Ultravox – “Slow Motion” (1978) Review | A Single from Another Time
Kronomyth 3.01: I’m trying hard to somehow frame a reply.
Nothing says you’re ahead of your time like waiting three years for your song to finally chart. Slow Motion took its sweet time to become the first and only Top 40 hit from the John Foxx version of Ultravox. By the time it charted (1981), Foxx and Robin Simon had already left the group. No doubt more than a few listeners thought this was just the latest single from the Vienna-era band. I would tell you it’s one of the better tracks from Systems of Romance, but they’re all great tracks on that album. Case in point: Dislocation. I am literally incapable of sitting still while that song is playing, as it has one of the funkiest rhythms this side of “I Have the Touch.” The 1981 single replaced “Dislocation” with Quiet Men (you see what I’m saying about Systems of Romance?) and the classic Hiroshima Mon Amour.
The Product
A1. Slow Motion
B1. Dislocation
7-inch reissue single version
A1. Slow Motion
A2. Quiet Men
B1. Hiroshima Mon Amour
Double 7-inch and cassette reissue single version
A1. Slow Motion
B1. Quiet Men
C1. Hiroshima Mon Amour
D1. Dislocation
All songs written by Ultravox.
The Players
Warren Cann (drums, vocals), Chris Cross (bass, synthesizer, vocals), Billy Currie (keyboards, synthesizer, violin), John Foxx (vocals), Robin Simon (guitar) with Stevie Shears (guitar on B1). Produced by Ultravox, Connie Plank and Dave Hutchins except B1 by Ultravox and Steve Lillywhite.
The Pictures
Front cover by John Foxx. Design by Bloomfield/Travis.
The Plastic
Released on 7-inch, double 7-inch and 12-inch clear vinyl single in August 1978 in the UK (Island, WIP/12 WIP 6454) with picture sleeve.
- Re-issued on 7-inch, double 7-inch single and cassette single in 1981 in the UK (Island, WIP/DWIP/CDWIP 6691) with picture sleeve. Reached #33 on the UK charts.
