MIDGE URE

'Midge Ure' OBE (born James Ure, 10 October 1953, Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland) is a rock and roll guitarist, singer, and songwriter from Scotland, who had particular success in the 1970s and 1980s. His stage name, Midge, is a phonemic reversal of his real name, Jim.

Contents

Career

Personal life

Solo discography

Albums

Other Albums

Singles

References

External links

Career

Ure began his career with Slik. Before Slik became famous they were known as Salvation and were the house band playing mostly covers in Glasgow disco Clouds (above Greens Playhouse), where all major bands played when they came to the city. Midge played guitar. He turned down an offer to be the lead singer of the Sex Pistols^[1]. He would go on to play in The Rich Kids (with then-former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock) and temporarily for Thin Lizzy before replacing John Foxx as singer of electronic New Wave band Ultravox in 1979. Shortly afterwards, they had a huge UK hit with "Vienna", and became one of Britain's top bands for several years. Also later that year, Ure also formed the band Visage with Steve Strange and fellow former Rich Kid Rusty Egan. The following year, Ure and Thin Lizzy leader Phil Lynott co-wrote Lynott's biggest solo hit, "Yellow Pearl". A re-recording of the song done in 1981 was used as the theme for ''Top of the Pops''.
In 1984, Ure co-wrote with Bob Geldof and produced the Band Aid hit, "Do They Know It's Christmas?". He and Geldof jointly set up the Band Aid Trust and he remains active as a Band Aid Trustee to this day. He was also the co-organiser of Live Aid. The following year Ure scored his one and only solo UK number one single with "If I Was". This was followed by the album ''The Gift''. Ultravox as a band did not last more than a year or so after Live Aid.
After members of Ultravox went their separate ways, Ure pursued a solo career which included the international hit, 'Breathe,' also used in a Swatch TV ad campaign.
Ure recently organized Live 8 concerts with Bob Geldof with the aim of pressing G8 leaders into taking action to end world poverty. In 2005 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to music and charity.
Ure received three honorary degrees in recent years. He was made an Honorary Doctor of Arts in 2005 by the University of Abertay Dundee for his artistic and charity work over the past 30 years. He was made a Doctor of Music by University of Edinburgh in 2006. In 2007 Ure received his third honorary doctorate from the University of Paisley for his contribution to Scottish culture and charity work.
He is an Ambassador for Save the Children and in recent years has gone back to Ethiopia and visited Sierra Leone in that capacity.
Ure continues to perform his own songs, along with popular Ultravox songs, in concerts both solo, acoustic and with a band. In 2007 the single "Personal Heaven", credited to Midge Ure & X-perience was released in Germany.

Personal life

Ure resides in the village of Box near the city of Bath.
Ure has been married twice: to actress and writer Annabel Giles (with whom he has one daughter, Molly) and to Sheridan Forbes (with whom he has three daughters, Kitty, Ruby and Flossie).
His daughter Molly has followed her father into the music industry, as the guitarist and vocalist of pop punk band The Faders, who split in July 2006. She is now pursuing a solo career.
Ure's two main passions are music and cooking. He was able to indulge the second of these in the 2007 ''Celebrity Masterchef'' series, easily winning his heat and progressing to the final on 15 June, alongside Nadia Sawalha and Craig Revel Horwood. Although all three competitors greatly impressed the judges, the trophy was won by Sawalha.
Ure made a speech and gave prizes at Prior Park College's annual speech day, on 7 July 2007.

Solo discography

Albums

★ 1985 ''The Gift'' (#2 UK Albums Chart)

★ 1988 ''Answers To Nothing'' (#88 Billboard 200, #30 UK Albums Chart)

★ 1991 ''Pure'' (#36 UK Albums Chart)

★ 1996 ''Breathe''

★ 2000 ''Went to Coney Island'' (soundtrack)

★ 2001 ''Move Me''

★ 2001 ''Little Orphans''

★ 2006 ''Duet'' - Midge Ure and Troy Donockley

Other Albums

★ 1991 ''Live In Concert'' (live album)

★ 1993 ''If I Was: The Very Best of Midge Ure & Ultravox'' (compilation album) (#10 UK Albums Chart)

★ 2000 ''No Regrets: The Best of Midge Ure'' (compilation)

★ 2001 ''A Glorious Noise - Breathe Live'' (live album)

★ 2002 ''One Night in Scotland'' (live album)

★ 2002 ''Intimate Moments April 12th - 22nd 2002'' (a collection of songs and musings recorded on tour in 2002)

★ 2003 ''Once Upon a Time in America'' (CD & DVD)

★ 2004 ''Septemberfest'' (live album)

★ 2005 ''Re-Live'' (live album)

★ 2006 ''Move Me'' (expanded) (double CD)

Singles

Year	Single	UK Singles Chart	US Hot 100	US Modern Rock	US Mainstream Rock	Album
1982	''No Regrets''	9	-	-	-	''
1983	''After A Fashion'' (with Mick Karn)	39	-	-	-	''
1985	''If I Was''	1	-	-	-	''The Gift''
1985	''That Certain Smile''	28	-	-	-	''The Gift''
1986	''Wastelands''	46	-	-	-	''
1986	''Call Of The Wild''	27	-	-	-	''
1989	''Answers to Nothing''	49	-	26	-	''Answers to Nothing''
1989	''Dear God''	55	95	4	6	''Answers to Nothing''
1991	''Cold, Cold Heart''	17	-	12	-	''Pure''
1991	''I See Hope (In The Morning Light)''	-	-	-	-	''Pure''
1996	''Breathe''	70	-	-	-	''Breathe''
1996	''Guns And Arrows''	-	-	-	-	''Breathe''
2001	''You Move Me''	-	-	-	-	''Move Me''
2001	''Beneath A Spielberg Sky''	-	-	-	-	''Move Me''

References

1. Midge Ure on Rocking Scots Radio 4 12th May 2007


★ Midge Ure given honorary degree, 12 October 2005

★ Midge Ure in line for great big honour from university, 1 March 2006

★ Third degree for Scots singer Midge Ure, 26 June 2007

External links

★ Official website

★ Comprehensive Midge Ure discography @ Discogs.com