John Foxx? I whispered

Chris Celecia : "John Foxx? I whispered...”

It was during the summer of 1981 that I began collecting LPs (years later to be replaced by CDs). It was the New Romantic/Synth phenomenon that got me interested in this art. By Christmas 1982 I had albums from Ultravox, Visage, OMD, The Human League, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet. More albums were to follow during the festive season and I was also gifted, for the first time, with some music magzines, Smash Hits (not so girly then!) and the Record Mirror.

The 80s line up of Ultravox soon became my favourite band and I became interested in everything Ultravox. It was when I discovered titles like Three Into One on a record shop advert, and Dislocation, Slow Motion and Rockwrok on a crossword, that I asked a colleague of mine at the secondary school what were these tiltles about. He said, "Did you know that the lead singer of Ultravox before Midge Ure was John Foxx?" "John Foxx?" I whispered. I can't remember anything else but from that day I noted that name down. I went to the local record shops in Gibraltar, there were 3 during that time. One of the them stocked 3 or 4 copies of The Garden with the Church booklet. Then weeks later the same guy said "Did you listen last night to the Spanish radio, they had Europe After The Rain on". That afternoon, I went to the same record store and checked if Europe After The Rain was on The Garden LP, and it was. So I said to myself, "I'll buy this on Saturday, with 6 or 7 pounds of pocket money I have". That Saturday, around midday, I went to that record store in Main Street and bought a copy. It was a sunny morning and felt pleased as punch with my latest addition. After lunch, I gave it a spin and when Night Suit was playing I said to myself, "This sounds familiar. This is really great!". I quickly associated it with the Ultravox sound. I was very impressed. The atmosphere captured in this album reminded me of the gardens from my childhood.

I then ordered from the same record store the 7" singles of Your Dress and Endlessly. I was now beginning to listen to the Top 75 instead of the Top 20 on Gibraltar radio and managed to capture Your Dress, as soon as it entered the charts. I fell in love with that song. The Golden Section LP, Like a Miracle 7" and 12" and Your Dress 12" followed. I was slowly getting more and more into John Foxx. Before Christams 1983 I had Metamatic, Three Into One, Systems of Romance, Ha! Ha! Ha!, Ultravox!, Dangerous Rhythm and the Retro EP. The Garden, The Golden Section, Metamatic and Systems of Romance became my most played records. I was now a huge fan of John Foxx. In Mysterious Ways followed along with the 7" singles of Stars On Fire and Enter the Angel.

Then, John was nowhere to be found in the music magazines or anywhere else, Ultravox had disbanded and all that early synth music had all disappeared. I was lost. From the mid-eighties onwards and before the end of the decade the only synth music left was Depeche Mode and New Order, and with bands like Erasure, Pet Shop Boys and A-ha rekindling that fire. I just drifted through life aimlessly getting less interested in music. The odd 70s LP, Bowie, Roxy, Jarre etc being played in rebellion to the music of the late 80s' charts. After graduation, and after a year or so working, I decided to go on a walking holiday of Scotland and North England, just like John had done before the release of The Garden, visiting parks, gardens, places of heritage and dramatic landscapes. That's how much John had had an effect in my life.

I can't exactly remember, but it must have been during the spring or summer of 1997, that I picked up copies of Shifting City and Cathedral Oceans from Virgin in Edinburgh. I had discovered gold. I hadn't been buying records now for a couple of years, but I surely bought these in a swift automated move. I had been under the impression that John had retired completely from the music scene, except for the odd shot and paragraph in one of the music magazines re Nation 12 back in 1989/1990. Again, such a long time that I can't remember. I was amazed as the discs were published in 1995. I said to myself, " What have I been missing!", but then there were no more releases, until 2003, when I started corresponding with Rob Harris from Metamatic.com. I had now discovered the internet, that late. How embarrasing to admit this! Yes, there had been the Exotour that I sadly missed and other events and releases like the Cathedral Oceans concerts, the Modern Art compilation, The Pleasures of Electricity, the 2001 Edsel reissues and other releases from the same label.

Since Crash & Burn, I had picked up on every release with rejuvenated pleasure and have enjoyed the Metamatic and Ultravox Forums. I have met some brilliant fans to share all things Foxx and Ultravox.

I haven't met John before and I have never seen him play live... but one day, on Twilight's Last Gleaming, we'll meet.