I can personally vouch for the fact, Gary Numan's admiration for John Foxx and Ultravox is genuine. I met Gary in 1997, in West Hollywood. Far from the press, no tape recorders documenting his words. It was a rare day in my life, and I knew it then as I know it now. I discussed people who inspired him. The very first band he named was Ultravox, and proceeded to tell me why they matter to him. He also discussed The Associates, and their remarkable achievements. For both name checks, I was incredibly happy because I was a solid fan, a loyal supporter of music created by Ultravox, John Foxx and The Associates. I can assure you, I have decades of music created by these artists. Before I forget- because until this moment, I did- Gary had so much praise for Kraftwerk. Which, coincidentally, was a band I began following in 1974. So, it was wonderful to discover, as much as I appreciated Gary Numan, I learned about the people who influenced HIM. Regretfully, more than 20 years after talking to Gary, I don't recall the other people he spoke so well of. I'll admit it, I was awestruck just to meet him. I'll say this: He was a real gentleman, incredibly polite and soft spoken. I was honored to talk to him. Watching this interview for the first time tonight, after 1:00 am Pacific Standard Time, brought back a lot of memories for me. With Maximum Love and Respect, From North Hollywood, California, Joe
@Writer B.L. Alley Excellent Idea. I would assume you have been a professional critic/reviewer yourself in the past then. Hope no-one invents anything new in the future if you get in charge :)
@Writer B.L. Alley This is one of the oldest anti-critic canards in history. A good critic has spent a lifetime studying the field they work in and understands how they work.
@@jonothanthrace1530 I come from a different line of thought: It doesn't take five years of Master degree music school to know when someone is singing off-key
@@AlexAlcyone Music is meant to entertain the masses and is subjective to taste So please explain why someone needs some kind of 'education' or 'experience' in that field to voice their opinion on it I actually find it appalling that some people genuinely consider them a 'professional [insert media-type] critic' As if they themselves have some kind of authority on what other people should consider 'quality' FYI: I like Gary Numan's music, so this is an objective comment on the matter discussed
@@AlexAlcyone If music isn't meant to entertain the masses ...then why publish it? Why keep track of the records sold to state what is most populair? The only other reason you can present is "self gratification" of the artists ...which in many cases is also true
Been a Gary Numan fan since 1979.. holy shit time passes soooo fast ..Gary is pure genius!! What a humble man, his style has changed, and I absolutely LOVE it.. keep going Gary, you are AMAZING!! With luv from Toronto , 🇨🇦 Canada.. waiting for you to play here!! Luv LA 2022🎹📀📀 xx
ultravox a million times better with midge ure. and gary numan mate what you did was light years ahead of anything ultravox and john foxx did. i love your music but i dont like the john foxx ultravox
@@questioneverything8301 Foxx's Ultravox were the experiments, Ure's were the commercial. Foxx's were more creative IMO. Numan was creative and commercial at the same time. All of them are incredible musicians. Credit is deserved by all of them to be honest.
@@pentachronic Being good at doing something does not make what you did good Foxx is second fiddle to midge Ure The stuff Ultravox did before Midge is crap i do not like it. Credit deserved yes for being technical but not doing good music only good thing is that he got Numan into it but I do not understand how Numan could like or listen to the Foxx Ultravox years
Don’t forget about the creative & innovative sound developments of David Sylvian & the band Japan. They had some pretty awesome sounds as well. In fact, Sylvian is still creating & collaborating with others to this day. He’s a legend also👍🏼😎
He is and they were, but I don't remember them having the same influence or impact that Ultravox! did in their first few albums AT THAT TIME, especially among other musicians. SINCE then Japan's been a much bigger influence on more folks and things. Just my rememberances.
Japan are still a great listen. I think they fell between the electronic and New Romantic genres and never really quite fitted into either. Funny enough I was never a fan back in the day, but my autistic son, Finn, whose 15 now, has a real ear for electronic music and has got me into Japan, John Foxx era Ultravox, Eno and more current artists like Daniel O'Sullivan.
All the individuals from Japan were incredibly talented and creative; probably the most serendipitous grouping of any band I can think of from the period; I follow them all to this day (vale Mick Karn, who also played with Gazza)
Those Tubeway Army records were so amazing. The way he mixed gnarly guitar sounds with synth music was just exceptional. Glad to be reminded of Ultravox again! To watch Gary Human AND John Foxx talk about it is wonderful.
great clip thankyou. Systems of Romance is still my number one album of all time. it plays in my car since around 1979 when i got hooked on "Quiet Men". plus Tubeway Army "Replicas"i discovered in 79 as well. both brilliant even to this day. m,52 im nobody but these 2 albums make me somebody :)
Great to hear the master praise the student.Wish Numan gave himself more credit but then again maybe his insecurities fuelled his magnificent legacy.Hope the bloke's happy,he deserves some payback.
Gary Numan has a mesmerizing effect on me. He's not just a gifted artist but you can tell he's a really intelligent person. He's one of the persons I would choose to have a glass of wine and talk all evening about music.
Totally cool video, it inspires me. In 1976 I came on my first Moog Synth. Was looking of a sax but played with the Moog for awhile. Not only was it immediately cool with a tape stereo loop machine but when I stopped and started to walk away, the damn thing started to make it's own sound. I was hooked on the concept from that point on but was never able to afford one. Now as an adult I have several, including every Mooger Fogger that Moog made and I'm experimenting to trying to create my dream. Producing my own CD's that hopefully people will like, :^) It's a lot of work but music has ALWAYS been my #1 PASSION!
Yeah this is a really insightful interview. Like Gary said it was when punk was dying and the New Romantic posers were just underground at this stage. John and Bowie and Gary were inspirational when I first got into music as a kid.
Brilliant clip, two pioneers, genius's, electronic legends. Fantastic to see them both together, of all the early Ultravox albums, I love Systems of romance, blue light, maximum acceleration, slow motion. Numans Pleasure Principle is still as fresh now as it was back in 79.
Two absolutes legends who wonderfully, and endearingly, are too modest to truly bathe in rivers of their legacy. One day there will be movies about both Gary Numan and John Foxx. And if there isn't... there f*ckin should be!
It was obvious there was a great deal of mutual respect, and I agree with Mo Batchelor, there was a void of ego when the two were discussing each other's achievements. Thank you Gentlemen, you are both leaders, not just in music, but in life. Thank you both for sharing, this type of inside dialog is so awesome!
I think we are very lucky to have these electronic pioneers. The electronic music of the latter part of the 70s and early 80s was a big influence on me growing up. So many great bands and artists.
My favorite Ultravox song is "My Sex," which I think was on their very first album. My favorite Gary Numan song? Who knows! There are probably ten I'd have to choose from, although the live version of "Please Push No More" with the piano version of "Down in the Park" would be right up there. Great to see these two guys together in this video.
I got into ultravox as a young teenager and when I attempted to share my musical discovery with friends I was met with pure disgust and disdain. They’re STILL way ahead of their time and not alone. The more I ponder this, I suppose it’s a bit disappointing!
Yeah I know the feeling very well. I was listening in awe to Ultravox here in the States and none of my friends wanted to know. Same thing happened when I tried to play them Gary Numan’s first two LPs.
Many people I have discussed Ultravox with over the years believed that the Ultravox sound on the album _Vienna_ was owed to the influence of new singer/guitarist, Midge Ure. I point out to them that, though Ure did bring something, most of that _sound_ was already there in the previous album, Systems of Romance before Foxx left and Ure joined. Case in point the track, _Slow Motion_ .
Found a brand new cassette of "Vienna" in a discount bin for a couple of bucks back in the 80's. Popped it in my car tape deck and was blown away by how good it was. My introduction to Ultravox.
Gary is talking about the original ultravox, when John Foxx was the lead singer, by the time Vienna came about John Foxx had gone solo and Midge Ure was the lead singer, in my opinion they should have changed their name as Ultravox died when John Foxx left and there music was far too commercial.
@@fashionlady2258 Ultravox didn't die with Foxx leaving. The core was Currie, Cann and Cross and John was bound to leave anyway. The new line-up simply expanded on Foxx legacy and made it truly stunning and palatable to millions. "Vienna" as an album is on the equal footing to "Systems".
@@ВладимирКруглов-к9о well I suppose that is your opinion, fair play, I loved the early raw stuff, I would liken it to joy division and their amazing raw sound and new order carrying on with great stuff but more commercial and accessible , maybe we have to agree to disagree 👍
@@fashionlady2258 It's not only my opinion. It's the masses' opinion and it's the numerous musicians' opinion. UreVox was at least AS influential as FoxxVox (and much more if we take image into account), "Vienna" and "Rage in Eden" made them noticed among many other genres like prog-rock, and let's not even talk about pop music. Both eras of Ultravox history are vital and important, you cannot ditch one of them without ditching the band completely.
@@ВладимирКруглов-к9о I did ditch them completely , they were a another band completely, I tend to like underground stuff and if anything becomes too commercial it just turns me off, in my opinion music journalists don’t know their arse from their elbow , they have slated many a good artist and people in general tend to like things like sheep , because other people like them, it’s not about how many people like and follow an artist is it, many people like Madonna and Elton John but I don’t particularly like them, I don’t follow the crowd .
this is good to see, as I discovered Gary first and then John. Once I heard it, I was struck dumb at how close Metamatic was to Gary's first two albums and was a bit sad about it actually. Finding out they were a tribute to Foxx's genius is nice.
Huge respect to Gary Numan and Ultravox. I get high & and glad, every time i hear them. I´m 31, and they are my favor. Like Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode etc,
It's so cool to have solitary thoughts validated by such a brilliant artist. Every time I hear John Foxx speak, he echos my own long held sentiments. 💕
First U.S. gig. Me too. Hot Club - Philadelphia. Totally awesome. Returned a year or so later expecting another amazing show by Foxx and the boys. Pre-Internet, uninformed. Ure entered instead of Foxx. I was flabbergasted. Also an amazing show.
Met Numan at a fly-in a good few years ago at a local aerodrome... he was in the circuit n my then instructor said 'thats Gary Numan on finals'.... seemed a nice bloke n clearly an accomplished pilot...
I think a major part of it is that Ultravox had a longer career near the top than Gary Numan had. They also had more UK top 10 albums, and went platinum on one of them, which Gary Numan never managed. Also, Ultravox had such a changing line up over the years that a lot of influential musicians passed through.
@@lastfirst5689 He has Asperger's and that tends to go with the condition as people with Asperger's tend to be extremely self critical. It can get to the point of being highly destructive when it gets out of hand.
"Numan achieved far more popularity and financial success than Ultravox" For only a couple of years. Since 1981 they were much more successful than him.
Kudos to Gary Numan for his honesty but there is a difference between popular success and real creativity and Ultravoxx with John Foxx was way ahead IMO. Gary Numan has always been portrayed as a right wing knob - I am not sure it is true. He seems decent and honest.
Ultravox with Midge Ure was a fantastic band with some truly excellent work. Ultravox with John Foxx was better by a few magnitude. Foxx's lyrics, artistic vision and innovation was so fresh and groundbreaking, there's no reasonable comparison. They both sang quite well. Ure led a great band. Foxx was a revolutionary inspiration for the following 30 years. Gary Numan was pretty cool too.
You in UK were very lucky to just have the right to listen to this kind of music at this time. In France it was almost impossible to hear New-Wave on the radio. I remember hearing One Small Day by Ultravox and the radio host told it was "hard-rock" !
Christophe MARTINEAU that was Ultravox trying to be Big Country. There were better tracks on Lament, like the title track where they soumds like themselves.
Great interviews; some of the first albums I ever bought were Gary Numan, Ultravox and a collector's edition of John Foxx's The Garden. The rolling shutter on the video is a bit annoying though.
A friend lent me Systems of Romance and I was hooked. Loved Kraftwerk before that but never heard anything like ultravox and it just struck a chord with me
There's an up and coming band in liverpool called western promise my brother raved about, I don't know if it's because they're good or the connection with an ultravox song! And he's the one who got me into them.
I'm 49, just found an old Ultravox record in a charity shop (Rage in Eden). It sounds amazing! After watching this and a few other videos I'm really amazed at what they were doing. Respect!
Midge Ure’s era Ultravox might as well have been a different band. John Foxx led Ultravox! were just on a different level….sonically, aesthetically and mentally
I just love listening to British music artists. They are almost universally interesting, interested, and exude a reverent sense of being small parts of a much larger entity. That is true of those from any decade. Numan is particularly likeable.
aright Big Gary my loon.......big influence on everyone....personally i loved yer stuff, was so different and you believed in the same, thanks for the tunes......i never get to far away from them, cheers from Alba , remember the Aberdeen concert......the people that wished they had went? would have been 20 thou there haha , top lad ....charge on x
You preceded it, and made it possible and public, have faith in what you do. I remember as a kid hanging around Blackbushe Airport hoping you would appear !
I had no idea that ultravox was around so long before Vienna and reap the wild wind. Those are the only two songs by them I’ve ever heard, and they’re also two of my favorite songs.
That opening statement about there being a void between punk and New Romantics might be true for Gary but it's is SOOOOO untrue for the music fans. I would guess he's talking about 1979 to 1981? Well......What?? You're kidding? I loved that period. So RICH in styles, ideas, crossgenres and crossovers, new images, new production and great songcraft. Probably the best period since the mid-to late sixties!!!
Very interesting. Gary Numan is of the initiated.I respect and like what Midge Ure did with Ultraovox, but my introduction to music was really by John Foxx, very special man, very talented,
Very interesting. Because I must have heard this Ultravox album I borrowed fr the Caen Library way back in 1077 I think it was. and yes it was very different .
I can't understand how the early Ultravox albums flopped. They are so influential. Thank God for the internet so people can appreciate these great songs now!
john has a genious mind and his music reflects that . gary stumbled across a synth and got lucky even he will admit that . replicas , by numan/ tubeway army is my all time fave album . just took you to another world .
vespasianlegx11 I love the work of both these gentlemen, but indeed Gary said in a documentary that he considers that Ultravox were better than him but he got lucky to get more exposure and success. For me (kid of the 90s), I discovered 'The pleasure principle' first and years later I incidentally heard Ultravox' 'Vienna' in a grocery store (not kidding!) and was shook! Still haven't checked out all their albums yet, there is so much more awesomeness to discover! Even their punk songs sound good
Yes, replicas is that kinda album. I can remember being 17 in '79, getting high and listening to replicas in my bedroom with the lights turned out late at night.....incredible memories!
The intelligence and apparent lack of ego of both John and Gary is just delightful, and actually inspiring
Absolutely!!!!😁
They should tour together.be incredible.
Dont listen to hiphop jaja
Indeed, it's motivating me to be more positive!
Gary is always very generous in giving praise to bands that inspired him.
I can personally vouch for the fact, Gary Numan's admiration for John Foxx and Ultravox is genuine. I met Gary in 1997, in West Hollywood. Far from the press, no tape recorders documenting his words. It was a rare day in my life, and I knew it then as I know it now. I discussed people who inspired him. The very first band he named was Ultravox, and proceeded to tell me why they matter to him. He also discussed The Associates, and their remarkable achievements. For both name checks, I was incredibly happy because I was a solid fan, a loyal supporter of music created by Ultravox, John Foxx and The Associates. I can assure you, I have decades of music created by these artists. Before I forget- because until this moment, I did- Gary had so much praise for Kraftwerk. Which, coincidentally, was a band I began following in 1974. So, it was wonderful to discover, as much as I appreciated Gary Numan, I learned about the people who influenced HIM.
Regretfully, more than 20 years after talking to Gary, I don't recall the other people he spoke so well of. I'll admit it, I was awestruck just to meet him. I'll say this: He was a real gentleman, incredibly polite and soft spoken. I was honored to talk to him. Watching this interview for the first time tonight, after 1:00 am Pacific Standard Time, brought back a lot of memories for me.
With Maximum Love and Respect,
From North Hollywood, California,
Joe
A true gentleman showing respect to a true gentleman ! Respect from England, stay safe friend !
I've been a bit obsessed with the Associates lately!!
The Associates, really? Wow, that was unexpected to say the least! Not a name spoken of very much these days...
I love Gary's vindication in recent years, after being hounded by the music press for years.
@Writer B.L. Alley Excellent Idea. I would assume you have been a professional critic/reviewer yourself in the past then.
Hope no-one invents anything new in the future if you get in charge :)
@Writer B.L. Alley This is one of the oldest anti-critic canards in history. A good critic has spent a lifetime studying the field they work in and understands how they work.
@@jonothanthrace1530
I come from a different line of thought:
It doesn't take five years of Master degree music school to know when someone is singing off-key
@@AlexAlcyone
Music is meant to entertain the masses and is subjective to taste
So please explain why someone needs some kind of 'education' or 'experience' in that field to voice their opinion on it
I actually find it appalling that some people genuinely consider them a 'professional [insert media-type] critic'
As if they themselves have some kind of authority on what other people should consider 'quality'
FYI: I like Gary Numan's music, so this is an objective comment on the matter discussed
@@AlexAlcyone
If music isn't meant to entertain the masses
...then why publish it?
Why keep track of the records sold to state what is most populair?
The only other reason you can present is "self gratification" of the artists
...which in many cases is also true
Been a Gary Numan fan since 1979.. holy shit time passes soooo fast ..Gary is pure genius!! What a humble man, his style has changed, and I absolutely LOVE it.. keep going Gary, you are AMAZING!! With luv from Toronto , 🇨🇦 Canada.. waiting for you to play here!! Luv LA 2022🎹📀📀 xx
Great to see my two favourite musicians in one room. They were then, are now, and always will be my go-to music.
Credit to both Gary and John for what they did with their creative ideas - I love the fact that they give each other complete credit also.
ultravox a million times better with midge ure. and gary numan mate what you did was light years ahead of anything ultravox and john foxx did. i love your music but i dont like the john foxx ultravox
@Talorc MacAllan I guess it is just opinions, I rebought my Midge Ure Ultravox albums when digital came out, but didn't bother with the Foxx albums.
@@questioneverything8301 Foxx's Ultravox were the experiments, Ure's were the commercial. Foxx's were more creative IMO. Numan was creative and commercial at the same time. All of them are incredible musicians. Credit is deserved by all of them to be honest.
@@pentachronic Being good at doing something does not make what you did good Foxx is second fiddle to midge Ure The stuff Ultravox did before Midge is crap i do not like it. Credit deserved yes for being technical but not doing good music only good thing is that he got Numan into it but I do not understand how Numan could like or listen to the Foxx Ultravox years
@@questioneverything8301 Each to their own.
Don’t forget about the creative & innovative sound developments of David Sylvian & the band Japan. They had some pretty awesome sounds as well. In fact, Sylvian is still creating & collaborating with others to this day. He’s a legend also👍🏼😎
YES!
Thank you! That was exactly my thought.
He is and they were, but I don't remember them having the same influence or impact that Ultravox! did in their first few albums AT THAT TIME, especially among other musicians. SINCE then Japan's been a much bigger influence on more folks and things. Just my rememberances.
Japan are still a great listen. I think they fell between the electronic and New Romantic genres and never really quite fitted into either. Funny enough I was never a fan back in the day, but my autistic son, Finn, whose 15 now, has a real ear for electronic music and has got me into Japan, John Foxx era Ultravox, Eno and more current artists like Daniel O'Sullivan.
All the individuals from Japan were incredibly talented and creative; probably the most serendipitous grouping of any band I can think of from the period; I follow them all to this day (vale Mick Karn, who also played with Gazza)
Those Tubeway Army records were so amazing.
The way he mixed gnarly guitar sounds with synth music was just exceptional.
Glad to be reminded of Ultravox again!
To watch Gary Human AND John Foxx talk about it is wonderful.
The rhythm section of the first 3 Gary Numan records , especially pleasure principle was top notch
@@davidfoster5906 Oh absolutely!
2 amazingly innovative, original and humble creative artists ... rare indeed!
Two humble fella's too modest to admit just how massively influential they both were.
Thanks for uploading Phil.
Great
Agreed 👌🏻😎
yes I am surprised how low key Numan actually is
'Systems of romance' was - and is - a great album. Love the way Numan is always so honest and open about his influences.
legends is not a big enough word to describe these two
you could try supercalafragalisticxpealadocious?
He shouldn't put himself down when it comes to music. Brilliant artist. Not pig headed. Truly a joy to hear. And may he continue making great LP s.
great clip thankyou. Systems of Romance is still my number one album of all time. it plays in my car since around 1979 when i got hooked on "Quiet Men". plus Tubeway Army "Replicas"i discovered in 79 as well. both brilliant even to this day. m,52 im nobody but these 2 albums make me somebody :)
I love Quiet Men. It was like a full circle where Ultravox had out-Kraftwerked Kraftwerk with the robotic rhythms.
@@nervchemnitz As great as "Quiet men" is, "Mr X" is more like it, actually.
Владимир Круглов have to agree on Mr X. To this day still one of my favourite songs. Astradyne very loud,through good speakers is another
Foxx created the 80's sound in the 70's ... he was the reason the 80's new wave happened the way it did. Total pioneer and inovator ...
japan also
John Foxx and Gary Numan are genii. Japan were derivative Bowie clone rubbish in comparison.
The Velo..
But it came from Gary Numan in the first place, even Phil Oakley from Numan League would admit that - at a push.
Think the band who influenced them all deserve a mention Roxy Music..
Great to hear the master praise the student.Wish Numan gave himself more credit but then again maybe his insecurities fuelled his magnificent legacy.Hope the bloke's happy,he deserves some payback.
Gary Numan has a mesmerizing effect on me. He's not just a gifted artist but you can tell he's a really intelligent person.
He's one of the persons I would choose to have a glass of wine and talk all evening about music.
Golden Eldorado oh yes, that would be brilliant!
Except he buys the global warming bllshit
@@homefront3162 Wherein you disqualify yourself, having outed yourself as wholly unintelligent.
I met him and he's a lovely humble down to earth kind man
Gary Numan & John Foxx should co-produce an ALBUM together!
Please not. I've never ever heard a good album coming out of such a collaboration of two (or more) geniuses.
@@wolfgang4468 Freddie Mercury and David Bowie ?? It happens. Bowie and Jagger ?? .....
@@pentachronic Our tastes come from different planets.
@@wolfgang4468 You know a lot of musicians are in different bands though out their careers right ? Steve Howe, Yes and Asia for example.
@@pentachronic Wowzers! Never heard of that!!! Next you tell me music is made out of notes?
Totally cool video, it inspires me. In 1976 I came on my first Moog Synth. Was looking of a sax but played with the Moog for awhile. Not only was it immediately cool with a tape stereo loop machine but when I stopped and started to walk away, the damn thing started to make it's own sound. I was hooked on the concept from that point on but was never able to afford one. Now as an adult I have several, including every Mooger Fogger that Moog made and I'm experimenting to trying to create my dream. Producing my own CD's that hopefully people will like, :^) It's a lot of work but music has ALWAYS been my #1 PASSION!
When Midge Ure lead Ultravox came to Chicago, never danced so much!
Gary is right that Systems Of Romance in an all time classic.
Yeah this is a really insightful interview. Like Gary said it was when punk was dying and the New Romantic posers were just underground at this stage. John and Bowie and Gary were inspirational when I first got into music as a kid.
"It's not theft, it's evolution."
Somebody tell the copyright lawyers.
I loved Ultravox with John Foxx too along with Gary Numan
Brilliant clip, two pioneers, genius's, electronic legends.
Fantastic to see them both together, of all the early Ultravox albums, I love Systems of romance, blue light, maximum acceleration, slow motion. Numans Pleasure Principle is still as fresh now as it was back in 79.
Foxx went on to do his own album 'Metamatic' which was brilliant.
The Garden was such a truly brilliant album.
Two amazing people 😊 im honored to live at the same time as these awesome artists.
John Foxx's "Underpass" was and is one of my favourite tracks of all time - the man was brilliant...
Two absolutes legends who wonderfully, and endearingly, are too modest to truly bathe in rivers of their legacy.
One day there will be movies about both Gary Numan and John Foxx. And if there isn't... there f*ckin should be!
It was obvious there was a great deal of mutual respect, and I agree with Mo Batchelor, there was a void of ego when the two were discussing each other's achievements. Thank you Gentlemen, you are both leaders, not just in music, but in life. Thank you both for sharing, this type of inside dialog is so awesome!
Human League were around when Gary first went electronic. Their early stuff is fab.
You're right, but Gary was looking for something with conventional instrumentation + synths. Totally synth stuff never interested him.
Спасибо всем кто организовал интервью и поделился им со всеми поклонниками музыки.
I think we are very lucky to have these electronic pioneers. The electronic music of the latter part of the 70s and early 80s was a big influence on me growing up. So many great bands and artists.
My favorite Ultravox song is "My Sex," which I think was on their very first album. My favorite Gary Numan song? Who knows! There are probably ten I'd have to choose from, although the live version of "Please Push No More" with the piano version of "Down in the Park" would be right up there. Great to see these two guys together in this video.
Love this..Gary is a genius..
I got into ultravox as a young teenager and when I attempted to share my musical discovery with friends I was met with pure disgust and disdain. They’re STILL way ahead of their time and not alone. The more I ponder this, I suppose it’s a bit disappointing!
Most people are morons.
Yeah I know the feeling very well. I was listening in awe to Ultravox here in the States and none of my friends wanted to know. Same thing happened when I tried to play them Gary Numan’s first two LPs.
You were right... Until "U Vox" and Billy Curries solo Ultravox travesty which rightly deserved disgust and disdain
I had the same thing! I put it down to my mates being dumb & us lot were way more cleverer 🤣
Both gary and midge..are pioniers..another kind of music, after kraftwerk..you are the top.....your contribuition is something..do not forget that.
Many people I have discussed Ultravox with over the years believed that the Ultravox sound on the album _Vienna_ was owed to the influence of new singer/guitarist, Midge Ure. I point out to them that, though Ure did bring something, most of that _sound_ was already there in the previous album, Systems of Romance before Foxx left and Ure joined. Case in point the track, _Slow Motion_ .
But do they listen? Most people are set in their ways about music so a pointless to persuade the heathens..
John & Gary should jam together and consider making an album together.
Both are LEGENDS !!!
Found a brand new cassette of "Vienna" in a discount bin for a couple of bucks back in the 80's. Popped it in my car tape deck and was blown away by how good it was. My introduction to Ultravox.
Gary is talking about the original ultravox, when John Foxx was the lead singer, by the time Vienna came about John Foxx had gone solo and Midge Ure was the lead singer, in my opinion they should have changed their name as Ultravox died when John Foxx left and there music was far too commercial.
@@fashionlady2258 Ultravox didn't die with Foxx leaving. The core was Currie, Cann and Cross and John was bound to leave anyway. The new line-up simply expanded on Foxx legacy and made it truly stunning and palatable to millions. "Vienna" as an album is on the equal footing to "Systems".
@@ВладимирКруглов-к9о well I suppose that is your opinion, fair play, I loved the early raw stuff, I would liken it to joy division and their amazing raw sound and new order carrying on with great stuff but more commercial and accessible , maybe we have to agree to disagree 👍
@@fashionlady2258 It's not only my opinion. It's the masses' opinion and it's the numerous musicians' opinion. UreVox was at least AS influential as FoxxVox (and much more if we take image into account), "Vienna" and "Rage in Eden" made them noticed among many other genres like prog-rock, and let's not even talk about pop music. Both eras of Ultravox history are vital and important, you cannot ditch one of them without ditching the band completely.
@@ВладимирКруглов-к9о I did ditch them completely , they were a another band completely, I tend to like underground stuff and if anything becomes too commercial it just turns me off, in my opinion music journalists don’t know their arse from their elbow , they have slated many a good artist and people in general tend to like things like sheep , because other people like them, it’s not about how many people like and follow an artist is it, many people like Madonna and Elton John but I don’t particularly like them, I don’t follow the crowd .
wow - this is an interesting clip - makes me wanna discover and listen to the early Ultravox-albums.
Cimbarius
Please do
They’re sensational!
Yes indeed, John Foxx era Ultavox was great!
Two musical legends.
this is good to see, as I discovered Gary first and then John. Once I heard it, I was struck dumb at how close Metamatic was to Gary's first two albums and was a bit sad about it actually. Finding out they were a tribute to Foxx's genius is nice.
Two amazing and surprisingly humble men. Two of my heroes.
Huge respect to Gary Numan and Ultravox. I get high & and glad, every time i hear them. I´m 31, and they are my favor. Like Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode etc,
Two of THE biggest influences in my teenage years, in a studio, chatting about shit. Superb, thanks.
It's so cool to have solitary thoughts validated by such a brilliant artist. Every time I hear John Foxx speak, he echos my own long held sentiments. 💕
I was fortunate enough to see Ultravox’s very first North American gig. A cherished memory to this day.
First U.S. gig. Me too. Hot Club - Philadelphia. Totally awesome. Returned a year or so later expecting another amazing show by Foxx and the boys. Pre-Internet, uninformed. Ure entered instead of Foxx. I was flabbergasted. Also an amazing show.
nobody could not dance when hiroshima was played. nobody. a masterpiece.
foxx a genius in my humble opinion.
Met Numan at a fly-in a good few years ago at a local aerodrome... he was in the circuit n my then instructor said 'thats Gary Numan on finals'.... seemed a nice bloke n clearly an accomplished pilot...
Early Ultravox shaped me a musician and a person and the effect has never left me,, we worshipped that Band!
Amazing how Gary Numan achieved far more popularity and financial success than Ultravox yet as an artist he feels like he failed where they succeeded,
Gary has always been humble as far as I remember, perhaps he suffers from impostorism
I think a major part of it is that Ultravox had a longer career near the top than Gary Numan had. They also had more UK top 10 albums, and went platinum on one of them, which Gary Numan never managed. Also, Ultravox had such a changing line up over the years that a lot of influential musicians passed through.
@@lastfirst5689 He has Asperger's and that tends to go with the condition as people with Asperger's tend to be extremely self critical. It can get to the point of being highly destructive when it gets out of hand.
"Numan achieved far more popularity and financial success than Ultravox"
For only a couple of years. Since 1981 they were much more successful than him.
Kudos to Gary Numan for his honesty but there is a difference between popular success and real creativity and Ultravoxx with John Foxx was way ahead IMO. Gary Numan has always been portrayed as a right wing knob - I am not sure it is true. He seems decent and honest.
Billy Currie is the missing link here.
Living Ornaments (numan live tour '79) is testament to his influence. He made that band.
I saw that 1979 tour in Edinburgh, still one of the bet gigs of my life and I've seen them all! The sound was outrageous!
Thank you for this! Billy's the quiet genius of the electronic music and should be mentioned much more often!
JF is quite a gentleman.
I came on the fan train when midge was lead. But him and Billie, as a keyboard player myself, are legends in my book.
Ultravox with Midge Ure was a fantastic band with some truly excellent work. Ultravox with John Foxx was better by a few magnitude. Foxx's lyrics, artistic vision and innovation was so fresh and groundbreaking, there's no reasonable comparison. They both sang quite well.
Ure led a great band. Foxx was a revolutionary inspiration for the following 30 years.
Gary Numan was pretty cool too.
You in UK were very lucky to just have the right to listen to this kind of music at this time. In France it was almost impossible to hear New-Wave on the radio. I remember hearing One Small Day by Ultravox and the radio host told it was "hard-rock" !
Christophe MARTINEAU that was Ultravox trying to be Big Country. There were better tracks on Lament, like the title track where they soumds like themselves.
@@rachelar sure but such tracks weren't played on the radio, plus it was impossible to buy such records
Great interviews; some of the first albums I ever bought were Gary Numan, Ultravox and a collector's edition of John Foxx's The Garden. The rolling shutter on the video is a bit annoying though.
Gary is such a genuine person, so humble and decent! ❤ amazing musician as well…..
Two artistic genius minds, and yes, Systems of Romance is truly epic. The father and godfather of pop electronica.
I am today because of that time .ultravox and numan..gods
A friend lent me Systems of Romance and I was hooked.
Loved Kraftwerk before that but never heard anything like ultravox and it just struck a chord with me
Excellent interview, I did hear something like that years ago, right now it's imposible to tell if they are even human... thanks for sharing
Just found this. Great stuff, and could have been longer!
Still have my Ultravox vinyls, loved the John Foxx stuff.
Listen to Ultravox and you will know EXACTLY where Damon Albarn's sound and style and his Gorillaz music comes from !!!
MUSE you mean
Never put one and one together, a great New Zealand band "MI-SEX" named themselves after Ultavox's song .....40 years later :)
Mi-Sex were doing the rounds in the early 80s. Definitely contemporary to Numan and co.
There's an up and coming band in liverpool called western promise my brother raved about, I don't know if it's because they're good or the connection with an ultravox song! And he's the one who got me into them.
Computer Games
I'm 49, just found an old Ultravox record in a charity shop (Rage in Eden). It sounds amazing! After watching this and a few other videos I'm really amazed at what they were doing. Respect!
Midge Ure’s era Ultravox might as well have been a different band. John Foxx led Ultravox! were just on a different level….sonically, aesthetically and mentally
two great guys, my favourites: hiroshima mon amour and are we friends electric.
Two great songs.
Gary Numan always sounds like such a humble guy. So refreshing.
I just love listening to British music artists. They are almost universally interesting, interested, and exude a reverent sense of being small parts of a much larger entity.
That is true of those from any decade.
Numan is particularly likeable.
aright Big Gary my loon.......big influence on everyone....personally i loved yer stuff, was so different and you believed in the same, thanks for the tunes......i never get to far away from them, cheers from Alba , remember the Aberdeen concert......the people that wished they had went? would have been 20 thou there haha , top lad ....charge on x
Gary seems one of the most cool people you could meet!
You preceded it, and made it possible and public, have faith in what you do. I remember as a kid hanging around Blackbushe Airport hoping you would appear !
here here. Brilliant, just brilliant. Two Gods of Electronica in one place.
Two of my greatest inspirations
I had no idea that ultravox was around so long before Vienna and reap the wild wind. Those are the only two songs by them I’ve ever heard, and they’re also two of my favorite songs.
things were different then, for the quiet men.
"there was no electronic thing going on"
Kraftwerk: "am I a joke to you?"
That opening statement about there being a void between punk and New Romantics might be true for Gary but it's is SOOOOO untrue for the music fans. I would guess he's talking about 1979 to 1981? Well......What?? You're kidding? I loved that period. So RICH in styles, ideas, crossgenres and crossovers, new images, new production and great songcraft. Probably the best period since the mid-to late sixties!!!
Had the album’s, brought the tee shirt, saw the show. Even named a racehorse after them.
Very interesting. Gary Numan is of the initiated.I respect and like what Midge Ure did with Ultraovox, but my introduction to music was really by John Foxx, very special man, very talented,
I can understand that. But for me Ultravox is Midge Ure.
I absolutely loved this.
Two brilliant men 👍🏻
Both of them very modest.
Brilliant, two innovators chatting together, awesome clip
A meeting of the minds.
I think this is metamatic proof that friends are indeed electric.
Peace ✌️ out
Magnificent Men. Mesmerising Music. MASTERCLASS!
Very interesting. Because I must have heard this Ultravox album I borrowed fr the Caen Library way back in 1077 I think it was. and yes it was very different .
1077? Crikey did King Henry commission it?
Great man, great music!
I can't understand how the early Ultravox albums flopped. They are so influential. Thank God for the internet so people can appreciate these great songs now!
Wow, this is priceless.
Numan is as always a gentleman and a genius. John fox also a brilliant artist, loved 'Burning Car' , another synth all-time classic by Fox .
john has a genious mind and his music reflects that . gary stumbled across a synth and got lucky even he will admit that . replicas , by numan/ tubeway army is my all time fave album . just took you to another world .
vespasianlegx11 I love the work of both these gentlemen, but indeed Gary said in a documentary that he considers that Ultravox were better than him but he got lucky to get more exposure and success. For me (kid of the 90s), I discovered 'The pleasure principle' first and years later I incidentally heard Ultravox' 'Vienna' in a grocery store (not kidding!) and was shook! Still haven't checked out all their albums yet, there is so much more awesomeness to discover! Even their punk songs sound good
Yes, replicas is that kinda album. I can remember being 17 in '79, getting high and listening to replicas in my bedroom with the lights turned out late at night.....incredible memories!
...John Fox did far more than he realises.
I think you intentionally left out an X to enhance your point.
I love seeing these guys together