| Fiat Lux | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Wakefield, Yorkshire, England |
| Genres | Synthpop New Wave |
| Years active | 1982–1985 |
| Labels | Cocteau, Polydor |
| Associated acts | Juveniles, Be-Bop Deluxe, Red Noise, Bill Nelson, Camera Obscura, Hoi Poloi, Durbervilles |
| Past members | |
| Steve Wright (Sebastian Barbaro) David P Crickmore Ian Nelson Steve Smith Ray Martinez |
|
Fiat Lux was an English synthpop band formed in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England, in 1982, by Steve Wright (vocals) and David P Crickmore (guitars, bass, keyboards). Ian Nelson (sax, keyboards), younger brother of Be-Bop Deluxe guitarist and lead vocalist Bill Nelson, joined shortly afterwards, complementing the classic line-up of the band, who remained until the mid 1980s, when Crickmore departed.
Contents |
Wright and Crickmore attended Bretton Hall College, Wakefield, where they studied drama, meeting after the first joined the latter's New Wave band, Juveniles (whose two songs were released in a various artists compilation called Household Shocks). After graduating, Wright joined a theatre company called the Yorkshire Actors where he met musician Bill Nelson, the former guitarist of Be-Bop Deluxe. Wright gave Nelson a demo tape he and Crickmore had recorded. Impressed with their music, Nelson produced and arranged one of the demo's tracks, "Feels Like Winter Again," b/w "This Illness" and released it on his label Cocteau Records. In April 1982, Bill Nelson's brother Ian Nelson was added to Fiat Lux's lineup. They named themselves Fiat Lux, which is the Latin translation for the Biblical quotation "Let There Be Light." "Feels Like Winter Again" was the first of Fiat Lux's radio successes. This led to them signing a record deal with major label Polydor. At this point Hugh Jones was brought in as their record producer,[1] In 1984, the haunting ballad "Secrets" drew comparisons to Depeche Mode's moody synth-pop; it became Fiat Lux's most well-known song. Fiat Lux's utilization of cello in "Secrets" broadened synth-pop's stylistic range. The track was played regularly on Annie Nightingale's Radio 1 Sunday night request show. However, Fiat Lux's debut album was never released. The group's output was limited to several singles for Polydor and a series of TV appearances including Old Grey Whistle Test. There was also a long format video release "Commercial Breakdown", which included live versions of the shelved Polydor album tracks.,[2]
Crickmore departed after the chart failure of their fifth Polydor single release,[3][4] and the band continued recording some songs with a colourful array of top session musicians, before disbanding in 1985.
Wright joined Camera Obscura, replacing Nigel James,[5] and formed Hoi Poloi, another short-lived pop group. He then abandoned the pop world to become a TV director. Crickmore dedicated to more experimental projects through the remaining 1980s, culminating in an album on London Indie Yellow Moon records "Lettuce Spay" under the name This. In the 1990s he rediscovered his love of folk and roots music and became a founder member of The Durbervilles ,.[6] From 2005 The Durbevilles became radio presenters with a weekly folk and roots show on BBC Radio Leeds ,[7] Ian Nelson continued to work with his brother Bill, joining the line-up of Be-Bop Deluxe, in the early 1990s; he died in his sleep on 23 April 2006.[8]