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.
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
The lyrics of Visage's song "Mind Of A Toy" explore the theme of one's loss of identity and autonomy as they are controlled by external factors. The persona speaks of their painted face, which is chipped and cracked, symbolizing their damaged, fragile state of being. Their mind seems to fade too fast, implying that they are losing control over their thoughts and emotions. They are clutching at straws and sinking slow, indicating that they are struggling and taking in water in their attempt to stay afloat.
The persona compares themselves to a puppet whose motions are controlled by a stranger they have never met. They cannot say no to this control, emphasizing their lack of agency over their own life. The metaphor of a child throwing down a toy implies that the persona has been cast aside and forgotten by their owner. They were once wanted when they were new, but now that they are old, they are no longer seen or valued. The puppets in the song serve as a representation of the human condition, reflecting how people can be manipulated, used, and then ultimately discarded when they are no longer useful.
Overall, "Mind Of A Toy" is a commentary on the human experience and how people are often reduced to mere objects, as their value is determined by external factors. It speaks to the universal feeling of being trapped and powerless, controlled by circumstances out of one's control.
Line by Line Meaning
My painted face is chipped and cracked
My exterior appearance is damaged and flawed
My mind seems to fade too fast
My mental state deteriorates quickly
Clutching straws, sinking slow
Desperately trying to hold on, but slowly sinking
Nothing lasts, nothing lasts
Everything is temporary and fleeting
A puppet's motions controlled by a string
My actions are controlled by an external force
By a stranger I've never met
The one controlling me is unknown to me
A nod of the head and a pull of thread
A small action can have a big effect on me
I can't say no, can't say no
I have no choice but to obey
When a child throws down a toy
When someone no longer values me
When I was new you wanted me
I was once cherished and desired
Now I'm old you no longer see me
Now I'm disregarded and forgotten
Spite for girl, hate for boy
Different responses to losing someone
When a child throws out a toy
When someone discards me completely
I'm all dressed up and no where to go
I'm ready to be used, but forgotten
On a music box that never stop
My life is like a music box that never ends
I'll dance for if you want me to
I'll perform any action as directed
Move in time, move in time
I'm only able to move within certain parameters
A wooden head and a broken heart
My exterior shows no emotion, but internally I'm in pain
Used, abused and torn apart
I've been mistreated and damaged
I gave you my best and you gave me the rest
I emptied myself and was left with nothing
It's time to die, time to die
I'm no longer useful and it's time to be discarded
Lyrics © 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