Ultravox Brighton Centre 27th May 1984 TFTLTYTD#7

 

Yesterday evening I learned of the passing of Ultravox's bass player Chris Cross. This band broke through on the early London punk scene (whilst also pre-dating it having formed in 1974), but they were worlds apart from the three chord thrash. The band brought together grating guitar and synthesizers, Roxy Music, meets Kraftwerk with a bit of Johnny Thunders thrown into the mix. 

With the departure of John Foxx, Midge Ure entered the fold as the band shifted to a more chart friendly sound that rode the crest of the New Romantic wave. Later still, Ultravox held their own with the hit heavy albums of Quartet (1982) and Lament (1983). Chris Cross was a constant presence across the years.

I prefer the Foxx era band, but never saw them. I did however see them play with Midge in Brighton in May 1984 and that is the gig posted here.

RIP Chris Cross (1952-2024).

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-ylsKhNvpgu

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-75alQMEGMs

20 From '77(10) Ultravox Radiohuset Stockholm 19th October 1977

Again, something a little left field whilst still meeting the 1977 criteria. Ultravox! in the time of original vocalist John Foxx were a far cry from the chart friendly band that Ultravox would become with Midge Ure at the helm. Was it punk? I dunno, outside of the big hitters on the scene, 'punk' was a broad church early on.... and some elements fitted the bill, raw guitars, punk sounding angry lyrics and a look the shouted New Wave. With art-school backgrounds they shared the same influences as the A-listers..... Bowie and Roxy Music. However, it was their early use of synthesisers that set them apart and it was the unabashed acknowledgement of their influence often repeated by Gary Numan, who was to become one of the biggest pop stars in the UK in 1979, that sealed their reputation as early pioneers of British electronic music.

Maybe not for everyone...... but the were part of it in '77!

FLAC/MP3: https://we.tl/t-d0l3WQcYXu

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-D9xFAHciRV

01. I Want To Be A Machine

02. Slip Away

03. The Frozen Ones

04. Distant Smile

05. Young Savage

06. My Sex

07. Artificial Life

08. Wide Boys -

       Saturday Night In The City Of The Dead

10. The Wild, The Beautiful And The Damned

11. Rockwrok

12. Fear In The Western World

Alternative Broadcast

01. I Want To Be A Machine

02. Rockwrok

03. Slip Away

04. The Frozen Ones

05. Distant Smile

06. Young Savage

07. My Sex

08. The Man Who Dies Every Day

09. Artificial Life

10. Wide Boys

11. Saturday Night In The City Of The Dead

12. The Wild, The Beautiful And The Damned

13. Rockwrok

14. Fear In The Western World

20 From '79 (13) Ultravox Whiskey A Go Go LA 15th March 1979

Knob-Twiddlers 'R' Us

John Foxx (Ultravox) discusses Moog specifications with Gary Numan in 1979

No apologies for another diversion from the punk rock dual carriageway with this, another example of how diverse the UK music scene had become in the aftermath of punk.

It is to be noted that Ultravox pre-dated punk by a couple of years, progressed through punk and came out the other side with a new sound that combined the guitar, drum and bass requirements of punk with synthesisers. In doing so, they lead the UK charge that took teenagers off on one of (there were many at this stage) the next musical directions.... electronica or futurism (remember the kids at school who called themselves 'Futurists'?..... I may have applied that label to myself at some point in time!). This electronica itself mutated and gave way to a much lighter-weight style of music that became 'new romantic'.... of which arguably a latter incarnation of Ultravox (in which singer John Foxx was replaced by musical chameleon, Midge Ure) formed a part.

So here are Ultravox, a great band with possibly the most pretentious lyrics in modern pop (it's a close run thing with Bauhaus!)

FLAC: https://we.tl/Ed8cpIJWOL

Artwork: https://we.tl/V35fkFVugA