Ultra (Ultra album)

Ultra
Studio album by
Ultra
Released1998[1]
Recorded1998
GenrePop
LabelEast West (Warner Bros.)
ProducerIan Stanley
Ultra chronology
Ultra
(1998)		 The Sun Shines Brighter
(2006)
Singles from Ultra
  1. "Say You Do"
    Released: 6 April 1998
  2. "Say it Once"
    Released: 22 June 1998
  3. "The Right Time"
    Released: 28 September 1998
  4. "Rescue Me"
    Released: 4 January 1999
  5. "Blind to the Groove"
    Released: April 1999
Alternative cover
Japanese repackage cover

Ultra is the debut studio album by English pop band Ultra, released in 1998 by East West Records (Warner Music Group). Produced by former Tears for Fears member, Ian Stanley, the album was mainly performed and co-written by James Hearn (vocals), Jon O'Mahony (drums), Nick Keynes (bass) and Michael Harwood (guitar).

Before its domestic release in the United Kingdom, Ultra achieved early success across Southeast Asia. Its first singles, particularly "Say You Do" and "Say It Once" helped establish the group in overseas markets. The album was subsequently released in several Asian territories in mid-1998, later extended to Europe, where "Say It Once" charted on the Italian airplay charts and the band performed at the country's Festivalbar.

Critically, some reviewers praised its strong pop melodies, while others criticized it for lacking originality and sounding too similar to other boy bands. By early 1999, the album reached gold-level sales in Italy and Indonesia, and debuted and peaked at number 37 on the UK Albums Chart.

Background

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]

Release and promotion

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.

Critical reception

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]

Commercial performance

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]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Say You Do"James Hearn3:26
2."Say it Once"Michael Harwood, James Hearn3:59
3."The Right Time"James Hearn, Michael Harwood, Steve Robson, Pete Kearney3:53
4."Blind to the Groove"James Hearn, Michael Harwood, Jon O'Mahony, James Rose4:17
5."Rescue Me"Jon O'Mahony, James Hearn, Keri Schmidt3:57
6."Human After All"James Hearn3:31
7."B.A.S.I.C."Michael Harwood, James Hearn, Steve Robson, Ian Stanley, Andy Caine3:51
8."Afterlife"James Hearn, Michael Harwood4:19
9."Up and Over"James Hearn, Michael Harwood4:36
10."New Dimension Medley: Way to Go/No Place Like Home"James Hearn6:36
Australasian edition (CD 2/CD-ROM)
No.TitleLength
1."Rescue Me" (music video) 
2."The Right Time" (music video) 
3."Blind to the Groove" (music video) 
5."Say You Do" (music video) 
6."Say it Once" (music video) 
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Say You Do"James Hearn3:26
2."Say it Once"Michael Harwood, James Hearn3:59
3."The Right Time"James Hearn, Michael Harwood, Steve Robson, Pete Kearney3:53
4."Blind to the Groove"James Hearn, Michael Harwood, Jon O'Mahony, James Rose4:17
5."Rescue Me"Jon O'Mahony, James Hearn, Keri Schmidt3:57
6."Human After All"James Hearn3:31
7."B.A.S.I.C."Michael Harwood, James Hearn, Steve Robson, Ian Stanley, Andy Caine3:51
8."Shattered Dreams" 3:28
9."Afterlife"James Hearn, Michael Harwood4:19
10."Up and Over"James Hearn, Michael Harwood4:36
11."New Dimension Medley: Way to Go/No Place Like Home"James Hearn6:36
12."Say it Once" (acoustic)Michael Harwood, James Hearn3:22

Personnel

  • 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)

Charts

Weekly chart performance for Ultra
Chart (1998–1999) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[12] 34
European Albums (Billboard)[13] 89
Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)[14] 9
Scottish Albums (OCC)[15] 29
Singapore Albums (SPVA)[16] 5
UK Albums (OCC)[17] 37

Sales

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Malaysia — 45,000[18]
Summaries
South East Asia
as of October 1998 		— 60,000[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Adegoke, Yinka (17 October 1998). "Artist profile: Ultra" (PDF). Music Week. p. 21. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2025. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  2. ↑ Lersakvanitchakul, Kitchana (23 July 1998). "The drought is breaking with three acts booked to tour". The Nation. 23 (48303): C1. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  3. ↑ Farinordin, Faridul Anwar (3 July 1998). "Ultra cool and special". New Straits Times: 6. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  4. ↑ Wilson, Henry (26 July 1998). "Ultra men strike a pose". Sunday Mail. Kuala Lumpur: Malay Mail Sdn. Bhd.: 26. ProQuest 324979620.
  5. ↑ "International focus for UK acts". Music Business International. Tonbridge, United Kingdom: CMP Information Ltd.: 49 1 October 1998. ISSN 0961-6365. ProQuest 231962068.
  6. ↑ Donvito, Nico (31 August 2021). "Alla (ri)scoperta dell'estate con il Festivalbar: viaggio nel 1998". Recensiamo Musica (in Italian). Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  7. ↑ Martinez, Gerald (11 October 1998). "Reviews by Gerald Martinez". New Straits Times: 13. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  8. ↑ Sullivan, Caroline (29 January 1999). "Music: This week's pop cd releases". The Guardian. London: Guardian News & Media Limited. pp. T019. ISSN 0261-3077. ProQuest 245339800.
  9. ↑ Teo, Kris (16 August 1998). "'Munki' does the business". Sunday Mail. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Malay Mail Sdn. Bhd.: 26. ProQuest 324996372.
  10. ↑ Pride, Dominic (15 August 1998). "Thailand". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 33. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 45. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  11. ↑ "Pure Pop for teen people". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 7. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 13 February 1999. pp. 82, 84. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  12. ↑ Australian Charts. Hung Medien.
  13. ↑ "Hits of the World - Eurochart". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 10 October 1998. p. 43. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  14. ↑ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 33. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 10 October 1998. p. 45. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  15. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100 - Official Charts Company". Official Charts.
  16. ↑ "Top 10 Albums of the Week". The Straits Times. 3 October 1998. p. 6. Retrieved 24 August 2024 – via National Library Board of Singapore and SPH Media.
  17. ↑ "ULTRA - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". Official Charts.
  18. ↑ Earinordin, Faridul Anwar (9 October 1998). "Showbiz notes". New Straits Times: 8. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
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