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
The Frozen Ones
Ultravox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our faces form all our needs
The future's not returning
All bridges built for burning
How can there be anything wrong?
Aren't we the frozen ones?
One day I'll just erase the tape, wave goodbye, and fade away
Get lost in the frost again
Find a sunset, turn away
How can there by anything wrong?
Aren't we the frozen ones?
The frozen ones
The frozen ones
We walk around inside each other visiting the empty rooms
Put me on, I'll put you on too
You knew I'd have to follow you because you saw I'm hollow too
But it's so nice being I too
How can there by anything wrong?
Aren't we the frozen ones?
The frozen ones
The frozen ones
Chorus:
We're nowhere
We don't care who led us here
No-one will care when we're gone
The frozen ones
The frozen ones
Too many pictures on my screen and all of them are screaming at me
Thought I had this insulation
The only way to stop the flood whenever feelings get too real
Is to cut the information
How can there be anything wrong?
Aren't we the frozen ones?
The frozen ones
The frozen ones
(Chorus)
The frozen ones
(Repeat and fade)
In Ultravox's song "The Frozen Ones", the lyrics are filled with language that is both ambiguous and yet laden with imagery that allows listeners to draw their own interpretations. The song opens up with "Marching across our own screens, our faces form all our needs, the future's not returning, all bridges built for burning". These lyrics seem to be commenting on the way in which we create our own image and identity through social media and our obsession with projecting a curated version of ourselves on our own screens. The line "the future's not returning, all bridges built for burning" might suggest that we're all too invested in the present, and we're not thinking long-term anymore.
The rest of the lyrics explore themes of existentialism and alienation. The chorus repeats, "We're nowhere, we don't care who led us here, no-one will care when we're gone, the frozen ones". The repetition of "the frozen ones" seems to refer to how we're all numb and disconnected from one another in our modern, digital world. The line "too many pictures on my screen and all of them are screaming at me" might suggest that we're bombarded with too much information, and it's all contributing to our sense of disconnection and ennui. Overall, "The Frozen Ones" is a haunting and provocative song that prompts listeners to grapple with some of the darker aspects of modern life.
Line by Line Meaning
Marching across our own screens
We are constantly exposed to ourselves and others in the digital age
Our faces form all our needs
Our desires and aspirations are shaped by our digital presence
The future's not returning
The future is uncertain and cannot be predicted or controlled
All bridges built for burning
All connections and relationships are ephemeral and transient
How can there be anything wrong?
We are numb and indifferent to the chaos and uncertainty around us
Aren't we the frozen ones?
We are emotionally detached and desensitized to our surroundings
One day I'll just erase the tape, wave goodbye, and fade away
One day, we will disappear without a trace or significance
Get lost in the frost again
We crave the numbness and detachment that comes with isolation
Clean the ashes of my face at the bottom of your suitcase
We are trying to escape the traces of our past and memories
Find a sunset, turn away
We are seeking distractions and temporary relief from our inner turmoil
We walk around inside each other visiting the empty rooms
We are disconnected from others, even when in close proximity
Put me on, I'll put you on too
We are willing to wear masks and pretend to be someone else to connect with others
You knew I'd have to follow you because you saw I'm hollow too
Others can sense our emptiness and use it to manipulate and control us
But it's so nice being I too
It's comforting to find someone else who is just as lost and hollow as we are
We're nowhere
We are lost and have no direction or purpose
We don't care who led us here
We are apathetic to the causes and consequences of our current state
No-one will care when we're gone
Our existence is insignificant and forgettable
Too many pictures on my screen and all of them are screaming at me
The constant barrage of information and stimuli is overwhelming and distressing
Thought I had this insulation
We thought we were protected and shielded from the chaos and uncertainty of the world
The only way to stop the flood whenever feelings get too real
The only way to cope with overwhelming emotions is to shut down and disconnect
Is to cut the information
We need to limit our exposure to external stimuli to avoid feeling overwhelmed
The frozen ones
We are emotionally numb and disconnected from our surroundings
Chorus:
Repeats the main themes and ideas of the song
Repeat and fade
The song ends on a note of uncertainty and repetition, emphasizing the cyclical and unchanging nature of our detachment and numbness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DENNIS LEIGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
A great Ultravox song.
electra ruby
This album saved me from going under. Jon Foxx's genius is slowly being recognised.
CernoBill
HA ! HA ! HA ! is one of the best works ever made within this movement.
One album that hindered me from cut my story short was Shriekback's "Oil and gold"
Song Shed
If ever there was a band who should've been bigger, it was Ultravox with John Foxx as singer and lyricist.
ADRIAN BERROCAL
Klaus Sperger rip
Alan Rymer
I totally agree, saw these twice in the day, amazing!!
Barry Greenstein
Strangely enough the band was more popular when Midge Ure replaced him and released the Vienna album.
jonathan Steadman
You mean Talk Talk, Mark Hollis was a genius
TheZoltanX
Good thing this has not became food for the masses.
MrEvad65
Brilliant, jaw dropping stuff... This was Ultravox when they were unique, and all conquering... I still listen to this, and think it's amazing. And this unbelievably rare video just has to be seen to be believed... THANK YOU SO MUCH for uploading this!!!!