Vienna For No.1 Campaign
A 2010 FaceBook campaign to see Ultravox finally get a UK no.1 with 'Vienna' is gaining momentum, almost thirty years on from the time that it was held off the top spot by both John Lennon and Joe Dolce.
Interestingly, its founder Martin Slade isn't an Ultravox fan; he became interested in how the two songs seemed to be forever remembered together and felt that there might be a chance to remedy this.
Martin started the FaceBook group in June 2009 and originally planned to aim the campaign for 2011, 30 years since the single was released - but following Rage Against the Machine's successful campaign in December 2009, thought it best to surf that momentum and move it up to 2010.
The FaceBook group urges fans to purchase and download the Vienna single from any legal UK-based source such as Amazon, iTunes, Play, HMV etc.
DON'T DOWNLOAD IT YET! To count for the chart on Sun 4th April you need to buy between Mon 29th March and Sat 3rd April. Join in the fun to make this happen...
Download links for MON 29th MARCH to SAT 3rd APRIL:
Amazon.co.uk - 69p
Play - 70p
iTunes - 79p (track 3, Single Version)
HMV - 99p (track 9, Single Version)
Main FaceBook hub page:
Let's get Vienna by Ultravox to No.1 on 4th April!
FaceBook groups:
If you joined Martin's group below, it has now exceeded its 5,000 limit. Please switch to the main FaceBook hub page above - it's a 'fan page', which can handle a larger number of members.
Let's get Vienna by Ultravox to No.1 on 4/4/2010!
There are also two other groups:
Make Vienna no1 on Sun 4/4/10
Get Vienna to Number One on 4/4/10!
Campaign YouTube channels,
including STV and BBC Radio coverage:
www.youtube.com/user/vienna2010campaign
www.youtube.com/VIENNACAMPAIGN
Press contact:
Martin Slade, founder of FaceBook group
07874 078 394
martins@bs37.com
From Martin Slade:
In 1981 - almost thirty years ago - seminal synth-rock band Ultravox released the single 'Vienna' to rave reviews for its epic sound, moody strings and those amazing two words of Midge Ure's "Oh, Vienna!".
Vienna's release was on a collision course with another single that would result in there being only one winner in the war to reach the number one spot in the UK charts. That single was 'Shaddap You Face' by comedian/actor Joe Dolce.
As history shows, the novelty single won and one of the greatest songs of the whole decade - if not one of the greatest songs ever - failed to reach the top.
I have nothing against Mr Dolce apart from 'Shaddap' in fact I always thought it was a memorable, fun song, worthy of the upper echelons of the charts. I just wish it had been released a few months earlier or later!
Nowadays of course, we as members of the public have so much power over what enters the charts. No longer are we bound by what the record companies release on single to govern what we buy; We have the glorious download, meaning that we have the power to control the charts ourselves.
So, this is what I propose:
During the end of March 2010 we tell as many people as we can to download Vienna from iTunes, Amazon, HMV, Play, wherever you can as long as it is a British-based download site (and it's legal of course). Downloading commences Mon 29th March 2010 until Sat 3rd April 2010.
We need to get as many people as possible involved - especially those in a position to influence others. Lobby your local DJ, lobby Ken Bruce, lobby Chris Moyles, lobby Chris Evans, lobby Dr Fox, lobby EVERYBODY you can think of who can help to publicise this event.
And let's all get VIENNA to its rightful place so that history can show that this amazing record and video did in fact reach the very top of the UK singles charts, albeit almost thirty years after its first release.
