Midge Ure
Background information
Birth name	James Ure
Born	10 October 1953 (1953-10-10) (age 54)
Origin	Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Genre(s)	Punk, New Romantic
Occupation(s)	singer, guitarist, producer, keyboard player
Instrument(s)	Singing, guitar
Years active	1972 - present

Midge Ure OBE (born James Ure, 10 October 1953, Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland) is a rock and roll guitarist, singer, keyboard player, and songwriter. He had particular success in the 1970s and 1980s, most notably with the band Ultravox. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of his real name, Jim. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... January 7 - President Harry S. Truman announces the United States has developed a hydrogen bomb. ... Cambuslang (Scottish Gaelic: Camas Long) is a suburban town on the south-eastern outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland located within the local authority area of South Lanarkshire. ... Lanarkshire (Siorrachd Lannraig in Gaelic) is a traditional county of Scotland. ... This article is about the country. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Piano, a well-known instance of keyboard instruments A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Harry Belafonte singing, photograph by C. van Vechten Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with speech. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... January 7 - President Harry S. Truman announces the United States has developed a hydrogen bomb. ... Cambuslang (Scottish Gaelic: Camas Long) is a suburban town on the south-eastern outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland located within the local authority area of South Lanarkshire. ... Lanarkshire (Siorrachd Lannraig in Gaelic) is a traditional county of Scotland. ... This article is about the country. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... Piano, a well-known instance of keyboard instruments A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... Ultravox (formerly Ultravox!) was one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the early 1980s. ... Phonetic reversal is the process of reversing the phonemes of a word or phrase. ...

Career

Ure began his career with Slik. Before Slik became famous they were known as Salvation and were the house band playing mostly covers in Glasgow disco Clouds (above Green’s Playhouse), where all major bands played when they came to the city. Midge played guitar. He turned down an offer to be the lead singer of the Sex Pistols^[1]. He would go on to play in The Rich Kids (with then-former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock) and temporarily for Thin Lizzy before replacing John Foxx as singer of electronic New Wave band Ultravox in 1979. Shortly afterwards, they had a huge UK hit with "Vienna", and became one of Britain's top bands for several years. Later that year, Ure also formed the band Visage with Steve Strange and fellow former Rich Kid Rusty Egan. The following year, Ure and Thin Lizzy leader Phil Lynott co-wrote Lynott's biggest solo hit, "Yellow Pearl". A re-recording of the song done in 1981 was used as the theme for Top of the Pops. Slik were a Scottish pop band of the mid-70s, following in the footsteps of the Bay City Rollers. ... The Greens Playhouse was an entertainment complex comprising of a Cinema, Ballroom, Tea Rooms, and other auxiliary facilities. ... Sex Pistols are an iconic and highly influential English punk rock band, formed in London in 1975. ... The Rich Kids were a short-lived, much-hyped rock and roll band from London in the late 1970s. ... Glen Matlock (born August 27, 1956 in West London, England) was the original bass guitarist of punk rock band the Sex Pistols. ... Thin Lizzy are a hard rock band who formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1969. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... New Wave was a music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the early-to-mid 1980s. ... Ultravox were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the early 1980s. ... Vienna was Ultravoxs third single, coming from their fourth album of the same name (and the first under Midge Ures leadership). ... Visage was a New Romantic band that began life in 1978, mainly to provide some danceable music to be played on Steve Stranges and Rusty Egans Billys London nightclub. ... Steve Strange (born Steven John Harrington on May 28, 1959) is a British singer and pop icon, best remembered as an influential party promoter and as the frontman and lead singer for Visage. ... Rusty Egan (born on 19 September 1957) was the drummer for the British New Wave band, The Rich Kids (founded and fronted by former Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock), from their inception in March 1977 to their disbanding in December 1978. ... Philip Parris Lynott (20 August 1949 – 4 January 1986) was an Half Irish Blood Half Brazilian who was Born, Raised and Died in England singer, instrumentalist, and songwriter, who first came to prominence as the frontman of Thin Lizzy. ... AUGUST 25 1981 US Marine Sean Vance is Born on the 25th of August {ear nav|1981}} Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart television programme, made and broadcast by the BBC. It was originally shown each week, mostly on BBC One, from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. ...

Midge also worked as a producer for other artists. Steve Harley and New Wave group STRASSE

In 1984, Ure co-wrote with Bob Geldof and produced the Band Aid hit, "Do They Know It's Christmas?". He and Geldof jointly set up the Band Aid Trust and he remains active as a Band Aid Trustee to this day. He was also the co-organiser of Live Aid. The following year Ure scored his one and only solo UK number one single with "If I Was". This was followed by the album The Gift. Ultravox as a band did not last more than a year or so after Live Aid. He released the non-album single "Call Of The Wild" in 1986, which reached #27 in the charts. This article is about the year. ... Robert Frederick Xenon Geldof[1], KBE[2], known as Bob Geldof (born 5 October 1951) [3], is an Irish singer, songwriter, actor and political activist. ... Band Aid was a British and Irish charity supergroup, founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in order to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia by releasing the record Do They Know Its Christmas? for the Christmas market. ... Do They Know Its Christmas? is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 specifically to raise money for Ethiopian famine relief. ... Ultravox (formerly Ultravox!) was one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the early 1980s. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ...

After members of Ultravox went their separate ways, Ure pursued a solo career which included the international hit, 'Breathe,' also used in a Swatch TV ad campaign.

In 2005 he 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. Official Live8 DVD, released in November 2005 Live 8 was a series of concurrent benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. ... Robert Frederick Xenon Geldof[1], KBE[2], known as Bob Geldof (born 5 October 1951) [3], is an Irish singer, songwriter, actor and political activist. ... Group of Eight redirects here. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander...

Ure received three 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.^[2] He was made a Doctor of Music by University of Edinburgh in 2006.^[3] In 2007 Ure received his third honorary doctorate from the University of Paisley for his contribution to Scottish culture and charity work.^[4] The Doctor of Arts (D.A., or occasionally D.Arts. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The University of Abertay Dundee, usually known simply as Abertay University, is a university in Dundee, Scotland. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The University of Edinburgh (Scottish Gaelic: ), founded in 1582,[4] is a renowned centre for teaching and research in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... The University of Paisley operates across three campus sites in the west and south-west of Scotland: Paisley, Ayr and Dumfries. ...

He is an Ambassador for Save the Children and in recent years has gone back to Ethiopia and visited Sierra Leone in that capacity. Save the Children Logo Save the Children is an international non-profit organization dedicated to working for children. ...

Ure continues to perform his own songs, along with popular Ultravox songs, in concerts both solo, acoustic and with a band. In 2007 the single "Personal Heaven", credited to Midge Ure & X-perience was released in Germany. For the album by The Cure, see Concert (album). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Personal life

Ure resides in the village of Southstoke near the city of Bath. , Bath is a small city in Somerset, England most famous for its historic baths fed by three hot springs. ...

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). // Annabel Giles has been a model, TV & radio presenter, actress and comedienne during her 25 year career (1982-present). ... Molly Lorenne is the lead singer of the band The Faders. ...

His daughter Molly has followed her father into the music industry, as the guitarist and vocalist of pop punk band The Faders, who split in July 2006. She is now pursuing a solo career. For the UK magazine, see Guitarist (magazine). ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Ure's two main passions are music and cooking. He was able to indulge the second of these in the 2007 Celebrity Masterchef series, easily 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. Masterchef is a BBC television cookery game show. ... Nadia Sawalha (born November 18, 1964 in Wandsworth, London, England) is an English actress and television presenter of Jordanian descent. ... Craig Revel Horwood (born 1967) is an Australian dancer, choreographer, and theatre director in the United Kingdom. ...

Ure made a speech and gave prizes at Prior Park College's annual speech day, on 7 July 2007.^{[citation needed]}

Solo discography

Albums

• 1985 The Gift (#2 UK Albums Chart)
• 1988 Answers to Nothing (#30 UK Albums Chart, #88 Billboard 200)
• 1989 Come the Day (Class of 1999 soundtrack)
• 1991 Pure (#36 UK Albums Chart)
• 1996 Breathe
• 2000 Went to Coney Island (soundtrack)
• 2001 Move Me
• 2001 Little Orphans
• 2006 Duet - Midge Ure and Troy Donockley

The UK Albums Chart is a chart of the sales positions of albums in the United Kingdom. ... The UK Albums Chart is a chart of the sales positions of albums in the United Kingdom. ... The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ... The UK Albums Chart is a chart of the sales positions of albums in the United Kingdom. ... In film formats, the soundtrack is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... Troy Donockley is an English player of uillean pipes. ...

Other Albums

• 1991 Live In Concert (live album)
• 1993 If I Was: The Very Best of Midge Ure & Ultravox (compilation album) (#10 UK Albums Chart)
• 2000 No Regrets: The Best of Midge Ure (compilation)
• 2001 A Glorious Noise - Breathe Live (live album)
• 2002 One Night in Scotland (live album)
• 2002 Intimate Moments April 12th - 22nd 2002 (a collection of songs and musings recorded on tour in 2002)
• 2003 Once Upon a Time in America (CD & DVD)
• 2004 Septemberfest (live album)
• 2005 Re-Live (live album)
• 2006 Move Me (expanded) (double CD)

// Many successful recording artists release at least one live album at some point during their career. ... A compilation album is an album (music or spoken-word) featuring tracks from one or multiple recording artists, often culled from a variety of sources (such as studio albums, live albums, singles, demos and outtakes. ... The UK Albums Chart is a chart of the sales positions of albums in the United Kingdom. ... CD redirects here. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ...

Singles

“British Hit Singles” redirects here. ... “Hot 100” redirects here. ... The Modern Rock Tracks chart is a music chart that has appeared in Billboard magazine since the early 1980s. ... The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music but are not modern rock stations, which are counted in the Modern Rock Tracks chart. ... See also: 1982 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1982 Record labels established in 1982 list of years in music // January 15 - K.C. and the Sunshine Bands Harry Wayne Casey is seriously injured in an automobile accident in Miami, Florida. ... See also: 1983 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1983 Record labels established in 1983 // Michael Jacksons Thriller, the most successful album not only of 1983, but of all time, was released in 1982 and began its epic domination of the music charts the following year, 1983. ... If I Was is a popular song by Midge Ure. ... See also: other events of 1985 Musical groups established in 1985 Record labels established in 1985 list of years in music 1980s in music // January 28 - Various artists, including Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Perry, Kenny Loggins, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny... See also: Musical groups established in 1986 Record labels established in 1986 // 1986 - Goo Goo Dolls are formed in Buffalo, New York. ... See also: 1989 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1989 Record labels established in 1989 // January 7 - Genesis 88 and Sunrise/Back to the Future stage large-scale illegal Acid House party in London January 14 - Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in Russia. ... See also: 1991 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1991 Record labels established in 1991 // 1991 was the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. ... See also: 1996 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1996 Record labels established in 1996 January - two teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, aged 18 and 16 respectively, murdered Bassetts parents and younger brother in McCleary. ... See also: 2001 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2001 Record labels established in 2001 // January 1 Comeback of Guns N Roses in House of Blues Hum disbands. ...

References

1. ^ Midge Ure on Rocking Scots Radio 4 12th May 2007
2. ^ Midge Ure given honorary degree, 12 October 2005
3. ^ Midge Ure in line for great big honour from university, 1 March 2006
4. ^ Third degree for Scots singer Midge Ure, 26 June 2007

External links

• Official website
• Midge Ure discography @ Discogs.com
• Listings of all Ultravox albums and music sampler