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 β bassist Barry Adamson, guitarist John McGeoch, and keyboardist Dave Formula β 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 (γ΄γ£γ΅γΌγΈγ₯) was a Japanese visual kei band, who was signed to the Undercode VK label.
07. Mind Of A Toy
Visage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mind seems to fade too fast
Clutching straws, sinking slow
Nothing lasts, nothing lasts
A puppets motions controlled by a string
By a stranger I've never met
A nod of the head and a pull of a thread
When a child throws down a toy
When I was new you wanted me
Now I'm old you no longer see me
When a child throws down a toy
Spite for girl, hate for boy
When a child throws out a toy
I'm all dressed up and no where to go
On a music box that never stop
I'll dance for if you want me to
Move in time, move in time
A wooden head and a broken heart
Used, abused and torn apart
I gave you my best and you gave me the rest
It's time to die, time to die
"Mind of a Toy" by Visage is a song that reflects on the fleeting nature of life, love and popularity. The opening lyrics "My painted face is chipped and cracked/My mind seems to fade too fast/Clutching straws, sinking slow/Nothing lasts, nothing lasts" evokes a sense of disillusionment and despair, as the persona in the song realizes that the things he or she once held dear are slowly slipping away. There is a sense of disconnection from one's own self as well, as the mind fades too fast, leaving the persona feeling lost, grasping at straws to hold on to something, anything, that could bring meaning to an otherwise futile existence.
The song then takes on a metaphorical turn, drawing comparisons between the persona and a puppet whose motions are controlled by a stranger. The persona feels indebted to this stranger, unable to resist their pull and nod of the head. The chorus, "When a child throws down a toy/When I was new you wanted me/Now I'm old you no longer see me/When a child throws out a toy/Spite for girl, hate for boy/When a child throws out a toy" highlights the fickle nature of human relationships, where once prized possessions can be quickly discarded and forgotten. The persona, now feeling obsolete and abandoned, sings "I'm all dressed up and nowhere to go/On a music box that never stops/I'll dance for you if you want me to/Move in time, move in time." This final stanza underscores the futility of living a life that lacks purpose, where one is merely going through the motions without any real agency. The persona finally resigns to its fate, acknowledging its expiration with the line "It's time to die, time to die."
Line by Line Meaning
My painted face is chipped and cracked
I am starting to show signs of wear and tear, my exterior is no longer perfect.
My mind seems to fade too fast
My mental faculties are deteriorating rapidly, and my thoughts are becoming confused.
Clutching straws, sinking slow
I am trying desperately to hold on, but everything is slipping away and I am sinking into oblivion.
Nothing lasts, nothing lasts
Everything is temporary and fleeting, and eventually everything fades away.
A puppet's motions controlled by a string
I am being manipulated by someone else, and I have no control over my own movements or actions.
By a stranger I've never met
I don't even know who is controlling me, and I am completely at their mercy.
A nod of the head and a pull of a thread
It doesn't take much for my master to make me do his bidding, he just needs to give me a slight command.
I can't say no, can't say no
I am completely subservient to my master, and I have no will of my own.
When a child throws down a toy
When someone who once cherished me no longer wants me, I become discarded and forgotten.
When I was new you wanted me
When I was fresh and new, I was the object of desire.
Now I'm old you no longer see me
But as I have become old and broken, I am no longer valued or even noticed by my former owner.
Spite for girl, hate for boy
The emotions behind discarding me differ by gender, girls tend to discard me out of anger, boys tend to discard me out of hatred.
When a child throws out a toy
Once my time with my owner was over, I became just another piece of trash that is unwanted.
I'm all dressed up and nowhere to go
I am still pristine and beautiful, but there is no one around to appreciate my beauty or make use of my talents.
On a music box that never stops
I am stuck in a repetitive cycle, constantly performing the same motions and never being able to break free.
I'll dance if you want me to, move in time, move in time
But even though I have no control over my movements, I will still perform my dance perfectly, in step with the music box's tune.
A wooden head and a broken heart
Despite my outward appearance of beauty and perfection, deep down I know I am nothing but half of a whole, a broken thing.
Used, abused and torn apart
I have been put through the wringer, pulled and manipulated until I am no longer able to perform to my full potential.
I gave you my best and you gave me the rest
Despite my best efforts, I was not able to please my master, and in return he gave me very little in terms of appreciation or value.
It's time to die, time to die
I have realized that my time has come and gone, and there is nothing left for me in this life but to fade away into obscurity.
Lyrics Β© DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PETER ANSELM EGAN, MIDGE URE, BILLY CURRIE, JOHN MCGEOGH, STEVE STRANGE, DAVE FORMULA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@luiginagalosi4744
Bellissima πΌππ π .. piena di atmosfera a tratti cupa , ma sempre affascinante π ! mi piace molto anche il video π , cosΓ¬ visionario π πΉ π π π π !
@klausbielawa7689
Super Song
@seanjones4825
Totally underated track, love this x
@starscreamkin
YESS
@zinaelaifia
β€β€β€πΉ
@stuckboy1005
intro..