Systems of Romance

Last updated

Systems of Romance
Ultravox - Systems of Romance.png
Studio album by
Ultravox
Released8 September 1978
Recorded1978
Studio Conny's Studio in Cologne, West Germany
Genre New wave
Length36:09
Label Island
Producer
Ultravox chronology
Retro
(1978)		Systems of Romance
(1978)		 Three into One
(1979)

Systems of Romance, released on 8 September 1978, [1] is the third album by British new wave band Ultravox (an exclamation mark having been dropped from the name earlier in the year). 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.

Contents

Production and style

Co-produced by Conny Plank and Dave Hutchins, Systems of Romance featured the band's heaviest use of electronics to date. More new wave orientated than the glam- and punk-influenced tunes that characterised their first two albums, Ultravox! and Ha! Ha! Ha! , its style was partly inspired by German band Kraftwerk, whose first four albums were produced by Plank. Among Ultravox's own repertoire, antecedents included Billy Currie's distinctive synthesizer work on "The Man Who Dies Every Day" and the romantic balladry of "Hiroshima Mon Amour", both from Ha! Ha! Ha!.

The opening song, "Slow Motion", was indicative of the band's direction on the new album. It is noted for its advanced production for the time, having featured a multi effects pedal guitar sound and also synthesizer bass replacing conventional bass, as on various other of the album's songs. The song also featured a number of rich synthesizer parts throughout the piece rather than simply a discreet solo or special effect. For drummer Warren Cann, "it perfectly represented our amalgamation of rock and synthesizer, many of the ideas and aspirations we had for our music gelled in that song". [2]

The subject matter of "Quiet Men" grew out of an alternate persona developed by John Foxx, 'The Quiet Man', who embodied detachment and observation. Musically, like the earlier "Hiroshima Mon Amour", the track dispensed with conventional drums in favour of a Roland TR-77 rhythm box. "Dislocation" and "Just for a Moment" eschewed all acoustic and synthetic drums, relying on treated ARP Odyssey sounds for their percussive effects. The former song was imbued with a heavy proto-industrial flavour; the latter featured church-like vocal and keyboard effects that would be echoed on Foxx's second solo album, The Garden . "When You Walk Through Me" displayed psychedelic touches that Foxx also developed in his solo career; Cann later admitted to lifting its beat from The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows". [3] "Some of Them" was one of the few tracks that harked back to the band's previous hard rock sound.

Title

The title Systems of Romance was inspired by Conny Plank's interest in systems music and his systems of recording, and by mathematical structures found in certain paintings, literature and music. "I liked the idea of intangible emotional elements running through mathematical frameworks", John Foxx later said. "It seemed a perfect encapsulation of the spirit of the music I was attempting to get to at that moment." [4] A song of the same title was not included on the album, but later recorded by John Foxx for his 1981 album The Garden .

Release and aftermath

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Christgau's Record Guide B+ [6]
Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Sounds Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Uncut 8/10 [9]

The album's September 1978 release was book-ended by two singles, "Slow Motion" in August and "Quiet Men" in October. Like Ultravox's previous albums, Systems of Romance received mixed reviews at the time and failed to chart.

The reviews in the British music press were mixed. One supportive writer in NME celebrated Ultravox "new sound" described as "crisp, clean, digital, slightly mechanical, yet showing an inchoative eroticism",[ citation needed ] while Ian Penman in another edition of the same magazine wrote: "Forget the Pere Ubu/Bowie/Kraftwerk etc comparisons - next to Ultravox they're the difference between insights and platitudes."[ citation needed ] In a positive review, John Gill at Sounds gave the album a four out of five rating: "Whatever anyone says, Ultravox (sans"!") have always been that important step ahead of fashion... Personally I don't think it's their best (album) but the deftly alienating production and the tricky use of electronics make it an important enough development in the career of a band that always aims for the unusual". Systems of Romance sold over 20 000 copies on its release, but neither the album nor the singles entered the charts. [10]

The band was eventually dropped by their label Island Records just weeks after they had made a performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test and prior to a 1979 tour of the US. During the tour Foxx, tired of rows with other members, [11] and of being in a group, announced his intention to leave Ultravox when he returned to England. [10] Guitarist Robin Simon also left, electing to stay in New York City. Chris Cross, Billy Currie and Warren Cann worked on other projects while recruiting a new lead singer/guitarist (Midge Ure). This line-up of Ultravox played their final concert together in Los Angeles in March 1979.

Influence

Systems of Romance has been cited as a major influence on the synthpop music scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s.[ citation needed ] It was the sonic prototype for the re-formed Ultravox featuring Midge Ure who, in his own words, "loved that album". [12] John Foxx's first record as a solo artist was the almost fully electronic Metamatic , however, his next release, The Garden, took Systems of Romance as its starting point, to the extent of re-recording the earlier album's previously unpublished title song, utilising Robin Simon on guitar. Gary Numan, himself often called the "godfather of electropop", described the record as his single biggest musical inspiration; [13] he invited Billy Currie to tour with him in 1979 and contribute to his album The Pleasure Principle , prior to Ultravox's second incarnation.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Slow Motion" Warren Cann, Chris Cross, Billy Currie, John Foxx, Robin Simon 3:29
2."I Can't Stay Long"Cann, Cross, Currie, Foxx, Simon4:16
3."Someone Else's Clothes"Currie, Foxx4:25
4."Blue Light"Cann, Cross, Currie, Foxx, Simon3:09
5."Some of Them"Currie, Foxx2:29
6."Quiet Men"Cross, Currie, Foxx4:08
7."Dislocation"Currie, Foxx2:55
8."Maximum Acceleration"Foxx3:53
9."When You Walk Through Me"Currie, Foxx, Simon4:15
10."Just for a Moment"Currie, Foxx3:10
2006 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Cross Fade"Cann, Cross, Currie, Foxx2:53
12."Quiet Men (Full Version)"Cross, Currie, Foxx3:55

Personnel

Ultravox

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultravox</span> British new wave band

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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Currie</span> British multi-instrumentalist

William Lee Currie is a British multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Huddersfield, England. He is best known as the keyboard and strings player with new wave band Ultravox, who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Cross</span> English bass guitarist (1952–2024)

Christopher Thomas Allen, known professionally as Chris Cross, was an English musician, best known as the bass guitarist in the new wave band Ultravox. After starting his music career with Stoned Rose, a band in Preston, Lancashire, he was one of the founding members of the band Tiger Lily in 1973, before the band was renamed Ultravox three years later. The band's most successful single, "Vienna", was released in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Foxx</span> Musical artist

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.

<i>Metamatic</i> 1980 studio album by John Foxx

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vienna (Ultravox song)</span> 1981 single by Ultravox

"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.

<i>Ha!-Ha!-Ha!</i> 1977 studio album by Ultravox!

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Cann</span> Canadian drummer, drum machine programmer and songwriter

Warren Reginald Cann is a Canadian drummer and songwriter. He was a founding member of the British new wave band Ultravox.

<i>Ultravox!</i> (album) 1977 studio album by Ultravox!

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.

<i>Rage in Eden</i> 1981 studio album by Ultravox

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleepwalk (song)</span> 1980 single by Ultravox

"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.

<i>U-Vox</i> 1986 studio album by Ultravox

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.

<i>Three into One</i> 1980 compilation album by Ultravox

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.

<i>Monument</i> (Ultravox album) 1983 live album by Ultravox

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Voice (Ultravox song)</span> 1981 single by Ultravox

"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.

<i>Vienna</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Ultravox

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.

Robin Simon is a British guitarist who was a member of Ultravox, Magazine and Visage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ROckWrok</span> 1977 single by Ultravox!

"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.

<i>The Island Years</i> (Ultravox album) 1999 compilation album by Ultravox

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.

<i>If I Was: The Very Best of Midge Ure & Ultravox</i> 1993 greatest hits album by Midge Ure and Ultravox

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.

References

  1. ↑ www.metamatic.com
  2. ↑ Warren Cann & Jonas Warstad (1997). "Ultravox: The Story – Warren Cann interviewed by Jonas Warstad": p.20
  3. ↑ Warren Cann & Jonas Warstad (1997). Ibid: p.23
  4. ↑ John Foxx interview thequietman.co.uk
  5. ↑ Thompson, Dave. "Systems of Romance – Ultravox". AllMusic . Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  6. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "U". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor and Fields. ISBN   0-89919-026-X . Retrieved 17 March 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  7. ↑ Hall, Philip (30 September 1978). "Ultravox: Systems of Romance". Record Mirror . p. 19.
  8. ↑ Gill, John (2 September 1978). "'Vox continental". Sounds . p. 29.
  9. ↑ Dalton, Stephen (June 2018). "How to Buy... John Foxx". Uncut . No. 253. p. 45.
  10. 1 2 Systems of Romance reissue CD sleeve notes, 2006
  11. ↑ Warren Cann & Jonas Warstad (1997)
  12. ↑ Midge Ure (2004). If I Was... The Autobiography
  13. ↑ Gary Numan Talks About Ultravox Youtube
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.