Visage
Visage was a British new romantic band formed in 1978 by Steve Strange (for… Read Full Bio ↴Visage was a British new romantic band formed in 1978 by Steve Strange (former member of the punk band Moors Murderers) and Rusty Egan (previously the drummer for The Rich Kids).
Initially, the band was comprised of Steve Strange, Rusty Egan and Midge Ure (also previously of The Rich Kids). Also in there, and credited as a co-writer of FADE TO GREY was Chris Payne,a member of Gary Numan's band. The trio recorded a demo which included a cover of the Zager and Evans hit "In the Year 2525". Ultravox's multi-instrumentalist Billy Currie and the core of post-punk band Magazine – bassist Barry Adamson, guitarist John McGeoch, and keyboardist Dave Formula – joined the studio-only band later. Visage signed to Radar Records and released their first single, "Tar" (which was originally composed whilst Strange was in The Photons), in September of 1979. The single failed to chart, but the band managed to secure a deal with a larger record company, Polydor, the following year.
1980 saw the release of their second single, "Fade to Grey". The single became a huge hit (making the top ten in the UK and topping the chart in several other countries) and was quickly followed by the release of their self-titled debut album which was also a chart success.
After further Top 40 hits with "Mind of a Toy" and the title track "Visage", Strange struggled to reunite the band's members again to record a second album because of their commitments with their respective bands (Ure and Currie with Ultravox; Formula and Adamson with Magazine; and McGeoch with Siouxsie and the Banshees). However, in the autumn of 1981 all musicians (except McGeoch) went into the studio again and recorded The Anvil. The album was released in March of 1982 and became Visage's first (and only) UK top ten album, producing two top twenty singles with "The Damned Don't Cry" and "Night Train". The Anvil earned Silver disc status in the UK, as did the band's first album.
Following this, Ure left the band to concentrate on his work with Ultravox, who were by now becoming even more successful than Visage were. Creative differences with Strange were also cited as reasons for his departure at the time. Visage, now without Ure and Adamson but with the addition of bassist Steve Barnacle, recorded the stand-alone single "Pleasure Boys", which was released in October of 1982. Unfortunately, the single failed to prolong their string of hits and peaked just outside the UK top 40.
Although still recording, Visage then took a two year hiatus from releasing any new material due to contractual difficulties.
With their contractual problems resolved, 1984 saw the return of Visage for what would become their third album and final released for many years. Beat Boy was released in September of 1984 but was a critical and commercial failure, peaking at #79 in the UK. Two singles from the album, "Love Glove" and "Beat Boy", also failed to make the UK top 40. By this time, Billy Currie and Dave Formula had also departed the band (though they received a "special thanks" credit on the album sleeve for their input), leaving only Strange and Egan from the original line-up along with newer musicians Steve and Gary Barnacle and Andy Barnett. A decision to make Visage a live band instead of a strictly studio-based project also failed to meet with success and the band subsequently split in 1985. Their final release was a Visage VHS video compilation of the band's renowned promotional videos and also included footage of Strange's trip to North Africa the year before. The compilation does not, however, include the original video for the "Love Glove" single which was filmed at a late-night Dockland location in London in 1984.
Following the demise of Visage, Strange then formed the short-lived band Strange Cruise. They released one album in 1986, though this too proved unsuccessful. Visage returned to the charts once more when a Bassheads remix of "Fade to Grey" was a UK Top 40 hit in 1993.
In 2004 Steve Strange reformed Visage with an entirely new line-up. The line-up included Steven Young, Sandrine Gouriou and Rosie Harris from Seize and Ross Tregenza from Jetstream Lovers/Goteki. The new line-up released the track "Diary Of A Madman" in 2007, written by Strange and Tregenza.
Strange released another album using the moniker Visage in 2013 called "Hearts and Knieves.
In December 2014, Visage released Orchestral, a mostly live album containing twelve Visage songs remade with a Czech symphony orchestra.
On 12 February 2015 Steve Strange died due to heart attack while visiting Egypt, He died at 55.
There is another band that use the same name:
2) Visage (ヴィサージュ) was a Japanese visual kei band, who was signed to the Undercode VK label.
Initially, the band was comprised of Steve Strange, Rusty Egan and Midge Ure (also previously of The Rich Kids). Also in there, and credited as a co-writer of FADE TO GREY was Chris Payne,a member of Gary Numan's band. The trio recorded a demo which included a cover of the Zager and Evans hit "In the Year 2525". Ultravox's multi-instrumentalist Billy Currie and the core of post-punk band Magazine – bassist Barry Adamson, guitarist John McGeoch, and keyboardist Dave Formula – joined the studio-only band later. Visage signed to Radar Records and released their first single, "Tar" (which was originally composed whilst Strange was in The Photons), in September of 1979. The single failed to chart, but the band managed to secure a deal with a larger record company, Polydor, the following year.
1980 saw the release of their second single, "Fade to Grey". The single became a huge hit (making the top ten in the UK and topping the chart in several other countries) and was quickly followed by the release of their self-titled debut album which was also a chart success.
After further Top 40 hits with "Mind of a Toy" and the title track "Visage", Strange struggled to reunite the band's members again to record a second album because of their commitments with their respective bands (Ure and Currie with Ultravox; Formula and Adamson with Magazine; and McGeoch with Siouxsie and the Banshees). However, in the autumn of 1981 all musicians (except McGeoch) went into the studio again and recorded The Anvil. The album was released in March of 1982 and became Visage's first (and only) UK top ten album, producing two top twenty singles with "The Damned Don't Cry" and "Night Train". The Anvil earned Silver disc status in the UK, as did the band's first album.
Following this, Ure left the band to concentrate on his work with Ultravox, who were by now becoming even more successful than Visage were. Creative differences with Strange were also cited as reasons for his departure at the time. Visage, now without Ure and Adamson but with the addition of bassist Steve Barnacle, recorded the stand-alone single "Pleasure Boys", which was released in October of 1982. Unfortunately, the single failed to prolong their string of hits and peaked just outside the UK top 40.
Although still recording, Visage then took a two year hiatus from releasing any new material due to contractual difficulties.
With their contractual problems resolved, 1984 saw the return of Visage for what would become their third album and final released for many years. Beat Boy was released in September of 1984 but was a critical and commercial failure, peaking at #79 in the UK. Two singles from the album, "Love Glove" and "Beat Boy", also failed to make the UK top 40. By this time, Billy Currie and Dave Formula had also departed the band (though they received a "special thanks" credit on the album sleeve for their input), leaving only Strange and Egan from the original line-up along with newer musicians Steve and Gary Barnacle and Andy Barnett. A decision to make Visage a live band instead of a strictly studio-based project also failed to meet with success and the band subsequently split in 1985. Their final release was a Visage VHS video compilation of the band's renowned promotional videos and also included footage of Strange's trip to North Africa the year before. The compilation does not, however, include the original video for the "Love Glove" single which was filmed at a late-night Dockland location in London in 1984.
Following the demise of Visage, Strange then formed the short-lived band Strange Cruise. They released one album in 1986, though this too proved unsuccessful. Visage returned to the charts once more when a Bassheads remix of "Fade to Grey" was a UK Top 40 hit in 1993.
In 2004 Steve Strange reformed Visage with an entirely new line-up. The line-up included Steven Young, Sandrine Gouriou and Rosie Harris from Seize and Ross Tregenza from Jetstream Lovers/Goteki. The new line-up released the track "Diary Of A Madman" in 2007, written by Strange and Tregenza.
Strange released another album using the moniker Visage in 2013 called "Hearts and Knieves.
In December 2014, Visage released Orchestral, a mostly live album containing twelve Visage songs remade with a Czech symphony orchestra.
On 12 February 2015 Steve Strange died due to heart attack while visiting Egypt, He died at 55.
There is another band that use the same name:
2) Visage (ヴィサージュ) was a Japanese visual kei band, who was signed to the Undercode VK label.
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Visage Lyrics
01 Fade To Grey Devenir gris Devenir gris One man on a lonely platform One …
06. Malpaso Man Small cheroot Black hat Cold eyes Pointed boot No heart Nev…
07. Mind Of A Toy My painted face is chipped and cratcked My mind seems to…
Again We Love My shining hour has come upon me here The moment lingers…
Anvil Lost amongst the crowd On the torso's pumping iron A man wit…
Beat Boy The siren screams to start the day You get up early…
Blocks on Blocks Reflections, of the river passing by Reflections, of the pla…
Breathe Life Be who you are and say what you feel Those who…
Can You Hear Me I can never tell you I can't speak the truth From my…
Casualty At 17 you're in a world of your own You think…
Damned Don Traveling with no destination No place to go Nameless town…
Damned Don't Cry Traveling with no destination No place to go Nameless towns …
Diaries of a Madman Some say I’m crazy, some say insane Needing a shrink? There…
Dreamer I Know While you were sleeping, I had a vision that gently…
Fade 2 grey Devenir gris Devenir gris One man on a lonely platform One …
Fade To Grey ((Original Versi Devenir gris Devenir gris One man on a lonely platform …
Hidden Sign Take a look in the mirror, I’ve been crying out…
I Am Watching I thought that obsession would count for something Now I’m …
I'm Still Searching Where do we go? Not sure if I know But still in…
In The Year 2525 In the year of 2525 If man is still alive If woman…
Look What They Hey, look there so strange Through the walls I can hear the…
Lost in Static I’m looking in the mirror, is this really me? Do you…
Love Glove Love change we change One check for love One lost glove Neve…
Malpaso Man Small cheroot Black hat Cold eyes Pointed boot No hear…
Mind Of A Toy My painted face is chipped and cratcked My mind seems to…
Move Up Move Up! To a different sound To a higher ground To a differ…
Never Enough You’re playing with questions and I’m chasing regrets Breat…
Night Train The message In a faded envelope In a vice-like grip The pas…
On We Go And on we go Chasing all the way but we’re not…
Only the Good Die Young A blade in the back, don't please attack A knife in…
Pleasure Boys I really don't know much better There's nothing I can tell…
Questions Questions more questions Run round in my head No answers sol…
Shameless Fashion Destroy yourself if you love me, we’re nothing together un-c…
Tar Remember health warning It's printed on the packet Middle ta…
The Anvil Lost amongst the crowd On the torso's pumping iron A man wit…
The Damed Don't Cry Traveling with no destination No place to go Nameless towns …
The Horseman See him move 'cross the burning sand in the day…
The Promise [The promise:] You said it would come true [The proof:] The …
Visa-age Name the place, for a rendez-vous Name the time, and I'll…
Visage New styles, new shapes New modes, that's the role my passion…
We Move We move, in mysterious ways We move, slip and slide cut…
We Move ) We move, in mysterious ways We move, slip and slide cut…
Whispers Show me, yes, go on, no you, alright Wake up, they're…
Wild Life Wild life One life My life Night life...…
Yesterday's Shadow Today or tomorrow Who can tell at all The tears and the…