| "Sleepwalk" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Ultravox | ||||
| from the album Vienna | ||||
| B-side | "Waiting" | |||
| Released | 20 June 1980 | |||
| Recorded | February 1980 | |||
| Studio | RAK (London) | |||
| Genre | Electronic [1] | |||
| Length | 3:10 | |||
| Label | Chrysalis | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Ultravox singles chronology | ||||
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"Sleepwalk" is a song by Ultravox, released on 20 June 1980 as the first single from their fourth album Vienna , and their first with Midge Ure as frontman. It was Ultravox's first UK top 30 chart hit, reaching number 29 in August 1980. [2]
"Sleepwalk" was the first song the band recorded with Midge Ure February 1980 at RAK Studios, London. Rather than offering a demo tape of several songs to Chrysalis Records the reformed band opted to do a "finished" version of "Sleepwalk" with producer Conny Plank, a recording that clinched the band's record deal with Chrysalis Records. The original version was later remixed May 1980 at Conny's Studio in Cologne for inclusion on the band's album Vienna . There is no difference between the album version and the single version. The lyrics to the song were written by Warren Cann. It was released as a single in June 1980. [3]
As well as the standard black vinyl, the 7 Inch was released as a limited clear vinyl. The 12" release does not contain an extended version of the song, or a third/additional song, [4] in fact it is simply a double A-sided promo single, with only "Sleepwalk" on each side.
The single's B-side, "Waiting" is a more solemn, bass-laden affair in comparison to the faster synth work of the A-side. It was recorded and mixed March 1980 at Matrix Studios, London. It now appears on the CD re-issue of Vienna as a bonus track, as well as various other Ultravox compilations.
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".
James "Midge" Ure is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim. Ure enjoyed particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in bands including Slik, Thin Lizzy, Rich Kids, 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.
"Vienna" is a song by British new wave band Ultravox, released on 9 January 1981 by Chrysalis Records as the third single and the title track from their fourth studio album of the same name. Featuring Midge Ure on lead vocals, the new wave ballad is regarded as a staple of the synth-pop genre that was popularised in the early 1980s and remains both the band's signature song and their most commercially successful release.
Warren Reginald Cann is a Canadian drummer and songwriter. He was a founding member of the British new wave band Ultravox.
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.
The Anvil is the second studio album by the British synth-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.
Rage in Eden is the fifth studio album by British new wave band Ultravox, released on 11 September 1981 through Chrysalis Records. The album reached #4 in the UK album charts and was certified Gold by the BPI for sales in excess of 100,000 copies.
"Passing Strangers" is Ultravox's second single from Vienna, the band's first album with Midge Ure, released on Chrysalis Records on 10 October 1980.
Quartet is the sixth studio album by the British new wave band Ultravox. The album peaked at number six on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Gold by the BPI in December 1982 for 100,000 copies sold. It also peaked at number 13 in Germany, and at number 61 in the United States.
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.
U-Vox is the eighth studio album by British new wave band Ultravox, released on 13 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.
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.
Monument, released in 1983, is a live album by the British band Ultravox. It is the soundtrack to the live video of the same name, recorded at the London Hammersmith Odeon during the band's 1982 "Monument" tour. The album peaked at no.9 on the UK album chart and was certified Gold by the BPI in January 1984 for 100,000 copies sold.
"The Voice" is Ultravox's second single from the Rage in Eden album, recorded in Conny Plank's Studio in Cologne, Germany and released on 30 October 1981. It peaked at #16 in the UK singles chart, #27 in the Irish Singles Chart and #29 in the New Zealand Singles Chart.
"We Came to Dance" is the fourth and final single from Ultravox's sixth studio album Quartet, recorded at AIR Studios and released on Chrysalis Records on 27 May 1983. The single reached #18 on the UK charts on 18 June. This was the last of seven consecutive top-20 singles for the band.
"Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" is the second single from Lament, Ultravox's seventh studio album, released on 11 May 1984.
Vienna is the fourth studio album by British new wave band Ultravox, first released on 11 July 1980 through Chrysalis Records. Vienna was Ultravox's first album with their best-known line-up, after Midge Ure had taken over as lead vocalist and guitarist following the departures of John Foxx and Robin Simon, as well as the group's first release for Chrysalis. The album peaked at number 3 in the UK Albums Chart and reached the top ten in Australia, New Zealand and several European countries.
The Best of Ultravox is the seventh compilation by Ultravox, released on EMI Gold records, in 2003, being one of the more recent compilation albums of the band. The songs of the disc are from the success era of the band, in the 1980s, while Midge Ure was the singer.
Brilliant is the eleventh and final studio album by British synth-pop band Ultravox, released on 25 May 2012 by Chrysalis Records. It is the group's first studio album in 18 years, and the first in 28 years from the "classic" Ultravox line-up consisting of Midge Ure, Billy Currie, Warren Cann and Chris Cross. The title track was released as its lead single, and premiered on 17 April 2012 on BBC Radio 2.
Messengers were a Scottish new wave duo consisting of Danny Mitchell and Colin King. The duo were originally part of Modern Man, a Glasgow post-punk/new wave band discovered by Midge Ure of Ultravox. Modern Man disbanded after releasing one album produced by Ure, Concrete Scheme (1980), after which Ure stayed as producer with Mitchell and King as Messengers.
