Rock legend Midge Ure accepts his songs have been the soundtrack to “seismic moments” in fans’ lives during his five decade career.
Now 71-years-old Midge co-wrote Band Aid charity song Do They Know It’s Christmas? that sold almost four million copies.
He also racked up smash hits with Ultravox, Slik and Visage as well as a solo number one.
Midge will revisit songs from his stellar career when headlining Aberdeen’s Music Hall on Thursday, December 12 as part of his Catalogue – The Hits tour.
The Ivor Novello and Grammy award winning musician’s songs have been played as a celebration of euphoric points in fans’ lives, and helped them through the bad.
Talking to the Press & Journal from his home in Portugal, Midge said: “People have told me about seismic moments in their life where my music has been a part.
“Towards the end of Ultravox a guy came to see us and was chatting with me backstage.
“He said he wanted to thank me and I asked why.
“And he replied he was a kid in Lebanon during the war.
“He said when the fighting was going on and the bombs were falling he listened to Ultravox on a cassette which would drown it out.
“And this guy, who grew up to be a doctor, still clings to that.”
Influencing the Steven Spielberg of video games
Midge’s career began in the 1970’s with Salvation before joining Slik and registering a chart topping single, Forever and Ever.
He then had spells with Thin Lizzy, Rich Kids and Visage before joining ground-breaking new-wave band Ultravox.
Between 1980 and 1986, Ultravox secured seven top ten albums and a host of hit singles.
In 1984 Midge co-wrote Do They Know It’s Christmas? with Bob Geldof.
Midge’s influence goes beyond the sonic into the visual with video game legend Hideo Kojima also a fan.
Japanese Kojima produced video games Metal Gear Solid and Zone of the Enders.
Midge said: “There’s this guy Hideo Kojima who is a video game designer and director.
“He is massive and like the Steven Spielberg of the video game world.
“He told me he was a massive Ultravox fan.
“How when he was a kid he would do all these drawings of fantasies whilst listening to Ultravox all the time.
“And I can see that in the games he creates.
“He creates these worlds that are one foot in the future and one foot in the past.
“It is incredible as you can see the result of what we have done has influenced someone else.
“However, you can’t think about that or you would never write anything again – too much responsibility.”
Creating the sad sound of Vienna
Performing live and reliving his back catalogue has added significance for Midge as he lost his voice when returning to rehearsals after inaction due to the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
It was the first time he couldn’t sing and he feared it was the end of his career.
Now he will celebrate his music in the Granite City by performing a set spanning rare fan favourites to chart hits – including Ultravox classic Vienna.
The track is from the album Vienna, produced by ‘kosmische’ legend Conny Plank who also worked with Neu, La Dusseldorf, Cluster and Kraftwerk.
Midge said: “With Conny it was all about feeling and he created an atmosphere.
“There’s a great moment when we were playing Vienna to Conny in his studio.
“He said ‘I see an old man sitting at a piano in an empty ballroom and he has played the same tune for 40 years and is very tired’.
“We went ‘yeah, okay!’
“But the sound he got from Billy’s piano was exactly that.
“The sadness, the repetitiveness
“Working with Conny was fantastic.”
Conversation