Stevie Shears (born 1954/1955) is an English musician known for playing in the rock bands Tiger Lily and

Ultravox! Ultravox (earlier styled as Ultravox!) were a British new wave band, formed in London in April 1974 as Tiger Lily. Between 1980 and 1986, they scored seven Top Ten albums and seventeen Top 40 singles in the UK, the most successful of which was ...

(later Ultravox), as well as being part of the bands Faith Global and Cowboys International.

Biography

Tiger Lily and Ultravox!

Working in a paint factory and playing in different bands in Dagenham, Essex, he made contact with John Foxx and formed Tiger Lily in 1973 (together with bassist

Chris Cross Chris Cross (born Christopher Thomas Allen, 14 July 1952, Tottenham, London) is an English musician, best known as the bass guitarist in the new wave band Ultravox. Biography Early years Cross went to Belmont Secondary Modern School, ...

). Later, Tiger Lily changed its name to Ultravox! (later known simply as Ultravox). Between February and March 1978, after releasing with this band the ''

'' (early 1977) and ''

Ha! Ha! Ha! ''Ha!-Ha!-Ha!'' is the second album by British pop group Ultravox, at that time known as "Ultravox!", with an exclamation mark, as a nod to Neu!. Although the group would later achieve fame and commercial success with lead singer Midge Ure th ...

'' (1977) albums Shears was replaced by

Robin Simon Robin Simon (born 12 July 1956) is a British guitarist who was a member of Ultravox, Magazine and Visage. Biography Early career Robin Simon played guitar in a number of local Halifax based bands in the early to mid-1970s. The bands include ...

Post-Ultravox! bands

After Ultravox!, Shears formed a band with his friend Ice, real name Roland Oxland, bassist of Gloria Mundi. Gloria Mundi and Ultravox! were friends from the UK live music scene. Gloria Mundi featured Eddie Maelov and Sunshine Patterson who, as Eddie & Sunshine, would support Ultravox on their 1981 Rage in Eden tour. Gloria Mundi's saxophonist CC also played on 'Hiroshima Mon Amour' from Ultravox's second album ''

'' (1977). Later Shears and Jason Guy formed a duo called New Men. This was short-lived, as Shears left to join Cowboys International, in early 1980, replacing

Adam Ant Stuart Leslie Goddard, better known as Adam Ant (born 3 November 1954), is an English singer, musician, and actor. He gained popularity as the lead singer of new wave group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring 10 UK top ten ...

's guitarist

Marco Pirroni Marco Francesco Andrea Pirroni (born 27 April 1959, London, England) frequently credited simply as Marco, is a British guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He has worked with Adam Ant, Sinéad O'Connor, Siouxsie and the Banshees and man ...

. In 1981 and with Cowboys International dissolved, he collaborated with the band's singer,

Ken Lockie Ken Lockie (born 1956) is an English singer-songwriter and producer, best known as the creative force behind English new wave band Cowboys International and as a sometime collaborator with John Lydon in Public Image Ltd. Early life and educa ...

, on his solo album, ''The Impossible''. Shears never having lost contact with Guy, collaborated under the name of Faith Global, and released an EP called '' Earth Report'' (1982) and an album called ''The Same Mistakes'' (1983) both on Survival Records. Faith Global was short-lived, and these two records remain their only recordings. As of 2000, he was still playing guitar.

Equipment

When Ultravox! was Tiger Lily, he used a Gibson SG guitar. Also while with Ultravox, he played a white

Fender Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successful Les Paul had built a prototype solid bo ...

and a

Fender Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuousl ...

Discography

With Tiger Lily: * " Ain't Misbehavin' (song)#Tiger Lily version, Ain't Misbehavin'" single (Gull, 1975) With Ultravox!: * ''

'' album (Island, 1977) * '' Ha!-Ha-!Ha!'' album (Island, 1977) * ''

Retro Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the "nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...

'' EP (Island, 1978) With Cowboys International: * '' Revisited'' compilation (Pnuma, 2003) With Ken Lockie: * '' The Impossible'' album (Virgin, 1981) * ''Dance House'' single With Faith Global: * '' Earth Report'' EP (Survival, 1982) * '' The Same Mistakes'' album (Survival, 1983)

References

External links

Ultravox official webCowboys International official web
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shears, Stevie 1950s births British rock guitarists British male guitarists English new wave musicians People from Dagenham Living people Ultravox members British multi-instrumentalists