Tovey began his musical career after studying performance art at Leeds Polytechnic, but started recording upon his move back to his native London, UK. The songs of his early career (under the pseudonym) all feature synthesizers plus, sometimes, machine sounds like that of an electric razor or an electric drill. Almost all of his songs create a dark, mystical atmosphere, with Gadget's voice hovering monotonously over then unheard of, groundbreaking and still brilliant synthesizer sound effects. The lyrics are either very earnest, discussing subjects like guilt or life and death, or convey a black, sarcastic humour.
Initially, Fad Gadget was merely a moniker for Tovey, but as time went on a band was formed (although keeping Tovey as the main focal point). His longest-serving sidekick was drummer Nick Cash. Other members were keyboardist David Simmonds, bassist Peter Balmer, guitarist & bassist David Rogers and viola player & backing vocalist Joni Sackett
Singles included Back To Nature, Ricky's Hand and Collapsing New People. Fad Gadget was the first artist signed to the then-fledgling Mute label, on which he released four full length albums, Fireside Favourites (1980), Incontinent (1981), Under The Flag (1982) and Gag (1984). After 1984's Gag, Tovey released a compilation, (The Fad Gadget Singles), and recorded five more albums under his own name, whose styles ranged from semi-industrial electronic ballads to folk-oriented protest songs. He last appeared on a European tour supporting his latest album in 1993 and then virtually disappeared for some eight years.
In 2001 Tovey (and Cash) resurfaced with a comeback appearance and subsequently supported Depeche Mode on the Exciter tour later that year, again under his pseudonym Fad Gadget and backed by members of Temple X, whose album he had been producing. (Depeche Mode cite Tovey/Gadget as an icon and a paragon, and his influences can be heard in their music.) Tovey died of a heart attack on 3 April, 2002, aged 45, having suffered heart problems throughout his life.
Plain Clothes
Fad Gadget Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching Starsky and Hutch with the volume at number ten
Power mad and incompetent
They're as pleased as punch
Your feelings are irrelevant
They're out of our control
But it keeps them of the streets
The children are damned
But we keep the well fed
Watch out what they're putting in that head
Kids have got the vote
And they want to see the bad guys dead
In plain clothes they'll arrest you again
Beat you up on the street, fight back and you'll get the blame
They mix with the crowd in civilian dress
Just put one foot wrong they'll make you confess the rest
They're out of our control
But it keeps them of the streets
And I don't mind it
The children are damned
But we keep the well fed
Watch out what they're putting in that head
Kids have got the vote
And they want to see the bad guys dead
They walk the streets in plain clothes
They walk the streets in plain clothes
The song "Plain Clothes" by Fad Gadget is a critique of the police state, particularly during the Thatcher era of the 1980s in the UK. The lyrics describe the police as "power mad and incompetent," and suggests that their actions are out of the public's control. The reference to Starsky and Hutch with the volume at number ten implies an over-exaggeration of the police's power dynamics and their ability to control those around them.
The chorus of the song repeats the line "they're out of our control, but it keeps them off the streets," which reflects the idea that the police have become a force that is meant to control and maintain order, but that sometimes their actions are not justified. The line "the children are damned, but we keep them well fed" suggests that while the police may be successful in maintaining order, they are also involved in indoctrinating young minds with propaganda and misinformation.
The final verse of the song describes the police as being in plain clothes, lying in wait for people to slip up, and then punishing them without mercy. This reflects the idea that the police are often invasive and overbearing in their methods, making it difficult for citizens to feel safe and secure in their own communities.
Line by Line Meaning
In slow motion could you play that again
Requesting to replay something in slow motion
Watching Starsky and Hutch with the volume at number ten
Watching a TV show with the volume at a very high level
Power mad and incompetent
Those in authority are both power-hungry and inept
They're as pleased as punch
Those in authority are extremely pleased with themselves
Your feelings are irrelevant
Your emotional state is unimportant to those in power
They're out of our control
We cannot control those in authority
But it keeps them of the streets
Having those in authority in power keeps them from causing chaos on the streets
And I don't mind it
The artist is indifferent to this situation
The children are damned
The younger generation is condemned
But we keep the well fed
Those in power keep themselves well-fed and comfortable
Watch out what they're putting in that head
Be cautious of what children are being taught and influenced by
Kids have got the vote
The younger generation has the right to vote
And they want to see the bad guys dead
The youth want to see the downfall of those in power
In plain clothes they'll arrest you again
Undercover law enforcement officers will arrest you once more
Beat you up on the street, fight back and you'll get the blame
If you fight back against law enforcement, you will be the one blamed for the altercation
They mix with the crowd in civilian dress
Undercover officers blend in with the public by dressing in ordinary clothing
Just put one foot wrong they'll make you confess the rest
Any small mistake will lead to severe consequences and possible confession
They walk the streets in plain clothes
Law enforcement operates in plain clothes to blend into the public
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
R. ROOKSBY
The 7" version is available on the Mute Audio Documents box, or c/o iTunes. :)
wishcraft4u2
I love how delightfully morbid this music is. That's the early eighties for you. People just dont get that kind of thing anymore nowadays, it seems.
mark1138
album of the 80s for me mate!
Eugene Sotela
I like the b-side version on the King of the Flies 7" a hundred times better. Too bad that version has not seen the light of day on CD yet. still, this is a great song. RIP Frank Tovey.
xjstallion
fivershutch23: I have heard an alternative version of this song in mp3 format, probably the version you're talking about. The key difference is the other version apparently has no live guitars, etc - it's all very electronic poppy sounding, no rock sounding. Is that the one that appeared on the K of the F 7"?
Hugh K. Ayers
Is this about Brixton 1981?