Song of the Day: 'The Damned Don't Cry' by Visage

Damian was away part of the weekend, so my idle hands wound up in a deep Ultravox and Visage hole, two closely related bands I first discovered during one of my moodier phases in high school. MTV's frequent airing of the "Vienna," "Reap the Wild Wind" and "Fade to Grey" videos sent me out to buy the bands' first few albums. And my friends Kristen, Greg, Lisa and I all exchanged Christmas presents in the Dobson library during lunch in 1984, where Lisa got me Visage's "Beat Boy." (I vaguely recall someone bought Lisa Squeeze's "45 and Under" and I think I got Greg an import by Stephen "Tin Tin" Duffy.) Visage's haunting "Fade to Grey" set the New Romantic movement in motion, but "Beat Boy" was the band's first album without Midge Urge -- whose fingerprints were on many touchstones of the '80s New Wave -- so it paled in comparison to its predecessors. (The safe-sex anthem "Love Glove" was its shining moment.) As beloved as the eponymous debut remains, it's "The Anvil" that really excited me in retrospect. How they were able to follow up an iconic single like "Fade to Grey" with something as equally thrilling is remarkable -- Midge Ure is undoubtedly to thank for today's chilling song of the day -- but in addition to "The Damned Don't Cry" the LP also features classics like "Night Club School" and the Moroder-esque "Again We Love." Visage's pioneering vocalist and nightclub impresario Steve Strange died in 2015, a sad loss for one of the most colorful eras in music history.

P.S. We got Depeche Mode tickets for Monday. I'll tell you about that rabbit hole tomorrow.

Song of the Day: 'Vienna' (live) by Ultravox

 Here's Midge Ure and the boys doing their best song at Live Aid back in 1985.

Music Box: Midge Urge & Ultravox

Sure, the '80s were all about the girls for me. Debbie, Chrissie, Belinda, Kim, Debora, Clare, Holly Beth, Siobhan, Keren, Sara, Patty, Exene ... you get the idea). But, from time to time, I actually picked up a record or two that involved a male singer. While Paul Weller was my main man, I also had an albeit brief flirtation with John Waters Midge Ure who, like Terry Hall, had his hand in a number of interesting projects.

Besides Ultravox -- whose poster up top adorned my bedroom wall -- he was a member of Thin Lizzy(!), Silk, the Rich Kids and the wonderful but short-lived Visage. I can't remember which video I saw first, but both "Vienna" and "Reap the Wild Wind" were two of my fave early MTV staples -- and what glorious videos they were. (Just played "Reap" again and never realized that the beginning sounds nearly identical to OMD's "So in Love"!)

"Quartet" ended up being the only Ultravox album I bought as I wasn't overly crazy about the over-blown "Dancing With Tears in My Eyes," the single off the followup album. But then I gained even more respect for Ure when he co-wrote "Do They Know It's Christmas?" with Bob Geldof, which still gives me goose bumps every time I hear it.

Midge's solo debut featured the huge U.K. hit "If I Was" and then a few years later he scored with "Cold, Cold Heart" (still a fave). After that, I don't recall ever hearing from him again. I picked up his all-eras "Best of" CD when it came out in 1993 (it was the first time I knew of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" being on disc), and was thrilled to see it included all of the songs I've mentioned, plus Visage's club classic, "Fade to Grey," which Ure cowrote and played on. Not sure if I need more (if you're a diehard fan, tell me if I do), but I still thoroughly enjoy revisiting this relationship from time to time, that -- unlike Midge -- definitely meant something to me.

Read all Music Box posts HERE.