| Demons to Diamonds | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 6 November 2015 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | August Day | |||
| Producer | John Bryan, Sare Havlicek | |||
| Visage studio album chronology | ||||
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| Darkness to Diamond | ||||
 An album of alternative mixes, Darkness to Diamond, was released in January 2016. | ||||
Demons to Diamonds is the fifth and final studio album by the British synth-pop band Visage. It was released on 6 November 2015, nine months after the death of lead vocalist Steve Strange.
Work began on the album in 2014. During a break in the recording, vocalist Steve Strange died while on holiday in Egypt in February 2015, though several tracks had already been written and recorded by this time including a cover of David Bowie's 1985 hit "Loving the Alien". The track "Become" was written by former Visage member Midge Ure, with Ure's original version first appearing on his 2014 album Fragile. The track "Star City" was co-written by Didier Marouani of the French electro band Space (most notable for their 1970s hit "Magic Fly").
In the months following Strange's death, the remaining members of Visage decided to complete the album. Strange's family and friends then formed The Steve Strange Collective, "a foundation to promote and celebrate the legacy of Steve Strange and the organisations and causes he was involved with." [1] The organisation states that all royalties from the album will go to the Steve Strange Statue Fund, which is raising money to have a memorial bronze statue of Strange made and sited in his hometown in Wales. [2]
The album's cover photograph was by Boy George (credited as "Rude George"), who had known Strange since the late 1970s.
Rather than release any singles from the album, the band decided to release a companion album called Darkness To Diamond in early 2016. It features remixes and alternate versions of the ten songs from Demons To Diamonds, and the first ever external remix made by Visage of a song called "Heartbleed" by James Grant, former frontman of the 80s band Love and Money. The song began life when Visage approached Grant to collaborate on songwriting with them, and he was sent a set of lyrics written by Steve Strange which Grant then expanded upon. However, by the time the song was written, Strange had died and never recorded his vocals for the track. The song was ultimately performed by Grant. [3]
Demons to Diamonds was released on 6 November 2015. In addition to digital formats, it was available as a compact disc and a limited edition coloured vinyl album (in green, blue, opaque green, and grey).
Copies pre-ordered from Visage's webstore included a bonus CD-R containing three exclusive tracks.
Visage were a British synth-pop band formed in London in 1978. The band became closely linked to the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement of the early 1980s, and are best known for their hit "Fade to Grey" which was released in late 1980. In the UK, the band achieved two Top 20 albums and five Top 30 singles before the commercial failure of their third album led to their break-up in 1985.
Rusty Egan is a British pop musician, although he has only ever held an Irish passport. He is the former drummer of the British new wave band Rich Kids. They consisted of former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock, with Steve New and fronted by Jim Midge Ure, from their inception in March 1977 to their disbanding in December 1978. He continued working with Ure, and later collaborated with The Misfits, Skids, Shock, and Visage. However, Egan did not return to Visage when they reformed with a new line-up in 2004.
"Loving the Alien" is a song written and recorded by David Bowie. It was the opening track to his sixteenth studio album Tonight. One of two tracks on the album written solely by Bowie, an edited version of the song was released as a single in May 1985, nine months after the release of lead single "Blue Jean" and eight months after the release of the album. "Loving the Alien" peaked at No. 19 in the UK Singles Chart. "Loving the Alien" inspired the title of Christopher Sandford's 1997 biography of Bowie and the 2018 Bowie box set release, Loving the Alien (1983–1988).
Stephen John Harrington, known professionally as Steve Strange, was a Welsh singer. From the late 1970s, he was a nightclub host and promoter. He became famous as the leader of the new wave synth-pop group Visage, best known for their single "Fade to Grey", and was one of the most influential figures behind the New Romantic movement of the early 1980s.
Beat Boy is the third studio album by the British synth-pop band Visage. It was recorded at Trident Studios between 1982 and 1983 and released on Polydor Records in October 1984. Reaching No. 79 on the UK album chart, the album was poorly received by critics and would be the band's last studio album for almost thirty years.
The Anvil is the second studio album by the British synth-pop band Visage, released in March 1982 by Polydor Records. The album reached No. 6 in the UK and was certified "Silver" by the British Phonographic Industry in April 1982.
Visage is the debut studio album by the British synth-pop band Visage. It was recorded at Genetic Sound Studios in Reading, Berkshire and released in November 1980 by Polydor Records.
"Fade to Grey" is a song by British synth-pop band Visage, released in November 1980 as the second single from their debut album, Visage (1980), on Polydor Records.
"Tar" is the debut single by the British synth-pop group Visage, released in 1979.
"Night Train" is the sixth single by the British synth-pop group Visage, released by Polydor Records in June 1982.
"Visage" is the fourth single by the British synth-pop group Visage, released by Polydor Records in July 1981. It is the title track from Visage's eponymous debut album. The single peaked at no.21 in the UK Singles Chart.
"Pleasure Boys" is a song by the British synth-pop group Visage, released as a single on Polydor Records in October 1982.
The Damned Don't Cry is a compilation album by the British synth-pop group Visage released in 2000.
Master Series is a compilation album by the British synth-pop band Visage released in 1997.
"Beat Boy" is a 1984 song by the British synth-pop band Visage, released as a single in November 1984.
U-Vox is the eighth studio album by British new wave band Ultravox, released on 9 October 1986 by Chrysalis Records. It was the band's fifth album during the Midge Ure era, and the final one featuring the band's 1979 lineup, with the exception of Warren Cann, for nearly 26 years. The Ure-era lineup would eventually reform in 2008. It was also the last Ultravox album to reach the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number nine.
Strange Cruise is the eponymously titled album by the short-lived British band Strange Cruise released on EMI. Released in 1986, it was the band's only album.
Hearts and Knives is the fourth studio album by the British synth-pop band Visage. It was released on 20 May 2013 and was the band's first album of new material in 29 years.
This is the discography for English musician Gary Barnacle.
If I Was: The Very Best of Midge Ure & Ultravox is a 1993 compilation album by Scottish musician Midge Ure, featuring songs from his solo career and as part of the new wave and synthpop band Ultravox, along with Ure's collaborations with Mick Karn, Phil Lynott, Visage, and charity supergroup Band Aid.
