Photo by Sheila Rock
The Blitz Club aesthetic did not emerge from a vacuum. It was forged in the stark friction between punk’s dying embers and the pristine allure of the synthesizer.
More than just a band, VISAGE became the ultimate studio collective, drawing talents from the ranks of MAGAZINE and ULTRAVOX to create a blueprint for the decade to come. Formed in late 1978 as a direct reaction to the shortage of electronic dance music to play at The Blitz Club, after the demise of RICH KIDS, former members Midge Ure and Rusty Egan recruited The Blitz Club’s figurehead, Steve Strange, to front the project.
With studio time allocated to RICH KIDS left over, Strange, Ure and Egan cut a cover of Zager & Evans’ ‘In The Year 2525’ as one of several demos also including ‘The Dancer’. Although Ure and Egan were still contracted to EMI, the label turned VISAGE down. However, the demos soon caught the ear of producer Martin Rushent who conveniently kept an office directly above The Blitz Club. At the time working for the Warner Brothers subsidiary Radar Records who had found success with Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello, Rushent was intending to launch his own Genetic Records imprint.
Photo by Sheila Rock
With their primary bands on temporary hiatus, ULTRAVOX’s Billy Currie, along with MAGAZINE’s Dave Formula, John McGeoch and bassist Barry Adamson were swiftly co-opted. Convening at Rushent’s new studio in Reading, this synthesized super group began shaping an album. The first fruits of these sessions was ‘Tar’, released as a single on Genetic Records in the autumn of 1979. However, Warner Brothers short-sightedly pulled the plug on the label. It was a monumental miscalculation; Rushent had been in discussions with several acts said to have included JOY DIVISION and SPANDAU BALLET.
Despite the setback, the fallout from this period acted as a catalyst that would alter the career trajectory of those involved. Midge Ure joined Billy Currie in a re-launched ULTRAVOX and to pay for new equipment, Billy Currie accepted an offer to join Gary Numan’s live band on his first concert tour while Midge Ure headed stateside to fill in for an absent Gary Moore in THIN LIZZY. Meanwhile intrigued by the synthesizers that had entered his studio, Martin Rushent invested in a Roland MC-8 Micro-composer and a LinnDrum Computer.
Meanwhile, VISAGE was placed on ice until a new deal was brokered with Polydor Records via ULTRAVOX’s new management team, Morrison-O’Donnell who looked after THIN LIZZY. As all the other members were already signed to other labels, Steve Strange was the only signatory on the contract with Morrison-O’Donnell then filtering payments to each relevant individual.
During gaps in their day jobs, Ure and Currie continued to construct the VISAGE album, with Ure effectively taking the production helm. Needing one final track to complete the long-player, Currie brought in an instrumental called ‘Toot City’ which he had co-written with keyboardist Chris Payne that had been shaped during soundchecks on the Gary Numan tour. With Ure drafting lyrics and a melancholic melody line, the track was transformed into ‘Fade To Grey’; it would become an international smash and the 1981’s best-selling song in West Germany.
Photo by Sheila Rock
There are still very public arguments about how the royalties in VISAGE were split, but although he did not play on ‘Fade To Grey’ or a number of the other tracks like ‘Moon Over Moscow’, the late John McGeoch did very well out of his share of the eponymous VISAGE album; he confirmed in an interview before his death that he was able to buy a house while bandmate Howard Devoto recalled that in contrast to the less-financially fruitful MAGAZINE, “It enabled him to enjoy the finer things…”
Visually, Steve Strange conjured an exquisite mutation of Edwardian dandies and Weimar Cabaret but while others that came out of The Blitz Club like SPANDAU BALLET and CULTURE CLUB eventually achieved greater global commercial saturation, VISAGE truly encapsulated the New Romantic aesthetic in a sound that fused symphonic classical overtones with the electronic dance beat of Neu Europa.
Despite further hits including ‘Mind Of A Toy’, ‘Visage’, ‘The Damned Don’t Cry’ and ‘Night Train’, members gradually left over the first two albums ‘Visage’ and ‘The Anvil’ so by the appalling third album ‘Beat Boy’ in 1984, only Strange and Egan remained. Morrison-O’Donnell had also left but had renegotiated with Polydor for their charges Ure and Currie to be accounted for outside of the original Steve Strange signed VISAGE contract.
Years later, the VISAGE sound rippled through modern electronic pop. Kelly Osbourne’s ‘One Word’ in 2005 and Kylie Minogue’s ‘Like A Drug’ in 2007 stood as highly obvious, if not blatant, sonic pastiches of ‘Fade To Grey’. More recently, that particular evergreen has featured in advertisements for Gris Dior and Coco Crush.
VISAGE returned in 2013 with just Steve Strange remaining but he passed away suddenly in 2015. While there have been posthumous albums of VISAGE outtakes and reworkings since his death, there is known to be a solo album that he wrote and recorded with ‘Beat Boy’ bassist Steve Barnacle between 2013-2014 that remains unreleased.
VISAGE was a tree that grew, broke in places and sadly had branches that died. ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK presents a synthcentric guide to the extended axis of the ultimate New Romantic ensemble.
RICH KIDS Marching Men (1978)
Comprising of Midge Ure, Glen Matlock, Steve New and Rusty Egan, RICH KIDS had already the debuted the power-pop of ‘Rich Kids’. But ‘Marching Men’ was darker, acting as commentary on the new Nazis like The National Front. A vital catalyst for VISAGE, it was notable for Ure’s first use of his new Yamaha CS50; it featured in his 2024 tour as the song became relevant again with the normalisation of racist views by Reform UK.
Available on the RICH KIDS album ‘Ghosts Of Princes In Towers’ via EMI Music
ULTRAVOX Quiet Men – 12” version (1978)
With John Foxx still fronting ULTRAVOX, the band were on the cusp of a breakthrough working with Conny Plank on ‘Systems of Romance’. Tracks like ‘Quiet Men’ featured cutting electronic percussion from Warren Cann but the classically trained Billy Currie was taking on a greater role with his soaring ARP Odyssey solo acting as a sonic beacon. This was the kind of icy art pop with European electronic influences that could be integrated into the concept of VISAGE.
Available on the ULTRAVOX boxed set ‘The Island Years’ via Universal Music Group
VISAGE In The Year 2525 (1978 – released 1983)
Recorded during VISAGE’s first-ever studio session but shelved for years, this cover of the Zager & Evans’ one hit wonder was a total musical twist of the original’s acoustic folk bleakness with its transformation into a cold electronic pulsar. Steve Strange’s vocal delivery was appropriately detached with vocal backing by Ure whose effective synth arrangements were punctuated by Egan’s early synthetic percussion.
Available on the VISAGE album ‘The Face – The Best Of’ via Universal Music Group
https://www.therealvisage.com/
MAGAZINE Permafrost (1979)
The Howard Devoto-led MAGAZINE provided three members to the VISAGE line-up; guitarist / saxophonist John McGeoch, bassist Barry Adamson, and keyboardist Dave Formula. ‘Permafrost’ was the sinister closing track from ‘Secondhand Daylight’ which showcased Formula’s chilling atmospheric synth work, Adamson’s noir edge and McGeoch’s angular textures. This would provide VISAGE with some post-punk credibility.
Available on MAGAZINE album ‘Secondhand Daylight’ via Virgin Records
https://www.facebook.com/magazineofficial/
VISAGE Tar (1979)
A spiky critique of smoking, ’Tar’ was the first VISAGE single and released on Martin Rushent’s Genetic imprint through Radar Records. Dominated by John McGeoch’s bleating sax and Billy Currie’s cutting ARP Odyssey, Radar Records had funding pulled from its parent company Warners just as the single was released, stalling any potential it had. Tired of all the business hassles, Adamson would leave but return as a session player.
Available on VISAGE album ‘Visage’ via Universal Music Group
https://www.facebook.com/therealvisage
ULTRAVOX Sleepwalk (1980)
Ure accepted Currie’s invitation to join ULTRAVOX following the suggestion of Rusty Egan, thus solidifying a cross-pollination with VISAGE. ‘Sleepwalk’ was the first fruit of labour and a mighty opening salvo for the band’s new era. Again working with Conny Plank and with hints of KRAFTWERK throughout, it proved that synths could be aggressive and melodic all at once as ULTRAVOX entered the UK singles charts for the first time.
Available on ULTRAVOX album ‘Vienna’ via Chrysalis Records
MAGAZINE Sweetheart Contract (1980)
As the new line-up of ULTRAVOX charted, MAGAZINE regrouped to make their best album ‘The Correct Use Of Soap’ produced by Martin Hannett. While notable for ‘A Song Under The Floorboards’, another highlight was the jittery ‘Sweetheart Contract’. With Adamson’s bass acting as the heartbeat, Formula’s shimmering keyboard lines and McGeoch’s inventive guitar turned a tale of bureaucratic romance into a post-punk masterclass.
Available on MAGAZINE album ‘The Correct Use Of Soap’ via Virgin Records
VISAGE Fade To Grey (1980)
The absolute pinnacle of the New Romantic movement, ‘Fade To Grey’ was built on a mesmerizing Moog bassline for a tune composed by Chris Payne and supplemented by Billy Currie’s ARP Odyssey. With lyrics and topline later added by Ure, it was elevated by Brigitte Arendt’s spoken words en Français while the song built to a climax of cinematic grandeur.
Available on VISAGE album ‘Visage’ via Universal Music Group
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES Spellbound (1981)
Following his formal departure from MAGAZINE and VISAGE, John McGeoch joined SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES who despite being more guitar-oriented, had been popular on the dancefloor of The Blitz Club. ‘Spellbound’ was a tour de force of urgent acoustic and electric strumming and intense gothic imagery. But sadly McGeoch would later have a nervous breakdown and would depart in late 1982 for THE ARMOURY SHOW.
Available on SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES album ‘Juju’ via Universal Music
https://www.facebook.com/siouxsieandthebanshees/
MAGAZINE The Great Man’s Secrets (1981)
By MAGAZINE’s fourth album ‘Magic, Murder & The Weather’, John McGeoch had departed. On the art reggae of ‘The Great Man’s Secrets’, Barry Adamson’s inventive basslines remained an anchor while the mystery continued via Howard Devoto’s enigmatic vocal expression and Dave Formula’s expressive, swirling keyboard textures. The song’s artful structure and tense atmosphere reflected the strong musicianship contained within.
Available on MAGAZINE album ‘Magic, Murder & The Weather’ via Virgin Records
PHIL LYNOTT Yellow Pearl – Remix (1981)
German music formed a large part of the music at The Blitz Club and even Irish rocker Phil Lynott frequented it. ‘Yellow Pearl’ was a LA DÜSSELDORF inspired co-composition with Ure, while Rusty Egan later played drums on the remix which became the ‘Top Of The Pops’ theme. With ‘Yellow Pearl’ demonstrating how the VISAGE blueprint was penetrating the mainstream, it was almost forgotten that this was the frontman of THIN LIZZY!
Available on the THIN LIZZY album ‘Greatest Hits’ via Universal Music
http://www.thinlizzy.org/phil.html
VISAGE Again We Love (1982)
With the glorious ‘Again We Love’, every aspect of VISAGE’s collective talents clicked in unison, both vocally and instrumentally. From the dramatic start and the eerie atmospheric melancholy to the stupendous percussive climax and echoey fade, this was probably the song that got closest to recapturing the grandeur of ‘Fade To Grey’. Something of an almost forgotten jewel, Midge Ure performed it on his 2026 ‘A Man Of Two Worlds’ tour.
Available on VISAGE album ‘The Anvil’ via Cherry Pop
https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/lost-albums-visage-the-anvil/
MIDGE URE Mood Music (1982)
Taking a break from ULTRAVOX and have left VISAGE, Midge Ure hit the UK Top 10 with his cover of ‘No Regrets’; THE WALKER BROTHERS version has been played at The Blitz Club. On the B-side was the beautifully eerie instrumental ‘Mood Music’. Driven by a LinnDrum and stark piano notes before being joined by haunting gothic choirs in the chorus, the track conjured up images of abandoned theatres just as ‘Vienna’ had done.
Available on the MIDGE URE boxed set ‘The Gift’ via Chrysalis Records
VISAGE Pleasure Boys – Dance Mix (1982)
VISAGE were in a state of limbo following the departure of Midge Ure. But with John Luongo who had remixed ‘Night Train’ in a production association, although Billy Currie was absent, Steve Strange, Rusty Egan and Dave Formula plus new bassist Steve Barnacle explored New York electro. ‘Pleasure Boys’ was hard and aggressive with lyrics full of hedonism. But by now, the New Romantic audience had moved on.
Available on the VISAGE album ‘The Face – The Best Of’ via Universal Music
https://www.facebook.com/stevestrangecollective
RUSTY EGAN The Twilight Zone (1983)
Somewhat of a curio that was backed by Warner Brothers Records, Rusty Egan produced and arranged this cover of ‘The Twilight Zone’ with assistance from Fairlight programmer JJ Jeczalik of THE ART OF NOISE. While it was packed with a relentless electronic pulse, futuristic sound effects and orchestrated stabs, it lacked a tight arrangement. But turning a haunting jingle into an extended dance track was always going to be a challenge.
Available on the compilation album ‘Trevor Jackson Presents Metal Dance 2’ (V/A) via Strut
https://www.facebook.com/rustyegan/
VISAGE Love Glove (1984)
By the ‘Beat Boy’ album, the original collective had dissolved, leaving just Strange and Egan at the helm. Recruiting guitarist Andy Barnett, the resultant album was a collection of overlong turgid rock. Featuring saxophone by Gary Barnacle who had played on ‘Night Train’, the one saving grace was ‘Love Glove’. A pretty song which conversely featured metaphors about fisting, it harked back to the more cinematic songs on ‘The Anvil’.
Available on the VISAGE album ‘Beat Boy’ via Cherry Pop
https://www.discogs.com/artist/83503-Steve-Strange
STRANGE CRUISE Rebel Blue Rocker (1986)
Despite VISAGE imploding, Steve Strange still fancied himself as Billy Idol. So STRANGE CRUISE was set up for him to fully exploit a Trans-Atlantic pop-rock sound away from the New Romantic bubble he had been associated with, as exemplified by the single ‘Rebel Blue Rocker’. However, as with the ‘Beat Boy’ album, Strange’s voice was left vulnerable and exposed without Midge Ure’s production and coaching.
Originally on the STRANGE CRUISE album ‘Strange Cruise’ via EMI Records, currently unavailable
https://www.discogs.com/artist/108913-Strange-Cruise
BILLY CURRIE India (1988)
After the demise of ULTRAVOX, Billy Currie released his first solo album proper ‘Transportation’. One of its key tracks ‘India’ saw Currie collaborate with former SIMPLE MINDS bassist Derek Forbes. The instrumental track actually began life in 1986 for the aborted WORLD SERVICE side project but the end result was a satisfying energetic adventure that combined the musical signatures of ULTRAVOX and SIMPLE MINDS.
Originally on the BILLY CURRIE album ‘Transportation’ via No Speak, currently unavailable
STEVE STRANGE & VISAGE MARK 2 Diary Of A Madman (2007)
Steve Strange had been performing VISAGE songs on the Here & Now revival tours so he created a “Mark 2” version of VISAGE with Ross Tregenza, Sandrine Gouriou, Steven Young and Rosie Harris. The line-up produced by just song ‘Diary Of A Madman’ which was co-written with Tregenza and co-produced Dave Formula. Rawer than the lush cinematics of classic VISAGE, it was available as a digital download in return for donations to Children in Need.
Originally released as a download single in aid of Children In Need, re-recorded version available as ‘Diaries Of A Madman’ on the VISAGE album ‘Hearts & Knives’ via Blitz Club Records
DAVE FORMULA Elvis In Space (2010)
Continuing his ‘Sweetheart Contract’ if via satellite, ‘Satellite Sweetheart’ was perhaps unbelievably Dave Formula’s first solo album. Conceived around his childhood memory of seeing Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin at the Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers in Manchester, opener
‘Elvis In Space’ was a Latin jazz instrumental track in tribute to the first man in space with Formula in stellar form on organ and synth.
Available on the DAVE FORMULA album ‘Satellite Sweetheart’ via Wire Sound
https://www.facebook.com/daveformula
ULTRAVOX Live (2012)
The classic hit line-up of ULTRAVOX reunited in 2009 and things had gone well enough to record a new album ‘Brilliant’. An optimistic message of intent to be savoured, the opening song ‘Live’ was ‘Dancing With Tears In My Eyes’ without the imminent nuclear holocaust! The instrumental breakdown, which dropped to a magnificent pulsing sequence, piano and lone bass drum before the climax, was pure LA DÜSSELDORF.
Available on the ULTRAVOX album ‘Brilliant’ via Eden Recordings/EMI Records
https://www.facebook.com/UltravoxUK
VISAGE Shameless Fashion (2013)
While the ULTRAVOX reunion was in full swing, the VISAGE one kept stopping and starting with Rusty Egan eventually leaving due to creative differences. An album featuring a new line-up including Steve Barnacle, Robin Simon and vocalist Lauren Duvall was completed although much of it was underwhelming. It wasn’t all bad and ‘Shameless Fashion’ sounded like it could have been one of the better tracks off ‘Beat Boy’.
Available on the VISAGE album ‘Hearts & Knives’ via Blitz Club Records
https://therealvisage.bandcamp.com/
VISAGE Become (2015)
When Steve Strange and Rusty Egan were mooting a VISAGE reunion, Midge Ure had declined to take part but was persuaded by Egan to “loan” a song that could be worked on. That turned out to be ‘Become’ which would ultimately appear on Ure’s 2014 album ‘Fragile’. While the VISAGE version would not appear until the year after and was inferior, it highlighted more what could have been with this elegant piece of art pop.
Available on the VISAGE ‘Demons To Diamonds’ via Blitz Club Records
https://www.discogs.com/artist/3479-Visage
STEVEN JONES & LOGAN SKY featuring STEVE STRANGE Corrupt State (2017)
Recorded shortly before his tragic passing, this collaboration paired Steve Strange with latter day VISAGE keyboard player Logan Sky and singer Steven Jones. From the album of the same name, ‘Corrupt State’ was a moody minimal synth track with a biting political edge. Delivered over haunting layers of Pan-European electronic textures, Strange’s vocals came over stark and desolate in contrast to the mannered tones of fellow Welshman Jones,
Available on the STEVEN JONES & LOGAN SKY album ‘Corrupt State’ via Etrangers Musique
https://etrangersmusique.bandcamp.com/album/corrupt-state-feat-steve-strange
MIDGE URE & RUSTY EGAN Glorious – Single mix (2019)
Initially a sketch co-written with Chris Payne for what became Rusty Egan’s ‘Welcome To The Dancefloor’ project, as with ‘Fade To Grey’, Midge Ure added lyrics and a topline to ‘Glorious’, bringing the VISAGE story full circle. Remixed for his ‘Soundtrack 1978 – 2019’ collection, the track was polished up and given space for Ure’s vocals to soar. Despite the decades that had passed, the spirit of The Blitz Club remained as vital as ever.
Available on the MIDGE URE boxed set ‘Soundtrack 1978 – 2019’ via Chrysalis Records
https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/midge-ure-chats-about-glorious/
In Memory of Steve Strange (1959 – 2015) and John McGeoch (1955 – 2004)
The Spotify playlist ‘Pour Ma VISAGE’ can be listened to at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0f3NmbLiLrm9eSe27fYu9C
Text by Chi Ming Lai
27th July 2026
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