Quiet Men
Encyclopedia
"Quiet Men" is the fifth single from New Wave
and synthpop
band Ultravox
. It was released in 1978 and was their last single on Island Records
before the band signed to Chrysalis Records
. It also was the last single featuring frontman John Foxx
and guitarist Robin Simon
.
"Quiet Men" features prominent synthesizer and guitar riffs and was one of the more popular songs of the John Foxx
era. It was performed in concert by Ultravox from March 1978 until the Vienna Tour in 1980/81 with Midge Ure
singing. John Foxx also continued to perform the song live in his solo concerts.
The B-side is "Cross Fade", a pure synthpop piece that did not appear on the album. It was never performed live.
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
band Ultravox
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
. It was released in 1978 and was their last single on Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
before the band signed to Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
. It also was the last single featuring frontman John Foxx
John Foxx
John Foxx is an English singer, artist, photographer and teacher. He was the original lead singer of the band Ultravox before being replaced by Midge Ure, when he left to embark on a solo career in 1979...
and guitarist Robin Simon
Robin Simon
For the art historian and critic Robin Simon, editor of , see Robin JH SimonRobin Simon For the art historian and critic Robin Simon, editor of , see Robin JH SimonRobin Simon For the art historian and critic Robin Simon, editor of , see Robin JH SimonRobin Simon (born Robert Simon 12 July 1956,...
.
"Quiet Men" features prominent synthesizer and guitar riffs and was one of the more popular songs of the John Foxx
John Foxx
John Foxx is an English singer, artist, photographer and teacher. He was the original lead singer of the band Ultravox before being replaced by Midge Ure, when he left to embark on a solo career in 1979...
era. It was performed in concert by Ultravox from March 1978 until the Vienna Tour in 1980/81 with Midge Ure
Midge Ure
James "Midge" Ure, OBE is a Scottish guitarist, singer, keyboard player, and songwriter...
singing. John Foxx also continued to perform the song live in his solo concerts.
The B-side is "Cross Fade", a pure synthpop piece that did not appear on the album. It was never performed live.