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 Voice
Ultravox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All speech directed to me
I've heard them once before
I know that feeling
Stranger emotions in mind
Changing the contours I find
I've seen them once before
Chorus:
O O O O
The look and the sound of the voice
O O O O
They try, they try
O O O O
The shape and the power of the voice
O O O O
In strong low tones
Forceful and twisting again
Wasting the perfect remains
I've felt it once before
Slipping over me
(Chorus)
Sweetly the voices decay
Draw on the lines that they say
I'd lost it once before
Now it cries to me
(Chorus)
The Voice by Ultravox is a song that delivers an insightful message about the impact of our communication on others. The lyrics suggest that the power of speech lies within the voice and the emotions that it can evoke in the listener. The first verse and chorus introduce the idea that there is something familiar about the words that the singer is hearing. The repetition of 'I've heard them once before' and the four 'o's of the chorus emphasise the cyclical nature of communication and how it can be unchanging, yet still impactful. The line 'Someone cries to me' implies that there is pain behind the words, and the singer has been brought back to a moment in their past where they've heard similar agony.
Moving to the second verse, the lyrics describe how the emotions conveyed by a voice can be so powerful as to manipulate the listener's feelings, changing them in measurable ways. The descriptor 'forceful and twisting' is a clever use of language that highlights the transforming or warping effect that communication can have on an individual. The chorus repeats, as if to emphasise the importance of the voice's power to sway and control us, drawing us in with its compelling force. The final verse speaks of voices 'decaying,' suggesting perhaps that words or messages that were once meaningful and held power are now becoming less pertinent or fading away in a sense. However, the last line 'Now it cries to me' suggests that the lingering impact of emotional communication is ever-present and can come back in waves, even years later.
Line by Line Meaning
Native these words seem to me
These words are familiar to me, almost like they are a part of my identity or culture.
All speech directed to me
People are always talking to me, trying to communicate their ideas or feelings.
I've heard them once before
I have encountered similar situations or conversations in the past.
I know that feeling
I recognize the emotions or sensations associated with this experience.
Stranger emotions in mind
New, unfamiliar feelings and thoughts are entering my consciousness.
Changing the contours I find
These new emotions and thoughts are altering my perspective or way of thinking.
I've seen them once before
I have experienced similar emotional changes in the past.
Someone cries to me
Someone is trying to communicate their emotions to me in a desperate or urgent manner.
O O O O The look and the sound of the voice O O O O They try, they try O O O O The shape and the power of the voice O O O O In strong low tones
The voice can convey so much meaning and emotion, and people often try to use it to their advantage, especially when it is low and forceful.
Forceful and twisting again
The voice is being used to manipulate or coerce me in some way.
Wasting the perfect remains
Something good or pure is being destroyed or ruined by this manipulation.
I've felt it once before
I have been subjected to this kind of manipulation in the past.
Slipping over me
These manipulative tactics are starting to take hold over me.
Sweetly the voices decay
The tone of the voices becomes softer and more soothing, but it is still trying to manipulate me.
Draw on the lines that they say
They are using carefully crafted words and phrases to draw me in, but they are not being honest or transparent with me.
I'd lost it once before
I was once fooled or manipulated by these tactics.
Now it cries to me
The manipulative voice is calling out to me again, but I am more aware and cautious this time around.
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.