Fade to Grey (Visage song)#Cover versions

Image:Visage-FadeToGreyOrchestral.jpg "Fade to Grey" was originally written as an instrumental by Billy Currie and Chris Payne. Payne came up with the bassline and the chords while Currie added the other parts.{{cite AV media|first= Christopher |last= Payne |title= Visage 'Fade to Grey' explained. |date= 1 September 2019 |medium= video |via= YouTube |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmF_jeokUX8 |archive-url= https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/AmF_jeokUX8 |archive-date= 21 December 2021 |url-status= live}} {{cbignore}} They worked on it during soundchecks on Gary Numan's 1979 tour. Cedric Sharpley, the drummer of Numan's backing band, was also heavily involved.{{cite web|title= Confession – December 1995 |website= Webb.garynuman.info |access-date= 5 January 2012 |url= http://webb.garynuman.info/confession/9512.html}} In those days it was called "Toot City". Initially considered to be released as a Billy Currie and Chris Payne single, the track eventually became part of the Visage project. While setting the track listing of the Visage album, Midge Ure suggested the use of the melody{{cite video|title= Midge Ure talks about Fade to Grey |date= 14 January 2007 |access-date= 16 February 2008 |via= YouTube |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCBLuHmDfu4 |archive-date= 21 December 2021 |archive-url= https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/KCBLuHmDfu4 |url-status= live}} {{cbignore}} and wrote the song's lyrics.{{sfn|Ure|2014|p=77}}

"Fade to Grey" was Visage's second single, but their first release on a major label, Polydor. It was released in 1980, on the same day as the band's debut album, Visage. "Fade to Grey" charted around Europe in late 1980/early 1981, becoming a Top 10 hit in the UK, a Top 5 hit in five countries, and no. 1 in West Germany and Switzerland. The song is sung in English and spoken in French.

A remix by Bassheads/Andy Stevenson was released in 1993 to promote the Fade to Grey – The Best of Visage compilation (an updated re-release of 1983's Fade to Grey – The Singles Collection). The new version became a modest Top 40 hit in the UK, peaking at no. 39.

In 2008, Steve Strange appeared on the BBC series Ashes to Ashes performing the song in the Blitz nightclub.

In 2014, Visage released "Fade to Grey (Orchestral)", a new version of the song re-recorded with a symphony orchestra. This followed the band's appearance at the 2014 World Ski Jumping Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, where they played a ten-song set backed by the Czech Synthosymphonica Orchestra. The band also released an album, Orchestral, which featured several classic Visage songs rerecorded with the orchestra.

Steve Strange and Midge Ure both claimed to have been the one who came up with the idea for the French vocal in the track.{{sfn|Strange|2002|p=66}} On the finished track, the French vocal was performed by Brigitte Arendt, a young student from Luxembourg who was Rusty Egan's girlfriend at the time.{{sfn|Ure|2014|p=78}} On the single and album, the song is credited to Billy Currie, Chris Payne and Midge Ure.{{cite web|first= Dan |last= LeRoy |title= Visage – Visage |publisher= AllMusic |access-date= 26 March 2016 |url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/visage-mw0000196220}} In his 2002 autobiography, Strange said it was not fair to credit the song to Ure, Currie and Payne only, since his input was significant and he was "the focal point of the group".{{sfn|Strange|2002|p=66}}

Visage's first music video was for this song, and was directed by Godley & Creme.{{cite web |title= Visage |publisher= Mvdbase.com |access-date= 25 September 2012 |url= http://www.mvdbase.com/artist.php?last=Visage&first= |archive-date= 3 June 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120603200448/http://www.mvdbase.com/artist.php?last=Visage&first= |url-status= dead }} Appearing with Steve Strange in the video was his friend Julia Fodor, who mimed the French lyrics in the video.{{sfn|Strange|2002|p=65}}{{cite video|title= Visage – Fade to Grey |via= YouTube |date= 13 May 2010 |access-date= 10 October 2012 |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMPC8QJF6sI |url-status= live |archive-date= 21 December 2021 |archive-url= https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/UMPC8QJF6sI}} {{cbignore}} The clip was included on band's 1986 video release, Visage.

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• 7" single (1980){{cite web|title= Visage – Fade to Grey (Vinyl) |year= 1981 |publisher= Discogs |access-date= 4 October 2012 |url= http://www.discogs.com/Visage-Fade-To-Grey/release/248175}}

:A. "Fade to Grey" – 3:50

:B. "The Steps" – 3:13

• 12" single (1980){{cite web|title= Visage – Fade to Grey / The Steps (Vinyl) |year= 1980 |publisher= Discogs |access-date= 4 October 2012 |url= http://www.discogs.com/Visage-Fade-To-Grey-The-Steps/release/33498}}

:A. "Fade to Grey" – 3.50 (UK release) 6:17 (German release only){{cite web | url=https://www.discogs.com/release/133068-Visage-Fade-To-Grey | title=Visage - Fade to Grey | website=Discogs | date=10 November 1980 }}

:B. "The Steps" – 3:13

• 12" single (1993){{cite web|title= Visage – Fade to Grey (Bassheads 93 Remix) (Vinyl) |year= 1993 |publisher= Discogs |access-date= 4 October 2012 |url= http://www.discogs.com/Visage-Fade-To-Grey-Bassheads-93-Remix/release/55825}}

:A1. "Fade to Grey" (Bassheads Vocal Mix) – 7:11

:A2. "Fade to Grey" (Bassheads Dub Mix) – 7:35

:A3. "Fade to Grey" (Bassheads Trance Mix) – 7:28

:B1. "Fade to Grey" (Original Mix) – 3:51

:B2. "Fade to Grey" (Subliminal Mix) – 5:16

:B3. "Fade to Grey" (12" Mix) – 8:06

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• CD maxi-single (1993){{cite web|title= Visage – Fade to Grey (Bassheads '93 Remix) (CD) |year= 1993 |publisher= Discogs |access-date= 4 October 2012 |url= http://www.discogs.com/Visage-Fade-To-Grey-Bassheads-93-Remix/release/205982}}

1. "Fade to Grey" (Bassheads 7" Edit) – 3:22
2. "Fade to Grey" (7" Remix) – 3:37
3. "Fade to Grey" (Original 7" Mix) – 3:51
4. "Fade to Grey" (Wild Cat Mix) – 7:48

• Orchestral version (2014)

1. Fade to Grey (Orchestral Version)
2. Fade to Grey (Main Version)
3. Fade to Grey (Extended Version)
4. Fade to Grey (Extended Instrumental)
5. Fade to Grey (Orchestral Instrumental)
6. Fade to Grey (Orchestral Radio Version)
7. Fade to Grey (Orcapella)

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=single|artist=Visage|title=Fade To Grey|award=Gold|relyear=1980|certyear=1980|source=infodisc}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|type=single|artist=Visage|title=Fade To Gray|award=Gold|relyear=1981|certyear=1981}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Visage|title=Fade To Grey|award=Silver|relyear=1980|certyear=1981|id=2190-1706-1}}

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German DJ Mark 'Oh covered "Fade to Grey" in 1996. His version reached no. 11 in Germany and was a Top 40 hit in Switzerland, Austria, Finland and the Netherlands.

In 1994, the Italian electronic group Datura made a version of "Fade to Grey" with a re-recorded vocal track by Steve Strange singing lyrics specifically for this version. The single peaked at no. 5 in the Italian singles chart.{{cite web|title= HitParadeItalia – Top20 del 12 Febbraio 1994 |publisher= Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons |access-date= 26 June 2009 |url= http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_weeks/94/hp940212.htm |language= it}}

Italian doom/gothic metal band Monumentum released a version on their "In Absentia Christi" album in 1995.{{cite web|title= Monumentum – In Absentia Christi – Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives|access-date= 16 June 2023 |url= https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Monumentum/In_Absentia_Christi/35392}} It features the vocals of Francesca Nicoli (Ataraxia).

German metal band Atrocity released a version on their cover album Werk 80 II in 2008. It features the vocals of Jensara Swann (The Veil).{{cite web|title= Atrocity – Werk 80 II – Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives|access-date= 16 June 2023 |url= https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Atrocity/Werk_80_II/546801}}

Some fans have noted the likeness in Kelly Osbourne’s one-hit-wonder dance track One Word which was a club chart topper in 2005 unexpectedly hitting #1. “One Word” was written by Linda Perry.https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858541053/

• In the official U2 autobiography, U2 by U2, Bono claims that Adam Clayton was trying to work out how to play the bassline of "Fade to Grey" and his attempt became "New Year's Day", U2's first Top 10 single.{{cite news|first= Barry |last= Egan |title= Achtung baby, Adam is the proud father of a little boy |newspaper= Sunday Independent |date= 16 January 2011 |access-date= 19 June 2011 |url= http://www.independent.ie/national-news/achtung-baby-adam-is-the-proud-father-of-a-little-boy-2498063.html}}
• French DJ Vitalic depicts the song as "incredible" and "is an influence you can hear in my [his] music" in an interview for greenroom.fr{{cite web|first= Olivier |last= Pernot |title= Les plaisirs rétro de Vitalic |website= Greenroom |date= 13 December 2016 |access-date= 19 June 2017 |url= http://www.greenroom.fr/113630-les-plaisirs-retro-de-vitalic/ |language= fr}}

• List of number-one hits of 1981 (Germany)
• List of number-one singles of the 1980s (Switzerland)

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• {{cite book|first=Steve|last=Strange|author-link=Steve Strange|title=Blitzed! The Autobiography of Steve Strange|year=2002|publisher=Orion Publishing Group|location=London|isbn=0-75284-936-0}}
• {{cite book|first=Midge|last=Ure|author-link=Midge Ure|title=If I Was...|year=2014|publisher=Virgin Books|isbn=9781852271442}}

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Category:1980 songs

Category:1980 singles

Category:1981 singles

Category:1993 singles

Category:1994 singles

Category:1996 singles

Category:Franglais songs

Category:Music videos directed by Godley and Creme

Category:Number-one singles in Germany

Category:Number-one singles in Switzerland

Category:Polydor Records singles

Category:Songs written by Billy Currie

Category:Songs written by Midge Ure

Category:Visage (band) songs