Ha!-Ha!-Ha! is the second album by British pop group Ultravox, at that time known as "Ultravox!", with an exclamation mark, as a nod to Neu!. Although the group would later achieve fame and commercial success with lead singer Midge Ure the band was, in 1977, led by singer/songwriter John Foxx who was accompanied by guitarist Stevie Shears, drummer Warren Cann, bassist Chris Cross and keyboard/violist Billy Currie.
Ha!-Ha!-Ha! was released on 14 October 1977, and was accompanied by lead single "ROckwrok" backed with "Hiroshima Mon Amour", which was released eleven days earlier. Neither reached the pop charts, although Island Records continued to have faith in the band. As a consequence of the album's confusing typography – it is variously known as Ha!-Ha!-Ha!, Ha! Ha! Ha! and -ha!-ha!-ha!, the group decided to abandon their exclamation mark for subsequent releases.[4]
Whilst the group's first album had been a product of the David Bowie/Roxy Music-esque side of glam rock, their second was considerably more informed by the burgeoning punk movement, although it also marked the group's first widespread adoption of synthesisers and electronic production techniques. Money from the first album was used to improve the band's equipment, and funded the purchase of an ARP Odyssey and, most notably, a Roland TR-77 drum machine, which appeared on the album's final track, "Hiroshima Mon Amour". This song was the most indicative of the group's later synth-pop direction, and remains both a fan and critical favourite.[5][6] It was performed on the group's 1978 Old Grey Whistle Test appearance and was covered by The Church on their 1999 covers album A Box of Birds and also by Jan Linton.
"ROckWrok" was the lead single. An unusually sensual paean to unrestrained sexuality, the song featured a chorus which began "come on, let's tangle in the dark/fuck like a dog, bite like a shark" and lyrics such as "the whole wide world fits hip to hip" – despite which, it apparently achieved airplay on BBC Radio 1 on account of Foxx's garbled vocal delivery and the song's punky guitars.[7]
Other songs included "Fear in the Western World", which was also a punk number, with socially conscious references to contemporary global hot spots including Soweto and Ireland. "While I'm Still Alive", although subsequently regarded by the band as the album's weakest title, was particularly reminiscent of Sex Pistols, and specifically the vocal phrasing of John Lydon. "Fear in the Western World" also ended with a short burst of feedback – edited from a much longer take, in the manner of the Beatles' "Helter Skelter" – which segued into the quiet piano opening of "Distant Smile", which eventually developed into a conventional rock number, albeit using a similar vocal-synth fade as Pink Floyd's contemporaneous "Sheep". "Artificial Life" was reminiscent of Roxy Music's "In Every Dream Home A Heartache", with lyrics that examined suburban teenage life and tribes. "Hiroshima Mon Amour", featured the saxophone playing of C.C. from the band Gloria Mundi, and includes the Roland TR-77drum machine working a modified bossa-nova preset by drummer Warren Cann, and foreshadowed the music both John Foxx and Ultravox were to make later, apart. In 2012, in an interview with peek-a-boo magazine, John Foxx agreed to say that it was the first synthpop/new-wave song in rock history: "I think no one else had done a song like that before", he said.[8] This was the last album featuring original guitarist Stevie Shears, who left the band early 1978, after the forthcoming Ha!-Ha!-Ha! tour.
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For other uses see Ha Ha Ha disambiguation Ha Ha Ha is the second album by British pop group Ultravox at that time known as Ultravox with an exclamation mark as a nod to Neu Although the group would later achieve fame and commercial success with lead singer Midge Ure the band was in 1977 led by singer songwriter John Foxx who was accompanied by guitarist Stevie Shears drummer Warren Cann bassist Chris Cross and keyboard violist Billy Currie Ha Ha Ha Studio album by Ultravox Released14 October 1977RecordedMay June 1977GenrePost punknew waveart punkLength34 40LabelIslandProducerUltravox Steve LillywhiteUltravox chronologyUltravox 1977 Ha Ha Ha 1977 Systems of Romance 1978 Singles from Ha Ha Ha ROckWrok Released 7 October 1977 Quirks only with initial copies of the album Released 14 October 1977 Frozen Ones Germany only Released 1977Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllMusic 1 Record Mirror 2 Sounds 3 Contents 1 Release 2 Description 3 Track listing 4 Personnel 5 ReferencesRelease editHa Ha Ha was released on 14 October 1977 and was accompanied by lead single ROckwrok backed with Hiroshima Mon Amour which was released eleven days earlier Neither reached the pop charts although Island Records continued to have faith in the band As a consequence of the album s confusing typography it is variously known as Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha and ha ha ha the group decided to abandon their exclamation mark for subsequent releases 4 Description editThis section possibly contains original research Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations Statements consisting only of original research should be removed December 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Whilst the group s first album had been a product of the David Bowie Roxy Music esque side of glam rock their second was considerably more informed by the burgeoning punk movement although it also marked the group s first widespread adoption of synthesisers and electronic production techniques Money from the first album was used to improve the band s equipment and funded the purchase of an ARP Odyssey and most notably a Roland TR 77 drum machine which appeared on the album s final track Hiroshima Mon Amour This song was the most indicative of the group s later synth pop direction and remains both a fan and critical favourite 5 6 It was performed on the group s 1978 Old Grey Whistle Test appearance and was covered by The Church on their 1999 covers album A Box of Birds and also by Jan Linton ROckWrok was the lead single An unusually sensual paean to unrestrained sexuality the song featured a chorus which began come on let s tangle in the dark fuck like a dog bite like a shark and lyrics such as the whole wide world fits hip to hip despite which it apparently achieved airplay on BBC Radio 1 on account of Foxx s garbled vocal delivery and the song s punky guitars 7 Other songs included Fear in the Western World which was also a punk number with socially conscious references to contemporary global hot spots including Soweto and Ireland While I m Still Alive although subsequently regarded by the band as the album s weakest title was particularly reminiscent of Sex Pistols and specifically the vocal phrasing of John Lydon Fear in the Western World also ended with a short burst of feedback edited from a much longer take in the manner of the Beatles Helter Skelter which segued into the quiet piano opening of Distant Smile which eventually developed into a conventional rock number albeit using a similar vocal synth fade as Pink Floyd s contemporaneous Sheep Artificial Life was reminiscent of Roxy Music s In Every Dream Home A Heartache with lyrics that examined suburban teenage life and tribes Hiroshima Mon Amour featured the saxophone playing of C C from the band Gloria Mundi and includes the Roland TR 77 drum machine working a modified bossa nova preset by drummer Warren Cann and foreshadowed the music both John Foxx and Ultravox were to make later apart In 2012 in an interview with peek a boo magazine John Foxx agreed to say that it was the first synthpop new wave song in rock history I think no one else had done a song like that before he said 8 This was the last album featuring original guitarist Stevie Shears who left the band early 1978 after the forthcoming Ha Ha Ha tour Track listing editNo TitleWriter s Length1 ROckWrok John Foxx3 342 The Frozen Ones Foxx4 073 Fear in the Western World Warren Cann Chris Cross Billy Currie Foxx Stevie Shears4 004 Distant Smile Currie Foxx5 215 The Man Who Dies Every Day Cann Cross Currie Foxx Shears4 106 Artificial Life Currie Foxx4 597 While I m Still Alive Foxx3 168 Hiroshima Mon Amour Cann Currie Foxx5 13 2006 reissue bonus tracksNo TitleWriter s Length9 Young Savage Cann Cross Currie Foxx Shears2 5610 The Man Who Dies Every Day Remix Cann Cross Currie Foxx Shears4 1511 Hiroshima Mon Amour Alternative Version Cann Currie Foxx4 5412 Quirks Cann Cross Currie Foxx Shears1 4013 The Man Who Dies Every Day Live Cann Cross Currie Foxx Shears4 1514 Young Savage Live Cann Cross Currie Foxx Shears3 25 Give away single with first 10000 LPsNo TitleWriter s Length15 Quirks Cann Cross Currie Foxx Shears1 4016 Modern Love Cann Cross Currie Foxx Shears2 31Personnel editUltravox Warren Cann drums vocals rhythm machine on Hiroshima Mon Amour Chris Cross bass vocals Billy Currie violas keyboards synthesiser John Foxx vocals guitar on Hiroshima Mon Amour Stevie Shears guitarAdditional personnelC C from Gloria Mundi saxophone on Hiroshima Mon Amour References edit Thompson Dave Ha Ha Ha Ultravox AllMusic Retrieved 19 October 2020 Lott Tim 19 November 1977 Ultrah Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Vox Record Mirror p 13 Silverton Pete 22 October 1977 Ultravox Ha Ha Ha Sounds Ultravox interview at tiscali se Archived from the original on 11 February 2005 Grant Steven Robbins Ira Reno Brad Band history at TrouserPress Stratton Jeff 20 November 2003 New Times The Quiet Man Archived from the original on 4 December 2004 Page from ultravox org uk PDF Page from peek a boo magazine be Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ha Ha Ha amp oldid 1161992087, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
