Ultravox were a British new wave band, formed in London in April 1974 as Tiger Lily. Between 1980 and 1986, they scored seven Top Ten albums and seventeen Top 40 singles in the UK, the most successful of which was their 1981 hit "Vienna".
Ha! Ha! Ha! is the second album by British pop group Ultravox, at that time known as "Ultravox!", with an exclamation mark, as a nod to Neu!. Although the group would later achieve fame and commercial success with lead singer Midge Ure the band was, in 1977, led by singer/songwriter John Foxx who was accompanied by guitarist Stevie Shears, drummer Warren Cann, bassist Chris Cross and keyboard/violist Billy Currie.
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.
Cowboys International were a new wave and synthpop band formed by vocalist and songwriter Ken Lockie that put out one album in 1979, The Original Sin, and a handful of 45s before dissolving in 1980.
The Original Sin is an album by Cowboys International, from the British post-punk new wave era. The band's lone album made Melody Maker's Top 20 poll in 1979 and received rave reviews from Rolling Stone magazine.
Ken Lockie is an English singer-songwriter and producer, best known as the creative force behind English new wave band Cowboys International and as a sometime collaborator with John Lydon in Public Image Ltd.
Three into One is the first compilation album from the band Ultravox, released in June 1980 in the UK. The album is a compilation of songs from their first three albums, Ultravox!, Ha!-Ha!-Ha! and Systems of Romance, and therefore concentrates on the earlier incarnation of the band from the 1970s featuring John Foxx, as opposed to the more recognisable 1980s line-up which featured Midge Ure.
Robin Simon is a British guitarist who was a member of Ultravox, Magazine and Visage.
Paul Simon is an English drummer who played with different punk and new wave artists including Ian North, Radio Stars, John Foxx and Glen Matlock. He is the brother of Robin, Ultravox and Magazine guitarist, with whom formed Ajanta Music, an experimental band, in the 1990s.
Stevie Shears is an English musician known for playing in the rock bands Tiger Lily and Ultravox!, as well as being part of the bands Faith Global and Cowboys International.
Tiger Lily was a short-lived glam rock band and the seed of Ultravox!. It was founded in London in April 1974 by Royal College of Art student Dennis Leigh (vocals), who left his northern industrial environment in Lancashire, Chris St. John (bass), another college student who previously played with Stoned Rose, and Stevie Shears (guitar), a Dagenham based musician. The following month, British-Canadian drummer Warren Cann (drums), who was recently rejected as a band member by Sparks, joined the band, followed by William Currie, named Billy Currie, who was in a theatre band, later in the year.
Faith Global was a synthpop and new wave band composed of Stevie Shears, original Ultravox! guitarist and Jason Guy.
"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.
Retro was the only EP (7") by Ultravox, then Ultravox!, released on 10 February 1978. It was the last recording released by the band as Ultravox!. Also this was the last disc featuring original guitarist Stevie Shears, who left the band after its release.
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.
Earth Report is a 12" EP released by new wave band Faith Global on Survival Records in 1982. This was the first disc the band, comprised by multinstrumentalist Stevie Shears and singer Jason Guy, released.
James C Hughes is an English bassist who has played with many punk rock and new wave bands, and whose career as a rock musician and writer continues to this day.
The Impossible is the only solo album of English singer Ken Lockie, after dissolving his band, Cowboys International, in 1980. It was released by Virgin Records, in 1981, and was recorded with the help of two of the former Lockie bandmates in Cowboys International, guitarist Stevie Shears and drummer Paul Simon, and other known musicians, like John McGeoch of Siouxsie and the Banshees (guitar), John Doyle (drums), Preston Heyman of Tom Robinson Band (drums), Joe Dworniak of Shake Shake! and I-Level (bass), Jim Kerr of Simple Minds and Nash the Slash. "Too Much and Too Little" was actually an uncredited Cowboys International track recorded in 1980 at Good Earth Studios.
"Today Today" is a song by the English New Wave band Cowboys International, released in February 1980 as a single. It is their last single to be released.
