| Breathe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1996 | |||
| Recorded | September 1994-March 1995 | |||
| Label | BMG | |||
| Producer | Richard Feldman | |||
| Midge Ure chronology | ||||
| ||||
Breathe, a 1996 album by Midge Ure, was the fourth solo release for the former Ultravox frontman. The album, produced by Richard Feldman, was released first in Continental Europe, followed by the U.K. and U.S. [1] [1] [2]
The recording of 'Breathe' was completed in early 1995, but the album's release was delayed by the record company. [3] The recording took place in various studios in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dublin and in Ure's own studio in Bath. Ure first recorded four of the tracks with producer Julian Mendelsohn, but they were later re-recorded. [4]
In 1998, the single "Breathe" became a hit-single in several European countries, boosted by its use in a Swatch TV advert campaign, two years after its original release. [3] The single charted at No.1 both at the Italian and the Austrian charts, No.10 in Spain and No.12 in Germany. [5] [6] "Guns And Arrows" and "Fields Of Fire" were also released as singles.
Influenced by his Scottish heritage, the album 'Breathe' features a unique blend of traditional instruments, such as the uilleann pipes and bodhrán, combined with the exotic sounds of the didgeridoo and Gaelic vocals. The result is a musical landscape that pulses with organic vibrancy.
Ure called "Breathe":
"More of a Midge Ure album than any other album I´ve done." "In a way", he adds, "Breathe is a much more honest and open record".
Ure traces the origins of "Breathe" to a U.S. Tour he did with other songwriters in 1992. Once the other songwriters convinced him to try playing "Vienna" on acoustic guitar, Ure realized he could make music without the wealth of electronics or other musicians backing him up."That turned my whole perception of what I was doing musically". [7]
Ure said about the album in 2015:
"It was just another phase of discovery. To me, the important part of it was the quality of the songs, not just necessarily the instruments enhancing the songs.""You try to run a million miles from what you’re known for and it’s all part of the process of finding your own feet and trying to decide what you are and what you want to do. Part of that process would have been turning my back on the standard synthesis and rediscover my Scottish roots." [8]
The song "Live Forever" was inspired by Anne Rice book "Interview with the Vampire". [9]
Ure said in 2015:
" ‘Breathe’ was one of those albums where the record company, in their infinite wisdom, decided to A&R me after all these years! They wanted me to not use the same musicians, not to record in the same studios, not to produce the album myself… so they asked me to gather a whole bunch of songs which I did and I ended up with a producer I could work with, Richard Feldman who had done an album for the model and actress Milla Jovovich which was a great album. So I made ‘Breathe’, it was fantastic and I delivered the album, only to have it sit on a shelf for a year while BMG started sorting out their internal problems. It was a hideously frustrating process to go through, and when it finally came out, the first two years of its life, it was the worst selling record I’d ever made. So until Swatch came along and picked up the title track thanks to a fan in Italy, the album was an absolute disaster. But because of a TV commercial, it turned the entire thing round. It bounced all around Europe and was a big record eventually."
1,5,10 & 11: written by Ure / 2 & 6: Ure, Feldman / 3: Ure, Feldman, Bazilian / 4: Ure, Feldman, Klein / 7 & 9: Ure, Mitchell / 8: Ure, Feldman, Shipley
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Breathe" | 4:28 |
| 2. | "Fields Of Fire" | 4:31 |
| 3. | "Fallen Angel" | 3:53 |
| 4. | "Free" | 4:42 |
| 5. | "Guns And Arrows" | 4:44 |
| 6. | "Lay My Body Down" | 3:58 |
| 7. | "Sinnerman" | 3:38 |
| 8. | "Live Forever" | 4:20 |
| 9. | "Trail Of Tears" | 3:38 |
| 10. | "May Your Good Lord" | 4:04 |
| 11. | "The Maker" | 4:45 |
James "Midge" Ure is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim, the diminutive form of his actual name. Ure enjoyed particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in bands including Slik, Thin Lizzy, Rich Kids and Visage, and as the second frontman of Ultravox. In 1984, he co-wrote and produced the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?", which has sold 3.7 million copies in the UK. The song is the second-highest-selling single in UK chart history. Ure co-organised Band Aid, Live Aid and Live 8 with Bob Geldof. He acts as a trustee for the charity and also serves as an ambassador for Save the Children.
Within a Mile of Home is the third studio album by the Celtic punk band Flogging Molly. Released in 2004, the album reached No. 20 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200 chart and No. 1 on the Independent Music chart. The album is dedicated to Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash, as indicated in the album's liner notes. The song "To Youth " was featured on the soundtrack of FIFA Football 2005.
"Vienna" is a song by British new wave band Ultravox from their 1980 fourth studio album of the same name. It was released as the album's third single on 9 January 1981 by Chrysalis Records and features Midge Ure singing the lead vocal.
Troy Donockley is an English composer and multi-instrumentalist most known for his playing of Uilleann pipes. Having performed with many artists as a session player, he is most notable as a member of Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, which he has performed with since 2007 and joined as a full-time member in 2013.
Slik were a Scottish pop group of the mid-1970s, most notable for their UK number 1 hit "Forever and Ever" in 1976. Initially glam rock, the band later changed their style to soft rock/bubblegum. It was the first band with whom singer and guitarist Midge Ure began to experience musical success, before joining new wave band Ultravox.
Irish Heartbeat is the eighteenth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and is a collaboration with the traditional Irish musical group the Chieftains, released in 1988. It was recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, Ireland, and reached number 18 in the UK album charts.
The Anvil is the second studio album by the British rock/pop band Visage, released in March 1982 by Polydor Records. The album reached No. 6 in the UK and was certified "Silver" by the British Phonographic Industry in April 1982.
Bring Yer Wellies is the sixth album by Celtic band Gaelic Storm. It was released on July 25, 2006. "Wellies" is a nickname for Wellington boots, which feature prominently in the lyrics of "Kelly's Wellies" and on the album cover.
Omnia is a self-described "neoceltic pagan folk" band based in the Netherlands, whose members over the years have had Irish, Dutch, Cornish, Belgian, Indonesian, and Persian backgrounds. Their music takes the form of various cultural routes, from places such as Ireland, England, Cornwall, and Iran. The name of the band is a Latin word that means "everything".
Lament is the seventh studio album by British new wave band Ultravox, released on 6 April 1984 by Chrysalis Records. It was the last album featuring original drummer Warren Cann until the band's reunion album Brilliant in 2012. The album peaked at number eight on the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 8 June 1984 for shipments of 100,000 copies. It also reached number 25 in Germany and number 115 in the United States.
Celtic Woman: A New Journey is the third studio album by Celtic Woman, released worldwide on 30 January 2007.
U-Vox is the eighth studio album by British new wave band Ultravox, released on 9 October 1986 by Chrysalis Records. It was the band's fifth album during the Midge Ure era, and the final one featuring the band's 1979 lineup, with the exception of Warren Cann, for nearly 26 years. The Ure-era lineup would eventually reform in 2008. It was also the last Ultravox album to reach the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number nine.
The Gift is the debut solo studio album by Scottish musician Midge Ure, released on 7 October 1985 by Chrysalis Records. It was released while his band Ultravox were taking a break; the band would go on to release U-Vox (1986) before breaking up. The album reached No. 2 in the UK Albums Chart partly due to the large attention drawn to it by the single "If I Was" which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in September 1985. "That Certain Smile" was released as the second single in November 1985, and "Wastelands" was released as the third single in January 1986.
Answers to Nothing is the second solo studio album by Scottish musician Midge Ure, released in August 1988 by Chrysalis Records. It was the first release by Ure following the demise of Ultravox.
"No Regrets" is a song by folk and blues singer/songwriter Tom Rush. It is the final song on his 1968 album The Circle Game and was released as a single in the UK in January 1968 and in the US in April. It peaked at number 57 on the UK BMRB Breakers, an official extension of the UK Singles Chart.
Honour Amongst Chaos is the third studio album by the Northern Irish Celtic metal band Waylander. It was released in 2008 through Listenable Records, and was the band's first album for seven years. Some versions of the album feature a re-recording of the song Born to the Fight with new lyrics as a bonus track.
"Breathe" is a song by Scottish singer Midge Ure released on 22 March 1996 as the first single from his album Breathe.
If I Was: The Very Best of Midge Ure & Ultravox is a 1993 compilation album by Scottish musician Midge Ure, featuring songs from his solo career and as part of the new wave and synthpop band Ultravox, along with Ure's collaborations with Mick Karn, Phil Lynott, Visage, and charity supergroup Band Aid.
Pure, released 16 September 1991, is the third solo album by former Ultravox frontman Midge Ure. It was the first release by Ure with a new record label BMG-Arista. The first single "Cold Cold Heart" reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1991. "I See Hope in the Morning Light" and "Let It Go?" were also released as singles. The album has a blend of ethnic rhythms and clean album-oriented rock pop, pervaded by catchy hooks.
Move Me, released 25 September 2000, is the fifth solo album by former Ultravox frontman Midge Ure. Ure produced, arranged and recorded it almost entirely at home. It was released by BMG Records in continental Europe and was not released in the UK until 14 May 2001 by Curb Records. It was also released in the U.S. by Koch Records.
