Frank Tovey

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Frank Tovey (born September 8, 1956 in London , † April 3, 2002 ibid; actually Francis John Tovey ) was a British musician and pioneer of the English New Wave movement. He also became known under his pseudonym Fad Gadget .

The early years (1974-78)

In 1974 Tovey attended an art school in London, where he mainly dealt with photography, film and performance. A year later he enrolled at the renowned Fine Arts Polytechnic in Leeds , where the first ideas for his early performance gigs came up. From 1976 to 1978 Tovey kept himself afloat with odd jobs and worked on his first own songs on the side. At a concert by the band Monochrome Set , he met label boss Daniel Miller , the beginning of a fruitful and long-term collaboration.

The time as a fad gadget (1979-84)

In 1979 Tovey released his debut single Back to Nature under the pseudonym Fad Gadget . This made Gadget the first artist on the Mute Records label, newly founded by Daniel Miller . This was followed by other gadget singles such as Ricky's Hand , Fireside Favorite , Make Room / Lady Shave or Collapsing New People (the latter single with the Berlin band Einstürzende Neubauten as a guest musician). Four gadget albums were released by 1984: Fireside Favorites (1980), Incontinent (1981), Under the Flag (1982) and Gag (1984).

In 1980 the then unknown band Depeche Mode appeared in the opening act for Gadget. After this concert, Depeche Mode were signed to Mute Records. For Gadget, however, the great success was largely absent. Despite the high level of recognition he enjoyed in the electronics scene in the 1980s, his level of awareness remained rather low.

Frank Tovey (1986-92)

In 1986, Tovey surprisingly dropped his alter ego Fad Gadget and now appeared under his real name. The album Snakes and Ladders was still recognizable as the successor to Gag , but the impending change in style was unmistakable. Civilian (1988), his next studio album, was a marked departure from the original fad-gadget sound. More guitars and strong percussions left nothing of the synthpop image, but the quality of the songs remained the same. The lyrics didn't change much either: serious topics with a pinch of black humor continued to dominate Tovey's repertoire.

In 1989 Tyranny and the hired Hand was published . As a folk album with versions of traditionals like Sam Hall , '31 Depression Blues , Joe Hill , 16 Tons , it again marked a radical change in style. Grand Union followed in 1991 . This album was also characterized by an increasingly versatile instrumentation with guitars, banjos and even jaw harps. As with his next album, he was supported by The Pyros.

The last studio album was released a year later under the title Worried Men in Second Hand Suits . Musically it followed on from its predecessor, but had significantly more blues elements.

Comeback (2001/02)

For many years it was quiet around Frank Tovey until he appeared again as Fad Gadget at various festivals in 2001. As a musician, he got TempleX, whose album he produced. From September 2001 Frank Tovey played in the opening act of Depeche Mode's Exciter Tour in Europe. His best-of album, which was released at the same time, and the solo tour that followed in early 2002 heralded a successful comeback.

However, Frank Tovey suddenly passed away at the age of 45 of heart failure at his home in London. He has suffered from a heart defect since childhood. Despite his influence on the development of new wave and synth pop , Tovey was never able to expand his fame beyond the scene.

The Estate (2006)

On September 11th, 2006 a comprehensive work with 2 DVDs and 2 CDs was published. It is titled Fad Gadget by Frank Tovey and contains, among other things, two complete concerts (Manchester 1984 / London 2002), all promo videos, television appearances, unpublished tracks, demo tapes and a detailed documentary about Frank's career, in which companions like Daniel Miller, Anton Corbijn and Depeche Mode have their say. The driving force behind this album was Frank's family (his wife Barbara, daughter Morgan and son Joseph). They also compiled the documentation and worked closely with Mute to select the content. It is the first official video release of Fad Gadget and also the first live album. Until then, there were only two live tracks as B-sides in the early 1980s.

Discography

Albums

  • 1980: Fireside Favorites
  • 1981: Incontinent
  • 1982: Under the Flag
  • 1984: gag
  • 1984: Easy Listening For The Hard Of Hearing (as Frank Tovey & Boyd Rice )
  • 1985: Snakes and Ladders (as Frank Tovey)
  • 1986: The Fad Gadget Singles (as Frank Tovey)
  • 1988: Civilian (as Frank Tovey)
  • 1989: Tyranny and the hired Hand (as Frank Tovey)
  • 1991: Grand Union (as Frank Tovey & The Pyros)
  • 1992: Worried Men in Second Hand Suits (as Frank Tovey & The Pyros)
  • 2001: The Best of Fad Gadget
  • 2006: Fad Gadget by Frank Tovey

Singles

  • 1979: Back to Nature
  • 1980: Ricky's Hand
  • 1980: Fireside Favorite
  • 1981: Make Room / Ladyshave
  • 1982: Saturday Night Special
  • 1982: King of the Flies
  • 1982: Life on the Line
  • 1983: For whom the Bells great
  • 1983: I Discover Love
  • 1984: Collapsing New People
  • 1984: One Man's Meat
  • 1985: Luxury (as Frank Tovey)
  • 1986: Luddite Joe (as Frank Tovey)
  • 1988: Bridge Street Shuffle (as Frank Tovey)
  • 1989: Sam Hall (as Frank Tovey)
  • 1991: The Liberty Tree (as Frank Tovey & The Pyros)
  • 1992: All that is mine (as Frank Tovey & The Pyros)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Tovey, Frank
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Tovey, Francis John (real name); Gadget, fad (pseudonym)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British musician
DATE OF BIRTH September 8, 1956
PLACE OF BIRTH London
DATE OF DEATH April 3, 2002
Place of death London