Ure is the producer and writer of several other synth-pop and new wave hit singles of the 1980s, including "Fade to Grey" (1980) by Visage and the Ultravox signature songs "Vienna" (1980), "Hymn" (1983) and "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" (1984).

For the first 10 years of his life he lived in a one-bedroom tenement flat in Cambuslang with his brother, sister and parents,[4] later moving to a new house in nearby Eastfield.

In November 1974, the band changed its name to Slik, with Bay City Rollers writers Bill Martin and Phil Coulter providing songs.

In 1975 Ure turned down an offer to join the Sex Pistols, stating that he felt at the time that Malcolm McLaren had "his priorities completely wrong!

Slik terminated their contract with Martin and Coulter, believing that their boy band image was hindering their chances of success during the rising punk rock scene.

Having acquired a Yamaha CS50 synthesiser, Ure – alongside bandmate Rusty Egan – wanted to integrate the new instrument into the band's sound.

In February 2016, it was announced that Rich Kids would reform for a joint headline show with the Professionals at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire.

In 1978, Egan and Ure formed Visage with lead vocalist Steve Strange, and utilised their new synthesiser when they recorded a cover of the Zager and Evans classic "In the Year 2525" for promotional purposes.

The line-up was expanded in 1979 with the addition of Magazine members Dave Formula, John McGeoch and Barry Adamson, and Ultravox keyboardist Billy Currie, and the band signed briefly to Radar Records for the release of their first single "Tar" in November 1979.

Ure also contributed guitar parts to "Things Ain't Working Out" and "Dublin" for the Thin Lizzy remix compilation album The Continuing Saga of the Ageing Orphans (1979).

Ultravox had been presumed defunct since guitarist Robin Simon quit and lead vocalist John Foxx had left to pursue a solo career.

This second incarnation would become the classic line-up, with Currie (keyboards, violin), Chris Cross (bass) and Warren Cann (electronic drums).

Inspired by the film noir The Third Man (1949), the music video for "Vienna" was directed by Russell Mulcahy[17] utilising cinematic techniques, and became quite influential.

All these things that became video clichés – cropping the top and bottom off the screen, shooting on film as opposed to videotape, making it look like a movie ... we were quite a groundbreaking act for a while.

It was her then husband, Geldof, who proceeded, recalls Ure, "to rant on about the Michael Buerk BBC news report on the Ethiopian famine".

[36][37][38][39] On 24 July 1999, Ure was the Musical Director of the Wicked Women concert for the Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity held at Hyde Park in London,[40] featuring artists Ronan Keating, Big Country and Lisa Stansfield.

[50] In August 2020, Ure contributed on ReMission International, Wayne Husseys re-recording of the Mission's "Tower of Strength" called "TOS 2020", to help COVID-19 charities around the world.

It featured a duet with Kate Bush called "Sister and Brother", and the single "Dear God", which helped Ure gain his first foothold with American audiences.

11 November 1991, Ure played at the Royal Albert Hall,[67] with a five-piece band featuring drummer Mark Brzezicki, keyboardist Josh Phillips, bass player Jeremy Meehan, and multi-instrumentalists Steven A. Williams[68] and Willie Dowling.

[69][70] From 22 March to 22 April 1992 Ure toured in the US with four songwriters, Don Henry, Chip Taylor, Darden Smith and Rosie Flores.

[80] In 1998 Ure played on a European tour with Troy Donockley, and he also recorded the soundtrack to two American films that year, both directed by Richard Schenkman, October 22, and Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five.

[97] In 2015, Ure's recording of "The Man Who Sold the World" was featured in the video game Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

It features orchestrated re-recordings of Ultravox and solo career songs arranged by the British composer Ty Unwin, and a new written track called "Ordinary Man".

[104] In August 2020, Ure was creating his "Backstage Lockdown Club" with livestreamed acoustic songs and Q&A sessions, to members on the Patreon website.

Ure also invited other artists, including Mark King of Level 42, Glenn Gregory, Howard Jones, Nik Kershaw, Gary Kemp, and Clare Grogan of Altered Images.

A few days later, with thoughts of Flür's electronic drumming, the role Düsseldorf has played in the scene, Ure wrote "Das Beat".

Whilst Flür went on to record his own version of the song for his album Magazine 1 released in 2022, Ure laid down "Das Beat" with Band Electronica in its original form.

[113][114][115] The much delayed UK leg of the 'Voice & Visions' tour began at Sheffield City Hall in April 2023, and was scheduled to play at 28 venues before concluding in Swindon at the end of May.

[116] To mark his 70th birthday, Midge Ure headlined a one-night-only concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 4 October 2023, subtitled 'Celebrating 7 Decades: A Life In Music'.

[130] Ure appeared on the 2007 Celebrity MasterChef series, winning his heat and progressing to the final on 15 June, alongside Nadia Sawalha and Craig Revel Horwood.