Frank Tovey
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Francis John Tovey (8 September 1956 – 3 April 2002), known also by his stage name Fad Gadget, was a British
avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...
musician and vocalist. He was a proponent of both new wave and early industrial music, fusing pop-structured songs with mechanised experimentation. As Fad Gadget, his music was characterised by the use of synthesizers in conjunction with sounds of
found object A found object (a calque from the French ''objet trouvé''), or found art, is art created from undisguised, but often modified, items or products that are not normally considered materials from which art is made, often because they already hav ...
s, including drills and electric
razor A razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the removal of body hair through the act of shaving. Kinds of razors include straight razors, safety razors, disposable razors, and electric razors. While the razor has been in existence since be ...
s. His bleak, sarcastic and darkly humorous lyrics were filled with biting social commentary toward subjects such as machinery, industrialisation,
consumerism Consumerism is a socio-cultural and economic phenomenon that is typical of industrialized societies. It is characterized by the continuous acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing quantities. In contemporary consumer society, the ...
, human sexuality, mass media, religion, domestic violence and dehumanization, often sung in a deadpan voice.


Early years

As a child, Frank Tovey lived in Bow. His father, Frank Tovey, Sr. was a porter in
Billingsgate Fish Market Billingsgate Fish Market is the United Kingdom's largest inland fish market. It takes its name from Billingsgate, a ward in the south-east corner of the City of London, where the riverside market was originally established. In its original locati ...
. At school, Francis tried to learn many different musical instruments. He realised he did not have the co-ordination to be able to play any of them really well. Tovey drifted away from the idea of playing music, and began getting involved in other art forms instead. He later studied visual arts and mime at Leeds Polytechnic. He felt the need to give his mime act some sort of musical accompaniment so he went back to the idea of recording music. The initial musical pieces were formed of sound manipulation using tape recorders. Tovey began experimenting using an old
Grundig Grundig ( , , ) is a Turkish home appliances and consumer electronics brand. It is owned by Arçelik A.Ş., the white goods (major appliance) manufacturer of Turkish conglomerate Koç Holding. Originally a German consumer electronics comp ...
tape recorder. He disconnected the erase head from the playback head and installed a simple switch between the two. This gave him control over what sounds could be erased or kept. He spent a lot of time building up sound collages using this method. After finishing full-time education Tovey began working at various jobs and around the mid seventies managed to set up his own home studio. At the time he was living in London, in a small house. The only space where he could set up his studio was in a cupboard. The initial equipment he used consisted mainly of his Grundig tape recorder. At this time he was using no musical instrument at all. The first keyboard instrument he owned was a
Crumar Crumar is an Italian manufacturer of electronic musical instruments. It was established by Mario Crucianelli in the late 1960s, and manufactured synthesizers and keyboards during the '70s and '80s. Its name is a portmanteau of "Cruci ...
Compac electric piano. He also bought a
Korg , founded as Keio Electronic Laboratories, is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instrument An electronic musical instrument or electrophone is a musical instrument that produces sound using electr ...
Minipops drum machine from a home organ shop. He eventually decided to purchase a Korg synthesiser. He thought that due to his lack of musical ability he would be able to create some impressive sounds. After the purchase of this equipment he began writing music seriously; it was at this time he sent a demo tape of "Back to Nature" to Daniel Miller, who had just released his first single as
The Normal The Normal is the recording artist name used by English music producer Daniel Miller, a film editor at the time, who is best known as the founder of the record label Mute Records. Background In 1977, Miller had split up with his girlfriend. ...
.


Signing to Mute Records

Frank Tovey signed as Fad Gadget to Daniel Miller's
Mute Records Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller (music producer), Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure (duo), Erasure, Einstürze ...
. He was the first artist to sign to Mute. "Back to Nature" was recorded as the second
Mute Records Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller (music producer), Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure (duo), Erasure, Einstürze ...
release at RMS Studio in London. At the time RMS was an eight track studio. Gadget had no real experience of recording within a studio environment, so he left most of the decision making to Daniel Miller. Most of the recorded instruments on "Back to Nature" belonged to Tovey, although he used equipment belonging to Miller as well; this included an
ARP 2600 The ARP 2600 is a subtractive synthesizer first produced by ARP Instruments in 1971. History Developed by a design team headed by ARP namesake Alan R. Pearlman and engineer Dennis Colin, the ARP 2600 was introduced in 1971 as the successor to ...
synthesiser. "Back to Nature" was a great success for Mute Records so a follow-up record was produced; the follow-up was titled "
Ricky's Hand "Ricky's Hand" is a song by Fad Gadget, released as a single in 1980. It was the second Fad Gadget single, following "Back to Nature" the previous year. The track was not included on any studio album, predating a debut LP by several months, but d ...
". The recording included Gadget's wife, Barbara, singing a vocal part near the end of the recording; the vocal part is then mixed with a synthesiser part into the outro of the song. Fad Gadget then went on to record an album for Mute Records. ''Fireside Favourites'' was recorded at
Blackwing Studios Blackwing Studios was an English recording studio in South East (London sub region), south-east London most notable for early 1980s recording by Depeche Mode and Yazoo (band), Yazoo. Background The Blackwing Studios complex was housed inside a d ...
in London. He decided to record the album without Daniel Miller's assistance. Gadget felt it was important that he made all the decisions about recording the album himself. Gadget also felt the ideas and concepts behind his live performances were just as important. His live appearances progressed to dressing in theatrical costumes, reflecting back to his days studying visual arts, and he quickly became known for his confrontational stage antics. Some of these included covering himself in tar and feathers, swinging his microphone like a whip, leaping backwards into the audience, dancing across bar tables while kicking over people's drinks, climbing up speakers, hanging from ceiling fixtures, pulling out his body hair and playing instruments with his head, often ending up in personal injury. Gadget was particularly infamous for spreading
shaving cream Shaving cream or shave cream is a category of cream cosmetics used for shaving preparation. The purpose of shaving cream is to soften the hair by providing lubrication. Different types of shaving creams include aerosol shaving cream (also kn ...
on his naked body onstage, an image of which is depicted on the cover of ''The Best of Fad Gadget''. '' Sounds'' magazine described him as "...the bumbling but talented Dr Who of electro-pop". In 1981 Gadget released another one-off single on
Mute Records Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller (music producer), Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure (duo), Erasure, Einstürze ...
, "Make Room", featuring the b-side "Lady Shave", which went on to become "one of his most iconic tracks".


Recording

Fad Gadget recorded two more albums for
Mute Records Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller (music producer), Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure (duo), Erasure, Einstürze ...
at
Blackwing Studios Blackwing Studios was an English recording studio in South East (London sub region), south-east London most notable for early 1980s recording by Depeche Mode and Yazoo (band), Yazoo. Background The Blackwing Studios complex was housed inside a d ...
which was using more complex recording equipment. '' Incontinent'' and '' Under the Flag'' showed a progressive change in Gadget's music; due both to the technological advances and his own growing knowledge of recording techniques. It was during the recording of ''Under the Flag'' that he began using the
Roland MC-4 Microcomposer The Roland MC-4 MicroComposer was an early microprocessor-based music sequencer released by Roland Corporation. It could be programmed using the ten key numeric keyboard or a synthesizer keyboard using the keyboard's control voltage and gate outp ...
. This made it easy for Tovey to create a more controlled style of music. This style was carried on with the recording of the album ''
Gag A gag (Grow a Garden) is usually an item or device designed to prevent speech, often as a restraint device to stop the subject from calling for help and keep its wearer silent. This is usually done by blocking the mouth, partially or completely ...
''. The recording of ''Gag'' was a turning point in Gadget's recording career. It would be the first time he used a band of musicians to record an album; before he had recorded most of the musical parts himself. It would also see a major change in the recording location from London to
Hansa Tonstudio Hansa Tonstudio is a recording studio located in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin, Germany. The studio, famous for its Meistersaal recording hall, is situated approximately 150 metres from the former Berlin Wall, giving rise to its former nickna ...
in Berlin. He had wanted a break from the way he had been recording in London. The acoustic spaces in the German studio had excited Gadget. He was also excited about the recording equipment that was installed at Hansa at that time, including the computer controlled mixing desk. He found the new recording practices refreshing, having other people collaborating in the writing and recording process. Some of these collaborators included the viola player, Joni Sackett, and keyboard player, David Simmonds. The recordings included many acoustic instruments, which veered away from the electronic instruments which had been used on previous recording sessions. Fad Gadget had used synthesisers when they were not fashionable to use – he had now moved away from electronic instrumentation when it was the current trend with other recording artists. During the recording of ''Gag'' the German industrial band,
Einstürzende Neubauten (, 'Collapsing New Buildings') is a German experimental music group, formed in West Berlin in 1980. The band currently comprises founding members Blixa Bargeld (lead vocals, guitar, keyboard) and N.U. Unruh (custom-made instruments, percussion, ...
, were recording for Some Bizzare Records at Hansa and had been the support act for Fad Gadget at a gig at "The Loft" venue in Berlin. Frank liked their use of industrial equipment and found objects, something he had encouraged Nick Cash (his drummer and percussionist since his first album) to do. Fad Gadget heard a large printing press nearby which had a distinctive rhythm and got Gareth Jones, the co-producer/engineer, to record it. The recording was looped and became the basis for "Collapsing New People." (
Einstürzende Neubauten (, 'Collapsing New Buildings') is a German experimental music group, formed in West Berlin in 1980. The band currently comprises founding members Blixa Bargeld (lead vocals, guitar, keyboard) and N.U. Unruh (custom-made instruments, percussion, ...
translated means, "collapsing new buildings.") The sample was used firstly on two tracks on Fad Gadget's "Collapsing New People" 12" released November 1983. All these recordings were engineered by Gareth Jones and the sample used was stored on his Akai sampler with Cash drumming along and keeping the swing of the machine. Gadget then thought it would be good to ask Neubauten if they would add some of their percussion noise to the mix; however, Frank thought there was enough going on in the track and their contribution was used on the b-side "Spoil The Child" and on the 12" mix of the song. Neubauten's percussion was overdubbed over the already recorded backing tracks. The percussion tracks proved difficult to mix at the final stage, but Gadget was pleased with the final result. The track "Collapsing New People" was released as a single by Mute Records. After recording the album ''
Gag A gag (Grow a Garden) is usually an item or device designed to prevent speech, often as a restraint device to stop the subject from calling for help and keep its wearer silent. This is usually done by blocking the mouth, partially or completely ...
'', Gadget began recording under his real name – Frank Tovey. He carried on moving toward acoustic instruments and in 1984 had decided he might want to record on his own again. He recorded several LPs of more experimental work under the name Frank Tovey, beginning with ''
Easy Listening for the Hard of Hearing Easy is an adjective describing something that is not difficult to do. It may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Easy'' (film), a 2003 American romantic comedy film *'' Easy!'', or ''Scialla!'', a 2011 Italian comedy ...
'', a collaboration with
Boyd Rice Boyd Blake Rice (born December 16, 1956) is an American experimental sound/noise musician using the name of NON since the mid-1970s. A pioneer of industrial music, Rice was one of the first artists to use a sampler and turntable as an instrum ...
recorded in 1981. In 1989, he changed musical tactics in his criticism of industrialisation, recording a mostly acoustic album of protest and labour songs ''Tyranny and the Hired Hand'' including such standards as "
Sixteen Tons "Sixteen Tons" is a song written by Merle Travis about a coal miner, based on life in the mines of Rosewood, Kentucky. Travis first recorded the song at the Radio Recorders Studio B in Hollywood, California, on August 8, 1946. Cliffie Stone ...
". He then tried his hand at writing similar material, recorded two more albums with a backing band named The Pyros. After touring in 1993, Gadget withdrew from the music business.


Final years

In his later years, Gadget began to perform at festivals and also supported his former colleagues and Mute label-mates,
Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
, on their European tour. He was working on a new album at the time of his death. Fad Gadget suffered from heart problems since childhood, and died of a heart attack on 3 April 2002 at the age of 45. In 2006, with the Pyros and family, he has two movies dedicated to him, ''Fad Gadget by Frank Tovey'' and ''Grand Union: A Documentary''.


Legacy and influence

Despite a lack of commercial success, Fad Gadget is regarded as a pioneer in
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
, electro and industrial music. He influenced bands and artists such as
Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
,
Vince Clarke Vincent John Martin (born 3 July 1960), known professionally as Vince Clarke, is an English synth-pop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been the main composer and musician of the band Erasure since its inception in 1985, and was previously ...
(of
Erasure Erasure may refer to: Arts and media * Erasure (duo), an English pop group * ''Erasure'' (album), 1995, by the British group Erasure * Erasure poetry, a form of found poetry created by erasing words from an existing text * ''Erasure'' (novel), ...
),
Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer-songwriter and DJ who rose to fame as the lead singer of the pop band Culture Club. He began his solo career in 1987. Boy George grew up in Eltham a ...
(of
Culture Club Culture Club are an English new wave music, new wave band formed in London in 1981. The band comprises Boy George (lead vocals), Roy Hay (musician), Roy Hay (guitar and keyboards), and Mikey Craig (bass guitar), and formerly included Jon Moss ( ...
),
Information Society An information society is a society or subculture where the usage, Content creation, creation, information distribution, distribution, manipulation and information integration, integration of information is a significant activity. Its main drive ...
,
cEvin Key Kevin William Crompton (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as cEvin Key, is a Canadian musician, songwriter, producer, and composer. He is best known as a member of the industrial music group Skinny Puppy, which he co-founded in 1982 ...
(of
Skinny Puppy Skinny Puppy was a Canadian electro-industrial band formed in Vancouver in 1982. The group was among the founders of the industrial rock and electro-industrial genres. Initially envisioned as an experimental side-project by cEvin Key (Kevin Crom ...
), Liars,
The Twilight Sad The Twilight Sad are a Scottish post-punk revival, post-punk/indie rock band, comprising James Graham (vocals), Andy MacFarlane (guitar), Johnny Docherty (bass), Brendan Smith (keyboards) and Grant Hutchison (drums). They have released five stu ...
, and
DJ Premier Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966), known professionally as DJ Premier (also known as Preemo), is an American record producer and DJ. He has been frequently lauded as one of hip hop's greatest producers by publications such as '' ...
. EBM band
Suicide Commando Suicide Commando is a Belgian electro-industrial music act formed by Johan Van Roy in 1986. For live shows, it consists of Van Roy himself on vocals, Torben Schmidt on keyboards, and Mario Vaerewijck on drums. History Van Roy began experimen ...
also credit him with influencing their sound in an interview with journalist
Ramona Depares Ramona Depares (born July 24, 1975) is a Maltese author, journalist and theatre critic. She previously worked at the ''Times of Malta,'' and is now a freelance journalist and creative writer. Career She obtained a degree in law from the Univer ...
.
John Frusciante John Anthony Frusciante ( ; born March 5, 1970) is an American musician and the guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, having been with the band across three iterations. He has released 11 solo albums and 7 EPs, ranging in style from acoustic gu ...
(of the
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
) listed Fad Gadget's '' Under the Flag'' in his top 40 favorite albums of all time. Industrial metal band Ministry recorded a cover of the song "
Ricky's Hand "Ricky's Hand" is a song by Fad Gadget, released as a single in 1980. It was the second Fad Gadget single, following "Back to Nature" the previous year. The track was not included on any studio album, predating a debut LP by several months, but d ...
" on their 2024 album ''
Hopiumforthemasses ''Hopiumforthemasses'' (a stylized spelling of ''Hopium for the Masses'') is the sixteenth studio album by American industrial metal band Ministry, released on March 1, 2024. This is the band's first release since 2021's '' Moral Hygiene''. Lik ...
''. His album ''
Gag A gag (Grow a Garden) is usually an item or device designed to prevent speech, often as a restraint device to stop the subject from calling for help and keep its wearer silent. This is usually done by blocking the mouth, partially or completely ...
'' was ranked #76 in Treblezine's list of "The Top 100 Best
Post-Punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...
Albums".


Discography

Studio albums * ''
Fireside Favourites ''Fireside Favourites'' is the debut studio album by Fad Gadget. It was released on 7 November 1980, through record label Mute. See the image of the promo release sheet in the link. Background The music developed the primitive industrial ...
'' (1980) * ''Incontinent'' (1981) * '' Under the Flag'' (1982) * ''
Gag A gag (Grow a Garden) is usually an item or device designed to prevent speech, often as a restraint device to stop the subject from calling for help and keep its wearer silent. This is usually done by blocking the mouth, partially or completely ...
'' (1984) As Frank Tovey * ''Easy Listening for the Hard of Hearing'' (with
Boyd Rice Boyd Blake Rice (born December 16, 1956) is an American experimental sound/noise musician using the name of NON since the mid-1970s. A pioneer of industrial music, Rice was one of the first artists to use a sampler and turntable as an instrum ...
) (1984) * '' Snakes & Ladders'' (1986) * ''Civilian'' (1988) * ''Tyranny and the Hired Hand'' (1989) * ''
Grand Union A grand union is a rail track junction where two double-track railway or tramway lines cross at grade, often in a street intersection or crossroads. A total of sixteen railroad switches (sets of points) allow streetcars (or in rarer install ...
'' (1991) * ''Worried Men in Second-Hand Suits'' (1992)


Footnotes


Further reading


Frank Tovey Feature


External links


Official Fad Gadget Site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gadget, Fad 1956 births 2002 deaths People from Bow, London English industrial musicians English new wave musicians British synth-pop new wave musicians Alumni of Leeds Beckett University Musicians from Leeds Minimal wave musicians Mute Records artists British male new wave singers 20th-century British male singers