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.
Blocks on Blocks
Visage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reflections, of the place between the sky
It's too black, casting shadows
On the bridges built so close to that aura
Walking (to the sign) before my eyes
Dreaming (it's too late) to realise
Stop! You've gone too far this time
Blocks on blocks are all around
Neon lit for silent sound
Figures (in a doorway) in the night
Dancing (moving shadows) with the light
Talking to a stranger
On the bridges built so close to that aura
Standing, on a runway all alone
Listening, to an engine heading home
Crying, on the inside
Wishing I could get away from that aura
Lying, on the runway all alone
Listening to an engine heading home
Stop! you've gone too far this time
You're toying with reality
The lyrics to Visage's song "Blocks on Blocks" describe the feelings of disorientation and confusion that can come with existing in a modern, urban environment. The singer reflects on the river passing by and the space between the sky, but these moments of clarity are quickly overshadowed by the "blocks on blocks" that surround them, casting shadows and confusing the senses. The singer is walking and dreaming, but they are warned that they have "gone too far this time" and are "toying with reality".
As the song continues, there are references to figures in the night, dancing and talking on bridges near the "aura" of the city. The singer is standing alone on a runway, listening to an engine heading home, and crying on the inside as they wish they could escape the overwhelming urban environment. The final lines repeat the warning that the singer has gone too far and is "toying with reality". Perhaps the singer is experiencing some sort of mental break or dissociation, caused by the overwhelming nature of modern life.
Line by Line Meaning
Reflections, of the river passing by
Observations, of the continuous flow of the river
Reflections, of the place between the sky
Observations, of the area where the sky and earth meet
It's too black, casting shadows
The darkness causing the formation of shadows
On the bridges built so close to that aura
On the structures constructed in close proximity to that energy
Walking (to the sign) before my eyes
Moving towards the sign that is present before me
Dreaming (it's too late) to realise
Imagining and not comprehending until it's too late
Stop! You've gone too far this time
Halt! You have exceeded the limits this time
You're toying with reality
You're manipulating what actually exists
Blocks on blocks are all around
Multiple structures stacked on top of each other surround us
Neon lit for silent sound
The neon lights creating a visual impression without audible noise
Figures (in a doorway) in the night
Silhouettes of people standing in a doorframe in the darkness
Dancing (moving shadows) with the light
Shadows of the people moving around in the glow of the light
Talking to a stranger
Having a conversation with an unfamiliar person
On the bridges built so close to that aura
On the structures constructed in close proximity to that energy
Standing, on a runway all alone
Being located on a landing strip with no one around
Listening, to an engine heading home
Hearing the sound of an aircraft engine as it departs for its destination
Crying, on the inside
Feeling emotional distress internally
Wishing I could get away from that aura
Desiring to escape from the energy in that vicinity
Lying, on the runway all alone
Reclining on an empty landing strip all by oneself
Listening to an engine heading home
Perceiving the sound of the airplane's engine as it proceeds homewards
Stop! you've gone too far this time
Halt! You have exceeded the limits this time
You're toying with reality
You're manipulating what actually exists
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PETER (RUSTY) EGAN, BILL CURRIE, DAVE FORMULA, JOHN MCGEOGH, STEVE STRANGE, MIDGE URE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind