Ultravox

Rejecting the raw edge of punk-era guitars for expansive, romantic synthesizers instead, Ultravox helped shape the British electro-pop wave that defined the early 1980s. The band originated in London during 1974 under the initial name Ultravox!, fronted by vocalist and keyboardist John Foxx, born Dennis Leigh, whose fascination with synthesizers and innovative technology dated back to his student days. The founding roster featured bassist Chris Cross, keyboardist and violinist Billy Currie, guitarist Steve Shears, and drummer Warren Cann; though their clear admiration for the glam rock of David Bowie and Roxy Music earned scant attention amid the rising punk tide, Island Records nevertheless signed the five-piece in 1977, enlisting Brian Eno to helm their debut self-titled album.

Following a modest U.K. chart entry with “My Sex,” the group issued Ha! Ha! Ha! later that same year; commercial response remained limited, prompting Shears’s departure and the arrival of guitarist Robin Simon. Their third effort, Systems of Romance from 1978, was tracked in Germany under producer Conrad Plank, yet sales stayed disappointing and Island soon terminated the contract, leading Foxx and Simon to exit—Foxx for a solo path and Simon to join Magazine. The remaining members then recruited singer and guitarist Midge Ure, formerly of Slik and Glen Matlock’s Rich Kids; after moving to Chrysalis, the refreshed lineup released Vienna, which yielded the unexpected success “Sleepwalk,” a 1981 U.K. single that climbed to number two and carried the album into the Top Five, while the title track itself reached number two and lingered for multiple weeks.

Rage in Eden appeared in 1981, after which Ultravox collaborated with producer George Martin on 1983’s Quartet, their strongest American seller to date and the source of the minor hit “Reap the Wild Wind.” Following the 1984 release of Lament, Warren Cann departed to pursue solo work. With Big Country’s Mark Brzezicki added on drums, the core trio returned with U-Vox in 1986 before disbanding. Currie and Simon revived the project in 1993, bringing in vocalist Marcus O’Higgins; three years later they issued the uneven Ingenuity, fronted by Sam Blue, which proved to be the band’s last studio album. Bassist Chris Cross died on March 25, 2024, at the age of 71.