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Vienna (album)
 
 
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Vienna is the fourth studio LP by the Synthpop
Synthpop

Synthpop is a subgenre of New Wave music and pop music in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It is most closely associated with the era between the late 1970s and early to middle 1980s, although it has continued to exist and develop ever since....
 band Ultravox
Ultravox

Ultravox are a British New Wave music band that rose to prominence in the late 1970s/early 1980s. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the early 1980s....
, first released on 11 July 1980. The album peaked at #3 in the UK charts and was the first Ultravox release to enter the UK top ten.

Vienna, the band decided to once again work with renowned producer Conny Plank
Conny Plank

Konrad "Conny" Plank was a record producer and musician. His creativity as a sound engineer and producer helped to shape some of the most important and innovative recordings of postwar European popular music, covering a wide range of genres including Avant-progressive rock, Avant-garde music and electronic music....
 as they did on their previous album Systems of Romance
Systems of Romance

Systems of Romance, released in 1978, is the third album by British 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 was sacked from the band and was replaced by Robin Simon, who played in this album and was f...
. The tracks were mixed at Plank's studio near Cologne
Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants....
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
.

This release signalled a change in direction for Ultravox, being the first album with Midge Ure
Midge Ure

Midge Ure Order of the British Empire is a guitarist, singer, Keyboard instrument, and songwriter. He had particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in a number of bands, including Slik, Thin Lizzy, The Rich Kids, Visage and most notably as frontman of the band Ultravox....
 as frontman and also the first to be released under Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records

Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a Pupa#Chrysalis and an amalgam of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis ....
.






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Vienna is the fourth studio LP by the Synthpop
Synthpop

Synthpop is a subgenre of New Wave music and pop music in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It is most closely associated with the era between the late 1970s and early to middle 1980s, although it has continued to exist and develop ever since....
 band Ultravox
Ultravox

Ultravox are a British New Wave music band that rose to prominence in the late 1970s/early 1980s. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the early 1980s....
, first released on 11 July 1980. The album peaked at #3 in the UK charts and was the first Ultravox release to enter the UK top ten.

Background

For Vienna, the band decided to once again work with renowned producer Conny Plank
Conny Plank

Konrad "Conny" Plank was a record producer and musician. His creativity as a sound engineer and producer helped to shape some of the most important and innovative recordings of postwar European popular music, covering a wide range of genres including Avant-progressive rock, Avant-garde music and electronic music....
 as they did on their previous album Systems of Romance
Systems of Romance

Systems of Romance, released in 1978, is the third album by British 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 was sacked from the band and was replaced by Robin Simon, who played in this album and was f...
. The tracks were mixed at Plank's studio near Cologne
Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants....
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
.

This release signalled a change in direction for Ultravox, being the first album with Midge Ure
Midge Ure

Midge Ure Order of the British Empire is a guitarist, singer, Keyboard instrument, and songwriter. He had particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in a number of bands, including Slik, Thin Lizzy, The Rich Kids, Visage and most notably as frontman of the band Ultravox....
 as frontman and also the first to be released under Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records

Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a Pupa#Chrysalis and an amalgam of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis ....
. Many different styles are in use on the album; "Astradyne" is a long instrumental featuring sweeping, majestic synthesizer arrangements throughout, while "Mr. X" is a much more sparse and simplistic affair. The lyrics to the album's songs were mainly written between Ure and drummer Warren Cann
Warren Cann

Warren Reginald Cann is a drummer and drum machine programmer, best known as a member of the United Kingdom New Wave music band Ultravox....
, who also takes a rare lead vocal on "Mr. X".

The album was remastered and re-issued on CD in 2000 under the EMI Gold
EMI

The EMI Group is a United Kingdom music company comprising the major record label EMI Music ? which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in London, England, United Kingdom ? and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York City....
 label. This release also includes a selection of b-sides from the album's singles as bonus tracks and the music video for the "Vienna" single.

The definitive version of the Vienna album (released Sept 22nd 2008) is a double remastered CD including rare and previously unreleased tracks on the 2nd CD.

Singles

Four singles were released from the album from 1980 to 1981, the most prominent one being the title track which hit #2 in the UK charts.

  1. "Sleepwalk
    Sleepwalk (song)

    "Sleepwalk" is Ultravox's first single from the band's Vienna , and the first with Midge Ure as frontman, released by Chrysalis Records on June 16, 1980....
    " (16 June 1980, #29 UK)
  2. "Passing Strangers
    Passing Strangers

    "Passing Strangers" is Ultravox's second single from the band's Vienna album with Midge Ure, released on Chrysalis Records on October 15, 1980....
    " (15 October 1980, #57 UK)
  3. "Vienna" (15 January 1981, #2 UK)
  4. "All Stood Still
    All Stood Still

    "All Stood Still" is Ultravox's fourth and final single from Vienna , the band's first album with Midge Ure, released on Chrysalis Records on May 26, 1981....
    " (26 May 1981, #8 UK)


Chart positions

  • The Netherlands - #1
  • United Kingdom - #3
  • Sweden - #6
  • Norway - #18
  • West Germany - #22


The album was certified Platinum by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry

The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade group. Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four 'major' record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies representing literally thousands of labels....
 on February 9th, 1981.

Track listing

All songs written by Warren Cann
Warren Cann

Warren Reginald Cann is a drummer and drum machine programmer, best known as a member of the United Kingdom New Wave music band Ultravox....
, Chris Cross
Chris Cross

Chris Cross was the bassist in the band Ultravox , until their demise in 1988. His brother, Jeff Allen, played the drums for East of Eden and Hello in the 1970s....
, Billy Currie
Billy Currie

Billy Currie is a musician and songwriter. He is best known as the keyboard instrument player with the New Wave music band , Ultravox, who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1980s....
, Midge Ure
Midge Ure

Midge Ure Order of the British Empire is a guitarist, singer, Keyboard instrument, and songwriter. He had particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in a number of bands, including Slik, Thin Lizzy, The Rich Kids, Visage and most notably as frontman of the band Ultravox....
.

Original release: CHR 1296

Side A:
  1. "Astradyne" – 7:07
  2. "New Europeans" – 4:01
  3. "Private Lives" – 4:06
  4. "Passing Strangers
    Passing Strangers

    "Passing Strangers" is Ultravox's second single from the band's Vienna album with Midge Ure, released on Chrysalis Records on October 15, 1980....
    " – 3:48
  5. "Sleepwalk
    Sleepwalk (song)

    "Sleepwalk" is Ultravox's first single from the band's Vienna , and the first with Midge Ure as frontman, released by Chrysalis Records on June 16, 1980....
    " – 3:10
Side B:
  1. "Mr. X" – 6:33
  2. "Western Promise" – 5:18
  3. "Vienna" – 4:53
  4. "All Stood Still
    All Stood Still

    "All Stood Still" is Ultravox's fourth and final single from Vienna , the band's first album with Midge Ure, released on Chrysalis Records on May 26, 1981....
    " – 4:21

U.S. release: DIDX 397

Side A:
  1. "Sleepwalk
    Sleepwalk (song)

    "Sleepwalk" is Ultravox's first single from the band's Vienna , and the first with Midge Ure as frontman, released by Chrysalis Records on June 16, 1980....
    " – 3:10
  2. "Passing Strangers
    Passing Strangers

    "Passing Strangers" is Ultravox's second single from the band's Vienna album with Midge Ure, released on Chrysalis Records on October 15, 1980....
    " – 3:48
  3. "New Europeans" – 4:01
  4. "Private Lives" – 4:06
  5. "Astradyne" – 7:07
Side B:
  1. "Mr. X" – 6:33
  2. "Western Promise" – 5:18
  3. "Vienna" – 4:53
  4. "All Stood Still
    All Stood Still

    "All Stood Still" is Ultravox's fourth and final single from Vienna , the band's first album with Midge Ure, released on Chrysalis Records on May 26, 1981....
    " – 4:21


2000 CD re-release: 7243 5 25523 0 6

  1. "Astradyne" – 7:07
  2. "New Europeans" – 4:01
  3. "Private Lives" – 4:06
  4. "Passing Strangers" – 3:48
  5. "Sleepwalk" – 3:10
  6. "Mr. X" – 6:33
  7. "Western Promise" – 5:18
  8. "Vienna" – 4:53
  9. "All Stood Still" – 4:21
Bonus tracks:
  1. "Waiting" – 3:51
  2. "Passionate Reply" – 4:17
  3. "Herr X" – 5:49
  4. "Alles Klar" – 4:53
  5. "Vienna" [video]


Remastered Definitive Edition


Disc One
  1. "Astradyne" – 7:07
  2. "New Europeans" – 4:01
  3. "Private Lives" – 4:06
  4. "Passing Strangers" – 3:48
  5. "Sleepwalk" – 3:10
  6. "Mr. X" – 6:33
  7. "Western Promise" – 5:18
  8. "Vienna" – 4:53
  9. "All Stood Still" – 4:21


Disc Two
  1. "Sleepwalk (Early Version)"
  2. "Waiting" – 3:51
  3. "Face to Face (Live)" – 6.04
  4. "Kings Lead Hat (Live)" – 4.06
  5. "Passionate Reply" – 4:17
  6. "Herr X" – 5:49
  7. "All Stood Still (12" Version)" – 5:08
  8. "Alles Klar" – 4:53
  9. "Keep Talking" – 6.23
  10. "Sleepwalk (Live)"
  11. "All Stood Still (Live)"
  • Track 3 recorded live at St. Albans, 16 Aug 1980.
  • Track 4 recorded live at The Lyceum, 17 Aug 1980.
  • Tracks 10-11 recorded live in rehearsals at The Lyceum, 17 Aug 1980.


Personnel

  • Warren Cann
    Warren Cann

    Warren Reginald Cann is a drummer and drum machine programmer, best known as a member of the United Kingdom New Wave music band Ultravox....
     - drums, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocals on tracks 6 and 12
  • Chris Cross
    Chris Cross

    Chris Cross was the bassist in the band Ultravox , until their demise in 1988. His brother, Jeff Allen, played the drums for East of Eden and Hello in the 1970s....
     - bass, synthesizer, backing vocals
  • Billy Currie
    Billy Currie

    Billy Currie is a musician and songwriter. He is best known as the keyboard instrument player with the New Wave music band , Ultravox, who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1980s....
     - keyboards, violin, synthesizer
  • Midge Ure
    Midge Ure

    Midge Ure Order of the British Empire is a guitarist, singer, Keyboard instrument, and songwriter. He had particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in a number of bands, including Slik, Thin Lizzy, The Rich Kids, Visage and most notably as frontman of the band Ultravox....
     - guitar, synthesizer, lead vocals (except tracks 6 and 12)
  • Conny Plank
    Conny Plank

    Konrad "Conny" Plank was a record producer and musician. His creativity as a sound engineer and producer helped to shape some of the most important and innovative recordings of postwar European popular music, covering a wide range of genres including Avant-progressive rock, Avant-garde music and electronic music....
     - co-production
  • Brian Griffin - cover photography


External links

  • : interview with Warren Cann by Jonas Wεrstad