Dave Formula (born David Tomlinson 11 August 1946,

Whalley Range, Manchester Whalley Range is an area of Manchester, England, about southwest of the city centre. The population at the 2011 census was 15,430. Historically in Lancashire, it was one of the earliest of the city's suburbs, built by local businessman Samuel ...

, England), is an English keyboardist and film-soundtrack composer from

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

, who played with the

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-r ...

bands Magazine and

Visage Visage may refer to: *A synonym of face *Visage Mobile, an American software as a service company *Visage, Georgia, a community in the United States * ''Visage'' (film), also known as ''Face'', a 2009 French film * ''Visage'' (video game), a surv ...

during the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s and in the "world music" band The Angel Brothers.

Biography

Early Years and St. Louis Union

He lived his early youth in Whalley Range, Manchester. He worked under the name of David Tomlinson and achieved some success back in the mid-sixties with the R&B blues/

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '':wikt:soul, soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The ea ...

band St. Louis Union, including appearances on ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...

'' and in the film ''

The Ghost Goes Gear ''The Ghost Goes Gear'' is a 1966 British musical film, musical comedy film directed by Hugh Gladwish and starring the Spencer Davis Group, Sheila White (actress), Sheila White and Nicholas Parsons. Plot A music group go to stay at the childhoo ...

'' (also featuring the Spencer Davis Group); at the time he formed the group, he was working as an apprentice television engineer. Later he was a cabaret musician and before joining Magazine, he shared a flat with record producer Martin Hannett.

Magazine

Formula was a member of Magazine, joining in 1978 after the departure of Bob Dickinson and the release of their debut single " Shot By Both Sides", until the band's breakup in 1981. His multi-layered keyboard sounds, made with equipment such as the Yamaha CP70 electric grand piano,

Hammond B-3 The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...

, an ARP Odyssey, a Yamaha SS30 string synth and on later albums a Prophet 5, were a defining part of the band. Magazine reformed in February 2009 with Formula returning to play keyboards.

Visage

Formula joined New Romantic ensemble

with Magazine's John McGeoch and Barry Adamson in 1978; he played on their first two albums, ''

'' and '' The Anvil''. He left the group in 1983 after having some differences with drummer Rusty Egan regarding the musical style of their third album.

Ludus

Formula was a performing and songwriting member of Ludus in 1982 and remained for at least five years.

The Angel Brothers

Whilst lecturing in popular music, Formula met up with Keith Angel, Dave Angel & Andy Seward which eventually led to him joining the "world music" band The Angel Brothers in 2003, playing on their two critically acclaimed albums ''Punjab To Pit Top'' and ''Forbidden Fruit''.

Design For Living

After his stint with Magazine, he formed part of a band called Design For Living.

Solo album

In January 2007 Formula began working on a solo album. Recording has been at his own Red Bird Studios. Entitled ''Satellite Sweetheart'', it features over 30 guest musicians. The list includes almost all the members of Magazine –

Howard Devoto Howard Devoto (born Howard Andrew Trafford, 15 March 1952) is a retired English singer and songwriter, who began his career as the frontman for punk rock band Buzzcocks, but then left to form Magazine, one of the first post-punk bands. After ...

, Barry Adamson, John Doyle, John McGeoch (posthumously) and Robin Simon - as well singer/ songwriter

Robert Wyatt Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945) is a retired English musician. A founding member of the influential Canterbury scene bands Soft Machine and Matching Mole, he was initially a kit drummer and singer before becoming p ...

, Swing Out Sister's Corrine Drury, Dennis Rollins and Joel Purnell. The release was delayed due to Magazine's 2009 activity and the album was released in February 2010 on Wire Sound. A video of the collaboration with Howard Devoto; "Via Sacra" is on YouTube

Discography

* ''Satellite Sweetheart'' album (release February 2010)

References

External links

Dave Formula's new recording studio, The Sweet Factory

Dave Formula on Facebook

Dave Formula & The Finks on Facebook

Dave Formula's site on MySpace

wire-sound – Dave Formula
Official blog-web site

Dave Formula Photograph 2009 *

AllMusic Guide profile AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the datab ...

PunkNet '77 entry for Magazine
*

AllMusic entry for Magazine AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

TrouserPress entry for Magazine

{{DEFAULTSORT:Formula, Dave Musicians from Manchester English composers English keyboardists English new wave musicians Magazine (band) members British post-punk musicians People from Whalley Range Living people 1946 births Visage (band) members