Originally an artsy post-glam band, dating back to 1974. They devised the tech-fetish later used by Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, etc. Signed to Island Records; Brian Eno produced some early stuff. 1978's Systems of Romance was done with Fifth-Kraftwerk Conny Plank, bringing the synthesizer more up-front (e.g. "Slow Motion"). John Foxx chose to go solo in 1979; Island kept him, and dumped the band, which replaced Foxx with journeyman ex-teen idol Midge Ure.

Ure's U-Vox connections were via his New Romantic associations with Visage and the Blitz nightclub. With him on board, the band had a makeover, signing to Chrysalis, having Peter Saville do the visuals, and ditching artsy for pretentious. But it was catchy, and, in keeping with the Blitz ethos, easily danceable. This is the Ultravox most remembered now, with songs like "Sleepwalk", "Vienna", "The Voice", "Reap the Wild Wind"... They achieved Band Aid aristocracy; Ure, mission accomplished, left.

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