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
Visions in Blue
Ultravox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Caught for a second by the light
Ashes of memories still aglow
Only for you
Portraits and pictures you once saw
Visions in blue
Read while the letters still remain
Sip from the wine of youth again
Only for you
Cast like a shroud you're clutching on
Visions in blue
Catch aimless smiles from passers by
Blistered and broken in reply
Breath seems to mist the hazy view
Only for you
Tears coat your lifeless eyes with dew
Visions in blue
Visions in blue
Ashes of memories still aglow
Portraits and pictures you once saw
Ashes of memories still aglow
Portraits and pictures you once saw
Ashes of memories still aglow
Portraits and pictures you once saw
Face in the window in the night
Caught for a second by the light
Ashes of memories still aglow
Only for you
Portraits and pictures you once saw
Visions in blue
The lyrics of Ultravox's song "Visions in Blue" express a sense of nostalgia and loss. The first verse sets the scene with a face in the window caught in the night's light, representing a fleeting moment that can never be recaptured. The ashes of memories still aglow suggest that these moments are still alive in the mind of the singer. The portraits and pictures that once were seen and the visions in blue refer to the memories and daydreams of a happier time.
The second verse reflects upon the passing of time and the transience of youth. The letters that have been read and the wine that has been drunk cannot be experienced again in the same way. The oaths that were made were done so in silence, kept secret by the singer alone. The visions in blue, however, have remained constant, haunting the singer like a shroud.
The final verse brings the song to a melancholy and poignant conclusion. The aimless smiles of passers-by are blistered and broken, reflecting the singer's own feelings of hurt and isolation. The mist of breath seems to obscure the hazy view, suggesting the singer's confusion and uncertainty about the future. The final line, "tears coat your lifeless eyes with dew, visions in blue," captures the essence of the song, conveying the loneliness and sadness felt by the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Face in the window in the night
Looking out the window with a feeling of loneliness and sadness.
Caught for a second by the light
The brief moments of light passing through emphasize the loneliness felt by the person.
Ashes of memories still aglow
Memories of happier times still linger in the person's mind.
Only for you
The memories and feelings are reserved for only one person.
Portraits and pictures you once saw
Pictures and memories of past loved ones are still vivid in the person's mind, causing pain and longing.
Visions in blue
The memories of lost love are particularly painful, causing the person to see everything in sad blue tones.
Read while the letters still remain
Looking back on past correspondence, trying to hold onto some connection to a lost love.
Sip from the wine of youth again
The person wishes to go back to a time when they were young and in love, hoping to recapture that feeling.
Oaths made in silence still return
Promises made in secret, with no one else to witness, are still kept by the person, even though the other person may have moved on.
Cast like a shroud you're clutching on
Holding onto the memories and feelings like a heavy burden, unable to let go.
Catch aimless smiles from passers by
Seeing happy couples on the street and feeling envious and alone.
Blistered and broken in reply
The person's heart is fragile and easily wounded, causing them to feel broken and damaged when confronted with love.
Breath seems to mist the hazy view
Feeling overwhelmed and foggy-headed, as though nothing is clear anymore.
Tears coat your lifeless eyes with dew
Crying tears of sadness, feeling numb and lifeless without the other person.
Visions in blue
Repeating the chorus, emphasizing the sadness and pain that permeates every thought.
Ashes of memories still aglow
Repeating the phrase from earlier in the song, emphasizing how the memories of the lost love will never fade away completely.
Portraits and pictures you once saw
Repeating the phrase from earlier in the song, emphasizing how the pictures and memories of the lost love will always be a painful reminder of what was lost.
Ashes of memories still aglow
Repeating the phrase from earlier once again, emphasizing the persistent pain and longing felt by the person.
Portraits and pictures you once saw
Repeating the phrase from earlier once again, emphasizing how the memories and images of the lost love continue to haunt the person.
Face in the window in the night
Repeating the first line of the song, bringing the story full circle and emphasizing that the person is still trapped in this painful cycle of longing and sadness.
Caught for a second by the light
Repeating the phrase from earlier, emphasizing how the brief moments of hope and light are not enough to dispel the darkness and pain felt by the person.
Ashes of memories still aglow
Repeating the phrase from earlier once again, emphasizing that the memories and pain will always remain, no matter how hard the person tries to move on.
Only for you
Repeating the phrase from earlier once again, emphasizing that these feelings and memories are reserved for only the person they have lost.
Portraits and pictures you once saw
Repeating the phrase from earlier once again, emphasizing how the memories and images of the loved one continue to haunt the person.
Visions in blue
Repeating the chorus for the final time, emphasizing the all-encompassing sadness and pain felt by the person, and how these feelings will never completely fade away.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER THOMAS ALLEN, MIDGE URE, WARREN REGINALD CANN, WILLIAM CURRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pantera338
U L T R A V O X --- ''Visions in Blue'' ---
Face in the window in the night.
Caught for a second by the light.
Ashes of memories still aglow. (Only for you)
Portraits and pictures you once saw.
Visions in blue.
Read while the letters still remain.
Sip from the wine of youth again.
Oaths made in silence still return. (Only for you)
Cast like a shroud your clutching arm.
Visions in blue.
Catch aimless smiles from passers-by.
Blistered and broken in reply.
Breath seems to mist the hazy view. (Only for you)
Tears coat your lifeless eyes with dew.
Visions in blue.
Visions in blue.
Ashes of…
@gaiafrog
MIdge and Ultravox deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Who agrees?
@maxsamuel1253
Agreed
@lizardlogic2564
Lately, it seems the HOF waits until a band member passes away before induction. It's cruel and criminal. So many in the music industry find the HOF as meaningless.
@richardcochrane1966
And considering his major contribution to Live Aid, where is Midge's bloody knighthood?
@01aleph
Of course I agree
@sampopaakkonen2198
What is this Hall of fame? Who has given them the right to define who is worthy and who is not? I do agree that Ultravox is worthy to be there. However, to me it is absolutely irrelevant. The real Hall Of Fame is in our hearts. And that - at least to me - is the only HOF that matters.
@covidwasacon
What a sad world when songs like this have less views than the absolute dross of the last 20 years... bless anyone who appreciates such masterpieces
@TheWacoKid1963
More like dross of the last 30 years, that is how long music has stood still
@robertk4156
Thank You YT and Black Agenda!!!
@mariesamsung7723
Bin da voll und ganz bei dir! 👍