Ultra (Ultra album)

Ultra was a British pop band from Buckinghamshire, consisting of James Herne (vocals), Jon O'Mahony (drums), Nick Keynes (bass) and Michael Harwood (guitar).^[2] Formed during the members' school years, the group developed independently by performing in local venues.^[3] The band strongly resisted the "boy band" label, since they wrote their own music and played their own instruments. They were managed by Tony Gordon, known for his work with Culture Club and Curiosity Killed the Cat.^[4]

Ultra's international career progressed far more rapidly than East West Records had anticipated, leading the label to release the band's debut album in several overseas territories before the United Kingdom. The group's initial breakthrough occurred in Southeast Asia, where the debut single "Say You Do" gained strong radio support. To reinforce this early momentum, the band spent three weeks in the region in July 1998, undertaking a series of promotional activities. East West released Ultra in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and South Korea, issuing versions that included additional tracks specifically prepared for the Asian market. The album was released in Japan in 12 October.^[1] East West international head Ian Grenfell expected sales to reach 200,000 in Asia alone.^[5]

Following the success in Asia, Italy and the Scandinavian countries became the next territories to adopt the project. In Italy, the single "Say It Once" reached number one on the airplay chart, prompting the local affiliate to release the album in mid-September.^[1] The band performed "Say It Once" on Festivalbar,^[6] one of the country's most prominent television entertainment programs.

Gerald Martinez of the New Straits Times wrote that "Say You Do" is "a sparkling single" with "a great dance beat and great hooks", described "Say It Once" as "a pretty tune", and commented that "this is a very accomplished pop album, with Ultra putting together a distinctively driving sound, with several tunes looking set to make the singles charts".^[7]

Caroline Sullivan, writing for The Guardian, noted that although the band distinguished itself from typical boy-band conventions by playing its own instruments, they "sound every millimetre as battery-farmed as their rivals", and "still manage to make each ditty uniquely flavourless, especially in the vocals, where their breathy harmonies are a composite of every other boy group's".^[8]

Kris Teo of Sunday Mail wrote that Ultra's songs and combined voices "are so bashful and winsome you’re afraid someone will kick sand in their faces" adding that "that's the appeal of this modest, ingratiating debut", and noting that the songs are "so feathery and melodic that they sound like long-lost Seventies hits", concluding that "they make it work, though, with their soulful musical blend".^[9]

As of October 1998, the album had so far sold 60,000 copies in South East Asia and was selling at a rate of around 5,000 copies a week. In Italy, the album charted at number nine and shipped 44,000 copies by the same date.^[1] In August 1998, Billboard reported that, in Taiwan, the group had "paid their lip-sync and album-signing dues and had racked up big sales in the country".^[10] In February 1999, the same magazine reported that the album reached gold-level sales in Italy and Indonesia.^[11]

• Art direction – Paul West & Paula Benson at FORM
• Artwork design – John Siddle at FORM®
• Bass – Nick Keynes
• Co-production – Steve Robson (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 9)
• Drums, percussion – Jon O'Mahony
• Guitar – Michael Harwood
• Mixing – Bob Kraushaar (tracks 1, 3 to 10), Andy Bradfield, Steve Robson (track 2)
• Sound Production – Nick Paul
• Photography – Julian Barton
• Production – Ian Stanley (tracks 1 to 5, 7, 9), Steve Robson (tracks 3, 6–8, 10)
• Vocals, piano – James Hearn
• Additional keyboards – Neil Cowley (tracks 1, 3, 4)
• Backing vocals – Keri Schmidt (tracks 1, 2, 5, 8) and Viveen Wray (tracks 6, 7)
• Engineering – Steve Robson (track 1)
• Remixing, additional production – Steelworks (track 3)