John Foxx is a genius, in my opinion: the original frontman (and founder) of Ultravox, the man who inspired Gary Numan to start making music, a true innovator and musical experimenter. Along with Vince Clarke and David Sylvian, probably one of the three most influential creators of New Wave/Synthpop/Electronic music of all time. When he went solo after leaving Ultravox in the wake of the disastrous Systems of Romance tour, Foxx unleashed his vast creative talents unhindered by the input of bandmates or A&R men. "Europe After The Rain" is from his second solo album, The Garden. Released in 1981, it made it to #40 on the UK chart, and gets spot #128 on my Top 200.
...and he still rocks! Here's his new band, John Foxx and the Maths, performing "Watching A Building On Fire", from 2011's Interplay LP.
John Foxx is the Chuck Norris of New Wave ...
ReplyDeleteJohn Foxx didn't feel like just singing on this track ... so he improvised with the centuries old technique of yodeling ... and improved it forever ... on the first take.
John Foxx didn't leave Ultravox. He just fired everyone and everything around him, including the word Ultravox.
John Foxx once demoed a synth in a music store on his way to the restroom. It was an RCA unit in 1951 and at the time John Foxx was 3 years old.
Historians have pinpointed it as the exact moment synthpop was born.
lol...right on!
DeleteI love me some John Foxx. He and Gary Numan sound so much alike I've wondered what the relationship, if any, there was between them.
ReplyDeleteBasically Numan went to a Foxx/Ultravox show and decided he wanted to make that kind of music.
DeleteCool!
DeleteOh, and "Watching A Building On Fire" is awesome!
ReplyDeleteYes it is! I love that song and John Foxx & The Maths have a few other good tunes on the 3 albums they have released.
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