Live may refer to:

Alive

Living

Life

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Live vaccine

Live wire (electricity)

Arts

Live Art (art form)

Live coding

Live music (concert)

Live album

List of albums titled ''Live''

Live (band), an alternative rock band

"Live", a song written by Emitt Rhodes, that was a hit for his band The Merry-Go-Round, and was later covered by The Bangles.

Live Aid, a multi-venue rock music concert held on July 13, 1985

Live 8, a series of benefit concerts that took place in July 2005, in the G8 nations and South Africa

Live Earth

''Live'' (Corneille album)

''Live'' (Eurythmics video)

''Live'' (Shania Twain DVD)

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''Live!'' (2007 film) a movie by Bill Guttentag

''Live'' (an album by Peatbog Faeries)

Recorded live track

Media

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Live action, cinematography not produced using animation

''Live with Regis and Kelly'', a syndicated American television talk show

BBC Radio 5 Live, the BBC's radio service providing live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries

CILV-FM, branded LiVE 88.5, a radio station in Ottawa, Canada

Information and Communication Technologies

Windows Live, the collective brand name for a group of Microsoft services currently under development

Microsoft Office Live, an Internet-based software service

Live Search, The search engine previously known as MSN from Microsoft

Xbox Live, online gaming service for Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles

YouTube Live, online annual live streaming event broadcasted by YouTube

Ableton Live, a software music sequencer

Live CD, also known as a ''Live Distro'', ''Live DVD'', ''Live OS'' or ''Live System'': an operating system that can boot and run from a read-only medium (such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM) instead of a hard disk drive

Live USB, a live operating system that runs off a USB flash drive

Other uses

Live fire exercise, an exercise (often military in nature) conducted under realistic conditions, or using real ammunition

See also

List of albums titled ''Live''

Live! (disambiguation)

Lives (disambiguation)

ca:Live cs:Live da:Live de:Live es:Live fr:Live ko:라이브 it:Live hu:Live (egyértelműsítő lap) nl:Live ja:ライブ no:Live (andre betydninger) pl:Live pt:Live (desambiguação) ru:Live simple:Live sk:Live fi:Live sv:Live wa:Live uk:Live zh:Live

name	Richard Ashcroft
background	solo_singer
birth name	Richard Paul Steven Ashcroft
birth date	September 11, 1971
Birth place	Billinge, England
origin	Wigan, Lancashire England
instrument	Vocals, Guitar, Bass guitar, Drums, Piano, Keyboards, Wurlitzer, Organ, Melodica, Mellotron, Synthesizer
genre	Alternative rock, Britpop, Shoegazing, Space rock, Neo-psychedelia
label	Hut RecordsVirgin RecordsParlophone
occupation	Singer-songwriter, composer
years active	1990–present
associated acts	The VerveRPA & The United Nations of SoundUNKLEDJ ShadowOasisThe Chemical BrothersPino PalladinoColdplay
website	richardashcroft.com }}

Richard Paul Steven Ashcroft (born 11 September 1971 in Billinge, Wigan, England) is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer and occasional guitarist of alternative rock band The Verve from their formation in 1990 until their split in 1999, and continues as a lead vocalist working with guitars and keyboards. He became a successful solo artist in his own right, releasing three UK top three solo albums. The Verve reformed in 2007 but again broke up by summer 2009. Ashcroft then founded a new band, RPA & The United Nations of Sound, and released a new album on 19 July 2010.

Early life

Ashcroft was the only son of office worker Frank and hairdresser Louise (maiden name Baxter); he also has two younger sisters. His middle name 'Paul' is the name of his father's brother. When Ashcroft was 11, his father died suddenly of a brain hemorrhage. Ashcroft soon "fell under the influence of his stepfather", who belonged to the Rosicrucians.

Ashcroft attended Up Holland High School, along with future bandmates Simon Jones, Peter Salisbury and Simon Tong, and then attended Winstanley College, where he met Nick McCabe. His teachers referred to him as "the cancer of the class", though one member of staff recalled him being "incredibly intelligent". Ashcroft was an avid football player, playing junior football for Wigan Athletic. For some time Ashcroft wanted to be a professional football player, idolising George Best, but as he grew older he lost interest in this, turning to music instead.

Richard channels his love of football with the occasional run out for The Legends and played in the Celtic FC vs Man U - The Legends game at Celtic Park on 9 August 2011.The Scottish Sun, 27 July 2011

The Verve

Ashcroft formed The Verve (originally just Verve) in 1990 with McCabe, Jones and Salisbury. The band signed to Hut Records and became well known for their appetite for both psychedelic music and drugs. They also became a part of the Britpop movement. The band split in 1995, and around this time Ashcroft wrote a collection of songs he intended to release as his first solo album. However, by 1997 he had changed his mind and asked McCabe to return (alongside new member Tong), reforming The Verve and releasing the very successful album ''Urban Hymns''. Ashcroft was at the forefront of the band's popularity, receiving an Ivor Novello Award for his songwriting and being referred to by the press as "the unmistakable face of the Number One rock band in England". However, the pressures of touring and the tensions within the band led to McCabe's departure in mid-1998 and the announcement of the band's break-up in April 1999.

In early 2007, Ashcroft made peace with McCabe and Jones and The Verve's reunion was announced in June. The band played gigs later that year and continued touring in 2008, headlining at several festivals around the world. A new album, ''Forth'', was released in August.

In August 2009 it was announced by The Guardian that The Verve had broken up for the third time.

Solo career

''Alone with Everybody'' and ''Human Conditions'': 2000–2004

Ashcroft's first solo single, "A Song for the Lovers", peaked at #3 in the UK charts in April. It was followed by the single "Money To Burn" which reached the UK Top 20 at #17. The album, ''Alone with Everybody'', was released in June, reaching number 1 and receiving platinum status in the UK. Album reviews were generally positive. In September, a third single was released – "C'mon People (We're Making It Now)" – entering the charts at #21. Richard does not publish the lyrics to his songs in the inlay cards of his albums or singles as he feels they are personal to him.

Ashcroft began work on his second album ''Human Conditions'' in 2002. The lead single, "Check the Meaning", was released in early October, and peaked at #11 on the UK Singles Chart. The album was released later that month and reached #3 in the UK Album Chart. Reception to the album was largely negative. The album's second single, "Science of Silence", was released the following January and charted at #14 in the UK. On 26 March, Ashcroft made his first live appearance of 2003 at London's Royal Albert Hall as part of the third annual Teenage Cancer Trust charity fundraising event, before "Buy It in Bottles", the third and final single to be taken from the album, was released on 7 April, charting at #26.

Aside from a limited number of appearances in 2003, Ashcroft was absent from the music business for about two years. He later explained this in 2006, stating that "[e]veryone got it into their heads over the last few years that I was in my ivory tower like Lennon, baking bread all day. The fact of the matter was that I was bringing up kids".

Live 8 and ''Keys to the World'': 2005–2007

Ashcroft began playing gigs again in mid-2005, and, on 2 July at the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park, Coldplay invited him to perform with them during their set. They performed The Verve's hit "Bitter Sweet Symphony", after having previously rehearsed the song in Crystal Palace. Ashcroft's performance of the song was introduced by Chris Martin as "the best song ever written, sung by the best singer in the world", helping to create renewed interest in Ashcroft. At Christmas 2005, a documentary entitled ''Live 8: A Bitter Sweet Symphony'' was aired on the BBC reliving moments of the day featuring a portion of Ashcroft's performance as the show's opening soundtrack.

After the disintegration of Hut Records in 2004, Ashcroft signed to Parlophone where he released his third solo album, ''Keys to the World'', on 23 January 2006. The first single from the album, "Break the Night with Colour", was released on 9 January 2006, and entered the UK Singles Chart at number 3. Following his performance at Live 8, Ashcroft was booked as a support act for Coldplay's Twisted Logic Tour throughout North America and the UK, which started on 14 March in Ottawa, Canada. Ashcroft saw the support slot as "a good chance to play to a significant amount of people and say, ‘I’m back. And this is what I do’".

The album's second single, "Music Is Power", charted at number 20. On 18 April 2006, he recorded the ''Live from London EP'', the ninth in a series of EPs released exclusively as digital downloads from Apple's iTunes Store. The EP was released just 6 days later on 24 April. With the release of ''Keys to the World'', the general consensus was that Ashcroft was "back at the top of his musical game", as he announced his largest UK tour for years for May 2006, culminating in three nights at London's Brixton Academy. Following the tour, Ashcroft had hoped to perform two "Homecoming" shows at Wigan Athletic's 25,000 seater JJB Stadium in June 2006, but was unable to do so as the proposed venue lacked the "appropriate licence". As a consequence, he chose to play at Lancashire County Cricket Club in Old Trafford, in what was to be his biggest solo show to date. He was supported at the gig by acts such as Razorlight and The Feeling, whilst DJ Shadow joined Richard on stage during his set to perform "Lonely Soul", their UNKLE collaboration from 1998's ''Psyence Fiction'' LP. Another UK tour followed five months later, culminating in a show at Manchester's M.E.N. Arena on 30 November. Ashcroft did not tour ''Keys To The World'' outside of Europe. which would coincide with England's participation in the 2006 Football World Cup, but the single never materialised. Instead, his next release was "Words Just Get in the Way", which charted lower than his previous single, peaking at #40 in the UK Singles Chart. On 4 December, the double a-side "Why Not Nothing" / "Sweet Brother Malcolm" was released on limited edition 7" vinyl.

On 11 December 2006, Ashcroft recorded a live performance for ''Live From Abbey Road''. The programme was broadcast in the UK on Channel 4 in March 2007, and in the USA on the Sundance Channel in June 2007.

RPA & The United Nations of Sound: 2009–present

Ashcroft is contractually obligated to record another album for Parlophone. Ashcroft played a solo gig on 25 August 2008 as part of the Last Days of Summer Festival in Buckingham. The Verve broke up for a third time sometime between the last rehearsals in late 2008 and the summer of 2009. It was announced in August 2009 by a band's friend.

A b-side compilation was considered a possibility, as Richard's team has asked the fans through his site about their feelings on such an album, but it's now very unlikely. In December 2009, Richard contributed the lead soundtrack song for the documentary ''The Journey''. The song, available for purchase at iTunes can be streamed and a video was posted at Ashcroft's site. Also, through his blog ''BRAIN'', he has stated that he will release a new album in 2010. Sources reveal he has worked on some 20-30 new songs in New York, Los Angeles and London with producer No I.D., who Richard sought after because he liked his work in the Jay-Z song "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" and read an interview where he states how many producers destroy records in order to boost sales.

Ashcroft is currently working with a new band called RPA & The United Nations of Sound, who have released a promo single from the upcoming album called "Are You Ready?", which was premiered exclusively on the NME website on 18 January 2010. From 9 April 2010 an exclusive ''RPA Club''-only track, "Third Eye (Colombus Circle)", is also available as a download on his official website. The album "United Nations of Sound" (former working title "Redemption") and the first proper single "Born Again" were released on 19 July 2010. The full album leaked on 15 July and the NME started streaming the album the following day. The new sound seems to emulate many of Richard's influences described over the years in interviews and seems to close a circle for his solo career. Strings, beats, rock-guitar-riffs, voice-loops, ballads and heroic-choir-anthems are the core of the album's sound with Ashcroft's craft for pop tunes and unique melody-making. Also found in the songs are the ever-present spiritual lyrics for Richard, although here in fuller form.

After two months of silence, on 15 October Ashcroft released through his website a second fanclub-only track, "Here We Go Again". On the same day the song "Are You Ready?" was released as the first official single from the new album in the United States. During the same month Ashcroft had signed with the record company Razor & Tie in the United States. The radio edit of "Are You Ready?" is available for free on the US version of Richard's website.

The album United Nations of Sound was released across the Atlantic on 22 March 2011 under the name "Richard Ashcroft" and the lead single "Are You Ready?" was featured over the closing credits of the film ''The Adjustment Bureau'' in March 2011, along with the new song "Future's Bright", written and performed specifically for the film's opening by Richard and ten-time Oscar-nominated composer Thomas Newman.

For the US release of "Are You Ready?", Richard Ashcroft and Big Life Management commissioned Giorgio Testi for the promo – to be created out of live footage from a show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. The video premiered on 7 February on the official website of Pulse Films, the production company.

On 1 March the song "Future's Bright" was premiered on Stereogum. On the official website of the movie ''The Adjustment Bureau'' there is also a video created for the song by director George Nolfi.

Personal life

Ashcroft is married to Kate Radley, a former member of Spiritualized. They married in 1995 and it was years before it was publicly revealed that the pair had married. Together, they have two sons: Sonny, born in 2000, and Cassius, born in 2004. The family live in Ledbury in Herefordshire. Ashcroft is a Manchester United fan.

He is good friends with Oasis' Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher and Coldplay's Chris Martin (whom Ashcroft once thanked for "letting me be myself again"). The Gallagher brothers for a long time have expressed the greatest of respect to Ashcroft, with Noel fondly nicknaming Ashcroft 'Captain Rock'. The Oasis track "Cast No Shadow", from the successful 1995 album ''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'' is dedicated to him, and it is believed that Ashcroft dedicated the title track of ''A Northern Soul'' to Gallagher as a response. Ashcroft also provided backing vocals on the Oasis song "All Around the World" in 1997, for Oasis' ''Be Here Now''.

In a 2006 interview, Ashcroft mentioned taking Prozac to help him with clinical depression, but said that they didn't help, referring to the pills as "very, very synthetic." Ashcroft has said that he's always been "a depressive, someone who suffers from depression", and that music and creativity help him cope with his illness.

Controversy

Controversy exists over The Verve's biggest hit, "Bitter Sweet Symphony", on which Ashcroft is the sole band member to share a co-writing credit. The song uses a sample of Andrew Oldham Orchestra's recording of The Rolling Stones' 1965 song "The Last Time". The Verve had negotiated this legally; however, The Rolling Stones' record company successfully sued and argued that they had used "too much." The Verve was subsequently forced to give ABKCO 100 percent of the royalties from "Bitter Sweet Symphony", and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were given songwriting credits along with Ashcroft. In America this controversy is seen as di9singenous as it is well known that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards copied words and music for their song "The Last Time" from the song "This May Be The Last Time" by The Staple Singers which is a traditional Black American gospel song to which rights cannot be owned. Most Rock and Roll artists of the era did not hide the fact they were lifting material from Black American music and calling it their own. So for Jagger and Richards to claim another artist's work to be theirs because the artist sampled a very small element of an instrumental cover of a Rolling Stones song that was copied from a Black American gospel song makes the system of acquiring song rights to the work of others quite odd.

In 2006, he was arrested in Wiltshire after coming into a youth centre and asking to work with the teenagers present at the club. He refused to leave and employees called the police, resulting in Ashcroft being arrested and fined £80 for disorderly conduct.

Ashcroft stormed off stage after only one song at Australia's 2010 Splendour in the Grass festival at Woodford, apparently angry at the lack of attendance at his stage. He had been scheduled as one of three headliners but attendees mainly filled the stages of the other two headliners, alternative rockers The Pixies and local Australian dance act Empire of the Sun. A statement from Ashcroft's management posted on Richardashcroft.co.uk blamed the cancellation on his voice giving out. "After three gigs in two days, including a two-hour show in Sydney on Saturday night, we knew Richard would have to look after his voice for the Splendour In The Grass set so we cancelled all promotional activity for Sunday," the statement said. It continued: "It wasn't until he got on stage on Sunday night at Splendour that he realised his voice wouldn't make it through the set." Ashcroft was reportedly "ordered not to speak or sing for 72 hours" by a doctor.

Discography

Albums

Release date

Title

Peak chart position

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26 June 2000

''[[Alone with Everybody">Music recording sales certifications

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26 June 2000

''[[Alone with Everybody''

British Phonographic Industry>UK: Platinum

21 October 2002

''Human Conditions''

British Phonographic Industry>UK: Gold

23 January 2006

''Keys to the World''

British Phonographic Industry>UK: Platinum

19 July 2010

Singles

style="width:120px;" rowspan="2"	Release date	Title	Peak chart position								Album
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3 April 2000	"A Song for the Lovers"
12 June 2000	"Money to Burn"
11 September 2000	"C'mon People (We're Making It Now)"
22 April 2002	"Come with Us/The Test										''[[Come with Us'' (The Chemical Brothers)
7 October 2002	"Check the Meaning"
6 January 2003	"Science of Silence"
7 April 2003	"Buy It in Bottles"
9 January 2006	"Break the Night with Colour"
17 April 2006	"Music Is Power"
10 July 2006	"Words Just Get in the Way"
4 December 2006
19 July 2010	"Born Again"									rowspan="2"
15 October 2010	"Are You Ready?" (US only)

Promotional singles

{|class="wikitable" |- !Release date !Single !Notes !Album |- |18 January 2010 |"Are You Ready?" |Limited Edition UK promo CD and vinyl |''United Nations of Sound'' |}

Charity singles

{|class="wikitable" |- !Release date !Single !Cause !Album |- |18 December 2009 |"The Journey" (iTunes) |Helen Bamber Foundation |Non-album single |}

EPs

{|class="wikitable" |- !Release date !Title |- |''24 April 2006'' |"Live from London" (iTunes) |}

Cameos

"Lonely Soul" ~ UNKLE, on the album ''Psyence Fiction''.

"The Test" ~ The Chemical Brothers, on the album ''Come with Us''.

References

External links

Official website (UK)

Official website (US)

Richard Ashcroft Online

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:English rock singers Category:English male singers Category:English songwriters Category:People from Higher End Category:Music in Wigan Category:Musicians from Manchester Category:The Verve members Category:Virgin Records artists Category:Parlophone artists

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Name	Midge Ure
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	James Ure
Birth date	October 10, 1953
Birth place	Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Genre	New Romantic, soft rock, punk rock, hard rock, synthpop, New Wave
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, producer
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer
Years active	1972–present
Associated acts	Slik, The Rich Kids, Visage, Thin Lizzy, Ultravox, Band Aid
Website	Official website
Notable instruments	Fender StratocasterYamaha SG 2000Ibanez Roadstar RS125 }}

James "Midge" Ure, OBE (born 10 October 1953, Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland) is a Scottish guitarist, singer, keyboard player, and songwriter. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim, the diminutive form of his real name.

Ure enjoyed particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in bands including Slik, Thin Lizzy, The Rich Kids, Visage, and most notably as frontman of Ultravox. Ure co-wrote and produced the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?", whose reissue won an Ivor Novello Award in 2005 for Best Selling UK Single. Ure co-organised Band Aid, Live Aid and Live 8 with Bob Geldof. Ure acts as trustee for the charity, and serves as ambassador for Save the Children.

Career

Early years

Born to a working-class family in Cambuslang, he attended Cambuslang Primary School and Rutherglen Academy in Glasgow until he was 15 years old. After leaving school Ure attended Technical College and then began to work as an engineer, training at the National Engineering Laboratory, (NEL), in nearby East Kilbride. He started playing music in a Glasgow band called Stumble (c. 1969 – c. 1971), that included a girl-singing duet, Christine and Agnes. The band's line-up included lead guitar John McMenemy, Alan Wright on harmonica, Fraser Spiers on bass, Kenny Ireland on drums, Alec Baird on vocals Gordon Appacellie.

Salvation, Slik and PVC2

Ure joined Salvation as a guitarist in 1972. The band had been formed in Glasgow in June 1970 by the brothers Kevin (vocals) and Jim McGinlay (bass guitar). Jim McGinlay decided to turn Ure's name backwards to "Midge" to avoid any confusion caused by two members of the band having the same first name. Ure has since presented himself in the music scene as Midge Ure. The band performed covers as house band in the Glasgow discothèque Clouds, the venue for major bands playing on tour in the city. The band also comprised Billy McIsaac on keyboards and Kenny Hyslop on drums.

In April 1974, Kevin McGinlay left to pursue a solo career, so Ure assumed vocals in addition to his guitar duties. In November 1974 the band changed their name to Slik, with Bay City Rollers writers Bill Martin and Phil Coulter providing songs. In 1975 Ure turned down an offer to be the lead singer of the Sex Pistols, stating that he felt at the time that Malcolm McLaren had "his priorities completely wrong!", a position he later reversed.

Although Slik were rising in popularity in early 1976, achieving a number one single in February with "Forever And Ever", the band were soon to be out of step with the rising punk rock scene. In early 1977 Jim McGinlay decided to quit the band, being replaced by Russell Webb.

Slik terminated their contract with Martin and Coulter, realising their boy-band image was hindering their chances of success. They changed their name to PVC2 and adopted a more punkish style. Ure's only release with the band under this name was the "Put You In The Picture" single.

The Rich Kids

By October 1977 Ure had left PVC2 to join former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock in The Rich Kids. Ure moved to London and soon found himself immersed in a scene he had previously only read about in the pages of the ''NME''. Musical tensions within the band led to Ure's departure. Having acquired a synthesiser, Ure, alongside band-mate Rusty Egan, wanted to integrate the new instrument into the band's sound. With Matlock and Steve New preferring to remain with the traditional guitars and drums approach, the band split. The Rich Kids were renowned for their high-octane energetic live shows, including a show at the London College of Printing. In January 2010, The Rich Kids reformed for one night only, for a benefit concert for Steve New who was fighting terminal cancer (and died on 24 May 2010). Although it had been over 30 years since they played together, the press reports praised the gig, with energetic performances of "Ghosts of Princes In Towers, and "Hung on You". The Rich Kids were joined on stage by Mick Jones and Gary Kemp. Ure also played an acoustic set of Ultravox and Visage songs.

Visage

In 1978, Egan and Ure formed Visage with lead vocalist Steve Strange, and utilised their new synthesiser when they recorded a cover of the Zager & Evans classic "In The Year 2525" for promotional purposes. The line-up was expanded in 1979 with the addition of Magazine members Dave Formula, John McGeoch and Barry Adamson, and Ultravox keyboardist Billy Currie, and the band signed briefly to Radar Records for the release of their first single "Tar". Egan and Ure also formed the short-lived band The Misfits, whose career was curtailed by an approach from Thin Lizzy. Though Visage's first single was unsuccessful, they signed with Polydor Records in 1980, and their second single, "Fade to Grey", became a hit.

Thin Lizzy

Ure already knew Thin Lizzy singer Phil Lynott. In early 1979, Ure received co-writing credit for "Get Out Of Here" on the album ''Black Rose''. In July 1979, Ure stepped in to help Thin Lizzy complete a US tour following guitarist Gary Moore's abrupt departure. Ure contributed guitar parts to "Things Ain’t Working Out" and "Dublin" for the 1979 Thin Lizzy remix compilation ''The Continuing Saga of the Ageing Orphans''. Thin Lizzy then toured America and Japan. In 1980, during the second part of this tour, Ure switched to keyboards, replaced by Snowy White as guitarist. At the end of the tour Ure decided to leave Thin Lizzy. Ure felt his energies were better committed to another group: Ultravox. Ure continued to collaborate with Lynott, providing the chorus to "Chinatown" and co-writing Lynott's biggest solo hit, "Yellow Pearl".

Ultravox

1979 had seen Ure and Billy Currie form a close bond playing together in Visage. The pair decided to resurrect Currie's former group, the synthpop band Ultravox. The group had been presumed defunct since guitarist Robin Simon quit and lead singer John Foxx had left to pursue a solo career. In April Ure joined the band as singer and guitarist to complete the "classic" Ultravox lineup of Currie (keyboards, violin), Chris Cross (bass) and Warren Cann (drums). Although Ure had spent the latter half of 1979 on tour with Thin Lizzy, Ultravox found time late in the year to tour in the USA. During this time the band wrote a number of songs which were included on their first album with Ure.

The album, ''Vienna'', was recorded in 1980. Although it was the band's fourth album, it was the first one to chart and was only a minor success upon first release. However, when the title track "Vienna" was released as a single in early 1981, it became a huge hit and spent four weeks at #2 in the UK singles chart and was the 5th highest selling single in the UK that year. The album itself re-entered the album chart and peaked at #3. Inspired by the 1949 film ''The Third Man'', the promo video for "Vienna" was directed by Russell Mulcahy, utilising cinematic techniques and became quite influential. In an interview, Ure recalled the way that "music video changed after that. All these things that became video clichés – cropping the top and bottom off the screen, shooting on film as opposed to videotape, making it look like a movie ... we were quite a groundbreaking act for a while." The same year that Ultravox released the ''Vienna'' album, Visage also released their debut album which made the UK Top 20 and featured the hit single "Fade to Grey" (co-written by Ure and Currie with Chris Payne), also influential in the direction of the New Romantic electropop music scene.

In 1981, Ultravox recorded their second album with Ure as frontman, ''Rage in Eden'', which was also a Top 5 hit in the UK. After its release, Ure and Currie reconvened with Visage to record the band's second album, ''The Anvil''. Released in early 1982, it was a Top 10 hit, but Ure left the band soon after its release, citing creative differences with frontman Steve Strange. The same year saw Ultravox record and release their third album with Ure, ''Quartet'', with production by Beatles' producer George Martin. The album became their third Top 10 hit and featured four Top 20 singles. This period also saw Ure work as a producer for other artists, amongst them Steve Harley, The Skids and Strasse, and in 1982 he also released his first solo single, a cover of the 1968 Tom Rush song "No Regrets" (based on the 1975 hit cover version by The Walker Brothers), which made the UK Top 10.

After the live album ''Monument'' in 1983, Ultravox released their fourth studio album with Ure, ''Lament'', in 1984. The album was another Top 10 success and contained the Top 3 hit "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes". The band released their first "greatest hits" album at the end of the year, featuring all the singles from 1980 onwards. The album peaked at no.2 in the UK and was later certified triple platinum.

After Ure's successful debut solo album in 1985, the fifth and final Ultravox album with Ure, ''U-Vox'', was released in 1986. Although another Top 10 hit, the album (and singles) fared less well than their earlier releases.

In 2009 Ure and the other members reformed Ultravox for the Return to Eden tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the ''Vienna'' album, followed up the next year with a second round of the tour. In late 2010 Ultravox started working on their sixth album fronted by Ure.

Band Aid

In 1984, Ure co-wrote the Band Aid hit, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" with Bob Geldof. Ure was rehearsing with Ultravox for an episode of the Channel 4 music show ''The Tube'' when host Paula Yates handed him the phone. It was her then husband, Geldof, who proceeded, recalls Ure, "to rant on about the Michael Buerk BBC news report on the Ethiopian famine." Geldof provided the initial lyrics, with Ure working the musical theme on a small keyboard in his kitchen. The second half was composed by Ure, with the bridging chorus only assembled in the studio when the artists had gathered. Ure has described the song as one of the worst he has ever written, commenting that "the momentum the artists gave it in the recording studio is what made it".

At the studio recording, Ure also took on the production duties for the song. Although Trevor Horn had been approached to fulfill this role, he needed more time to fulfill his obligations than was available. Ure stepped into the breach, with Horn providing his studio, remixing the track and producing the 12" version. Ure and Geldof jointly set up the Band Aid Trust, and he remains active as a Band Aid Trustee to this day. He also co-organised the Live Aid concert of 1985 along with Geldof and Harvey Goldsmith. Geldof and Ure have been honoured with two Ivor Novello awards for writing the song.

Solo career

After working on the Band Aid project and during a hiatus from Ultravox, Ure pursued a solo career in 1985. The single, "If I Was", was a UK number one single, and his debut album, ''The Gift'', reached #2. After returning to Ultravox for what would be their final album together, the band effectively disbanded in 1987 and Ure concentrated solely on his solo career but with less success. The albums ''Answers to Nothing'' (1988) and ''Pure'' (1991) failed to make the UK top 20. ''If I Was'', a career retrospective, was released in 1993, while in 1998 the single "Breathe" was a hit in Europe, boosted by its use in a Swatch TV ad campaign. The video was directed by Dani Jacobs.

In 2005, Ure organised Live 8 concerts with Bob Geldof with the aim of pressing G8 leaders into taking action to end world poverty. Later that year he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to music and charity. He has also received five honorary degrees in recent years. He was made an Honorary Doctor of Arts in 2005 by the University of Abertay Dundee for his artistic and charity work over the past 30 years. He was made a Doctor of Music by University of Edinburgh in 2006. In 2007, he received from the University of Paisley his third honorary doctorate, for his contribution to Scottish culture and charity work. In 2008, Glasgow Caledonian University awarded him his fourth honorary doctorate, for his musical and humanitarian achievements. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Bath in December 2010.

Ure is an Ambassador for Save the Children and in recent years he has gone back to Ethiopia and visited Sierra Leone in that capacity.

Ure continues to perform his own songs, along with popular Ultravox songs, in concerts both solo, acoustic and with a band. Ultravox briefly reformed in 2009 and undertook a successful tour (as well as appearing at the Isle of Wight 2009 Festival) to celebrate, in their own words, the "anniversary of their classic line-up". Ure stated in a BBC interview in April 2009, "we are not trying to get our youth back, nor the hair that's fallen off already". Further concerts in the UK and Europe were scheduled in 2010.

Covers

The sixteen year old Australian-born classical-crossover soprano Grace Bawden, released a version of "Dear God" which she recorded at age 14, and released in November 2008 on her self-titled EP. The track was then included on her ''Gifts of Grace'' debut album released in September 2009. One reviewer wrote: "'Dear God', an eighties pop song by Ultravox's Midge Ure is another bizarre choice, and the song is given a just as bizarre arrangement that sounds completely different from the original, but it works".

Personal life

Ure resides in the village of Box, Wiltshire near Bath. Ure has been married twice: to actress and writer Annabel Giles (with whom he has one daughter, Molly) and to Sheridan Forbes (with whom he has three daughters, Kitty, Ruby and Flossie). Ure's two main passions are music and cooking. He was able to indulge the second of these in the 2007 ''Celebrity MasterChef'' series, winning his heat and progressing to the final on 15 June, alongside Nadia Sawalha and Craig Revel Horwood. Although all three competitors greatly impressed the judges, the trophy was won by Sawalha.

Ure is a recovering alcoholic, something he openly admits and discusses in his autobiography ''If I Was''.

He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Bath in December 2010.

Solo discography

Albums

UK Albums Chart>UK			Singles

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References

External links

Listings of all Ultravox albums and music sampler

Final Rich Kids concert, and photos

Honorary Degree from University of Bath

Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:Scottish pop singers Category:Scottish male singers Category:Scottish New Wave musicians Category:Brit Award winners Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:People from Cambuslang Category:Ultravox members Category:Thin Lizzy members Category:Scottish rock guitarists Category:Live 8 Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics

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