Young Savage

This article is about the Ultravox single. For rapper 21 Savage, see 21 Savage.

"Young Savage"
Single by Ultravox!
from the album Ha! Ha! Ha! (2006 reissued version)
B-side	"Slip Away" (Live At The Rainbow)
Released	28 May 1977
Genre	Rock[1]
Label	Island
Songwriter(s)	Warren Cann, Chris Cross, Billy Currie, John Foxx, Stevie Shears
Producer(s)	Ultravox! and Steve Lillywhite
Ultravox! singles chronology
"Dangerous Rhythm" (1977) "Young Savage" (1977) "ROckWrok" (1977)

"Young Savage" is the second single by Ultravox!. It was released as a single by Island Records on 28 May 1977,^[2] during a time of experimentation to define a new sound for the band, in advance of their second album.

The song was made in a punk style, although the band denied it was a 'punk' song, pointing out that Billy Currie's keyboard playing is in a psychedelic style. It's their first release from the Ha! Ha! Ha! sessions, and is notably different from the material on their first album Ultravox!, which had more glam songs. A definitive song in the band's development, and a popular single at the time, the 2006 reissue edition of the latter album (IMCD 325) contains it as bonus track. 'Young Savage' was also improbably named as record of the week on Mark & Lard's Radio 1 show in 2002.

The B-Side of 'Young Savage' is a live version of "Slip Away", recorded during a gig at The Rainbow in London in 1977.

'Young Savage' is one of four live tracks featured on the Retro EP (IEP 8), released on 10 February 1978. This performance was recorded at the Marquee in London. The live version as featured on the 'Retro EP' is also one of the bonus tracks on the 2006 edition of Ha! Ha! Ha!.

'Young Savage' was a regular feature of Ultravox live shows and was included in the set performed on their last tour with John Foxx in the USA during February and March 1979. The song was not performed live again until a new version was played by John Foxx as part of his live set with Louis Gordon in Japan during September 2008 and for the first time in the UK for thirty years at Cargo in London on 16 October 2008. The song was featured in the film Awaydays and also accompanies its trailer. On BBC 6 Music, 13 December 2013, Brett Anderson and Mat Osman of Suede chose the song as one of their playlist; Brett described it as 'really exciting - glammy, punky, violent.'

Track list

• A: Young Savage
• B: Slip Away (Live At The Rainbow)

Young Savage (French single)

"Young Savage"
Single by Ultravox!
B-side	"Dangerous Rhythm"
Released	1977
Recorded	1976, 1977
Genre	Proto punk, glam rock
Label	Island
Songwriter(s)	John Foxx, Chris Cross, Warren Cann, Billy Currie, Stevie Shears
Producer(s)	Ultravox! and Steve Lillywhite
Ultravox! singles chronology
"Dangerous Rhythm" (1977) "Young Savage" (1977) "Quirks" (1977)

It was a French version of the single released by Ultravox!. It was backed by "Dangerous Rhythm".

Track list

• A1: Young Savage
• B1: Dangerous Rhythm

References

1. Evans, Richard (6 August 2024). "1978". Listening to the Music the Machines Make: Inventing Electronic Pop 1978-1983. Omnibus Press. p. 35. ISBN 978-1-915841-45-2.
2. "JOHN FOXX official website METAMATIC : Discography : Young savage : Uk 7" single". www.metamatic.com:80. Archived from the original on 21 January 2003. Retrieved 17 January 2022.