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
Your Name
Ultravox Lyrics
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A misty haze floats round the room
The murmurs make it hard to hear
The voices and the words
The days seem to drag away
My speech is sparse and tends to slur
I wonder what happened to my friend to day
Can't hear the words
[Chorus:]
Your name has slipped my mind again
Your name has slipped my mind again
It's hard to focus in this light
I'm growing warm and feeling dull
The heartbeat pounds with vicious fright
There's something to remember
I clench my fist but feel no sensation
The walls around me spin and sway
A flash back image in my vision
I remember
(Repeat chorus 3 times)
In Ultravox's song "Your Name," the lyrics convey a sense of confusion and disorientation. The singer is experiencing difficulty concentrating, and there is a "misty haze" that seems to impede his vision. He also struggles to hear clearly, as the voices and words around him seem mumbled and indistinct. There is a suggestion that something traumatic has happened to the singer's friend, but he is unable to remember the details or even the friend's name.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of physical and emotional unease. The singer's speech is slurred, and his fists are clenched without any sensation. Meanwhile, his heart is pounding with "vicious fright," creating an atmosphere of tension and anxiety.
Overall, "Your Name" portrays a sense of psychological and emotional turmoil, where the boundaries between reality and memory become blurred, and confusion reigns.
Line by Line Meaning
Something stops me from seeing too clear
An unclear vision is hampering my ability to see properly
A misty haze floats round the room
The presence of a hazy atmosphere is making things unclear
The murmurs make it hard to hear
Whispers and murmurs are creating noise, thus making it difficult to hear anything clearly
The voices and the words
The spoken words are making it harder to remember a specific person's name
The days seem to drag away
The passage of time is slow and uneventful, creating a feeling of lethargy
My speech is sparse and tends to slur
I'm struggling to speak fluently due to possible mental or physical fatigue
I wonder what happened to my friend today
I'm curious and concerned about the well-being of my friend
Can't hear the words
I'm still struggling to hear, possibly due to the presence of noise
Your name has slipped my mind again
I've forgotten your name once more
It's hard to focus in this light
The lighting condition is making it difficult to concentrate
I'm growing warm and feeling dull
A sense of weariness and lethargy is beginning to overwhelm me
The heartbeat pounds with vicious fright
My pulse is racing with a feeling of terror, possibly due to a memory returning
There's something to remember
A vital piece of information is trying to make its way to my consciousness
I clench my fist but feel no sensation
I'm unable to sense things properly, even with physical contact
The walls around me spin and sway
A feeling of dizziness envelops me, causing the surroundings to spin
A flashback image in my vision
A memory from the past is flooding my mind
I remember
I recall the name that I had forgotten earlier
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.