilling brow
Your wide-eyed panic makes you laugh, you cry and laugh
Freeze until the noise decays, a shuffle from behind a door
Your throat is tight, it makes you choke and smoke and choke
Eyes will grow accustomed to the dark, a stifled scream that won't come out
There's nothing more to fear from the stranger within
Don't fear the stranger within
I feel the stranger within
I see the stranger within
Don't know the stranger within
I am the stranger within
I am the stranger within
The lyrics to Ultravox's song "Stranger Within" describe a feeling of anxiety and fear over the unknown and unfamiliar. With references to taping up windows and petrifying hands, the song creates a tense and unsettling atmosphere. The idea of a stranger within is portrayed as something that can't be controlled or predicted, and the singer is advised not to fear it.
The lyrics go on to describe how the singer is constantly on edge, watching and listening for anything that might be out of place. They sit in the corner, praying and trying to maintain their composure, but their fear grows stronger. As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the stranger within is not some external force, but rather a part of the singer themselves. The final lines reveal that the singer is the stranger within, suggesting that their fear is coming from within their own mind.
Overall, "Stranger Within" is a haunting and introspective song that explores themes of fear, anxiety, and self-discovery. The lyrics are crafted with great care to create a sense of unease and uncertainty, while the repeated refrain of "don't fear the stranger within" encourages the listener to face their fears head-on.
Line by Line Meaning
Light comes through a crack in the door
I see a small ray of light seeping through a gap in the door.
I tape up the windows once more
I cover up the windows with tape as a measure to block every bit of light from entering the room.
Tight like a cold hand of steel
The atmosphere is intense, and the feeling is so tight, like a freezing steel hand gripping me firmly.
Don't fear the stranger within
I shouldn't be afraid of the stranger I feel within me.
Hands that petrify in the air
My hands become stiff, immovable, almost paralyzed, while reaching out.
Eyes catching things never there
My eyes play tricks on me, making me believe things are present, which don't actually exist.
Sweet tension caught on my breath
I feel a pleasant tension that I hold in my breath, making it laborious.
Watch every shape that escapes
I examine everything that moves, paying attention to their form and manner of escaping.
Scared to make the final mistake
I fear doing something that could prove to be my last mistake in a grave situation.
Speak to hear the sound of your voice
I try to talk, mostly to hear the sound of my own voice and also to check if my throat is clear.
Don't fear the stranger within
I have to remind myself once again not to fear this stranger within me.
Sit in the corner with your back to the wall
I move to the corner and lean against the wall, while keeping an eye to every direction.
Pray to your God with your head in your hands
I begin praying to God fervently, with my head bowed and hands clasped together.
Your mask of fear is shrinking fast
I am slowly overcoming my frightened demeanor and coming to terms with the situation.
It's closing in more amour
However, the sense of unease still mounts as the danger approaches me even closer.
You stand on borrowed time, your sweating palms and chilling brow
I realize that I am in a precarious situation and my time is ticking away. My palms become wet with sweat, and my forehead feels chilly due to anxiety.
Your wide-eyed panic makes you laugh, you cry and laugh
My panic is so high that it makes me laugh and cry in a frenzied state.
Freeze until the noise decays, a shuffle from behind a door
I am too scared to move, entombed in my fear until the noise dies down, only to hear a movement from behind a door.
Your throat is tight, it makes you choke and smoke and choke
My throat feels tight and choked, and I begin coughing uncontrollably, making it hard to breathe.
Eyes will grow accustomed to the dark, a stifled scream that won't come out
My eyes slowly adjust to the darkness, but I feel an urge to scream that I cannot contain within me.
There's nothing more to fear from the stranger within
I realize that the source of this strange feeling is now gone, and there is nothing left to be afraid of.
Don't fear the stranger within
The song concludes on a resonant note of not having to fear any stranger within one's own psyche.
I feel the stranger within
I acknowledge my feeling of an alien presence within me.
I see the stranger within
I can almost feel this stranger taking shape and form inside me, visible within my mind's eye.
Don't know the stranger within
I do not understand this stranger, this imposing figure that I feel inside my soul.
I am the stranger within
Finally, I realize that the stranger within me is none other than myself, my darker inner aspects that I was unaware before.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER THOMAS ALLEN, MIDGE URE, 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.