Description
Ultravox! – Live At The Rainbow 1977 – RSD Vinyl Record
Record Store Day 2022 exclusive
Live at The Rainbow 1977
45th Anniversary edition
First time on vinyl
Live at the Rainbow 1977 captures Ultravox! in their raw, pre-mainstream phase—before the sleek synth-pop sound that would later define them in the 1980s. At this point, the band was still fronted by John Foxx, and their music sat at a fascinating crossroads between glam rock, proto-punk, and early electronic experimentation. This live recording, taken from a performance at London’s Rainbow Theatre, offers a vivid snapshot of that transitional moment in British music.
What stands out immediately is the intensity and unpredictability of the performance. Unlike the polished, synth-driven hits Ultravox would later become known for with Midge Ure, this era leans heavily on jagged guitars, driving rhythms, and an almost confrontational stage presence. Songs like “Rockwrok” and “I Want to Be a Machine” feel urgent and abrasive, reflecting the broader energy of the late-1970s UK scene, where punk was exploding and boundaries between genres were rapidly dissolving.
John Foxx’s vocal style is a key element here—detached, stylized, and slightly futuristic, even within the band’s more rock-oriented sound at the time. His delivery hints at the colder, more electronic direction the band would soon explore, making this performance feel like a bridge between eras. You can hear the tension between organic instrumentation and emerging synthetic textures, as the band experiments with atmosphere while still grounded in a live rock format.
The recording also highlights Ultravox!’s role as early innovators. While they weren’t as commercially successful in this phase, their willingness to blend art rock, electronic elements, and punk attitude placed them alongside forward-thinking acts like Roxy Music and David Bowie. In hindsight, this period is crucial—it laid the groundwork for the synth-driven new wave movement that would dominate the early 1980s.
From a historical perspective, Live at the Rainbow 1977 is less about sonic perfection and more about capturing a moment. The sound may be rough around the edges, but that’s part of its appeal—it documents a band in flux, experimenting in real time and pushing against the limits of what rock music could be. There’s a sense of immediacy and risk that studio recordings often smooth out.
This live album is most valuable as a document of Ultravox! before their transformation. It shows a band still searching, still evolving, and not yet confined to the identity they would later solidify. For listeners familiar with their synth-pop era, it can be surprising—even jarring—but it’s also revealing, offering insight into the creative foundation that made their later success possible.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic
Track Listing
I Came Back Here To Meet You
Modern Love
Slip Away
TV Orphans
I Won’t Play Your Game
Wide Boys
Satday Night In The City Of The Dead
The Wild, The Beautiful & The Damned
Dangerous Rhythm
