"Miles Away" is a song by John Foxx, released as a single in October 1980. It was his fourth solo single, following "Burning Car" in July that year. The track was not included on any original album, falling roughly midway between the release of Foxx's debut LP Metamatic in January 1980 and his second album The Garden in September 1981.
Sonically, as well as chronologically, "Miles Away" was a transitional song in Foxx’s catalogue, its instrumentation being heavy with synthesizers, as in previous solo releases, but also featuring the acoustic drum sound that would characterise his remaining 1980s work. No detail on the electronics used in the song appeared on the original single's sleeve, however Foxx's studio equipment at the time included an ARP Odyssey, a Minimoog, an Elka 'String Machine', and an ARP Analog Sequencer.
The fanfare-like synthesizer lines of "Miles Away" were reminiscent of the track "Slow Motion" which opened the album Systems of Romance, Foxx's last with former band Ultravox. Regarding the song's title and subject matter, Foxx said "You know when you're looking out of a window or you're not quite present, you know you're with someone but your mind is on something else, and that is quite often my state of mind I think, so I decided to write a song about it."[1]
The lyrics and cover photograph also appear to reference 'The Quiet Man', an alternate character developed by Foxx in the late 1970s that personified detachment and observation ("I'm a new man when I walk away"). Foxx has described The Quiet Man as habitually wearing a nondescript grey suit that he (Foxx) found in an Oxfam shop. The picture sleeve of "Miles Away" depicts just such a "grey suit, white shirt and dark tie",[2] arranged across a lounge chair.
The B-side, "A Long Time", was written and performed with Shake Shake, a group comprising Duncan Bridgeman and Jo Dworniak,[3] along with Philip Roberts, all of whom would appear on Foxx’s next album, The Garden. The track's psychedelic flavour foreshadowed Foxx's The Golden Section (1983).
The single made #51 in the UK charts in 1980. "Miles Away" appears on the 1993, 2001 reissues of Metamatic and on the 2008 re-issue of The Garden, which also features an "alternative version" of the song. It also appears on the John Foxx compilations "Modern Art" (2001), "Glimmer" (2008) and "Metadelic" (2013). A live version performed by John Foxx and Louis Gordon is featured on the album "Neuro Video", recorded at The Luminaire in London, on 24 November 2007. "A Long Time" appears on the 1993 reissue of Metamatic and 2001 edition of The Garden while an "alternative version" appears on the 2008 re-issue of "The Golden Section".
John Foxx is an English singer, musician, artist, photographer, graphic designer, writer, teacher and lecturer. He was the original lead singer of the new wave band Ultravox, before leaving to embark on a solo career in 1980 with the album Metamatic.
Metamatic is the debut solo album by John Foxx, released in 1980. It was his first solo project following his split with Ultravox the previous year. A departure from the mix of synthesizers and conventional rock instrumentation on that band's work, Metamatic was purely electronic in sound. The name 'Metamatic' comes from a painting machine by kinetic artist Jean Tinguely, first exhibited at the Paris Biennial in 1959. The album peaked at #18 on the UK Albums Chart.
The Golden Section is a 1983 album by English musician John Foxx. A progression from the sound of The Garden (1981), Foxx called The Golden Section "a roots check: Beatles, Church music, Psychedelia, The Shadows, The Floyd, The Velvets, Roy Orbison, Kraftwerk, and cheap pre-electro Europop". The album was Foxx's first work with a producer since his final Ultravox album, Systems of Romance, in 1978; The Golden Section was co-produced by Zeus B. Held, well known in the Krautrock scene of the 1970s. In addition to Foxx's wide array of synthesizers, the production made extensive use of vocoder effects and sampling, along with traditional rock guitar.
The Garden is a 1981 album by John Foxx, the follow-up to his debut solo album Metamatic, released the previous year. By comparison, it features more diverse instrumentation and romantic stylings.
Quiet Life is the third studio album by English new wave band Japan, first released on 17 November 1979 in Canada by record label Hansa.
Ultravox! is the debut studio album by British new wave band Ultravox. It was recorded at Island Studios in Hammersmith, London in the autumn of 1976 and produced by Ultravox! and Steve Lillywhite with studio assistance from Brian Eno. It was released on 25 February 1977 by Island.
Systems of Romance, released on 8 September 1978, is the third album by British new wave band Ultravox. It was the final recording for the group with original lead singer, lyricist and co-composer John Foxx, and their first album without guitarist Stevie Shears, who had left the band. Shears was replaced by Robin Simon, making his first and only appearance on an Ultravox album. Though not a commercial success, Systems of Romance had a significant influence on the electropop music that came after it.
"Burning Car" is a song by John Foxx, released as a single in 1980. It was his third solo single, following "Underpass" and "No-One Driving" earlier in the year. The track was not included on Foxx's debut solo album Metamatic, post-dating its January 1980 release, but has been included as a bonus track on the 2001 and 2007 CD reissues. It was Foxx's last 1980s record in a hard-edged electronica style.
Robin Simon is a British guitarist who was a member of Ultravox, Magazine and Visage.
"ROckWrok" is a single by the post-punk band Ultravox!, released on 7 October 1977 by Island Records. It was the last British non-free single released from the Ha! Ha! Ha! album and featuring Stevie Shears as guitarist. The next non-free single was Frozen Ones, released only in Germany shortly afterwards.
The Island Years is a compilation by Ultravox, released in 1999 by PolyGram and Spectrum labels. It contains songs from their three first albums, when John Foxx was the group's vocalist and frontman, and another two guitarists, Stevie Shears and Robin Simon were with them. The album is a compilation of the band's early years, before Midge Ure became a member, and the band scored a number of hits in the 1980s.
Shifting City is an album by John Foxx and Louis Gordon, released in 1997. Released simultaneously with Foxx's ambient album Cathedral Oceans, Shifting City was Foxx's first album release since In Mysterious Ways (1985).
John Foxx and the Maths is a musical project featuring electronic music pioneer John Foxx, Benge and more recently Hannah Peel. The group specialises in the use of analogue synthesizers and drum machines. It was initially a studio based project working from Benge's studio in Shoreditch, London but has also engaged in live work.
"No-One Driving" is a 1980 song by UK artist John Foxx, and was released as a single in March 1980. It was the second single release from the Metamatic album, after "Underpass". The song is typical of Foxx's musical output of the time, featuring a Ballardian dystopian scenario involving an automobile in the lyrics, with music produced using electronic instruments only.
This is a complete discography of the British recording artist John Foxx.
"Underpass" is a song by UK artist John Foxx, and was released as a single in January 1980. It was the artist's first solo single release after leaving the band Ultravox and the first single release from the Metamatic album, which was released shortly after.
Assembly is the title of an 18-track compilation album by British recording artist John Foxx, issued in 1992. It contains tracks from the artist's first four albums – Metamatic, The Garden, The Golden Section and In Mysterious Ways as well as tracks which had not been previously issued in an album format. The album was remastered for CD by Foxx himself, and although was the first time many of his solo tracks had appeared on CD there were no new tracks and none of the tracks remain exclusive to this release.
Modern Art - the Best of John Foxx is the title of an 18-track compilation album by British recording artist John Foxx, issued in 2001.
"Europe After The Rain" is the title of a John Foxx song, released as a single in August 1981, and included on The Garden album released later the same year.
"Dancing Like A Gun" is the title of a John Foxx song, released as a single in October 1981, taken from The Garden album released a month previously.
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