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UHF

About:

UHF was formed in the late 1970s in Almada by António Manuel Ribeiro (vocals, guitar and keyboard), Renato Gomes (guitar), Carlos Peres (bass) and Zé Carvalho (drums). UHF already had released their first single, "Jorge morreu" ("George died"), about a death by overdose of a friend of the band, before they attracted attention with their second single, "Cavalos de corrida" ("Racing horses"). During 1980 they appeared at a Rock Festival, which took place at the Plaza de Toros de Cascais, together with Skids, Tourists, Original Mirrors and 999. It meant their breakthrough to the young punkrockers of Portugal. Their debut ‘À Flor da Pele’ sold 10.000 copies which was a fair amount for a local indieband. A year later, in the slipstream of their second and third album, they also toured France and Germany. After the success of the first three LPs UHF started suffering from internal troubles having its effect on the mediocre not met the same success with the release of ‘Ares e Bares de Fronteira’. The original members start to leave the band. In 1985 they recorded the one last live album ‘No Jogo da Noite (Ao Vivo em Almada’. The album also marks the end of the contract with the indielabel Radio Triomphe. Renato Gomes leaves the group in 1986 and is replaced by Rui Rodrigues. In 1987 António Manuel Ribeiro writes the themesong ‘É Hoje Agora’ for the election campaign of the Socialist Party in the parliamentary elections. In 1988 Ribeiro breathes new life in UHF and records ‘Noites Negras de Azul’ with a complete new line up. It is not a long lasting relationship because soon after the sessions band members fly in and out again. What follows is two mini – albums with changing line ups and a live album ‘Julho, 13’.

The 1991 album ‘Comédia Humana’ is the first full album since years and the first for major record company BMG. In 1993 Manuel António Ribeiro releases his first solo album ‘Pálidos Olhos Azuis’ but UHF remains existant and returns the same year with a new album. The single ‘Sarajevo’ is released to raise awareness for the war in former Yugoslavia. They also contribute a track to the compilation ‘Filhos da Madrugada", called "A Morte Saiu à Rua". The same year Ribeiro appears with Miguel Angelo, Viviane and José Cid on the radio for the Christmas single ‘Idade da Inocência’. The song would never be officially released. A 1995 compilation features new recorded versions of UHF’s greatest hits. A dispute with the publishers of their old catalogue leads to the unauthorized release "Rock it! Dancing In The Night". The dispute drags on for most of the Nineties leading to the 1999 compilation ‘Eternamente’ missing some essential tracks recorded between 1982 and 1985. The group marked this twentieth anniversary with a concert on June 25, 1999, in the plaza Sony's Nations Park in Lisbon. The second solo album from Ribeiro, "Sierra Maesta," is published in 2000. Two years the book ‘Todas as Faces de um Rosto’ compiles unpublished poems, song lyrics, notes from the road and several photographs by Ribeiro.

On 24 November 2007 the UHF celebrated its 30th anniversary with a concert at the disco Swell in Costa da Caparica .The concert also marked the pre-editing a second disc of rarities. In 2010 a new album is released after a five year pause.

On the web:

- UHF's website: http://www.uhfrock.com/

If you like this, you probably like.. / european counterparts:

The Scene ( Netherlands)

Európa Kiadó (Hungary)

What do we think:

DB: One of the godfathers of Portugues rock. UHF's style is not characterized by extreme virtuosity but, especially on their first albums, does show a tremendous urgency and eloquence. Their first record is a bit messy but the two that follow have some the stronger Portuguese rock tracks on them. Due to the internal struggles the emphasis is largely on the song writing skills of Ribeiro what sometimes makes UHF more a solo project than a band. Still, if you like your Eurorock a bit punky/alternative UHF is certainly a find.

Recommendations:

♪♪♪ - À Flor da Pele - 1981

♪♪♪ - Estou de Passagem - 1982

♪♪♪♪ - Persona Non Grata - 1982

- Ares e Bares de Fronteira - 1983

- Noites Negras de Azul - 1988

- Em Lugares Incertos - 1988

- Este Filme - Amélia Recruta - 1990

- Comédia Humana - 1991

- Santa Loucura - 1993

- 69 Stereo - 1996

- Rock É! Dançando Na Noite - 1998

- La Pop End Rock - 2003

- Há Rock no Cais - 2005

- Porquê? - 2010

- Ao Norte - 2012