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Ultravox – The Complete Guide

By Classic Pop | February 7, 2022

From their origins as art-rock innovators with John Foxx to their seminal success as synth-pop saviours with Midge Ure, Ultravox may have changed their sound and their line-up but their ability to produce quality pop was continual… By M ark Lindores

B eginning life in 1973 as Tiger Lily, a glam rock band who wore their influences − Bowie , Roxy Music and the New York Dolls a little too literally, they released just one single, a cover of Fats Waller’s Ain’t Misbehavin’ , before establishing a style of their own, scoring a deal with Island Records and deciding to call themselves Ultravox!

With lead singer/songwriter John Foxx at the helm, the band became known for their off-the-wall lyrics and their willingness to incorporate elements of glam, prog-rock and electronica into their music, assisted by producers such as Brian Eno , Steve Lillywhite and Conny Plank.

Formidable Live Act

However their reputation as a formidable live act failed to translate into commercial success and the departure of John Foxx to pursue a solo career and being dropped by Island Records left Ultravox in a state of limbo at the end of the 1970s.

Following a period in which remaining members had worked with acts they had been an inspiration for (Gary Numan), Ultravox reformed with new recruit, Billy Currie’s Visage bandmate Midge Ure taking over Foxx’s lead singer role.

With a new line-up and new vision in place, the 80s incarnation of Ultravox leaned heavily towards an electronic sound, something that brought them the commercial success that had previously eluded them, with fans seduced by the seminal synths and strings of their defining hit, Vienna .

Excite & Amaze

The new line-up garnered a reputation as being po-faced poseurs by purists alarmed at the reinvented Ultravox’s live act which saw them immobile behind their synthesizers. However, any fans that the band lost due to the changes, they more than made up for, going on to score an incredible run of success, notching up 16 Top 40 singles and 10 Top 40 albums, becoming one of the defining acts of the decade.  

By 1984, inter-band tensions jeopardised their future with Midge’s involvement in Band Aid and Live Aid and solo success proving to be its eventual finale, leaving behind a legacy encompassing both the art-rocker experimentalism of the Foxx era or Ure’s electro-imperialism which continued to excite and inspire fans over four decades later.

However, following the passing of Chris Cross in March 2024, the future of the outfit remains unknown.

Midge Ure led tributes, posting on social media: “We worked together, we played together, made music and directed videos together. We were instant friends as well as Ultravox comrades. Even after years apart we managed to pick up where we left off like the years in between never existed.”

Writing on Facebook , the singer continued: “You were the glue that held the band together. You were the logic in the madness and the madness in our lives. It was great to know and grow with you. You are loved and missed old friend.”

The Must-Have Albums

Ha-ha-ha, 1977.

Bruised by the commercial failure of their debut album, Ultravox! quickly brushed themselves down (it was released just eight months later) and adopted a “what have we got to lose?” attitude which freed them to experiment more with their music, lacing their frantic punky rhythms with electronic flourishes and experimental sounds, with screaming guitars and distorted violins vying for precedence.  

Perhaps sensing the end of punk was in sight, Ultravox!, again with Steve Lillywhite, jumped ship from being part of a dying trend by introducing different styles and influences including hypnotic, robotic beats and atmospheric peaceful waves to ferocious punky pop laden with distortion.

Of the album’s highlights are chugging opener ROckWrok and Fear In The Western World, Distant Smile − with its gorgeous piano intro and The Man Who Dies Every Day , but the best is saved until last with the superbly sparse electro of Hiroshima Mon Amour , a teaser of where the band were heading.

Like its predecessor, the album was a commercial failure on release, its brilliance and originality only realised in hindsight.

Systems Of Romance, 1978

Having failed to achieve any semblance of success outside of their small fanbase, Ultravox took a fresh approach with their third album, discarding the punk and glam influences in favour of a more streamlined, European electronic sound, achieved with the help of Kraftwerk producer Conny Plank.

Recording in Cologne with new guitarist Robin Simon, the band embraced a new approach with the mechanised sounds that had been hinted at on their previous work now brought to the forefront, creating an enveloping wall of sound, at times an interesting juxtaposition with Foxx’s quintessentially British delivery.

Singles Slow Motion and Quiet Men are both highlights, though the album as a whole is cohesive and of consistently high quality with tracks such as Maximum Acceleration, Some Of Them, I Can’t Stay Long and Just For A Moment ranking among their very best.

Quite possibly one of the most underrated and influential albums of all time, Systems Of Romance is an obvious influence on Gary Numan and The Human League , who went on to achieve the success that continued to elude Ultravox at this point.

Vienna, 1980

New line-up, new sound, Vienna was the turning point for Ultravox. Having failed to achieve any commercial success, Island Records released Three Into One, a best-of compilation album and dropped the band. This led to John Foxx and Robin Simon departing the group, leaving them in limbo until Midge Ure joined, marking a new phase in their career.

Now signed to Chrysalis Records and once again with Conny Plank at the helm, Vienna signalled the rebirth of Ultravox, this time with an eye on success, honing their experimental tendencies into mainstream hits with a succession of melodious melodramas, housed in a stylised package featuring the photography of Anton Corbijn and the design of Peter Saville.

At its strongest on New Europeans and the sparse synth-pop of Sleepwalk, Mr X and the title track, Vienna is a snapshot of its time, synonymous with the posturing, preening New Romantics .

Establishing Ultravox as an entirely different beast from the John Foxx years, Vienna gave them the chart success they had craved reaching No.3 in the chart.

Lament, 1984

Having adopted a rockier element to their sound on 1982’s Quartet , by 1984 they expanded those influences into a more traditional rock/pop direction, mirroring the career paths of fellow art-poppers-turned-stadium rockers U2 and Simple Minds .  

While songs such as the title track, One Small Day, When The Time Comes and A Friend I Call Desire are all personal tales of break-ups, depression and feelings of inadequacy, the band also incorporated global affairs on tracks such as White China, Man Of Two Worlds, Heart Of The Country , which dealt with issues affecting China and Scotland while the album’s biggest hit Dancing With Tears In My Eyes considered the prospect of nuclear war.  

Despite being one of their more harmonious records, Lament belied the behind-the-scenes tensions within the band. When Midge Ure co-wrote and produced Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? later that year, they were barely speaking and Warren Cann and Billy Currie weren’t invited to the recording of the song. With a title that proved prophetic, Lament was, in many ways, their swansong.

And The Rest…

Ultravox, 1977.

Having established a reputation as a solid live act, the yet-to-be-named Ultravox! signed to Island Records in 1976 and began work on their debut album, much of which had already been written while the band were functioning as Tiger Lily.

Influenced by fellow art-school rockers Bowie and Roxy Music, Ultravox!, together with producer Steve Lillywhite, crafted a set of songs bristling with a punky/glam fervour in line with their heroes.

While Eno’s involvement has been subsequently overplayed (he was enlisted initially as a “name” to get the band noticed), the album’s helmsman is undoubtedly John Foxx, whose vulnerable voice and lyrics bring to life the tales of alienation, destruction and disillusionment resulting in a promising debut, particularly Wide Boys, My Sex, The Wild, The Beautiful And The Damned and I Want To Be A Machine.

Rage In Eden, 1981

Having finally broken through to the mainstream with Vienna, Ultravox continued their run of success, both creatively and commercially, with Rage In Eden . While the previous album had been a relative breeze, Rage In Eden was a much more prolonged affair, taking three months to complete.

As well as feeling pressure at the prospect of repeating or topping Vienna, Midge and Billy were still working with Visage and Warren Cann suffered a broken arm in a car crash.

Once again produced by Conny Plank, the album came from the same sonic palette as its predecessor, hooky-synth-pop with cinematic flair. Opener The Voice set the bar high, matched only by the upbeat I Remember (Death In The Afternoon) . The absence of an instrumental is compensated for by many tracks akin to extended versions.

Quartet, 1982

Firmly established as one of the leading lights of the synth-pop scene, 1982’s Quartet was a major departure for the band, heading in a rockier direction, which Midge Ure claimed was as much to keep things interesting for the band as it was for their fans. Following three albums with Conny Plank, Ultravox enlisted George Martin to steer them in their new direction. Martin agreed to work with them as his daughter was a fan.

Much lighter in tone than Ultavox’s previous two albums, Quartet dispensed with the experimental arrangements keeping the songs to the point with mixed results. Visions In Blue, Hymn, Reap The Wild Wind and We Came To Dance are among the highlights, the latter an ode to the New Romantic movement. The shift in style proved successful with Quartet becoming the band’s biggest seller internationally.

Brilliant, 2012

A full 28 years after the Lament album, the “classic” (ie. the Vienna -era) line-up of the group reformed for the Return To Eden Tour. Originally planned as a one-off venture, the tour’s success was the catalyst for the band getting together in the studio to see if they could write and record new material without past problems resurfacing. 2012’s Brilliant was the result.  

While not quite living up to its title, Brilliant did contain some tracks which stood up next to vintage Ultravox, namely Rise, Flow, Live and the title track. Unfortunately, they fail to maintain momentum and the album suffers from too many overwrought ballads.

Always a band that prided itself on being unique, on Brilliant Ultravox managed to retain their identity without ever falling into the trap of creating a pastiche of former glories.

The Essential Singles

Young Savage, 1977

Unsettled by the failure of their debut album, Ultravox! immediately headed back into the studio, experimenting with various styles and sounds in preparation for what would become their second album, Ha! Ha! Ha! Though Young Savage didn’t make the final tracklisting of the album, it served as a taster of the direction in which the band were headed.

Despite the inclusion of a psychedelic keyboard line from Billy Currie, Young Savage is a straight-up punk song with a lyric so poetic it makes the underbelly of society sound romanticised. With its infectious guitar riff, Young Savage has remained a fan favourite and was always a frenzied highlight of their gigs, though it was also the moment where one of the most unpleasant audience rituals was at its zenith – being the point in the set where the audience would spit at the band to show their appreciation.

ROckWrok, 1977

Released in October 1977 as the lead single from the Ha! Ha! Ha! album, ROckWrok (its unique spelling using random capitalisation was insisted on by John Foxx as that’s how he’d written the title while composing the song) is a Roxy Music -inspired slice of glam rock based on a beat “borrowed” from Chubby Checker’s Let’s Twist Again and achieved the rare feat of garnering airplay on Radio 1 despite featuring the F-word in the chorus – inaudible to the censors apparently due to John Foxx’s vocal delivery.

Even more impressive than ROckWrok itself was its B-side, an early version of Hiroshima Mon Amor , a song which was rearranged in its more electronic form for the album after the band began using the Roland TR-77 drum machine. Based on the 1959 French film of the same name, the rockier, demo version of the track is favoured by fans over the album version.

Sleepwalk, 1980

The first single from the Vienna album, Sleepwalk is the song that jump-started Ultravox’s career. Following three brilliant though unsuccessful albums with John Foxx and being dropped by Island Records, Ultravox regrouped with Midge Ure and adopted a more electro sound.

Sleepwalk was the song that secured them their deal with Chrysalis. Having been asked to submit a demo cassette, rather than record three demo tracks, the band made the decision to fully realise one track instead. Again with Conny Plank on production duties, the band went into the studio and wrote, recorded, mixed and mastered Sleepwalk and submitted that to Chrysalis.

As the first song completed in their new line-up it was a natural choice for opening the Vienna album and as its first single. Released in June 1980, Sleepwalk gave Ultravox their first chart success, reaching No.29.

Vienna, 1981

Ultravox’s signature song, Vienna spent four weeks at No.2 in January 1981 − famously held off the top of the charts by John Lennon’s Woman and Joe Dolce’s Shaddup You Face . The song has regularly topped polls as the greatest song to stall at No.2 in the charts.

Widely believed to have been inspired by the 1948 film The Third Man , Midge Ure has since revealed that he made that story up and the song is actually about a holiday romance he’d had. Released as the third single from the Vienna album, the band had to fight to have it released as a single.

“We knew it was the musical high point of the album and were determined that it would be a single and fought with Chrysalis over it,” says Warren Cann. “They thought it was far too long at six minutes, too weird for a Top 30 chart hit, and too depressing and too slow.”

As tensions between the band members continued to marr the recording sessions of 1982’s Quartet album, Midge Ure later claimed that producer George Martin “smoothed things over”.  

Feeling their sound and process of working was becoming stagnant, Quartet saw Ultravox attempt to shake things up, replacing Conny Plank with the aforementioned Martin steering them to a much more polished, expansive sound.

Hymn, the second and most successful single from the album dealt lyrically with self-realisation, corruption and the struggle to hold on to faith in an increasingly faithless society, emphasised by paraphrasing the Bible and its terminology in its lyrics.  

Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, 1984

Ultravox scored their second biggest hit with 1984’s Dancing With Tears In My Eyes , the second single released from the Lament album. While impending gloom had been a consistent theme in some of the band’s lyrics up to this point, Dancing With Tears In My Eyes brought it to the forefront, setting the song in the face of an impending nuclear disaster – their social commentary being a key factor of Bob Geldof approaching Midge to co-write and produce the Band Aid single.

The song eloquently evokes a man taking comfort in the memory of a night spent with the love of his life while he awaits the inevitability of his life ending. It reached No.3 in the UK and was their final Top 10 hit.

Want to read more? Check out our Ultravox Album By Album Guide

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Privacy Overview

• View history
• Dennis Leigh - vocals
• Chris St. John (born Christopher Allen) - bass
• Stevie Shears - guitar
• Chris St. John - bass
• Warren Cann - drums
• William Currie - violin, keyboards

August 24, 1974 Marquee, London, ENG

• Dennis Leigh (changes name to John Foxx) - vocals
• Chris St. John (changes name to Chris Cross) - bass
• Billy Currie - violin/keyboards

August 29, 1975 Bettina's, London, ENG

September 28, 1975 Pied Bull, London, ENG

• Warren Cann
• Chris Cross
• Billy Currie
• Stevie Shears

November 2, 1976 Nashville Room, London, ENG

November 9, 1976 Nashville Room, London, ENG

December 4, 1976 Sports Centre, Milton Keynes, ENH

December 7, 1976 Nashville Room, London, ENG

December 10, 1976 Colston Hall, Bristol, ENG

December 11, 1976 Skindles, Maidenhead, ENG

December 12, 1976 Top Rank, Cardiff, WAL

December 17, 1976 Playhouse, Edinburgh, SCOT

December 18, 1976 Liverpool Stadium, Liverpool, ENG

December 19, 1976 Apollo, Glasgow, SCOT

December 20, 1976 Town Hall, Birmingham, ENG

December 22, 1976 Brangwn Hall, Swansea, WAL

January 21, 1977 Leeds University, Leeds, ENG

January 28, 1977 Southampton University, Southampton, ENG

January 31, 1977 Nashville Room, London, ENG

February 5, 1977 Nottingham University, Nottingham, ENG

February 9, 1977 Town Hall, Middlesbrough, ENG

February 19, 1977 Rainbow, London, ENG

February 25, 1977 Marquee, London, ENG

February 26, 1977 LSE Old Theatre, London, ENG

March 6, 1977 Red Cow, London, ENG

March 22, 1977 Grey Topper, Jacksdale, ENG

March 24, 1977 Red Deer, Croydon, ENG

March 25, 1977 Marquee, London, ENG

March 26, 1977 Electric Circus, Manchester, ENG

March 28, 1977 Toby Jug, Tolworth, ENG

March 29, 1977 Railway Hotel, Putney, ENG

March 30, 1977 The Affair, Swindon, ENG

April 1, 1977 76 Club, Dudley, ENG

April 2, 1977 Eric's, Liverpool, ENG

April 3, 1977 Top Rank, Sheffield, ENG

April 4, 1977 Tiffany's, Edinburgh, SCOT

April 9, 1977 Priory Hotel, Scunthorpe, ENG

April 11, 1977 Rock Garden, London, ENG

April 12, 1977 Top Rank, Brighton, ENG

April 13, 1977 Club Lafayette, Wolverhampton, ENG

April 15, 1977 Marquee, London, ENG

April 16, 1977 Rock Gardens, Middlesbrough, ENG

April 19-23, 1977 Club Gibus, Paris, FRA

April 24, 1977 Rockin' Club, Brussels, BEL

April 26-May 1, 1977 (Dutch Tour)

May 2, 1977 Music Machine, London, ENG

May 12, 1977 Marquee, London, ENG

May 13, 1977 JB's, Dudley, ENG

May 19, 1977 Rebecca's, Birmingham, ENG

May 26-27, 1977 Marquee, London, ENG

June 3, 1977 The Outlook, Doncaster, ENG

June 12, 1977 Marquee, London, ENG

June 16, 1977 Marquee, London, ENG

June 17, 1977 City Hall, St. Albans, ENG

June 23, 1977 Tiffany's, Newcastle, ENG

June 24, 1977 Penthouse, Scarborough, ENG

June 26, 1977 Eric's, Liverpool, ENG

June 28, 1977 Tiffany's, Shrewsbury, ENG

June 30, 1977 Marquee, London, ENG

July 1, 1977 Leeds Polytechnic, Leeds, ENG

July 2, 1977 Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, ENG

July 3, 1977 Castaways, Plymouth, ENG

July 4, 1977 Top Of The World, Stafford, ENG

July 14, 1977 Marquee, London, ENG

July 28, 1977 Marquee, London, ENG

August 21, 1977 Weilerbahn Club, Oostende, BEL (Cancelled)

August 26, 1977 Marquee, London, ENG

August 27, 1977 Reading, ENG (Reading Festival 1977)

September 17, 1977 Electric Circus, Manchester, ENG (Cancelled)

September 23, 1977 Eric's, Liverpool, ENG

September 24, 1977 Winter Gardens, Malvern, ENG

September 25, 1977 Town Hall, Middlesbrough, ENG

September 26, 1977 The Outlook, Doncaster, ENG (Cancelled)

September 28, 1977 Locarno, Coventry, ENG

September 30-October 1, 1977 Barbarella's, Birmingham, ENG

October 2, 1977 Chancellor Hall, Chelmsford, ENG

October 3, 1977 Brunel Rooms, Swindon, ENG

October 4, 1977 Leeds Polytechnic, Leeds, ENG

October 6, 1977 Huddersfield Polytechnic, Huddersfield, ENG

October 7, 1977 Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, SCOT (Cancelled)

October 9, 1977 Roundhouse, London, ENG

October 19, 1977 Radiohuset, Stockholm, SWE

October 20, 1977 Göta Lejon, Stockholm, SWE

October 21, 1977 Dad's Dancehall, Malmo, SWE

November 11, 1977 Nottingham University, Nottingham, ENG

November 21, 1977 Maida Vale 4, London, ENG

December 31, 1977 Marquee, London, ENG

January 20, 1978 Mayfair Ballroom, Newcastle, ENG

January 21, 1978 Music Hall, Aberdeen, SCOT

January 22, 1978 Apollo, Glasgow, SCOT

January 23, 1978 Clouds, Edinburgh, SCOT

January 24, 1978 Market Hall, Carlisle, ENG

January 27, 1978 Middleton Town Hall, Manchester, ENG

January 28, 1978 Lads Club, Norwich, ENG

January 29, 1978 Greyhound, Croydon, ENG

January 31, 1978 Locarno, Coventry, ENG

February 4, 1978 Barbarella's, Birmingham, ENG

February 5, 1978 Coatham Bowl, Redcar, ENG (supported by The Doll)

February 6, 1978 Top Of The World, Stafford, ENG (supported by The Doll)

February 9, 1978 Rafters, Manchester, ENG

February 10, 1978 Eric's, Liverpool, ENG

February 11-13, 1978 Marquee, London, ENG (12th & 13th cancelled after Stevie Shears left the band)

• Robin Simon

February 27, 1978 Gustav Siegle Haus, Stuttgart, GER

February 28, 1978 Down Town, Munich, GER

March 1, 1978 Scheffelhalle, Singen, GER

March 2, 1978 Universität, Tubingen, GER

March 3, 1978 Elzer Hof, Mainz, GER

March 4, 1978 Two Act, Weibenohe, GER

March 6, 1978 Kant Kino, Berlin, GER

March 7, 1978 Onkel PÖ, Hamburg, GER

March 11, 1978 Theatre 140, Brussels, BEL

August 19-23, 1978 Marquee, London, ENG

August 25, 1978 Reading, ENG (Reading Festival 1978)

September 2, 1978 Canet De Mar, Barcelona, ENG

September 12, 1978 77 Club, Nuneaton, ENG

September 15, 1978 Penthouse, Scarborough, ENG

September 16, 1978 A.J.s, Lincoln, ENG

September 17, 1978 Coatham Bowl, Redcar, ENG

September 18, 1978 The Outlook, Doncaster, ENG

September 20, 1978 The Sandpiper, Nottingham, ENG

September 21, 1978 The Limit, Sheffield, ENG

September 22, 1978 Porterhouse, Retford, ENG

September 23, 1978 Eric's, Liverpool, ENG

September 25, 1978 Circles, Swansea, WAL

September 27, 1978 Stowaway, Newport, WAL

September 28, 1978 Metro, Plymouth, ENG

September 29, 1978 Yate Centre, Bristol, ENG

September 30, 1978 City Hall, St. Albans, ENG

October 1, 1978 Chancellor Hall, Chelmsford, ENG

October 2, 1978 The Fan Club, Leeds, ENG

October 3, 1978 Barbarella's, Birmingham, ENG

October 4, 1978 Polytechnic, Preston, ENG

October 5, 1978 Winter Gardens, Cleethorpes, ENG

October 6, 1978 Factory, Manchester, ENG

October 7, 1978 Unity Hall, Eakefield, ENG

October 8, 1978 Stage Coach, Dumfries, SCOT ?

October 8, 1978 Samantha's, Dundee, SCOT

October 9, 1978 Town Hall, Grangemouth, SCOT (supported by Simple Minds)

October 10, 1978 Astoria, Edinburgh, SCOT

October 11, 1978 Ruffles, Aberdeen, SCOT

October 12, 1978 Kinema Ballroom, Dunfermline, SCOT

October 13, 1978 Rock Garden, Middlesbrough, ENG

October 14, 1978 Friars, Aylesbury, ENG

October 21, 1978 Audimax, Bielefeld, GER

October 23, 1978 Schwabinger Bräu, Munich, GER

October 26, 1978 Volksbildungsheim, Frankfurt GER

October 27, 1978 Turnhalle, Ulm, GER

October 28, 1978 Two Act, Weibenohe, GER

October 30, 1978 Gustav Siegle Haus, Stuttgart, GER

October 31, 1978 Otto Berndt Halle, Darmstadt, GER

November 3, 1978 Münsterlandhalle, Munster, GER

November 4, 1978 Ball Pompös, Kiel, GER

November 5, 1978 Markthalle, Hamburg, GER

November 7-8, 1978 Kant Kino, Berlin, GER

November 9, 1978 Bürgerhaus, Braunschweig, GER

November 11, 1978 Hyde Park, Osnabruck, GER

November 12, 1978 Aula der Universität, Saarbrucken, GER

November 13, 1978 Cultural Centre, Chenee, BEL

November 14, 1978 Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, BEL

November 16, 1978 The Nashville, Paris, FRA

December 6, 1978 Top Rank, Reading, ENG (Cancelled)

December 7, 1978 Wolverhampton  Polytechnic, Wolverhampton, ENG (supported by The Snips)

December 8, 1978 Technical College, Southend, ENG (Cancelled)

December 9, 1978 County Ground, Northampton, ENG

December 10, 1978 Lyceum, London, ENG

December 12, 1978 The Gig, Birmingham, ENG (Cancelled)

December 13, 1978 Manchester Polytechnic, Manchester, ENG (Cancelled)

December 14, 1978 Leeds Polytechnic, Leeds, ENG (Cancelled)

December 15, 1978 Liverpool Polytechnic, Liverpool, ENG (Cancelled)

December 16, 1978 Shuffles, Glasgow, SCOT (Cancelled)

December 17, 1978 Clouds, Edinburgh, SCOT (Cancelled)

December 18, 1978 Town Hall, Grangemouth, ENG (Cancelled)

December 19, 1978 Tiffany's, Blackpool, ENG (Cancelled)

December 26, 1978 Marquee, London, ENG

February 23-24, 1979 Hot Club, Philadelphia, PA

February 25, 1979 Atlantis Club, Washington, DC

February 27-March 1, 1979 Hurrah's, New York City, NY

March 2-3, 1979 Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA

March 4, 1979 Stage One, Buffalo, NY

March 5-7, 1979 The Edge, Toronto, ON

March 8, 1979 Bookies 870 Club Detroit, MI

March 9, 1979 Gaspar's, Chicago, IL

March 10, 1979 Grinnell College, Grinnell, IL

March 12, 1979 University Of California, Davis, CA

March 13, 1979 Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA

March 15-17, 1979 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA

March 18, 1979 Squeeze's Place, Riverside, CA

March 19, 1979 Cuckoo's Nest, Costa Mesa, CA

March 20, 1979 Fleetwood Club, Redondo Beach, CA

November 1, 1979 Cascade, Shrewsbury, ENG (supported by Last Gang)

November 2, 1979 Eric's, Liverpool, ENG (supported by Modern Airs)

November 3, 1979 Porterhouse, Retford, ENG

November ?, 1979 Caird Hall, Dundee, SCOT

Ultravox US Tour 1979

November 9-10, 1979 Hot Club, Philadephia (supported by The Cheaters)

November 11, 1979 My Father’s Place, Roslyn, NY

November 13, 1979 Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA

November 14, 1979 Hurrah, New York City, NY (supported by Dark Day)

November 16-17, 1979 Paradise Theater, Boston, MA (supported by The Motels)

November 19, 1979 80's Club, Ottawa, ON

November 22-23, 1979 Bookies, Detroit, MI

November 26, 1979 Harry Hopes, Cary, IL

November 27, 1979 Park West, Chicago, IL (supported by The Motels)

November 28, 1979 B'Ginnings, Schaumburg, IL

November 29, 1979 Palms, Milwaukee, WI

November ?, 1979 Euphoria, Portland, OR

December 4, 1979 Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA (2 shows)

December 5, 1979 Lawrence Opera House, Kansas City, KS (supporting The Buzzcocks)

December 6, 1979 Norman Boomer Theatre, Oklahoma City, OK (supporting The Buzzcocks)

December 8, 1979 Agora Ballroom, Atlanta, GA (supported by New Blood)

December ?, 1979 University of Maryland, College Park, MD

December 12-13, 1979 Irving Plaza Club 57, New York City, NY

December 14, 1979 Dooley’s, Phoenix, AZ

December 18, 1979 Squeeze, Riverside, CA

December 27, 1979 Cuckoo's Nest, Costa Mesa, CA

December 28-31, 1979 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA (supported by (30th) Great Buildings & (31st) Alleycats)

January 4, 1980 The Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA ?

February 1, 1980 Electric Ballroom, London, England

February 23-24, 1980 Hot Club, Philadelphia, PA (2 shows each night)

February 25, 1980 9:30 Club, Washington, DC (2 shows)

February 27-March 1, 1980 Hurrah's, New York City, NY (2 shows on 27th & 28th)

March 2-3, 1980 Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA (2 shows each night)

March 4, 1980 Stage One, Buffalo, NY (2 shows)

March 5-7, 1980 The Edge, Toronto, ON

March 8, 1980 Bookies, Detroit, MI

March 9, 1980 Gaspars, Chicago, IL (2 shows)

March 10, 1980 Grinnel College, Grinnel, IA

March 12, 1980 University of California, Davis, CA

March 13-14, 1980 The Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA (2 shows each night)

March 15-17, 1980 Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA (2 shows each night)

March 18, 1980 The Squeeze, Riverdale, CA (2 shows)

March 19, 1980 Cuckoo's Nest, Costa Mesa, CA

March 20, 1980 The Fleetwood, Redondo Beach, CA

August 1, 1980 Top Rank, Cardiff, WAL

August 2, 1980 Drill Hall, Lincoln, ENG

August 3, 1980 King George's Hall, Blackburn, ENG

August 4, 1980 Rotters, Doncaster, ENG

August 5, 1980 Rotter's Club, Liverpool, ENG

August 6, 1980 Town Hall, Torquay, ENG

August 7, 1980 Pavilion, Bath, ENG

August 8, 1980 Unity Hall, Wakefield, ENG

August 9, 1980 Ajanta Cinema, Derby, ENG

August 10, 1980 Jenkinson's Bar, Brighton, ENG

August 12, 1980 Tiffany's, Coventry, ENG

August 13, 1980 Mayflower Club, Manchester, ENG

August 15, 1980 Cedar Club, Birmingham, ENG

August 16, 1980 City Hall, St. Albans, ENG

August 17, 1980 Lyceum, London, ENG

August 19, 1980 Town Hall, Torquay, ENG

August 21, 1980 Theatre Royal, Nottingham, ENG

August 23, 1980 Caird Hall, Dundee, SCOT

August 24, 1980 Fusion Club, Aberdeen, SCOT

August 25, 1980 Tiffany's, Edinburgh, SCOT

August 26, 1980 Tiffany's, Glasgow, SCOT

August 27, 1980 Mayflower Club, Manchester, ENG

50 gigs were then played during September, October and November. Dates given below are the only ones known:-

September 15, 1980 Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC

September 19, 1980 The Stone, San Francisco, CA

September 24, 1980 San Diego, CA

September 29, 1980 Opera House, Lawrence, KS

October 4, 1980 Ole Man River's, Avondale, LA

October 22, 1980 J.B. Scott's, Albany, NY

October 23, 1980 Auditorium Le Plateau, Montreal, QC

October 24, 1980 Carleton University Main Hall, Ottawa, ON

October 26, 1980 Palais Royale Ballroom, Toronto, ON

October 29, 1980 Main Act, Roseville, MI (supported by Fischer Z)

October 30, 1980 Park West, Chicago, IL

November 4, 1980 Mabel's, Champaign, IL

November 5, 1980 Cincinnati, OH

November 7-8, 1980 Irving Plaza, New York City, NY

December 4, 1980 Empire Theatre, Liverpool, ENG

December 5, 1980 Apollo, Manchester, ENG

December 6, 1980 Odeon, Birmingham, ENG

December 7, 1980 Lancaster University, Lancaster, ENG

December 8, 1980 Odeon, Edinburgh, SCOT

December 10, 1980 Top Rank, Brighton, ENG

December 11, 1980 Gaumont Theatre, Southampton, ENG

December 12, 1980 Odeon, Canterbury, ENG

December 13, 1980 Hammersmith Odeon, London, ENG (supported by Fatal Charm)

A European Tour was undertaken early in 1981. No details available except that one gig was played in Vienna, Austria.

January 14, 1981 Paris Theatre, London, ENG

February 14, 1981 Rainbow, London, ENG

June 13, 1981 Crystal Palace Bowl, London, ENG (Summer in the City 1981)

June 16, 1981 Jaap Edenhal, Amsterdam, NED

September 23, 1981 City Hall, Sheffield, ENG

September 24, 1981 City Hall, Newcastle, ENG

September 25, 1981 Apollo, Glasgow, SCOT

September 26, 1981 Odeon, Edinburgh, SCOT

September 28-29, 1981 Apollo, Manchester, ENG

September 30-October 1, 1981 Empire Theatre, Liverpool, ENG

October 3-4, 1981 Odeon, Birmingham, ENG

October 5-6, 1981 Colston Hall, Bristol, ENG

October 7, 1981 Guildhall, Portsmouth, ENG

October 8, 1981 Brighton Centre, Brighton, ENG

October 10, 1981 Gaumont Theatre, Ipswich, ENG

October 11, 1981 Arts Centre, Poole, ENG

October 12, 1981 Apollo, Oxford, ENG

October 13, 1981 Cornwall Coliseum, St. Austell, ENG

October 15-18, 1981 Hammersmith Odeon, London, ENG

November 2, 1981 Palasport, Rimini, ITY

November 15, 1981 Lisebergshallen, Gothenburg, SWE

November 16, 1981 Falconer Salen, Copenhagen, DEN

November 20, 1981 Koninklijk Circus, Brussels, BEL

November 23, 1981 Theater des Westens, Berlin, GER

November 27, 1981 Rhein-Main Halle, Wiesbaden, GER

December 2, 1981 Koninklijk Theater Carré, Amsterdam, NED

December 3, 1981 Palazzo dello Sport, Rome, ITY

December 6, 1981 PalaLido, Milan, ITY

December 10, 1981 Palais d'Hiver, Lyon, FRA

December 11, 1981 Captain Video, Paris, FRA

December 20, 1981 Coliseum, London, ENG

January 29, 1982 Festival Farm, Pukekawa, NZ (Sweetwaters Music Festival 1982)

February 5, 1982 Palais Theatre, Melbourne, AUS

February 8, 1982 Capitol Theatre, Sydney, AUS

February 12, 1982 Festival Theatre, Brisbane, AUS

February 21, 1982 Aichi Kousei Nenkin Kaikan, Nagoya, JPN

February 22, 1982 Festival Hall, Osaka, JPN

February 23, 1982 Kousei Nenkin Kaikan, Tokyo, JPN

February 24, 1982 Kousei Nenkin Kaikan, Tokyo, JPN

February 25, 1982 Nakano Sunplaza, Tokyo, JPN

November 10-11, 1982 SFX Hall, Dublin, IRE

November 12, 1982 Maysfield Leisure Centre, Belfast, NI (2 shows)

November 14, 1982 Caird Hall, Dundee, SCOT

November 15, 1982 City Hall, Newcastle, ENG

November 16, 1982 City Hall, Newcastle, ENG

November 17, 1982 Playhouse, Edinburgh, SCOT

November 18, 1982 Apollo Theatre, Glasgow, SCOT

November 20-21, 1982 Gaumont Theatre, Ipswich, ENG

November 22, 1982 Gloucester Leisure Centre, Gloucester, ENG

November 23, 82 De Montfort Hall, Leicester, ENG

November 24, 1982 Apollo, Manchester, ENG (2 shows)

November 25, 1982 City Hall, Sheffield, ENG

November 27, 1982 Opera House, Blackpool, ENG

November 28, 1982 Empire Theatre, Liverpool, ENG (2 shows)

November 29, 1982 Odeon, Birmingham, ENG (2 shows)

November 30, 1982 Brighton Centre, Brighton, ENG

December 2-5, 1982 Hammersmith Odeon, London, ENG

December 11, 1982 Gaumont Theatre, Southampton, ENG (2 shows)

December 12, 1982 Apollo, Oxford, ENG

December 13, 1982 Royal Centre, Nottingham, ENG

December 15, 1982 Showering Pavilion, Shepton Mallet, ENG

December 16, 1982 Arts Centre, Poole, ENG

December 18, 1982 Cornwall Coliseum, St. Austell, ENG

January 12, 1983 Apollo Theatre, Glasgow, SCOT

January 17, 1983 Casino de Paris, Paris, FRA

January 19, 1983 Maison des Sports, Clermont-Ferrand, FRA

January 22, 1983 Lyon, FRA

January 23, 1983 Liederhalle, Stuttgart, GER

January 24, 1983 Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt, GER

January 25, 1983 Rosengarten, Mannheim, GER

January 26, 1983 Deutsches Museum, Munich, GER

January 29, 1983 Messehalle, Hamburg, GER

January 30, 1983 Grugahalle, Essen, GER

January 31, 1983 Theater des Westens, Berlin, GER

February 4, 1983 Johanneshov Isstadion, Stockholm, SWE

February 5, 1983 Falconer Salen, Copenhagen, DEN

March 28, 1983 Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, NY

March 30, 1983 Massey Hall, Toronto, ON

March 31, 1983 Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI

April 1, 1983 Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL

April 7, 1983 Kabuki Theater, San Francisco, CA

April 8, 1983 Perkins Palace, Pasadena, CA

The USA Quartet (Monument) Tour.

20 dates were played commencing around April time.

April 26-27, 1983 Nakano Sunplaza, Tokyo, JPN

April 28, 1983 Yuubin Chokin Hall, Tokyo, JPN

April 29-30, 1983 Shibuya Koukaidou, Tokyo, JPN

May 2, 1983 Kousei Nenkin Kaikan, Osaka, JPN

May 3, 1983 Fukuoka Yuubin Chokin Hall, Fukuoka, JPN

May 4, 1983 Nagoya Shimin Kaikan, Nagoya, JPN

May 14, 1983 Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, GER (Rock Pop in Concert 1983 #2)

April 25, 1984 Studio 54, Barcelona, SPA

April 26, 1984 Auditorium Pacha, Valencia, SPA

April 27, 1984 Pabellón de la Ciudad Deportiva del Real Madrid, Madrid, SPA

April 28, 1984 Polideportivo Anoeta, San Sebastian, SPA

May 1, 1984 CCH-Saal 1, Hamburg, GER

May 2, 1984 Kuppelsaal, Hanover, GER

May 3, 1984 ICC, Berlin, GER

May 5, 1984 Beethovenhalle, Bonn, GER

May 6, 1984 Liederhalle, Stuttgart, GER

May 7, 1984 Philipshalle, Düsseldorf, GER

May 8, 1984 Circus Krone, Munich, GER

May 9, 1984 Mozartsaal Im Rosengarten, Mannheim, GER

May 10, 1984 Stadthalle, Offenbach, GER

May 11, 1984 Stadthalle, Erlangen, GER

May 12, 1984 Zurich, SUI

May 13, 1984 Le Zénith, Paris, FRA

May 16-17, 1984 Apollo, Glasgow, SCOT

May 18-19, 1984 City Hall, Newcastle, ENG

May 21-22, 1984 Apollo, Manchester, ENG

May 24-26, 1984 Hippodrome, Bristol, ENG

May 27, 1984 Brighton Centre, Brighton, ENG

May 29-30, 1984 Gaumont Theatre, Southampton, ENG

May 31-June 2, 1984 Odeon, Birmingham, ENG

June 3-5, 1984 Royal Centre, Nottingham, ENG

June 6-10, 1984 Hammersmith Odeon, London, ENG

July 19, 1984 The Warfield, San Francisco, CA

September 7, 1984 Palazzo dello Sport, Genoa, ITY

September 10, 1984 Teatro Tenda Lampugnano, Milan, ITY

September 16, 1984 Auditoire Paul-Emile Janson, Brussels, BEL

September 18, 1984 Muziekcentrum Vredenburg, Utrecht, NED

September 21, 1984 Falkoner Teatret, Copenhagen, DEN

September 22, 1984 Scandinavium, Gothenburg, SWE

September 23, 1984 Konserthuset, Stockholm, SWE

September 27, 1984 Dominion Theatre, London, ENG

July 13, 1985 Wembley Stadium, London, England ( Live Aid )

October 23, 1986 Hala Olivia, Gdańsk, POL

October 24, 1986 Hala Torwar, Warsaw, POL

October 25, 1986 Dom Muzyki i Tańca, Zabrze, POL

October 26, 1986 Opole, POL

October 27, 1986 Hala Ludowa, Wrocław, POL

November 1, 1986 Barrowlands, Glasgow, SCOT

November 2-3, 1986 Playhouse, Edinburgh, SCOT

November 4, 1986 Ice Rink, Whitley Bay, ENG

November 5-6, 1986 Wembley Arena, London, ENG

November 6, 1986 Wembley Arena, London, ENG

November 7-8, 1986 NEC Arena, Birmingham, ENG

November 10, 1986 St. David's Hall, Cardiff, WAL

November 11, 1986 Cornwall Coliseum, St. Austell, ENG

November 12, 1986 Brighton Centre, Brighton, ENG

November 13, 1986 Arts Centre, Poole, ENG

November 14, 1986 Apollo, Oxford, ENG

November 17, 1986 Palasport, Modena, ITY

November 18, 1986 PalaRuffini, Turin, ITY

November 19, 1986 Teatro Tenda, Florence, ITY

November 20, 1986 Teatro Tenda, Rome, ITY

November 21, 1986 Teatro Tenda, Naples, ITY

November 23, 1986 Tur Sports Centre, Taranto, ITY

November 24, 1986 Palasport, Chieti, ITY

November 25, 1986 Palasport, Padua, ITY

November 26, 1986 Rolling Stone, Milan, ITY

November 27, 1986 Palasport, Gorizia, ITY

November 29, 1986 Concert Halle, Vienna, AUT

November 30, 1986 Posthof, Linz, AUT

December 1, 1986 Alte Oper, Frankfurt, GER

December 2, 1986 Knopf's Music Hall, Hamburg, GER

December 3, 1986 Metropol, Berlin, GER

December 4, 1986 Capitol, Hanover, GER

December 5, 1986 Philipshalle, Düsseldorf, GER

December 7, 1986 Kongresshaus Stadthalle, Heidelberg, GER

December 8, 1986 Deutsches Museum, Munich, GER

December 10, 1986 Liederhalle, Stuttgart, GER

December 11, 1986 Music Hall, Würzburg, GER

December 13, 1986 Saga Rockteater, Copenhagen, DEN

December 15, 1986 Konserthus, Oslo, NOR

December 16, 1986 Konserthuset, Stockholm, SWE

December 17, 1986 Scandinavium, Gothenburg, SWE

??.??.87 Spain

January 15, 1987 Reims, FRA

January 16, 1987 Strasbourg, FRA

January 17, 1987 Zenith, Paris, FRA

January 18, 1987 Maison de la Culture, Rennes, FRA

January 20, 1987 Lyon, FRA

January 21, 1987 Nice, FRA

January 22, 1987 Montpellier, FRA

January 23, 1987 Toulouse, FRA

??.??.87 Japan

??.??.87 Australasia

??.??.87. North America

• 1 Carpenters

• Latest News

‘Stuck In The Middle With You’: Stealers Wheel’s Clowns And Jokers

Waiting on a friend: 10 essential rolling stones collaborations, ‘crescent’: john coltrane quartet’s enthralling work, tom petty & the heartbreakers’ 1988 gap year: a huge creative buzz, the great american songbook: top 11 country covers, ‘hot sauce committee part two’: beastie boys’ fiery final album, best fall out boy songs: 20 pop punk classics, karol g and feid win big at latin american music awards, ringo starr offers up ‘gonna need someone’ music video, florence + the machine announce ‘symphony of lungs’ bbc proms performance, def leppard share 40th anniversary edition of ‘pyromania’, billy idol releases 40th anniversary edition of ‘rebel yell’, the warning share music video for ‘qué más quieres’, liana flores signs with verve records, unveils ‘i wish for the rain’, midge ure to play ultravox’s classic album ‘vienna’ in its entirety on the ‘1980 tour’.

‘Vienna’ has never previously before been performed as a whole, while selections from ‘Visage’ will also be making their live debut.

Published on

Midge Ure and Band Electronica have announced details of the 1980 Tour for October 2019, during which they will perform Ultravox’s classic Vienna album in full and also include highlights from Visage’s self-titled  debut album. Both these trailblazing synth-pop albums were released in 1980 – Vienna has never previously before been performed in its entirety, while selections from Visage will also be making their live debut.

The music will be performed in a stage setting designed to reflect the atmosphere and ambience the albums deserve. Tickets for the tour go on sale on Friday, 14 December at 9am.

At the end of the 1970s momentous change was afoot in Britain and the world – in society, politics, fashion and culture – and the musical landscape was also about to change forever. The guitar-driven dominance that had propelled rock and punk throughout the decade was about to end, as synthesizers signalled the sound of the future and video transformed the look of the pop charts. The 1980s were about to explode into life and nothing would be the same again.

‘Bad Girls’: Donna Summer’s Expansion On Disco

‘mezzanine’: how massive attack took things to a whole new level, dj snake and peso pluma team up for new single ‘teka’.

At the heart of this seismic leap into a futuristic new dawn were two records that set the template for much of what was to follow. Visage’s single ‘Fade To Grey’ from the band’s debut eponymous album and Ultravox’s single ‘Vienna’ from the album of the same name were global hits that shared the same stark ambience, European aesthetic and electronic heart. The albums that birthed those landmark singles expanded that sonic palette even further and brought the art-school alternative into the very centre of the mainstream.

Both records were co-written, recorded and produced by one of the leading characters in British music, Midge Ure, and not only transformed the charts around the globe but his life in the process.

“Autumn 1979 was a pivotal point in my career trajectory,” Midge Ure explains. “Over the previous two years I had grown from ‘pop band’ (Slik) to ‘post punk band’ (The Rich Kids) to being a stand in guitarist for Thin Lizzy. Over the course of autumn into winter 1979, while working on the Visage project with Billy Currie, I was invited to join Ultravox. The work we did that winter on the Vienna album was an exhilarating rush of creativity the likes of which I had never experienced before.

“Forty years later I want to celebrate this period and as we pass from 2019 into 2020 play the Vienna album in its entirety along with highlights from the eponymous Visage album. Join me and my Band Electronica celebrating the year of release for both the Vienna and Visage albums….1980”.

Four decades on, as we come towards the end of another turbulent decade, momentous change is once again afoot in Britain and the world. Can we face the next decade with the optimism and futuristic brightness that flooded the 1980s, and will there be a new cultural birth that will change music, fashion and society?

The 1980 Tour reminds us that these things are possible. Both Vienna and Visage were the sound of the future… and yet still sound unearthly, romantic, impossibly beautiful and full of promise.

Midge Ure and Band Electronica play the following UK dates on their 1980 tour during October 2019:

6th – Norwich, Theatre Royal 7th – Birmingham, Town Hall 8th – Leicester, De Montford Hall 10th – Cambridge, Corn Exchange 11th – Cardiff, Tramshed 12th – Aylesbury, Waterside Theatre 13th – Glasgow, Barrowlands 15th – Guildford, G-Live 16th – Leamington, Assembly 18th – London, Palladium 19th – Southend, Cliffs Pavilion 20th – Ipswich, Corn Exchange 21st – York, Grand Opera House 22nd – Gateshead, Sage 25th – Manchester, Albert Hall 26th – Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall.

Explore Our Ultravox Artist Page .

December 12, 2018 at 12:57 pm

The “Vienna” album HAS previously been performed in its entirety.

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"Because ignorance of your culture is considered uncool"

Ultravox! In Concert From Boston – 1979 -Past Daily Backstage Weekend

• February 10, 2019
• 1970's , 1979 , Foreign Policy , Franklin D. Roosevelt , Past Daily Weekend Pop Chronicles , Radio , Youth

Ultravox! – In Concert at The Paradise, Boston – March 3/4, 1979 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –

Early Ultravox! this weekend – led by singer John Foxx, the frontman and the main driving force behind Ultravox. Foxx left the band in March 1979 to embark on a solo career and, following his departure, Midge Ure took over as lead singer, guitarist and frontman in October 1979 after he and keyboardist Billy Currie worked in the studio project Visage. Ure revitalised the band and steered it to commercial chart success lasting until 1988, at which time the group disbanded.

A new line-up, led by Currie, was formed in 1992, but achieved limited success, with two albums failing to chart and one solitary single reaching 90 in the UK Singles Chart.

The band’s best-known line-up of Currie, Ure, bassist Chris Cross and drummer Warren Cann reformed in 2008 and performed a series of reunion shows in 2009 and 2010 before releasing a new studio album, Brill!ant, in May 2012 which reached 21 in the British Album Charts. In November 2013, Ultravox performed as special guests on a four date UK arena tour with Simple Minds. These shows proved to be Ultravox’s last, as in 2017 both Currie and Ure indicated that Ultravox had run its course.

This concert comes literally days before Foxx’s departure, and may in fact be his last performance with the band (clarification from Ultravox experts would be gratefully accepted right now) before taking on a solo career.

On the strength of their live act, the band signed to Island Records in 1976. The group had still not finalized their band name, wanting to make a good and lasting choice. In July 1976, while working on the late stages of their debut album, the band conceived the name Ultravox! (the exclamation mark was a reference to krautrock band Neu!, produced by Conny Plank, who later produced three Ultravox albums). At the same time, Leigh chose John Foxx and Allen chose Chris Cross as their respective stage names. In February 1977, Island released their eponymous debut album, Ultravox!.

Like many other bands that formed Britain’s punk and new wave movements, Ultravox! drew inspiration from the art-school side of glam rock. Musically, Ultravox were heavily influenced by Roxy Music, the New York Dolls, David Bowie and Kraftwerk. Their debut was co-produced by Steve Lillywhite and Brian Eno (who next co-wrote and performed with Bowie on Low). Ultravox!’s sales were disappointing, and neither the album nor the associated single “Dangerous Rhythm” managed to enter the UK charts. Relations within the band were on an occasionally tenuous footing during this time as Foxx declared that he intended to live without emotions, a sentiment he wrote into the début album track “I Want to Be a Machine”.

Ultravox returned later in 1977 with the punkier Ha!-Ha!-Ha!. Sales of both the album and its lead single, “ROckWrok”, were poor, both failing to register on the UK charts. “ROckWrok” had a punk-lyric chorus, with the words “Come on, let’s tangle in the dark/Fuck like a dog, bite like a shark”. (Despite this, it got airplay on BBC Radio 1.) Although Ha!-Ha!-Ha! was dominated by guitars and electric violin, the final track, “Hiroshima Mon Amour”, was a prototypical synthpop song. One of the first tracks by a British band to feature a drum machine (a Roland Rhythm 77 with preset patterns), the song signalled a new direction for Ultravox. The energy, anger and popular appeal of punk was fading in 1978, and the more creative UK punk genre talent sought new directions—calling themselves British new wave instead of punk rock artists. “Hiroshima Mon Amour” remains a critics’ and fans’ favorite from the group’s initial period. Ultravox! also performed it on The Old Grey Whistle Test later in 1978.

As a reminder, here is the concert they gave in Boston in March of 1979 – crank it up and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

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Ultravox Official Website

Welcome to Ultravox.org.uk, the official Ultravox website, still known as Extreme Voice or EV after the fanzine which started it all from 1984-2000. Choose which favourite Ultravox album you'd like the site to look like, from the THEME links above!

Browse the Official Ultravox / Official Midge Ure Stores , read the News Section , find that hard-to-identify Ultravox lyric , read our articles , and connect with fellow Ultravox fans around the word on our Facebook and Twitter (X) pages.

Chris Allen 1952-2024

I am devastated to announce that Chris Allen (aka Chris Cross of Ultravox) passed away on 25th March 2024, aged just 71. His remembrance service was held on 24th April.

Chris was a sweet, kind and funny man who continually exuded a sense of peace and calm. He would welcome you into his home with a cup of tea, a big smile and bigger bear hug, and happily chat for hours about life, the universe and everything (oh and a bit of Ultravox).

You're never quite prepared for the loss of a childhood hero, and this hurts. Rest in peace, my friend – you are missed, so much. Thank you for the music. Thank you more for your friendship. My love and condolences to your friends and family. xx

Updated: Wednesday, 24 April 2024

Highlights and Latest Updates

News update - Ultravox Quartet Record Store Day, Midge Ure The Gift Deluxe

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Whilst this site has 'Official' status, it's fan-run, with no financial support. If you would like to help, please make a donation through PayPal , no matter how small - every little bit helps to pay for hosting, emailing list fees and upgrade costs. Thank you!

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