Ultravox

Ultravox were often associated with the early-’80s New Romantic movement thanks to their 1980 single “Vienna”, a swooning electro-pop song with heartbeat rhythms and melodramatic vocal flourishes. But while the London band did have strong ties to that fashionable scene—frontman Midge Ure and keyboardist/violinist Billy Currie had also been bandmates in the influential synth-pop act Visage—they had much artsier and rougher roots. Ultravox formed in 1974 under the name Tiger Lily with a different vocalist, John Foxx. This lineup debuted in 1977 with two albums: Ultravox!, an LP indebted to Roxy Music and Kraftwerk, and the more raucous, punkish Ha! Ha! Ha!. Ure replaced Foxx in 1979, setting the stage for the Vienna LP, a futuristic mix of jagged rock and crisp keyboard sounds that was overseen by the legendary German producer Conny Plank. The early ’80s found Ultravox enjoying more success with dramatic synth-pop singles “Dancing with Tears in My Eyes” and “Reap the Wild Wind” before the band broke up in 1987. They reunited several times with different lineups, including a fruitful revival from 2008 to 2013. Currie’s subsequent retirement from Ultravox left Ure in charge of keeping the group’s music and legacy alive, largely via solo tours.