Ultravox! I Want To Be A Machine

[nosirrom14]

Not heard this cracking song since i was a teenager and a proud owner of the album .. Billy Currie on violin, Chris Cross ,Warren Cann a cracking band

[ProjectFlashlight612]

Very David Bowie, isn't it?

[aqwszedxcfrtgvbhyujn]

Violin in a punk band can only be a good thing

[juarjum]

bass @ 2:35

[boingboomchak]

cool forgot all about trhis , use to play it alot on vinyl back in the " new wave " era.thanx

[nephilim43]

Complete genius!!! ive played this song at least twice a week for the last 34yrs! just brilliant!

[juarjum]

bass @ 4:20

[scensiu]

this song is all.

[mobyboy]

sounds like David Bowie sound

[mrake1000]

Wow have not listen to this since a was a teenager, still great music, i think the first album is produced by Brian Eno

[BlooDMachineRM]

one guy dont wont to be a machine :D

[newfuckingwave]

@BlooDMachineRM and he ISN'T WELCOME to be a machine

[gigsing]

Apparently, the teenage Dennis announced to his family, as they sat around the table one Sunday tea time, that he wanted to be a machine. His mum got angry and told hm to stop being such a daft aper. His dad called him a barmpot and told him to get up to his room.

[newfuckingwave]

@gigsing please tell me where you read this, as i must read all of it

[gigsing]

@newfuckingwave I can’t remember where I read it but I know Dennis’s dad followed him upstairs to his room shouting “Now listen here, me laddo! I’ve just about had enough of you and your cheek !” He tried to open Dennis’s bedroom door but it had been locked. From inside came the sound of whirring cogs and hissing microchips. “Lerrus in, what d’yer think yer bloomin’playin’at? You’ll gerra clout!” cried the father. Suddenly the door opened. Before the stunned northern patriarch stood a ........

[newfuckingwave]

@gigsing gawd sounds like something i would imagine lol

[cazzfoxx]

Anybody got a Live version of this ?

[cookster127]

magic !!!!

[Padulas]

it reminds me of space oddity by david bowie.....

[armandsdamanhoo]

the entrance of bass in this song is something extraordinary

[dcresti]

@armandsdamanhoo

I agree

[tfavio1]

@armandsdamanhoo As is Billy's viola at around 6:00, love this album.

[wildswan80]

Sweet Jesus, I can't get enough of this song.

[leonardotube]

A certain Gentle Giant feel in this song.

[silmalila]

This is MY SONG from the 70s.

I was the biggest Ultravox fan in the WORLD.

(But NOT with Midge Ure - I followed him solo when he split.)

[newfuckingwave]

i just found this on vinyl in the fucking $1 bargain bin alongside dan folgelberg and kenny rogers! at princeton record exchange no less! even they have no idea what a classic this thing is. played it twice in like 3 hours ha

[anthony62490]

Hm... Winner of the prestigious "Best Song Called 'I Want to be a Machine' Award" goes to...

Pornophonique! Let's have a round of applause for our winner!

[jrmetmoi]

@anthony62490 What the hell is a Pornophonique?

[anthony62490]

@jrmetmoi It's the name of the artist. Do the YouTube search. Or just click the link on the right. It's not hard to find, and it's an awesome song.

[HAL0INREVERSE]

@anthony62490 Nothing beats the original!

[anthony62490]

@HAL0INREVERSE Couldn't agree with you more. Since it's not a remake it is technically an original.

[enzogalileo]

ho il "vinile originale".., hahaha..(happy)..

[NeveBianca07]

@enzogalileo

 anche io...hahaha

[Fra70]

@NeveBianca07

e pure io :D

[peterlooking]

Back in 1980 something, i had every LP/ SINGLE/ EP/ 12 INCH that ultravox ever released including stuff from before thay were ultravox . SWEATSHIRT / BAGS  photos. even the glow y neckband from there reding gig years ago. I GAVE IT ALL AWAY A LONG TIME BACK. DO I REGRET IT SO MUCH NOW.

Thanks so much for all who post this stuff.

PETER. J

ISLE.OF.WIGHT

[newfuckingwave]

greatest photo on the backside of an album jacket EVER

[jrmetmoi]

@newfuckingwave Yeah I love it too and it's way better than the front of it which must be why FallingDown08 is using it.

[m00nracer]

i got this right when it came out, I was intrigued by the title of this song, and was listening to alot of the music coming out of London at the time. I think this holds up magnificently , I was actually surprised because it's not one of those songs that ever plays in my head. I never knew what the words were either, thanks for that.

[LaLiLuLeLo1991]

People tend to forget that Ultravox (or Ultravox! as they used to be known) started out as a brilliant post-punk band. It's just a shame they ended up the way they did after Foxx left. Things could have turned out differently.

[jrmetmoi]

@LaLiLuLeLo1991 OOOOOOOOH VIENNAAAAAAAAAAAAAA heh heh heh

[shotdownVI]

@LaLiLuLeLo1991 Far from being post-punk they were actually pre-punk being formed in 1973 this is the reason for all there influences (Roxy Music,David Bowie etc)They didnt get a recording contract untill 1977 when the first album was re-leased.

[LaLiLuLeLo1991]

@shotdownVI I suppose you're right. Then again, when I referred to them as a 'post-punk' band I meant during their time as Ultravox! (i.e. between about 1976 and when Foxx left in 1979) rather than their early years as Tiger Lilly. Either way, I agree that during the 70's they had a major influence on the artist that you mentioned. I personally just feel that they should have carried on in that direction rather than becoming a fairly bland synth pop group in the 80's (again, just my opinion).

[yuya7723]

Strings is awesome !

[TheFutureFossil]

I think their 1st was their best. Then, you know what Elvis Costello said-summat like "You have 20 years to write your first album and 6 months to write your second."

[1numanoid]

Bowie-esque

[wuckle]

@1numanoid Yup - Bewlay Brothers - But better - And thats not said lightly!!

[Hellishcrusade]

Their early albums were revered as apocalyptical by punk-rockers of my generation.

[MrBRIT234]

sounds like Damon Albarn to me

[wuckle]

This could have been on Bowie's Hunky Dory - One of my all-time favourite albums - Brilliant!!

[polterter]

I had the song title in my head this morning and was curious what this song would sound like. John Foxx had a very interesting voice. Is it true he was to leave the band because of his voice? I read that somewhere. Great that the lyrics are here, too. It's a great song. Maybe early Ultravox is even more interesting than his later solo music. Or at least equally delectable! :)

[flosixneuf]

The music reminds me Space Oddity of Bowie !

[philksydoz]

this is the real ultravox.. as i remember them, thank you

[franco212]

foxx 3 - ure 0

[Trex100]

Thanks for posting all the lyrics FallingDown08:-)

brilliant song and band...

It is funny because there are apparently a lot of people out there who dig this early Foxx stuff. I have loved it since i was a teen in the 80s. I could pick up all these old Ultravox records in used record stores. I am the only person I personally know who is into this shit... but on youtube I am not alone on that one. ha.

[ksine]

still as heartwrenching and beautiful as ever

[57EJB]

John Foxx was and still is a great artist, listen to his recent collaboration with Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins fame-titled Mirrorball.

[NnenStMartin]

This song reminds me of Bowie's "The Supermen".

[jadzia7911]

It is artistic. Yes, I can afford such comment being an absolute Midge Ure fan, why the heck most of John Foxx fans keep spitting on Midge, can't you see there were practically two bands created by those two vocalists - some prefer one and some the other and that's all:)

[26354BladeRunner]

Whilst I completely agree with what you are saying and at the time thoroughly enjoyed the Vienna era and saw them live at the Birmingham Odeon only the John Foxx albums stood the test of time. The Midge Ure albums now sound very dated but JF still churns out some awesome tracks download "from trash" from a couple of years ago, inspired

[jadzia7911]

Thanks for agreeing with me, I respect your opinion although I don't think Midge sounds dated, I saw him last Novemver in Cracow Poland solo unplugged unforgettable experience, which of course does not mean John Foxx is bad:)

[silmalila]

@26354BladeRunner As a fellow John Foxx fan, I quite agree with you. John's music is timeless, while the music Ultravox did with Midge Ure is not.

It is clear-cut to my ears, at any rate.

[silmalila]

@jadzia7911 I think (speaking as a John Foxx fan) that it could be because Midge didn't create the band - John did. I think they should have changed the name after John left, even though I never cared for the name Ultravox anyway.

I just never could develop a taste for Midge. Perhaps because at that age we were all a bit shallow - I never liked Midge's look either.

Ah well, we're all grown up now.

Hopefully.

[jadzia7911]

@silmalila Hi, thanks for your comment I respect your right to prefer JF and Ultravox!, but I dare say none of the vocalists created the band, in fact it was Billy Currie and all the people who contributed in the production of their songs. However John's performance led the group in one direction and Midge's in another and . I wouldn't say Midge sounds dated, check one of their last gigs in Berlin, 24th April 2010, enough people who share my opinion

[silmalila]

@jadzia7911 Sorry! I was quite certain that John had founded the group, but I will defer to you as I don't remember now from where I got that information.

I am sure that there are plenty of people who prefer Midge; the band became far more popular when he joined. 

Nevertheless, I am a diehard John Foxx fan and always will be.

Cheers!

[jadzia7911]

@silmalila Well I contgratulate you on your taste in music, I like John Foxx myself, but I am rather Midge's fan especially after I saw him at the gig in Cracow, Poland on 22 Nov last year and met him personally in the aftermath, he's a great personality, mind you I heard the same about John:) so there's no point to put them both on two opposite ends:) lol from Poland Jadzia

[silmalila]

@jadzia7911 (Laughing) I am just happy that we are not at each other's throats as I have seen fans of both John and Midge acting incredibly rude with one another. There is absolutely no reason why we can't all have our own musical preferences without being unkind with one another.

So I congratulate you for being such a nice, rational, and polite girl.

Take care!

~Juliet

[silmalila]

@jadzia7911 Btw, what good fortune to have been able to meet Midge.  I would have been so thrilled if I ever could have met John, so good for you!

; )

[jadzia7911]

@silmalila Yes I was and wish you the same with John because I think he still performs live too, please visit my profile, maybe you'll find some music that you like, welcome:)

Jadzia

[silmalila]

@jadzia7911 Thanks, I will definately check it out!

[silmalila]

@jadzia7911 I just read a book by Mick Karn (Japan) who claims that Midge is one of the nicest people in the world. He went into great deal describing Midge's generousity and kindness.

Of course, this has nothing to do with his music, but I thought you would be happy to hear that he is so well-thought of by his peers.

[jadzia7911]

@silmalila Hi Juliet - thanks for the info, yes I heard about Mick Karn they even recorded some tracks together, but I've just found out that Mick has had terminal cancer diagnosed and asks for donation for his treatment recently and Midge is planning a concert to support him, how sad, go to Mick website - I wish I could help him somehow, maybe more people will read my comment?

greets Jadzia

[silmalila]

@jadzia7911 Yes, they did a lot of recording together but nothing ever came of it.

...And yes, sadly I am aware of Mick's cancer. Hard to believe he is on benefits in Greece and receives no royalties for any of the work he did with Japan. I love David Sylvian, but I feel differently about him now.

Buy his book, Jadzia, that's the best way you can help him right now. It's available at his website or Lulu's in London.

[eightiesrarities]

TOP STUFF(as per all early stuff)-they went downhill when Midge arrived

[a1jungle]

I have not heard this since I was a college dj in Seattle at KCMU....thanks for posting...

[xxxChrist]

I loved this album when it came out and I still do but now I can hear Bowie in his Diamond Dogs phase, Steve Harley, a touch of Lou Reed....! And what great production too. Wide Boys was a stand-out track. We were so spoiled to have music like this when we were young. Thanks for posting, you've made my night. XX

[KingofClothFair]

No surprise that it was 'Eno influenced' Andreaprodan. Eno produced the album.

[westpalmscott]

Didn't hear this till the second Ultravox was around. Very different from Midge Ure, but very good. This song smacks of early Bowie

[pabloimireia]

feltpaws: no tienes ni puta idea.

[sespir21]

Far better Foxx than Ure (except for "Rich Kids" & Phil Lynott's "Yellow Pearl"). Anyway "Machine" is literally a Steve Harley´s rippoff. The voice, atmosphere, violin... sounds like "the psychomodo". Copycats!!!

[andreaprodan]

Yep! and like Bowie. cause Harley also borrowed... but who's imune? Good taste, at least

[quarkwrok]

@sespir21 I was thinking of The Ritz! But rip-off is a bit unfair. This is fantastic and so is Psychomodo. :)

[shotdownVI]

if you havent got this bands first 3 albums get em,you wont regret it

[polterter]

@shotdownVI I just bought them. The 3rd, "Systems of Romance", is very good. It was probably ahead of its time. ;) Will listen to the other Ultravox! albums when I get home tonight. :D

[shotdownVI]

@polterter ha ha ha is my personnel favourite probly because it has a more "punky" feel. Ultravox is very heavily influenced by early Roxy Music but still a great album.If you like em spread the word!

[polterter]

@shotdownVI I should listen to some early RM album then later. Yes, I'm doing my best. No response so far. And my friends don't like John Foxx music.

[shotdownVI]

@polterter get some new friends

[jrmetmoi]

@shotdownVI I bought this album and I bought John Foxx Metamatic and I think I'll by System Of A Romance but I'm on the fence about Ha-Ha-Ha. I don't like Hiroshima Mon Amour at all.

[shotdownVI]

@jrmetmoi Sorry to hear you dont like Hiroshima Mon Amour its one of my favourites there are a few versions of this song the best in my opinion was the Bside of the Young Savage single (wild violin and crashing out of tune guitar) if you havent heard it you may like it better.The Ha-Ha-Ha version is a bit insipid and dissapointing.

[jrmetmoi]

@shotdownVI It's OK. I love this song, I Want To Be A Machine, and what I find strange and interesting about the 1st Ultravox album is how it combines, prog rock, punk, and synth post-punk all on one album trying to cover all bases! LOL

[silmalila]

@shotdownVI Damn straight!

[kim1971]

John Foxx sounds like Greg Lake on 21st Century Schizoid Man from King Crimson... Very good actually that a proto-post punk band could sounds like a prog rock band...

[andreaprodan]

Well... the start re-creates the early Bowie sounds i.e. Space Oddity. That 12 string guitar intro, and the 'lost', spaced-out ghost.

The whole record is good, but the band was musically somewhat immature as yet. Still, it made me perk up my ears at the time. Roxy M, Bowie and Eno influenced. Good stuff.

[marycigarettes]

@kim1971 ooooh what a lucky man he was.

[DGoldinho]

@kim1971

I'saw them live at that time and this sounded like Steve Harleys "Sebastian"..., very great..

[Scalliescouser]

@DGoldinho yes, definitely! 

[unomeimeno]

@kim1971

Hi KIm - but I this particular track is actually prog rock. Foxx has more soul in his voice than Lake, I think ( nothing against Greg Lake!) - but if you listen to Curved Air from the early to mid-seventies, then you might agree that this is a kind of logical development from Curved Air's music. With of course something entirely its own, Ultravox's next two albums really did leave prog behind for more succint statements.

[pistolpimp36]

@kim1971 Yeah , I definitely agree with you on this. The vocals have chops comparable to both Lake and early Peter Gabriel of Genesis. Love both Greg and Peter as well. I've recently just started listening to Ultravox! ..I will definitely check out their albums. This Vocalist : John Foxx has really caught my attention...he's definitely exceptional.

[newfuckingwave]

@kim1971 and then on wide boys his voice his treated in a way similar to lake's on schizoid man. funny, me and my friend have both noticed similarties between early ultravox! and king crimson, yet for different reasons

[leokolody]

I want to be a machine!!!!!!!!!

[13herrx]

absolutely excellent! AH!

[26354BladeRunner]

Far superior to Vienna with that F**%~#g halfwit @~** Midge Ure! Just listen to those lyrics Brilliant. The first bass line I ever taught myself

[feltpaws]

bollocks,foxx cant sing ,the music is mediocre at best,Ure's efforts are far superior

[26354BladeRunner]

Clueless A hole

[badbassnine]

Beautiful song.One of my favourite ultravox tunes :)

[salvadorsalvona]

very bowie?

[Loops2112]

I love this track - shame there's no live footage. In the early 80s all I had was a tape but I managed to find this album on CD recently, which was brilliant.

[christgmas]

i recall them show caseing this album at the marquee,he was coverd in spit but the show still went on,who!s midge ure

[drcid777]

Thanks for posting and thanks to Eno who co-produced this disc...quality

[drcid777]

agreed on Bowie- sounds a lot like Space Oddity at times. But Bowie, even on Man Who Sold... Ziggy, Heroes (Fripp!), would never stop singing long enough to let the roaring violin solo(&drums) continue for so long unabated. John Fox has a great ego balance. What song writing

[electroandvocals]

I'm sooo happy that I still have the (perfect condition) vinyl album, AND System of Ro mance.. I'm so glad I've kept my memories :)  Gertsy: The Bowie influence is very apparent.... Look to Marc Bolan perhaps for some of the lyrical influence ?

[nobbilc]

sounds like al stewart !!

[pyrovania]

What a great voice he has, clear Bowie influence, though.

[gertsy]

I can see the link to Bowie and his Jacques Brel influence stage. My gut feel is "Boys keep swinging" from Bowie's Lodger 1979 (vs 1977) shows some reverse influence. E Guitar and violin together.

[gertsy]

PT2: The deep base and violin are superb. I haven't heard this song for so long and I found myself mouthing the lyrics. Shows he did a good job getting the message across. Though I could never understand the imagery behind "All the pornographers burning torches beneath the sea" maybe a link through Bowie again to William S Burroughs.

The violin crescendo at the end always sent shivers : Scratching emotion.

[tedzodd]

The violins and bass really make the mood. I thought it was "beneath the scene"...as in making money off of the the whole punk thing and the look....and the people who profited by it..because god knows we sure didn't.

[rawadnassif]

Reminiscent of Robert Fripp years with King Krimson. Yeah the apocalyptic tone. Something big is coming. Behold our future.

[CaptainFootos]

jeeeeez! this is my first encounter with the john foxx-years... MARVELLOUS! what have i been missing?!?!? alright, otherwise, probably I had to be older to appreciate this. thx for posting!

[tedzodd]

John Foxx- Metamatic. Beautiful!!! You may like it.  This is one of my favorite Ultravox! songs.

[CaptainFootos]

gonna check that one out - thx for the hint! (c:

[fenthedog]

Absolutley! This was class! what do we have now? we had real class music back in the day!

[juankenon]

One of the greatest songs ever written, Ultravox! Ultravox was well, ahh, erm...

[silmalila]

I agree.

John's lyrics are so unique.

And all these years later, i remember every one of them and tney have become stuck in my head all over again.

This was like, my anthem when i was a teenager.

[afcarrshrimplin]

john foxx at his best also ace bass

[kingdeath]

always loved this tune...

[silmalila]

I have always wondered about that line in German.

At midnight, the human machine...

Is that the correct interpretation?

I have been wondering for years what he was singing, knew that it was a forein language,

and now, that is the closest that I am able to interpret it.

Could someone clear this up for me?

And thanks, without the lyric (which was never incluced with the LP)

I would be forever in the dark.

[juankenon]

yeah its exactly what Foxx sings; in mitternach die mensch machine

[silmalila]

Isn't the lyric

"My, how your innocence has depraved me"?

That is how it sounds to me.

(Plus it makes more sense, I think.)

[Gerald4363]

The early Ultravox with John Foxx was well ahead of it's time! still great to hear after almost 30 years.

[silmalila]

My total joy is now complete.

These lyrics have been playing in my head for years, and at last I can hear them!

I can't thank you enough.

This is a classic John Foxx song, with brilliant lyrics.

This man is the ultimate!

[robyneloiserieric]

all their tracks in variouse ways, are available on CD............ but there is a bit of me would like to keep their incredible talent..... a secret ! am I twisted ? I was lucky to see them back ooooooo a class of there own !

[joetjoebjoeser]

I understand what you mean. But sometimes i'm just too curious. I ordered yesterday this album which I didn't know, together with their second "ha-ha-ha", which I have on vinyl and like very much. I always thought ha-ha-ha was their debut.

[DeStijlMusic]

Ultravox! is the first LP. ha-ha-ha is the 2nd. Systems of Romance is the third. Then John Foxx left the band.

[wuckle]

Great track!!!!!!!!!!  :0)

[Synthsound1]

Great foxx track.

[emma5977]

Aaaaaagh! Nostalgia is painful. Always loved this song...not heard it since I was 17 years old

[Ultraciuk]

Bellissima!!