The Gift (Midge Ure album)

Last updated

The Gift
Midge Ure - The Gift album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Midge Ure
Released7 October 1985 (1985-10-07) [1]
RecordedMarch-July 1985
StudioMusic Fest Studio (London)
Genre
Label Chrysalis
Producer Midge Ure
Midge Ure chronology
The Gift
(1985)		 Answers to Nothing
(1988)
Singles from The Gift
  1. "If I Was"
    Released: 2 September 1985
  2. "That Certain Smile"
    Released: 4 November 1985 [2]
  3. "Wastelands"
    Released: 31 January 1986
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg link

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.

Contents

Background

Daniel Mitchell and Ure wrote "Wastelands" together for the band Modern Man. They started a songwriting partnership that has produced 5 songs on "The Gift", including a reworking of "Wastelands", which was originally from the Midge Ure-produced Modern Man album Concrete Scheme released 1980. Ure had built his own new recording studio Musicfest in his garden in Chiswick, and recorded most of the album there. [3]

"The Gift" features 3 instrumental tracks, which was recorded on the Caribbean island of Montserrat using a Casio CZ-101. Ure said in 1985: [4]

"I like instrumental music. I find it very easy to listen to and it allows you to use your imagination in a way that most pop music doesn't. It's refreshing."

Ure said in 1989:

"When I did The Gift, Ultravox was very much still in existence and I was simplifying what the band did. I wanted to do something easier than Ultravox music, and I wanted to indulge myself and my passion for instrumental music, which Ultravox didn't do a lot of. So I did that, and it was quite successful; I was quite pleased with it." [5]

On "Edo" Ure plays on a koto he bought in Japan the first time Ultravox toured there.

The song "The Gift" was dedicated to the 19th-century Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

At the end of October 1985 Ure started The Gift World Tour with Zal Cleminson on guitar, Kevin Powell on bass guitar, Daniel Mitchell and Craig Armstrong on keyboards and Kenny Hyslop on drums. In addition to shows in the UK and Europe the tour even reached four shows in United States and Australia, two in Canada, and one show in Tokyo, and ended with a closing show at Wembley Arena 23 December 1985. Recordings can be found on the super deluxe edition of The Gift released in September 2023. [6] [7] [8]

Track listing

  1. "If I Was" (Midge Ure, Daniel Mitchell) – 5:22
  2. "When the Winds Blow" (Ure, Mitchell) – 4:07
  3. "Living in the Past" (Ian Anderson) – 4:35
  4. "That Certain Smile" (Ure, Mitchell) – 4:08
  5. "The Gift" (Ure) – 5:00
  6. "Antilles" (Instrumental) (Ure) – 4:08
  7. "Wastelands" (Ure, Mitchell) – 4:40
  8. "Edo" (Instrumental) (Ure) – 3:24
  9. "The Chieftain" (Instrumental) (Ure) – 4:45
  10. "She Cried" (Ure, Mitchell) – 4:12
  11. "The Gift (Reprise)" (Ure) – 1:45

Bonus tracks for 1996 UK re-release:

  1. "Mood Music" – 3:30
  2. "Piano" (Ure) – 2:28
  3. "The Man Who Sold the World" (David Bowie) – 5:37
  4. "The Gift (Instrumental)" (Ure) – 5:11

Bonus disc for 2010 remastered definitive edition:

  1. "No Regrets"
  2. "Mood Music"
  3. "If I Was" (extended mix)
  4. "Piano"
  5. "The Man Who Sold the World"
  6. "That Certain Smile" (extended mix)
  7. "The Gift" (instrumental)
  8. "Fade to Grey" (recorded live at Rehearsals 27 September 1985 featuring Mick Ronson on guitar)
  9. "Wastelands" (extended mix)
  10. "When the Winds Blow" (recorded live at Wembley Arena, 23 Dec 1985)
  11. "After a Fashion" (recorded live at Wembley Arena, 23 Dec 1985)
  12. "The Chieftain / The Dancer" (recorded live at Wembley Arena, 23 Dec 1985)
  13. "Call of the Wild" (extended mix)
  14. "That Certain Smile" (recorded live at Wembley Arena, 23 Dec 1985)
  15. "The Gift" (recorded live at Wembley Arena, 23 Dec 1985)

Personnel

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for The Gift
Chart (1985)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [9] 29
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [10] 42
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [11] 28
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [12] 24
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [13] 25
UK Albums (OCC) [14] 2

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">Midge Ure</span> Scottish musician (born 1953)

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.

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

"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.

<i>The Anvil</i> (album) 1982 studio album by Visage

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.

<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.

<i>Quartet</i> (Ultravox album) 1982 studio album by Ultravox

Quartet is the sixth studio album by the British new wave band Ultravox. The album peaked at no.6 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Gold by the BPI in December 1982 for 100,000 copies sold. It also peaked at #13 in Germany, and at #61 in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If I Was</span> 1985 single by Midge Ure

"If I Was" is a song by Scottish musician Midge Ure. It was co-written by Ure and Danny Mitchell and released as the first single from Ure's debut solo studio album, The Gift (1985). The song reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for one week in September 1985. The track also reached number one in Ireland and peaked within the top 20 in eight other countries.

<i>Lament</i> (Ultravox album) 1984 studio album by Ultravox

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.

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

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dancing with Tears in My Eyes</span> 1984 single by Ultravox

"Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" is the second single from Lament, Ultravox's seventh studio album, released in May 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Same Old Story (song)</span> 1986 single by Ultravox

"Same Old Story" is the first single from Ultravox's album U-Vox. The single was released 26 September 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Fall Down (Ultravox song)</span> 1986 single by Ultravox

"All Fall Down" is the second single from Ultravox's 1986 album U-Vox, released on 19 November 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All in One Day</span> 1987 single by Ultravox

"All in One Day" is the final single from Ultravox's 1986 album, U-Vox, released on 8 June 1987. It was the last Ultravox release during their most popular 1980's incarnation with Midge Ure. The song was written as a tribute to the Live Aid event and the orchestra was arranged and conducted by George Martin.

<i>Extended Ultravox</i> 1998 compilation album by Ultravox

Extended Ultravox is an Ultravox compilation of 12" extended versions of various Ultravox singles from the years 1980–1986. The album was released in 1998.

<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.

<i>Brilliant</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Ultravox

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 of Midge Ure, consisting of 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.

<i>Pure</i> (Midge Ure album) 1991 studio album by Midge Ure

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.

<i>Breathe</i> (Midge Ure album) 1996 studio album by Midge Ure

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.

<i>Move Me</i> (Midge Ure album) 2000 studio album by Midge Ure

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.

References

  1. ↑ "...Stop Press". Number One . 28 September 1985. p. 6. Retrieved 10 May 2022– via flickr.
  2. ↑ "News Digest". Record Mirror . 2 November 1985. p. 25. Retrieved 28 December 2022– via flickr.
  3. ↑ "Midge Ure on The Gift". 28 October 2023.
  4. ↑ Sound on Sound Magazine November 1985
  5. ↑ Cashbox Magazine 11 February 1989, interview by Karen Woods.
  6. ↑ "interview/midge-ure-on-the-gift". 22 September 2023.
  7. ↑ "archive/gift". 22 September 2023.
  8. ↑ The Gift Tour Program. 1985
  9. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 318. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  10. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Midge Ure – The Gift" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  11. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Midge Ure – The Gift" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  12. ↑ "Charts.nz – Midge Ure – The Gift". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  13. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Midge Ure – The Gift". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  14. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
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.