Beyond his successful tenures with British new wave/synth-pop giants Ultravox and Visage (see separate posts), James ‘Midge’ Ure cut a significant figure on the British music scene during the 70s, 80s and beyond, through his involvement with several other successful bands/projects (as performer, writer, and producer), two of which scored British #1 hits, and a not insubstantial solo career which yielded a third #1. The ubiquitous pop-rock journeyman can lay claim to being one of the most influential figures in the post-punk/new wave scene, and remains to this day a highly respected, and sought after musical collaborator.
Midge Ure didn’t become a household name on the British music scene overnight. After leaving school in the late 60s, Ure worked for a time as an engineer, and indulged his love of music via a local Glasgow band called Stumble. Stumble proved a small stepping stone toward Salvation - or at least a band called Salvation - who recruited Midge Ure as a guitarist during 1972. Actually it was soon after joining Salvation, that Ure started going under the name ‘Midge’, a phonetic reversal of his first name Jim, to avoid having two members of the band having the name Jim. The other ‘Jim’ in Salvation was of the bass playing McGinlay variety, and it was he who had founded Salvation a couple of years previous with brother Kevin (vocals). The line-up was rounded out by Billy McIsaac (keyboards) and Kenny Hyslop (drums), and Salvation continued to be a much in demand covers band on the Glasgow pub/club scene. By April of ‘74, Kevin McGinlay had left to pursue a solo career, so Midge Ure stepped into the vocal/guitarist role. By November of ‘74 Salvation had taken on the new moniker Slik, and came under the creative auspices of Bill Martin and Phil Coulter. Martin and Coulter had been the writing and production team behind Scottish bubblegum-pop sensation the Bay City Rollers. The two camps had split, and in looking for a new vehicle through which to channel their teeny bopper pop fodder, Martin and Coulter spied potential in Slik. Interestingly, at this point Ure could have opted for a radical change of musical direction, as he’d been offered the lead vocal gig with the Malcolm McLaren managed Sex Pistols. Ure turned down the offer, but it’s an interesting ‘what if’ scenario to contemplate.
Instead of opting for safety pins, spiked hair, and torn jeans, Ure found himself attired in matching baseball caps with his Slik bandmates, and being presented to the pop press as the next big thing - it was no surprise that they were made to sound like the ‘tartan terror’ Rollers. Slik began promisingly enough, scoring a British #1 in February of ‘76 with the semi-glam tinged ‘Forever And Ever’ (OZ#54) - the song originally recorded by Kenny (also in the Martin/Coulter creative stable). Slik had just one more spin of the fame wheel with the weightier May ‘76 single ‘Requiem’ (UK#24), lifted from their self titled album (UK#58). But life as a teeny bopper popper wasn’t for Midge Ure, and besides, the whole punk rock explosion had just rendered bubblegum pop all but obsolete. Slik cut ties with Martin and Coulter, and adopted an all new punk rock persona, changing their name to a chemical adhesive, sorry PVC2, in the process. But the Ure led PVC2 only released a single single, with ‘Put You In The Picture’, before Ure left the PVC2 picture to hook up with an ex-Sex Pistol and his new band.
In October ‘77, Midge Ure hooked up with ex-Sex Pistol bassist Glen Matlock, in Matlock’s new band the Rich Kids, alongside drummer Rusty Egan and guitarist Steve New. Given the Sex Pistols connection, the London based Rich Kids naturally enough attracted a lot of media hype - Ure apparently filled the void left by Mick Jones who returned to full time duties with The Clash. Rich Kids took the 60s style melodic guitar pop formula (The Who, Small Faces, The Kinks) and infused it with a harder edged punk-rock dynamic, resulting in a cutting edge power pop style. Rich Kids released just the one album, ‘Ghosts Of Princes In Towers’ (UK#51), produced by Mick Ronson, and featuring the band’s only hit single, the eponymously titled ‘Rich Kids’ (UK#24), released in early ‘78. But Rich Kids affluence on the charts was short lived, as was the group, and by late ‘78 internal squabbling had led to the dissolution of the band.
Midge Ure and Rusty Egan had already begun collaborating in studio with Steve Strange, and recorded a demo tape of material including a ‘future-synth’ style version of Zager & Evans’ ‘In The Year 2525’. The trio went under the banner of Visage (see separate post), and they’d later add Ultravox synth player Billy Currie, and three Magazine alumnus, John McGeoch, Dave Formula, and Barry Adamson. Over the next couple of years, Ure would maintain ties with Visage before eventually parting ways with the project after 1982’s album ‘The Anvil’. Ure’s work with Visage led to hooking up with Ultravox in April ‘79. Though prior to that Ure had attempted to launch a new band called The Misfits, alongside Rusty Egan - that was a short lived venture. Prior to beginning work in earnest with Ultravox, Ure spent some time in studio and on a U.S. tour with hard rock powerhouse Thin Lizzy (as a replacement for Gary Moore - see separate post). By 1980, Ure had decided splitting his time between three bands, Ultravox, Visage, and Thin Lizzy was spreading his artistic capacity a little too thin, so he withdrew from Thin Lizzy duties, and by 1982 had also withdrawn from Visage. As covered in the previous post, Midge Ure and Ultravox were soon positioned at the vanguard of the ‘New Romantic’/synth-pop movement in Britain.
But the prolific Ure couldn’t help himself, and continued to work with other artists, even during the peak years of Ultravox. He collaborated with the likes of Steve Harley, Modern Man, The Skids (see separate post), and Japan’s Mick Karn (on the 1983 single ‘After A Fashion’ - UK#39). In June of ‘82, Midge Ure released his debut solo single, ‘No Regrets’, an emotive cover of the classic hit by The Walker Brothers (originally recorded by Tom Rush). Ure had no regrets over his first solo single, which soared to #9 on the British charts (OZ#53). The next couple of years saw Ultravox sustain their place at the top of the British music scene, with a string of hit singles, and the top ten albums ‘Quartet’ and ‘Lament’.
Whilst rehearsing with Ultravox for an appearance on the British TV show ‘The Tube’, Ure got a phone call from his old mate Bob Geldof, of Boomtown Rats fame (see future post). Geldof had been inspired to record a song to raise money for famine relief in Ethopia. Geldof had the initial lyrics, whilst Ure fleshed out the melody and structure of the song (with the bridging chorus completed on the day of recording). The resultant song was titled ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’. Ure produced the song which was performed by an all-star cast of musicians, assembled at Geldof and Ure’s behest. The two set up the Band Aid Trust to administer proceeds from sales of the single, which was credited to Band Aid. ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ entered the British charts at #1 on the week of its release in December ‘84. It became the fastest selling single ever in Britain, spent five weeks at #1 (4 weeks #1 in Australia, US#13), and eventually notched up sales of over 3.5 million. Whilst Geldof became the face and spokesman for Band Aid, and the subsequent Live Aid concerts, Midge Ure’s contribution, both artistically, and as an official Trustee for Band Aid, should not be underestimated. Ure and his band Ultravox performed at the Live Aid concert in July of ‘85 (Warren Cann’s last live gig with the band).
Ure was no doubt on a creative high following the phenomenon of Band Aid, and in late ‘85 he released his first solo album, ‘The Gift’ (UK#2/OZ#29), whilst Ultravox were on hiatus. Midge Ure handled the production and majority of instrumentation on the album, with a handful of guest players contributing, including Heaven 17’s Glenn Gregory, and Level 42’s Mark King. The lead out single, ‘If I Was’, was penned by Ure and Daniel Mitchell (The Messengers), and made an immediate impact on the British charts. ‘If I Was’ was an engagingly melodic love song, featuring a soaring chorus, and it was unashamedly appealing to the masses (I also recall the striking promo video which featured three dimensional paintings made of nails). ‘If I Was’ delivered Midge Ure a much deserved solo #1 on the British charts (OZ#10). ‘The Gift’ album spawned two more top fifty singles in, the melodic synth-pop of ‘That Certain Smile’ (UK#28), and the atmospheric ‘Wastelands’ (UK#46). In mid ‘86, Ure released the non-album single ‘Call Of The Wild’, which found refuge at #27 on the British charts.
After Ultravox had effectively called it a day in 1987, Ure was finally free of band commitments and could focus his energies exclusively on his second solo album. 1988’s ‘Answer To Nothing’ (UK#30/US#88/OZ#87) was a polished effort, and saw Ure explore a wider spectrum of musical styles. Given his experiences with Band Aid and work with the associated Band Aid Trust, it’s clear that Ure channelled some ‘big issues’ into the lyrics of ‘Answers To Nothing’, including the title track (UK#49), and the single ‘Dear God’ (OZ#36/US#95/UK#55), an obvious plea for divine intervention. The album also included the track ‘Sister And Brother’, a duet with Kate Bush, which had been planned as a single, but was withdrawn. Ure’s 1991 album ‘Pure’ (UK#36), released on Arista, yielded the top twenty hit ‘Cold, Cold Heart’ (UK#17), and in 1993 a career retrospective titled ‘If I Was’, returned Midge Ure (& Ultravox) to the top ten in Britain.
Ure’s 1996 album ‘Breathe’ didn’t register a pulse on the charts, but Ure has remained active on the recording front over the last ten years including the albums ‘Move Me’ (2001), and ‘10’ (2008), and continues to play a key role with world charity organisations. As mentioned in the previous Ultravox post, Midge Ure performed with the reformed Ultravox for a special 30th anniversary tour of Britain during 2009.
Following Foxx’s departure from Ultravox, the band all but split, with the three remaining members going on to work with other projects to pay the bills. Billy Currie hooked up with a young former Ultravox ‘devotee’ by the name of Gary Numan, and played on Numan’s debut solo album ‘The Pleasure Principle’ (1979), and subsequent world tour. Drummer Warren Cann hooked up with Zaine Griff, whilst bassist Chris Cross tinkered away on projects with Pretenders’ guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, and Eddie and the Hotrods vocalist Barrie Masters. Billy Currie had also continued his involvement with the cutting edge Steve Strange synth-pop outfit Visage (see separate post). Though essentially the brainchild of the eccentric Steve Strange, the studio based Visage boasted an outstanding roster of talent from other groups, including three members of post-punk mavericks Magazine, Dave Formula, John McGeoch, and Barry Adamson (see previous post), and two former members of another punk-edged outfit the Rich Kids, in drummer Rusty Egan, and a Scottish born vocalist/guitarist by the name of Midge Ure. Ure had already clocked up considerable experience over the previous five years, with the semi-glam outfit Slik, post-punkers The Rich Kids, and synth outfit Visage. Ure was also a fan of Ultravox’s earlier work, and having already established a solid musical synergy with Currie via their Visage work, he was the logical choice to front the new model Ultravox - and fill the roles of both singer and guitarist. Midge Ure and Ultravox agreed to work together in April of ‘79, but firstly Ure had to complete a stint as touring guitarist with Thin Lizzy before formerly commencing duties with his new band - see next post for more details on Ure’s career beyond Ultravox/Visage. Known later as ‘the classic Ultravox’ line-up, Ure, Currie, Cann and Cross signed on with Thin Lizzy’s management team, and began working on material for a new album during the latter part of ‘79. The revamped Ultravox also chose to play some very low key shows at home, and embarked on another short U.S. tour, with the view of further strengthening the band’s chemistry.
Ure’s recruitment to Ultravox seemed to breath new life into the formerly flagging group. The band retained elements of their former synth-rock identity, but firmly embraced the more commercial facets of the exploding ‘New Romantic’/electro pop movement. Now signed to Chrysalis Records, the first single of the Ure-era Ultravox arrived in June 1980 with ‘Sleepwalk’, which delivered the band their first chart hit (UK#29). It was lifted from the album ‘Vienna’, which was again co-produced by Conny Plank. On the strength of ‘Sleepwalk’, the ‘Vienna’ album initially pushed its way to #14 on the U.K. charts. The album melded a number of styles, perhaps indicative of the new line-up still finding its stylistic feet, or stretching its wings, probably the latter given Ultravox’s track record for pushing the stylistic/technical envelope in the recording studio. The next single, ‘Passing Strangers’ (UK#57), remained relatively anonymous in late 1980, but its follow up would push Ultravox to the zenith of the ‘New Romantic’/synth-pop scene. The album’s title track, ‘Vienna’, was a grandiose piece of synth-pop melodrama, boasting a hauntingly resonant sound. The song took it’s thematic inspiration from the 1948 film noir classic ‘The Third Man’. The accompanying music video, directed by Russell Mulcahy, also took inspiration from the film, and combined a backdrop of 1940s film noir and 19th century Vienna, weaving a tale of promised infidelity, forbidden love and murder (though set in Vienna, for budgetary reasons half of the video was shot at London locations). The video was befitting the atmospheric grandeur, and cinematic timbre of ‘Vienna’. ‘Vienna’ has always sent a shiver up my spine when I listened to it, from Cann’s pounding, reverb drenched drums, the sublimely lush orchestral/synth arrangements, Billy Currie’s transcendent electric violin solo, through to Midge’s Ure’s emotive vocals. It generates a palpable sense of being elevated beyond the everyday, luring you into an evocative world, drenching you in its mood, its atmosphere, its drama, its intrigue - like the most brilliant of classic cinema. The song’s indelibly melodic charm worked to temper its potentially pretentious ambitions, and established the new model Ultravox as a virtual synth-pop chamber ensemble, lavished with melodrama. ‘Vienna’ reached #2 on the British charts in early ‘81, and soon after broke the band in Australia (#11). It also earned Ultravox the Brit Award for ‘Best British Single’. ‘Vienna’ was later re-issued in Britain in 1993, and second time around peaked at #13. Sales of its source album surged as a result (UK#3/OZ#4/ US#164), and an earlier Ultravox song ‘Slow Motion’ (UK#33), from the Foxx era, was released as a single to cash in on the rise in popularity. By mid ‘81, Ultravox had scored their second top ten hit with ‘All Stood Still’ (UK#8), which showcased Cross’ pulsating Moog inspired bass lines, and Ure’s ultra dextrous guitar playing - just two more ingredients that contributed to the brilliant ‘Vienna’ album.
As is often the case following a mega-selling album, Ultravox faced the task of recording a follow up that would meet with the heightened expectations of both critics and the public. The Conny Plank produced ‘Rage In Eden’, had obviously grand ambitions, deemed by some to be too grand. Released in September of ‘81, the album bordered on excessive prog-rock in parts (according to some critics), but was an instant hit on its release in the U.K. (#4/OZ#20/ US#144). The lead out single, ‘The Thin Wall’ (UK#14/OZ#95), was backed by another engaging (and very cinematic) promo video, and its follow up ‘The Voice’ delivered Ultravox with yet another top twenty hit late in ‘81 (UK#16). During this period both Midge Ure and Billy Currie continued to be involved with the Visage project, who had scored a string of hits over the preceding year, including the brilliant ‘Fade To Grey’(UK#8/OZ#6). Still, Ultravox found time to return to the studio during 1982, this time in partnership with legendary Beatles’ producer George Martin. The collaboration resulted in the band’s most commercially accessible album to date, featuring a markedly warmer, more melodic sound with ‘Quartet’. The lead out single, ‘Reap The Wild Wind’, blew Ultravox into the U.S. Hot 100 for the one and only time in their career (#71) - British synth-pop acts never really made a substantial incursion into U.S. chart territory. The song performed considerably better on home charts (#12/OZ#69) in late ‘82, and though still boasting a moody edge, was definitely more aligned to a commercial brand of synth-pop. The follow up single, ‘Hymn’ (UK#11), further consolidated Ultravox’s transformation to commercial synth-pop vehicle, and lyrically, tapped into its source albums broader religious themes. ‘Quartet’ ascended to a peak of #6 on the British charts (US#61/OZ#35), and yielded two more British top twenty hits, ‘Visions In Blue’ (#15 - my choice as the album’s best track), and the more bare bones synth-pop approach of ‘We Came To Dance’ (#18), both released during the first half of ‘83.
Ultravox undertook a mammoth world tour, including the U.S., in support of the ‘Quartet’ album, resulting in the live album release, ‘Monument - The Soundtrack’ (UK#9) in late ‘83. With such a demanding schedule, Midge Ure parted ways with the studio based Visage (after producing their second album ‘The Anvil’), and by 1984 Billy Currie had followed suit. Of course, the relentlessly productive Ure was extending his extracurricular activities into other projects during this period (covered in more detail in the next post on Ure’s career). The Ultravox quartet reconvened over late ‘83/early ‘84 to record the album ‘Lament’, which they self-produced. The lead out single, ‘One Small Day’ (UK#27), signalled a further shift toward straight up commercial pop-rock, with the balance pointed firmly in favour of the guitar over the synthesizer. The follow up single, ‘Dancing With Tears In My Eyes’, echoed the evocative synth-laden sound of Ultravox circa-Vienna, and boasted another emotive vocal performance from Midge Ure. Lyrically, ‘Dancing With Tears In My Eyes’ dealt with the fear of a nuclear power plant meltdown, and was backed with the band’s most striking promo video since ‘Vienna’. ‘Dancing With Tears In My Eyes’ sparked a positive reaction on British charts (#3/OZ#58) and pushed sales for the ‘Lament’ album to top ten levels (UK#8/OZ#41/US#115). The album’s title track, ‘Lament’ (UK#22), a slower tempo synth-ballad, rounded out the first half of ‘84 for Ultravox. It also marked the end of the ‘classic’ Ultravox line-up, with drummer Warren Cann departing prior to Ultravox beginning work on their next full studio album in 1986. Cann moved to the U.S. and pretty much retired from the music biz in favour of pursuing a career in acting.
In late ‘84, Chrysalis Records released a best of compilation titled ‘The Collection’ (UK#2/OZ#14). The lead out single was a newly recorded track, ‘Love’s Great Adventure’ (UK#12), featuring hook laden layers of synthesizers, and backed by a clever ‘Indiana Jones’ pastiche themed promo clip. Ultravox then took an extended break, during which time Ure in particular kept maintained a high profile (see next post). In 1986, the band reconvened (minus Cann) to record the critically lambasted ‘U-Vox’ album (UK#9/OZ#92). They recruited the services of Big Country drummer Mark Brzezicki (see separate post), but even the ace sticks man couldn’t imbue sufficient energy to lift ‘U-Vox’ off the canvas. The album lacked the creative adventure of previous efforts, and yielded just two minor hits, ‘Same Old Story’ (UK#31/OZ#93), and ‘All Fall Down’ (UK#30). The latter did push the stylistic boundaries into Celtic territory, and its militaristic rhythm augmented the subject matter, which dealt with the strife in war torn Northern Ireland. Perhaps the blandness of both album cover and title gave a strong hint that Ultravox’s creative edge had been dulled.
Ironically, as Ultravox’s commercial fortunes were fading, Midge Ure was experiencing the most lucrative phase of his solo career. Perhaps the chemistry had just run its course, and by 1987 the formerly vibrant Ultravox had become creatively listless. Following the conclusion of the U-Vox tour in 1987, Ure and Cross both decided to leave the band, though a formal announcement regarding the band’s split wasn’t issued until September ‘88. Chris Cross retired from the music business to pursue a profession as a psychotherapist, whilst Ure focussed fulltime on his solo career (see next post). After releasing the solo album ‘Transportation’ in 1988, Billy Currie toured during 1989 under the banner of U-Vox (with ex-Ultravox guitarist Robin Simon and vocalist Marcus O’Higgins), and revived the Ultravox brand in 1992, with a new vocalist Tony Fenelle - a new album titled ‘Revelation’ was issued in May of ‘93. Two years later, with another new vocalist Sam Blue on board, the Currie led Ultravox issued the band’s final studio album ‘Ingenuity’.
At time of writing the ‘classic’ Ultravox line-up had recently reunited for a U.K. tour. Midge Ure, Billy Currie, Warren Cann, and Chris Cross have stated the tour was a one-off, and was undertaken to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Ure’s joining the band. For your fix of all things Ultravox - http://www.ultravox.org.uk/index.shtml
If you were to examine a family tree that represented the British synth-pop movement of the late 70s through mid 80s, the band Ultravox would form a strong part of both the root system and trunk. Both the music, and members, of Ultravox played a crucial role in influencing and inspiring a myriad of other acts, attached directly or indirectly, to the synth-pop faction, and broader new wave/new romantic genres. The band’s legacy in terms of their own material, and stylistic stimulus upon other artists, is without question. But if just one song were to be singled out that could stand as an instantly recognisable testament to the Ultravox brand, for mine, it would be ‘Vienna’. The majesty and pristine musical finish of ‘Vienna’ embodied synth-pop perfection. When coupled with the song’s sense of literary drama, and the emotional resonance of Midge Ure’s vocals, ‘Vienna’ is not just a classic of the synth-pop movement, but an all time masterpiece of popular music. Not to mention that it was backed by one of the defining achievements in the medium of promotional music videos. But for Ultravox, the road to ‘Vienna’ had been a long and arduous one - after all, perfection isn’t attained easily. Ladies and Gentleman, a (very) potted history of that very road.
During 1974, just as punk was about to explode, singer John Foxx (real name Dennis Leigh) met up with bassist Chris Cross (formerly Chris St. John), who was in London to join an outfit called Stoned Rose. Instead, Foxx and Cross started another band called Tiger Lily, along with guitarist Steve Shears, violinist/synth player Billy Currie, and a Canadian born drummer called Warren Cann (who answered an ad in Melody Maker magazine) - actually Currie joined the band a few months into their journey. Tiger Lily recorded just one single together, titled ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’ (a cover of the old Fats Waller tune), planned for release in March of ‘75, but withdrawn (eventually released in 1980 on the Scottish label Dear Good Records). Over the next year or so, the band went under a variety of names (the Zips, the Innocents, London Soundtrack, Fire Of London), as they tried to bridge the gap between artsy avant-garde glam rock (Roxy Music), and the surging high energy of punk (New York Dolls), using the synthesizer as a key weapon of choice (with Billy Currie unleashing the electric violin on occasion). By 1976, the quintet had finally settled on the new moniker of Ultravox! (that’s with an exclamation point), having already signed with Chris Blackwells’ Island Records label (earned in part by a showcase gig for the Island suits).
In March ‘77, Ultravox! issued their eponymous debut album, co-produced by the band with none other than former Roxy Music member turned gun producer, Brian Eno (with Steve Lillywhite). Neither album, nor associated singles, the reggae-synth hybrid of ‘Dangerous Rhythm’, or the surging ‘Young Savage’, struck a chord with the wider record buying public, but interest was sufficient to encourage Island to back the band for a second album just six months later. October ‘77’s ‘Ha! Ha! Ha!’ saw the band experimenting a little more in studio with instrumentation and arrangement. Though the album missed the charts, Ultravox! were carving a considerable niche for themselves in the burgeoning post-punk/new wave market, and attracting positive interest from music critics. The band had also attracted a considerable following as a live act, with their mesmerizing synth-glam-punk fusion captured on the February ‘78 live EP ‘Retro’, pieced together from various live gig recordings over late‘77/early ‘78. But soon after Ultravox! experienced the first shake up in their ranks with the sacking of guitarist Steve Shears (went on to Cowboys International), replaced by ex-Neo member Robin Simon. In the months following the band spent time in Germany recording their third album, with former Kraftwerk producer Conny Plank at the helm. Sometime during the sessions the band also lost the exclamation point from their moniker, and in September ‘78 Ultravox released the album ‘Systems Of Romance’, their most electronic-oriented, and experimental, set to date. The album again missed the charts, but at the time (and subsequently) was cited as a landmark album in terms of its limit defying development of the synth-rock, electro-pop genres, captured in tracks like ‘Slow Motion’, ‘Dislocation’ and ‘Just For A Moment’.
Despite the band displaying a rapid rate of growth as an artistic entity, the poor commercial returns eventually prompted Island to drop Ultravox from their roster in early ‘79, just prior to the band embarking on a disastrous self funded U.S. tour. Frictions within Ultravox led to front man John Foxx announcing he would leave the group upon completion of tour duties, whilst relative newcomer Robin Simon also left the scene to remain in the U.S. (he later hooked up with Magazine - see separate post). John Foxx departed in pursuit of a solo career, subsequently signing on with Virgin Records to release his debut set, ‘Metamatic’ (UK#18), in January 1980. Foxx moved markedly into a harder-edged electro-pop sound which finally secured him some commercial interest. Within a year, Foxx had scored three British top forty singles, ‘Underpass’ (#31), ‘No-One Driving’ (#32), ‘Burning Car’ (#35), and a second top thirty album ‘The Garden’ (UK#24) followed soon after. His old band Ultravox may have also been about to break through commercially, but it’s unlikely Foxx felt any regrets over his departure from the band. He continued to release a steady stream of well received singles/albums through until 1985’s ‘In Mysterious Ways’ (UK#85), after which the enigmatic singer/producer broke completely from the music scene to try his hand at a career in graphic design. In the early 90s Foxx began making tentative steps back into music via the house/acid scene, and in 1997 returned as a fully fledged artist with the albums ‘Shifting City’ and ‘Cathedral Oceans’, confirming that he’d lost none of his penchant for pushing the boundaries of electronica. Foxx’s most recent albums include ‘Tiny Colour Movies’ (2006) and a planned 2009 release ‘My Lost City’. To this day, John Foxx remains a seminal figure in the history and development of the post-punk/synth-pop movements, alongside his old band Ultravox, whose history will be explored further in coming days - so as they say in the classics, stay tuned!
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Beyond his successful tenures with British new wave/synth-pop giants Ultravox and Visage (see separate posts), James ‘Midge’ Ure cut a significant figure on the British music scene during the 70s, 80s and beyond, through his involvement with several other successful bands/projects (as performer, writer, and producer), two of which scored British #1 hits, and a not insubstantial solo career which yielded a third #1. The ubiquitous pop-rock journeyman can lay claim to being one of the most influential figures in the post-punk/new wave scene, and remains to this day a highly respected, and sought after musical collaborator.
of music via a local Glasgow band called Stumble. Stumble proved a small stepping stone toward Salvation - or at least a band called Salvation - who recruited Midge Ure as a guitarist during 1972. Actually it was soon after joining Salvation, that Ure started going under the name ‘Midge’, a phonetic reversal of his first name Jim, to avoid having two members of the band having the name Jim. The other ‘Jim’ in Salvation was of the bass playing McGinlay variety, and it was he who had founded Salvation a couple of years previous with brother Kevin (vocals). The line-up was rounded out by Billy McIsaac (keyboards) and Kenny Hyslop (drums), and Salvation continued to be a much in demand covers band on the Glasgow pub/club scene. By April of ‘74, Kevin McGinlay had left to pursue a solo career, so Midge Ure stepped into the vocal/guitarist role. By November of ‘74 Salvation had taken on the new moniker Slik, and came under the creative auspices of Bill Martin and Phil Coulter. Martin and Coulter had been the writing and 
production team behind Scottish bubblegum-pop sensation the Bay City Rollers. The two camps had split, and in looking for a new vehicle through which to channel their teeny bopper pop fodder, Martin and Coulter spied potential in Slik. Interestingly, at this point Ure could have opted for a radical change of musical direction, as he’d been offered the lead vocal gig with the Malcolm McLaren managed Sex Pistols. Ure turned down the offer, but it’s an interesting ‘what if’ scenario to contemplate.
Instead of opting for safety pins, spiked hair, and torn jeans, Ure found himself attired in matching baseball caps with his Slik bandmates, and being presented to the pop press as the next big thing - it was no surprise that they were made to sound like the ‘tartan terror’ Rollers. Slik began promisingly enough, scoring a British #1 in February of ‘76 with the semi-glam tinged ‘Forever And Ever’ (OZ#54) - the song originally recorded by Kenny (also in the Martin/Coulter creative stable). Slik had just one more spin of the fame wheel with the weightier May ‘76 single ‘Requiem’ (UK#24), lifted from their self titled album (UK#58). But life as a teeny bopper popper wasn’t for Midge Ure, and besides, the whole punk rock explosion had just rendered bubblegum pop all but obsolete. Slik cut ties with Martin and Coulter, and adopted an all new punk rock persona, changing their name to a 
chemical adhesive, sorry PVC2, in the process. But the Ure led PVC2 only released a single single, with ‘Put You In The Picture’, before Ure left the PVC2 picture to hook up with an ex-Sex Pistol and his new band.
took the 60s style melodic guitar pop formula (The Who, Small Faces, The Kinks) and infused it with a harder edged punk-rock dynamic, resulting in a cutting edge power pop style. Rich Kids released just the one album, ‘Ghosts Of Princes In Towers’ (UK#51), produced by Mick Ronson, and featuring the band’s only hit single, the eponymously titled ‘Rich Kids’ (UK#24), released in early ‘78. But Rich Kids affluence on the charts was short lived, as was the group, and by late ‘78 internal squabbling had led to the dissolution of the band.
of Visage (see separate post), and they’d later add Ultravox synth player Billy Currie, and three Magazine alumnus, John McGeoch, Dave Formula, and Barry Adamson. Over the next couple of years, Ure would maintain ties with Visage before eventually parting ways with the project after 1982’s album ‘The Anvil’. Ure’s work with Visage led to hooking up with Ultravox in April ‘79. Though prior to that Ure had attempted to launch a new band called The Misfits, alongside Rusty Egan - that was a short 
lived venture. Prior to beginning work in earnest with Ultravox, Ure spent some time in studio and on a U.S. tour with hard rock powerhouse Thin Lizzy (as a replacement for Gary Moore - see separate post). By 1980, Ure had decided splitting his time between three bands, Ultravox, Visage, and Thin Lizzy was spreading his artistic capacity a little too thin, so he withdrew from Thin Lizzy duties, and by 1982 had also withdrawn from Visage. As covered in the previous post, Midge Ure and Ultravox were soon positioned at the vanguard of the ‘New Romantic’/synth-pop movement in Britain.
But the prolific Ure couldn’t help himself, and continued to work with other artists, even during the peak years of Ultravox. He collaborated with the likes of Steve Harley, Modern Man, The Skids (see separate post), and Japan’s Mick Karn (on the 1983 single ‘After A Fashion’ - UK#39). In June of ‘82, Midge Ure released his debut solo single, ‘No Regrets’, an emotive cover of the classic hit by The Walker Brothers (originally recorded by Tom Rush). Ure had no regrets over his first solo single, which soared to #9 on the British charts (OZ#53). The next couple of years saw Ultravox sustain their place at the top of the British music scene, with a string of hit singles, and the top ten albums ‘Quartet’ and ‘Lament’.
Whilst rehearsing with Ultravox for an appearance on the British TV show ‘The Tube’, Ure got a phone call from his old mate Bob Geldof, of Boomtown Rats fame (see future post). Geldof had been inspired to record a song to raise money for famine relief in Ethopia. Geldof had the initial lyrics, whilst Ure fleshed out the melody and structure of the song (with the bridging chorus completed on the day of recording). The resultant song was titled ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’. Ure produced the song which was performed by an all-star cast of musicians, assembled at Geldof and Ure’s behest. The two set up the Band Aid Trust to administer proceeds from sales of the single, which was credited to Band Aid. ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ entered the British charts at #1 on the week of its release in 
December ‘84. It became the fastest selling single ever in Britain, spent five weeks at #1 (4 weeks #1 in Australia, US#13), and eventually notched up sales of over 3.5 million. Whilst Geldof became the face and spokesman for Band Aid, and the subsequent Live Aid concerts, Midge Ure’s contribution, both artistically, and as an official Trustee for Band Aid, should not be underestimated. Ure and his band Ultravox performed at the Live Aid concert in July of ‘85 (Warren Cann’s last live gig with the band).
‘If I Was’, was penned by Ure and Daniel Mitchell (The Messengers), and made an immediate impact on the British charts. ‘If I Was’ was an engagingly melodic love song, featuring a soaring chorus, and it was unashamedly appealing to the masses (I also recall the striking promo video which featured three dimensional paintings made of nails). ‘If I Was’ delivered Midge Ure a much deserved solo #1 on the British charts (OZ#10). ‘The Gift’ album spawned two more top fifty singles in, the melodic synth-pop of ‘That Certain Smile’ (UK#28), and the atmospheric ‘Wastelands’ (UK#46). In mid ‘86, Ure released the non-album single ‘Call Of The Wild’, which found refuge at #27 on the British charts.
‘Answer To Nothing’ (UK#30/US#88/OZ#87) was a polished effort, and saw Ure explore a wider spectrum of musical styles. Given his experiences with Band Aid and work with the associated Band Aid Trust, it’s clear that Ure channelled some ‘big issues’ into the lyrics of ‘Answers To Nothing’, including the title track (UK#49), and the single ‘Dear God’ (OZ#36/US#95/UK#55), an obvious plea for divine intervention. The album also included the track ‘Sister And Brother’, a duet with Kate Bush, which had been planned as a single, but was withdrawn. Ure’s 1991 album ‘Pure’ (UK#36), released on Arista, yielded the top twenty hit ‘Cold, Cold Heart’ (UK#17), and in 1993 a career retrospective titled ‘If I Was’, returned Midge Ure (& Ultravox) to the top ten in Britain.
Ure’s 1996 album ‘Breathe’ didn’t register a pulse on the charts, but Ure has remained active on the recording front over the last ten years including the albums ‘Move Me’ (2001), and ‘10’ (2008), and continues to play a key role with world charity organisations. As mentioned in the previous Ultravox post, Midge Ure performed with the reformed Ultravox for a special 30th anniversary tour of Britain during 2009.
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