It’s an idea for a new and occasional series to be launched in early 2024…..the sort of thing I’ll lean on when I’m short of inspiration.
It’s simple in concept and execution. I’ll find a song on the hard drive in which the song title makes specific reference to a city, town or village. There will be a dull, boring intro para about said place followed by the actual song and some words, which some of you may find equally dull and boring, about said song.
Let’s start off with one which means nothing to me.
Vienna is the capital and largest city in Austria, with a population of just over 2 million. It is the sixth-largest city proper by population in the European Union, and the largest of all cities on the Danube river. It is located in the eastern part of Austria, close to the borders of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. It has been called the ‘City of Music’, thanks to the many classical composers who were born or worked in Vienna. It’s not a city renowned for pop/rock musicians, with arguably the most famous being the late Johann “Hans” Hölzel, better known by his stage name of Falco, who enjoyed a world-wide hit with Rock Me Amadeus in 1986 (it reached #1 in the UK). Hölzed died in February 1998, just before his 41st birthday, from injuries sustained in a road accident in the Dominican Republic.
mp3: Ultravox – Vienna
The title track of Ultravox‘s fourth studio album, released in May 1980. The band felt it was a potential hit single, but the record label felt it was too slow and too long to ever get airplay. It was eventually released as the third single from the album, after Sleepwalk (#29) and Passing Strangers (#57). Vienna would end up being the UK’s sixth-best selling single of 1981, spending 11 weeks in the Top 40 between January and April, including four successive weeks at #2, kept off the top spot for three of them by a novelty record in the shape of Shaddap You Face by Joe Dolce. Ultravox never enjoyed a #1 hit single in their career.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
The city does not attract me. The song continues to do so. Now, if I’m honest it would have been the early 80s that I last played the LP regularly and I cannot think when I played it last but… it was one of my firsts.
New romanticism really grabbed me and I enjoyed some of the pomp. Vienna – the song – was very much part of that and the video cemented my relationship. For all that surrounded it at the time Vienna sounded different to me, epic in its scale. It still does.
The LP that was the follow, Rage In Eden, is – in my opinion – the best LP released by this version of Ultravox.
I think this series could be fun.
Flimflamfan
Just back from Vienna for work and did enjoy walking around Hapsburg splendour . Love this track to the point the 14 yr old me insisted on being bought a grey Mac . Agree though Rage in Eden is their finest work
Friend of Rachel Worth
Both Viennas, the city and the song are beautiful. Great idea for a series.
Swc.
Completely opposite view to FFF. The song is fine but the memories of being lectured by too many people – friends and DJs on the radio – about how “classy” it is means I find it grates. The city though… Found it stuffy on first visit but warmed to it on second. And how can you not love a city that has a whole museum dedicated to a single film -The Third Man” ?
DAM
I largely agree with FFF on the music part, Vienna is still a great memory but Rage In Eden is the pinnacle album.
The city is in my memory, haven’t been there sine 1987, like a museum itself over a European era long gone. And then all these little nice cafes, they are (were) everywhere, pity Austrian coffee is no good – halfway American… and should you ever really have a Wienerschnitzel it’s in Vienna.
Across my primary and secondary hard drives, I have disappointingly few other “Vienna” songs. There’s Falco’s “Vienna Calling” (several versions including the amusingly-titled 7″ edit, the “Wait For The Extended Mix”) and its B side “Midnight Train To Vienna (The Mean Wien Mix)”, an annoying bit of fairground-type music called “Walk in the Vienna Wood” and two versions of a song John Lennon wrote for Ringo Starr, “Goodnight Vienna” – Lennon’s original demo easily being the pick over Ringo’s finished release.
Léon Macduff
That was a suitably dull intro paragraph and depending on my mood, a suitably dull song too!
Congratulations, this article did exactly what it said on the box!!
PS
Written suitably tongue in cheek!
I didn’t intend to be “anonymous” with my flippant comment above.
Darren 157
‘All Stood Still’ is the standout track on Vienna to my ears, although I like the title track, too. When the band dropped the ! and John Foxx moved on they got a little more listenable and somewhat less interesting. Spent part of our anniversary in the city of Vienna and last year, which I had only visited once 35 year ago, and found it to be as elegant and interesting and…European as I’d remembered.
Great idea for a series. Agree with 2 other readers that Rage In Eden was the pinnacle of Midge era Ultravox but after that the chase for the hit single meant everything was slightly less interesting – Mike
Bah! I wanted to point out that Vienna was kept off the top spot by Joe Dolce.
Paul McLaughlan
Every time I listen to an Ultravox song, I expect little (I don’t know the reason for this). And every time I am pleasantly surprised. [sk]