Fade to Grey

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"Fade to Grey"
Single by Visage
from the album Visage
B-side(s)	"The Steps"
Released	November 10, 1980
Format	7" single, 12" single
Recorded	Genetic Sound Studios, 1980
Genre	New Romantic
Length	03:47 (Single edit)
Label	Polydor
Writer(s)	B. Currie/C. Payne/M. Ure
Producer(s)	Midge Ure Visage
Chart positions
#6 (UK) #1 (GER)
Visage singles chronology
"Tar" (1979)	"Fade to Grey" (1980)	"Mind Of A Toy" (1981)

"Fade to Grey (Bassheads mix)"
Single by Visage
Released	August 16, 1993
Format	12", 2x12", CD 5"
Recorded	Genetic Sound Studios, 1980
Genre	Techno
Length	03:22 (Single edit)
Label	Polydor
Producer(s)	Midge Ure Visage
Chart positions
#39 (UK)
Visage singles chronology
"Beat Boy" (1984)	"Fade to Grey (Bassheads mix)" (1993)

"Fade to Grey (Kama mix)"
Single by Datura
Released	1994
Format	CD 5"
Recorded	?
Genre	Techno
Length	03:40 (Single edit)
Label	XYZ Music

Fade to Grey is Visage's most successful single and considered as the most representative song of the New Romantic scene. This song was recorded in Genetic Sound Studios and released as a single on Polygram Records on November 10, 1980. It became a huge dancefloor hit and entered the singles charts in early 1981.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Visage version's personnel 2 The Datura version 3 Fade to Grey and One Word 4 Track listing 4.1 Visage single 4.2 Visage 1993 Mixes 4.3 Datura version 5 References

[edit] History

The song's structure was primarily composed by Billy Currie and Christopher Payne. While setting the tracklisting of the Visage album, Midge Ure composed the song's lyics after Billy Currie suggested the use of the melody for the album. Steve Strange had singing lessons with Ure in order to maintain himself in tune and be recorded. Gary Numan commented in interview for the Numan Digest [1]: "As far as I'm concerned Chris and Billy were the driving force behind writing 'Fade to Grey'. They used to work on it during the sound checks on my '79 tour. Cedric [Sharpley - drummer of the Gary Numan's backing band] was also heavily involved. In those days it was called 'Toot City'". This song represented Visage's best moment in terms of popularity and sales.

Regarding the meaning of the lyrics, Steve Strange gave an explanation in an interview on Bravo magazine [2]: "Not long ago I have been in Berlin and I looked over "the wall" to East Berlin [...] a tristess overview. Everything appeared being grey for me, weird, threatening– the barbed wire, the Vopos. And then I saw an old, tired man moving with a stick. Tired, disappointed of life. And there in mind the picture of Fade to Grey came to me: getting into grey, in the old age, sinking into nothing. This mood should the song tell about." It should be noted that the song's lyrics were not written by Strange.

A remix by Bassheads/Andy Stevenson was released in 1993 to promote the "Best of Visage" compilation, becoming a modest Top 40 hit. Several other artists have made their own versions of this song.

[edit] Visage version's personnel

• Steve Strange (vocals)
• Brigitte/Bernadette/Ali (French vocals)
• Midge Ure (backing vocals)
• Billy Currie (synthesizer, electric violin)
• Christopher Payne (synthesizer, viola)
• Cedric Sharpley (drums, electronic drums programming)
• Rusty Egan (backing vocals)

[edit] The Datura version

The Italian electronic group Datura made what is considered by many Visage fans as the most unique version of Fade to Grey because it is the only cover version that instead of using the original 1980 vocal track, recorded Steve Strange singing the lyrics specifically for the version. This single is very hard-to-find.

[edit] Fade to Grey and One Word

In 2005, a copyright dispute arose over similarities between Fade to Grey and the Kelly Osbourne single, One Word. Billy Currie accused One Word writer Linda Perry of copyright abuse and had conversations with Midge Ure and Christopher Payne to seek legal actions; but the issue was resolved after Perry agreed to pay them royalties for each copy of the single sold. Visage's second incarnation has promised to release a One Word remix, but this has not materialised so far.

Ironically, Italian pop star Tiziano Ferro had a hit in Italy in 2006 with Stop! Dimentica, a song which is basically an unauthorized Italian version of the Kelly Osbourne single.

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Visage single

12" version:

1. "Fade to Grey" (Extended dance mix) – 6:14
2. "The Steps" – 3:14

[edit] Visage 1993 Mixes

1. Fade to Grey (Bassheads 7" edit) – 3:22 (remixed by Bassheads aka Desa/Nick) & Andy Stevenson
2. Fade to Grey (7" remix) – 3:37 [remixed by Tim Wedge/Daryl Stickley]
3. Fade to Grey (original 7" mix) – 3:49
4. Fade to Grey (Bassheads 12" Dub) – 7:35 (remixed by Bassheads aka Desa/Nick)
5. Fade to Grey (Bassheads 12" Trance) – 7:28 (remixed by Bassheads aka Desa/Nick) & Dave Ralph
6. Fade to Grey (Subliminal Mix) – 5:16 [remixed by Tim Wedge/Daryl Stickley]
7. Fade to Grey (Wild Cat Mix) – 7:48 [remixed by Tim Wedge/Daryl Stickley]

[edit] Datura version

1. Fade to Grey (Kama Edit) – 3:40
2. Fade to Grey (Kama) – 4:40
3. Fade to Grey (Lila Instrumental) – 4:26
4. Eternity (Datura's Seed) – 4:30
5. Eternity (Datura's Leaf) – 4:44

[edit] References

• Numan Digest, December 1995
• Fansite with Bravo magazine's quote
• Information on Datura's version of 'Fade to Grey'

Visage
Steve Strange | Midge Ure | Rusty Egan Billy Currie | Dave Formula | Barry Adamson | Steven Young | Sandrine Gouriou | Rosie Harris | Ross Tregenza
Visage discography
Studio albums and extended plays: Visage | The Anvil | Beat Boy
Compilations: The Best of Visage | Master Series | The Damned Don't Cry
Singles: Tar | Fade to Grey | Mind Of A Toy | Visage | The Damned Don't Cry | Night Train | Pleasure Boys | Love Glove | Beat Boy
Related articles
Ultravox | Magazine
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Noisia the Drum and Bass trio have also recently released another remix of "Fade to Grey" which can be found in all specialist dance music shops and websites alike. I have no idea what its release date was.