[1] Now a trio, without original drummer Warren Cann, the single took Ultravox in a new musical direction.

"Same Old Story" featured jazzy brass by Beggar and Co, and female vocals in the chorus by Carol Kenyon.

[4][5] The B-side was the instrumental track "3", which featured rhythms, synthesizers and Billy Currie's recognizable piano.

On the 12-inch single, there was an instrumental version of the U-Vox album track "All in One Day", which featured an orchestra conducted and arranged by George Martin.

[6] Upon its release, Smash Hits reviewer Ian Cranna wrote: "Take away the trendy, loud girls singers and punctuating brass "riffs" and this sounds particularly dull and ponderous, even by Ultravox's lead-booted standards.