I'd never heard the Ultravox (or poss Midge solo) version of Fade To Grey but I knew Ultravox basically were Visage with the addition of Steve Strange. I now realise I had the lyrics wrong for years - it's not "English someone" but "English summer" - as Midge's enuciation is stronger. ;) Ultravox's Vienna is one of the best records EVER. These new 80s comps (cut and paste 12"/80s into UK Amazon to see tracklist) are so off the hook - beautiful masters, rare songs, etc. Echo & The Bunnymen, Tom Tom Club, Grace Jones, etc, etc, etc. Night Train is Visage very funky with horns and a swing feel, if you can imagine that. There is also a new slick edition of ABC's Lexicon Of Love out with outtakes/live material as well - same series as new versions of Marvin Gaye/Donna Summer albums, etc, from Universal.
> That's super cool - will definitely look for the stuff you've mentioned > here! Thanks for posting. > > Over the weekend, I dug up some cassette tapes that were at least 20 > years old - from when I was first in college. Lots of new wave stuff on > there. Ah, memories! Stuff like Icicle Works, Fiction Factory, ABC, > Style Council, Yello, Blancmange, Talk Talk, etc. > > Visage always seemed more danceable than the Ultravox stuff - not that I > don't like guitars and yes you can dance to them :) - but Fade to Grey > was such an amazing tune! I've never heard the version with Midge > singing, at least not that I recall. > > Cheers - > > Lisa > > > Cyclone Wehner wrote: > >> I unearthed an Ultravox 'best of' for very little the other day. This is one >> of the most underrated electronic bands ever... - always found Midge Ure's >> soulful tones very affecting. I was not in favour of their later material - >> too Big Country/Simple Minds like for me - but anything circa Vienna was >> great. The comp I got, The Finest, has Midge's rendition of Fade To Grey >> (live) which is vastly different to the version they did with Steve Strange >> as Visage but kinda cool since Midge possesses a stronger voice, and a very >> soulful one. More guitar oriented, less atmospheric, but edgy and cool. >> Anyone heard it? It's interesting that Visage should retain their cool >> longer than Ultravox, but I think on the whole the Visage material was >> excellent and still sounds compelling. >> >> There's a fantastic new 80s comp series of remastered 12's from the UK which >> has everyone bugging here - it's called 12"/80s. They are onto the 2nd set >> and each set has 3 disks. You get remastered Night Train by Visage, lot of >> divine stuff! >>
