Then And Now - Midge Ure

I make no bones about it, back in the day, I was all about Midge Ure. I bought all the Ultravox records, and when he went solo, I got them, too. I am unapologetic with my Midge-love, so everyone can just get over it. I ain't giving my Midge up. Now that is firmly established, we can move on to the post. The handsome Scotsman has been making music since the early 70s, first in his native Scotland, including joining the band Salvation in 1972, where he became the second man named James/Jim. To avoid confusion, the band turned the name backwards, and 'Jim' became 'Mij' or Midge Ure. Later, the band became known as Silk, and Midge took over singing lead vocals. It was also reported he was offered the job to sing lead for the Sex Pistols, but turned them down. By 1977 he had moved to London, and in 1979, he was hired to play in Thin Lizzy, where he cowrote and played the tour. By the end of 1980, he moved on, and he joined a fledgling band, Ultravox. I was insane for the band, and still am. He was part of the band until 1986, when he decided to go solo. This is the single Breathe from an album by the same name, released in 1996.



In 2008, Midge released the album 10, a collection of great songs from yesteryear covered by him with his unmistakable flair. He released a clever video for the song To Sir With Love, using his iPhone to great effect. And, he still looks damn good!



For more about Midge Ure, check out his official website here. You can check out his album 10 on iTunes here. One of my favorites, the 1985 release The Gift can be found on iTunes here. Yes, all these years later, I am still a big fan!