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 Great Outdoors
Ultravox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't follow the shadows
You've given me solid ground
You rise above
All that surrounds you
And I can't believe what I've found
Chorus:
And I am falling through the hands of time
As I discover within my mind
That I, if I can leave the hurt behind
Then what's mine is yours
Save the great outdoors for another time
You've opened my eyes
To a world of intentions
And I've just begin to realise
That so many times
Too many to mention
We let the moment pass us by
(Chorus)
And through all this confusion
We create our own kind
Don't let destiny leave you behind
(Chorus)
The song "The Great Outdoors" by Ultravox is a beautiful tribute to the power of individuality and the importance of seizing the moment. The opening line, "You stand out of the crowd, you don't follow the shadows" immediately sets the tone for the song. The singer is describing someone who is unique and doesn't conform to societal norms. This individual has given the singer "solid ground" and inspires them to rise above their surroundings. The chorus speaks to the fleeting nature of time, how we have to seize the moment and leave our hurt behind in order to fully embrace what is ours. The line "save the great outdoors for another time" reads like a plea to not get caught up in the distractions of the outside world, and instead focus on the present moment and what truly matters.
The second verse continues with this idea of realizing the power of intention in our lives. The singer is opening their eyes to a new way of seeing the world, and they regret all the times they let the moment pass them by. The final line of the verse "too many to mention" reads like a reminder to not get bogged down by the past but to focus on moving forward. The bridge, "and through all this confusion, we create our own kind, don't let destiny leave you behind" speaks to the idea that life can be chaotic and overwhelming at times, but we have the power to shape our own lives and create our own destiny.
Line by Line Meaning
You stand out of the crowd
You are unique and different from others.
You don't follow the shadows
You don't follow the same path as others without knowing why.
You've given me solid ground
You've given me a firm foundation to stand on.
You rise above all that surrounds you
You are able to overcome any obstacles that come your way and be better than your surroundings.
And I can't believe what I've found
I am amazed and grateful for finding someone like you.
And I am falling through the hands of time
I feel like time is slipping away and I cannot control it.
As I discover within my mind
As I explore my thoughts and feelings.
That I, if I can leave the hurt behind
If I can let go of my past pain and move on.
Then what's mine is yours
I am willing to share everything I have with you.
Save the great outdoors for another time
Let's focus on our relationship now and worry about nature later.
You've opened my eyes to a world of intentions
You've shown me a new perspective on life and goals.
And I've just begun to realise
I am just starting to understand.
That so many times, too many to mention
We miss out on opportunities too many times to count.
We let the moment pass us by
We don't take advantage of the present and let it go to waste.
And through all this confusion
Despite all the chaos and disorientation.
We create our own kind
We make our own unique path and identity.
Don't let destiny leave you behind
Don't let fate control your life and make you miss out on opportunities.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
LOL Life
I lovegreat outdoors exploring nature, keep it rolling!
Anthony
Nobody give them a diff in the 90s if they had there might be some more unheard music !
Tartanarmy
pre midge ......no bad ma man
Luiz Henrique
This is not from the 80's. The album is from 1993. But sounds good though, even without Midge.