Ultravox - Vienna (Live @ St. Albans) Reaction

[@alyzu4755]

Midge Ure (the lead singer) is 70, still touring, and still sounds amazing. He's also multi-talented and very underrated.

[@SilverSparkles22]

Makes me feel old! I saw Ultravox when I was 13 years old in Glasgow, both my and Midge's home city. Good times 😊

[@janinebedfordl]

St Albans (it's just pronounced exactly as it's written) is about four miles up the road from me, I lived there for 15 years and I saw a band (not Ultravox) in this venue in the early 80s. I've never seen Ultravox but I am going to see Midge Ure (lead vocalist etc) playing Ultravox stuff at the end of this month - he's still really really good

[@sherbert500]

This was a massive hit when it came out and is still a modern classic!

[@bugsby4663]

Their first three albums are genuine classics but their second (Rage in Eden) is a work of art.

[@a.k.1740]

I agree that Rage in Eden is a work of art but it was not their second album but their fifth! (well ok, their second with Midge Ure if you want!).

[@mikepallett-wr1dc]

R.I.P. Chris cross from ULTRAVOX 25th March 2024

[@Valhalla88888]

A great Scottish singer❤❤❤❤❤

[@jonnno243]

This timeless classic always produces calm for me.

[@kevhanson1262]

A massive hit in the UK only kept off the number 1 spot by some hideous novelty song called "shaddap a ya face " in1981.They made many great songs like "The thin wall " one small day. One of the greatest songs of the 80s and all time. Singer Midge Ure wrote the African relief single for the starving in Ethiopia with other pop stars band aid "Do they know its Christmas " which sold millions world wide in 1984 and then on to organise Live Aid with Bob Geldof so this guys a legend

[@dionisioiacobelli6689]

This song was all over MTV in the 80's .

[@thunderspike1892]

Dancing With Tears In My Eyes are another great Ultravox song. They flew to Vienna. Did some video and flew back the same day. The rest of the video was recorded in London. Covent Garden and the Kilburn Gaumont Theater in North London. The places they wanted to use in Vienna were shut down because of winter. The record company didn't want to pay so Ultravox did it themselves. 6000-7000 £. Midge Ure and Billy Currie were former members of Visage who recorded the big hit Fade To Grey with vocalist Steve Strange Midge Ure later toured with Thin Lizzy. Probably the most unlikely member ever coming from a more synth based band

[@hanierfamily]

We know Dancing With Tears In My Eyes. It is a great song

[@mikepallett-wr1dc]

Written by Midge Ure and Chris Cross who sadly passed away on the 25th march 2024

[@simonlitten]

When I first heard the full Vienna album (by Ultravox) i was surprised that that a new wave band had delivered a concept album. The full album has overtones of Genesis and Peter Gabriel. The beat step change in the second half of the song was a surprise too. Takes me back to my undergraduate years.

[@1965Ady]

The live version, although good doesn’t have the same impact as the studio recording. The accompanying official video is quality too.

[@andyyoung9463]

Gotta follow that up with Fade To Grey by Visage if you don't already know it

[@kenhewitt7357]

Midge Ure did a spell with Thin Lizzy and one owned one of his gibson guitars from that era!

[@mightyV444]

And I've been to beautiful Vienna only once so far, on a week-long Skewl trip in April '89, but the Music I associate the most with that is actually the 'Moving Pictures' album by Rush! 😃 (Holy moly! That's exactly 34 years ago!! 🤯😅)

[@mightyV444]

The "novelty" song 'Shaddap You Face' by Joe Dolce had prevented 'Vienna' from reaching the #1 spot in the UK Charts back then 😅 This is a pretty decent live version, too! The one thing that makes the studio version even better is the use of a proper piano instead of an electronic one. A lot was happening in my still very young life at that time, and I'm being taken right back whenever I hear this song. My 17-year-old Son loves it also 😊 Thank you for checking it out, Cynthia and Chris, and great you enjoyed it, too! 😍👍

[@Sandy-dd4le]

The peelings are gone... kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2nGmquOrtqHbJo

[@colrhodes377]

Ha you beat me to that bit of info. 😅😊

[@mightyV444]

@@colrhodes377 - I wasn't the first one to mention it either! 😉😄

[@Sandy-dd4le]

Remember EMF? kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIWxe4Nud7Ofo5o Both this and Vic Reeves appeared on the same album of covers that the NME put out back in the 1790's

[@ghichens3418]

Yes ! you mentioned the Joe Dolce word !! Im back in the dark room now to recover !!!

[@anhistorian7255]

The original Ultravox, with John Foxx, was a great band and one of Gary Numan's big influences. He used to follow them around and watch all their gigs and still talks in glowing terms about them. He's pretty dismissive of the Midge Ure version of the band but they're very different beasts. The Ure version was all about hits and getting in the charts. I like the Ure version but the original band, I love. Midge Ure was briefly in Thin Lizzy, believe it or not, and there's a video of him playing (miming to) Waiting for an Alibi with them on German tv somewhere on KZbin.

[@daveborder7751]

Ultravox surprisingly never had a UK number one-this was their biggest song & famously kept off the top spot by a comedy/novelty song. However the singer Midge Ure had a UK number one with his prior Band Slik with Forever & Ever in 1976, then as the writer for the various artists Band Aid African charity song Do They Know It's Christmas in 1984 & then as a solo artist in 1985 with If I Was.

[@hanierfamily]

We definitely know the Band Aid song. We added the other ones to our list.

[@rian202003]

Love Ultravox, Midge Ure is from Cambuslang, a working class town just outside Glasgow, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@coot1925]

Wow, how much effect did they put on midges voice! The 80s was the age of synth pop. Gary numan was probably the one you were trying to remember. I played keyboards back then and had a few Roland's and an ensonique. Great experimental times in music. ✌️❤️🇬🇧

[@kympridham8267]

Midge Ure what a fantastic voice such an improvement for the band

[@mightyV444]

I keep missing his shows here in Wellington/NZ!! 😭 Many of my overseas friends have been raving about them! 😊

[@kympridham8267]

@@mightyV444 He is good saw him before covid

[@mightyV444]

@@kympridham8267 - Awesome! 😀👍 Lovely guy, too! 😊

[@skolex33]

For me, Midge Ure ruined Ultravvox! Just my opinion but the correct opinion.

[@kympridham8267]

@@skolex33 The way you worded that shows us all what we need to know

[@kathwallace1811]

Amazing track sad it was not not No.1. Was a big fan in the day.

[@user-lj6ot7xc9o]

A kinda strange key-board effect is new to me. It makes the band sound into more modern era, say 1930s, interesting.

[@Sandy-dd4le]

I don't think I've ever seen this bit of footage before, interesting find! I'm not the biggest fan of Midge Ure era Ultravox, I liked the earlier stuff when John Foxx was the singer. I'd like to suggest, Hiroshima Mon Amour, though I think I may have already. Also, Midge Ure needs to call Anthony Keidis, about getting that 'tache back!

[@davidellis5141]

The Church do a nice cover of Hiroshima Mon Amour .. No Saxophone.

[@Sandy-dd4le]

​@@davidellis5141 oh yeah, so they did! I had forgotten all about that, cheers for the reminder!

[@SPKdesign1]

Also "Saturday Night In The City Of The Dead" and "Fear In The Western World".

[@mightyV444]

Midge also reminds me Sparks' Ron with that look 😁 I think 'Hiroshima Mon Amour' still is the only John Foxx era U-Vox song I know! I'm mostly familiar with their hits together with Midge Ure like 'One Small Day', 'Reap The Wild Wind', 'Dancing With Tears In My Eyes' and 'Hymn', plus the 'Vienna' album 🙂

[@SPKdesign1]

@@mightyV444 He does on some tracks but I think he is much shorter and different tastes in facial hair.

[@robertbagley9199]

Good live version, but the studio version has 'genuine piano' which for me means it just edges this. Tracks you could try are, 'All Fall Down' 'All Stood Still' 'Dancing With Tears In My Eyes' 'One Small Day' (and many more of course)

[@hanierfamily]

We do know Dancing With Tears In My Eyes. We added the others to the list

[@13kralll]

Спасибо ребята! Вы классные!

[@phillipgreen3893]

A quick after thought Midge Ure was a last minute replacement guitarist on one of Thin Lizzy's tour when Gary Moore injured his hand

[@mightyV444]

Yes! I'd always found that to be such an odd combination, too! I think legend has it that Midge had learnt their set in the course of only 1 day!

[@delorangeade]

It was Brian Robertson who hurt his hand prior to a previous Thin Lizzy tour, and was replaced by Gary Moore. Gary Moore quit the band during a US tour and was replaced by Midge.

[@kevhanson1262]

Midge had a Concorde flight from UK to the USA to learn the lizzy tracks then on stage the following night, could you imagine that playing twin guitar with Scott Gorham with less than 24 hours notice. Midge Ure actually said this "I was Thin Lizzys worst guitarist "

[@SPKdesign1]

@@mightyV444 Midge Ure and Brian Robertson are both Scottish so it's possible they knew each other and that's why he got the job. Brian Robertson also played with Motorhead for a short stint.

[@mightyV444]

@@SPKdesign1 - Yes, that does sound like the most likely scenario to me, too 🙂

[@richey4287]

St Albans in the UK pronounced Saint All bans. Ultravox are great. It would be great if you could react to 'Hymn' by Ultravox.

[@liveitup67]

The original video was directed by Australian film-maker, Russell Mulcahy. My friends and I first saw the video on Countdown and we went mad for it and did our thing (pester radio stations). The song reached # 11 in Australia. In the meantime, our Joe Dolce was denying Ultravox the # 1 position in England due to his Shaddup U Face* Not much more I can say. I had a copy of the EMI compilation LP called ''1981... Rocks On'', and I remember being upset that 'Vienna'' didn't sound as good on the album as it did on radio or in the record shop when played on speakers. This song just takes me back to that period of being a kid in the carefree days of 1981. *Joe Dolce was an American, so it's not completely on Australia..

[@ghichens3418]

Hi ! Now Im going to have to go into a dark room for a couple of hours !! You mentioned !!! Joe Dolce !!!!!! Aaaaaaghhhh ! Still carry the scars ,

[@liveitup67]

@@ghichens3418 I was part of the studio audience when the song got its debut on Countdown (Australia's Top Of The Pops). We thought he was just some comedian with a cute song and we went along with the joke. Then show host, Molly Meldrum, joined him on stage playing a concertina, and we began to wonder what was going on. Why's Molly joining him on stage, and hyping him up?!? We assumed Joe was some new Norman Gunston type of character that's being tested on with the kids. We thought we'd never hear the song again. Then his song grew into a monster! 😮

[@ghichens3418]

@@liveitup67 Wow ! A proper tv celeb !!! But yes you have touched on something v interesting ! I was in Aus first time from 80 to 84 and know of Countdown , I always thought Molly was a wrong n , but when you are young ,you think nooo no cant be ! Then Jimmy Saville was exposed as one of the biggest P s in History , When Johnny Rotten exposed the whole issue of JS and half of the BBC ,It was proper jaw dropping ! Thats why Johhny Rotten was blackballed and did not get the air play he deserved ! Bless him ! Then you understand the whole stinking truth about the industry ! and how the targetting of younger audiances is getting worse !! some people might call it grooming . Big subject !! Thanks for getting back ! Cheers have a great week end ,

[@liveitup67]

@@ghichens3418 I heard about all that. I even watched the documentary about Saville on Netflix. Yuk! I can imagine how much of a jaw-dropper the whole Jimmy Saville scandal must have been. Molly wasn't weird with us. He could be very rude, and he yelled at me and my friends a few times. Richard Clapton was late to the show, and us kids began treating the studio like it was some youth social club - walking about, exploring and talking. Then Molly got on his high horse and yelled at us, and then got even more angry when he saw we were all laughing at him: ''Are you serious, Molly? Do y'self a favour and chill out!'' was our answer to his dilemma. The following week he was chastising Richard Clapton for being late the week prior. Asides from that, most of my experience on Countdown was fun! Nice talking to you.. 😄

[@ghichens3418]

@@liveitup67 Thats so AcE ! Telling aTV Celeb to take a chill pill !! Good on you ! Yes nice speaking to you to ,must get outside ,the sun is out the birds are singing ,and i have to weed veggie beds !! take care !

[@heathcornbeef]

I brought this on tape when it was released but it means nothing to me oh Vienna

[@togs0762]

Great band....plus the drummer is Canadian!

[@btj-oo8xc]

There re two versions of Ultavox, the John Foxx led punkier item and the Midge Ure led pop combo. This is the latter

[@simoncoley303]

Remember this so well, and the Joe Dolce farce... left school in 81, Vienna 80 or 81 not sure but good tune.

[@phillipgreen3893]

Early Ultravox were a big inspiration for Gary Numan and Billy currie who played the violin here also played with Numan on your video of Are Friends Electric, this song also has a great video and spent weeks in the charts at number 2 behind a very annoying novelty record.

[@mightyV444]

...which still was being sung along to by *loads* of people, especially children - including myself! 😂 I've always loved 'Vienna' much more, of course 😉

[@1965Ady]

What’s a matter you!?

[@mightyV444]

@@1965Ady: *...Hey!...* 😄

[@pflynn581]

Saint Albans is in the UK.

[@mightyV444]

When I was growing up in Germany, we had neighbours we'd refer to as "the Albans" (Alban being their family name) 😄

[@ghichens3418]

Yes ! Ace ! Proper Brill ! Have not heard this live before ! This is so well done !Midge Ure seems to sing better live than the studio ! This is a real gem !! Cheers !

[@jonathanreich6360]

While I love Ultravox's Vienna album, Ultravox is the odd band that had 2 different versions. I also love the pre-1980 Ultravox with John Foxx rather than Midge Ure's New Romantic version. Try some stuff from the album Systems of Romance which was much more some early defining synth/guitar rock stuff that influenced others like Gary Numan.

[@markferrett700]

This is Ultravox...MK2......the original line up with the massively talented Jon Foxx as the front man and song writer were imho a more rock based band. They still had synths but they had more b...s!!!! This line up were really on the wave of electro bands spawned by Gary Numan's success with Tubeway Army,especially his hit single "Cars".It is a cool song BUT.....check out " Hiroshima Mon Amour" ......a great album with Jon Foxx. Its pronounced...Saint All bans !! The song "Slow Motion" is an absolute gem

[@nickconquest5527]

'sun all buns'

[@ghichens3418]

When "Visage" came out with "Fade to Grey " and "Mind of a Toy " who would have thought that Midge wrote Steve Stranges stuff ! The evidence is clear when Strange started to write his own stuff ! Should have stayed on the beach in front of that bull dozer on the Ashes to Ashes Video !Cheers ! Tis a mere joke !

[@heathcornbeef]

I can't wear a tie or a turtle neck hate having anything around my neck especially hands😮

[@davepb5798]

Wow, so talented!

[@Zadster]

I don't think I would choose this version for anyone who hadn't heard Vienna before...

[@kevindobson3701]

Can't wait for my request

[@andyweir8670]

My brother went out with a girl called Vanessa at the time of this And we always sang she means nothing too me oooooooooh VANNESSA

[@richardscales9560]

Better live than recorded I think. Much more atmospheric.

[@colrhodes377]

Midge Ure actually played with Ian Gillan for a while. So, today I'm suggesting, Gillan, Born to kill. The studio version with all verses is the best. A very thought provoking song.

[@a.k.1740]

With Ian Gillan? I was aware that Midge Ure had a connection with Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy who he briefly toured with but about Ian Gillan I didn't know. Thank you for the info !

[@SPKdesign1]

Ooh, if there are Gillan tracks being put forward... "Vengeance" or "If You Believe Me" (Studio Version).

[@colrhodes377]

@A. K. Yes, for a while he played with Gillan. Take a look on the " Gillan family tree "

[@SPKdesign1]

@@colrhodes377 Did he play on any of the lps or just live?

[@colrhodes377]

@@SPKdesign1 just live as far as I can tell.

[@nicensleazy1892]

great track

[@bryanforis1839]

Great live band

[@andreascala2663]

canzone pazzesca

[@davidellis5141]

I actually prefer the John Foxx period of Ultravox but the first two albums with Midge this & Rage In Eden are quite good. My favorite Foxx Era tracks are Hiroshima Mon Amour & Slow Motion. Ure Era faves are Passing Strangers & Stranger Within. The legendary Connie Plank worked with both versions of the band & Billy Currie plays on Are Friends Electric by Gary Numan & Fade To Grey by Visage. ✌️

[@SPKdesign1]

I prefer the John Fox Ultravox as well. Once Midge joined, they went a wee bit too poppy.

[@markferrett700]

Slow motion is a gem👍

[@richardhargrave6082]

I will never, ever forgive Joe Dolce

[@hanierfamily]

?

[@heathcornbeef]

The eighties have a lot to answer for one of the worse crime's is Simmons electronic Drum's day glow leg warmers shoulder pads and permed hair 🤢🤮 shit i forgot the most insanely hideous crime of the eighties RONALD REAGAN

[@Sandy-dd4le]

Permed hair for men, that I can definitely agree with, I can't agree with electronic drums though ;)

[@heathcornbeef]

@@Sandy-dd4le kia ora hello Sandy how are ya doing? Hay i just can't handle their tinny hollow bright sound 😠🤢🤮 it's poison to my ears

[@Sandy-dd4le]

@@heathcornbeef I'm good, you? I'm too much of a fan of Dance music to let go of electronic drums!

[@heathcornbeef]

@@Sandy-dd4le fair enough enjoy it while you can because I'm halfway to becoming supreme world leader (narcissistic cocky mentally unstable and ARIES ♈) anyway I'm going to bring in laws banning electronic music alcohol and war and there will be compulsory servings of Cheesecake everyday no exceptions and everyone has to have a wash at least once a year even if they don't really need to and i will change my socks at least every second Xmas left sock to right foot right sock to left foot good to go for another year maybe two

[@ghichens3418]

Ha ! Yes Crimes Against Fashion were plenty in the 80s !! I did my confession years ago ! Big Pirate frilly shirts , eye liner , black jeans , must have looked a right knob !! If you need to confess your crimes towards fashion ! You will feel much better ! Just write them all down on a piece of paper put said paper on fire while listening to Ant Music by Adam and the Ants !!!!

[@ann-soiesoderqvist6458]

blådårar musikörat borta traggedy