Fad Gadget

Fad Gadget

7106 fans

Francis John Tovey (8 September 1956 – 3 April 2002) was born in Bow, England, and became the British electronic musician known as Fad Gadget. After studying visual arts and mime at Leeds Polytechnic, he turned to sound manipulation, building a home studio in a London cupboard with a Grundig tape recorder and later a Crumar electric piano and Korg synthesiser. His breakthrough came with the demo of "Back to Nature", which led to a contract with Daniel Miller’s Mute Records; the single was released in 1981 and set the stage for his avant‑garde synth‑pop style. Fad Gadget’s debut album, Fireside Favourites (1980), followed by Incontinent (1981) and Under the Flag (1982), established his reputation for blending synthesisers with found‑object sounds. The 1984 release Gag marked a shift to collaborative recording at Berlin’s Hansa Tonstudio and featured the single "Collapsing New People". During this period he toured with Mute artists and performed theatrically, influencing contemporaries such as Depeche Mode and Vince Clarke. After releasing The Best of Fad Gadget (2001), he worked on new material under his real name before his death from a heart attack in 2002. 

Top tracks

13
Collapsing New People
Fad Gadget
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
04:15
Writer: Barbara Frost - Dave Rogers - David Simmonds - Frank Tovey - Nick Cash / Composers: Barbara Frost - Dave Rogers - David Simmonds - Frank Tovey - Nick Cash
02
Collapsing New People
Fad Gadget
Gag
04:22
Writer: Barbara Frost - Dave Rogers - David Simmonds - Frank Tovey - Nick Cash / Composers: Barbara Frost - Dave Rogers - David Simmonds - Frank Tovey - Nick Cash
11
Ricky's Hand
Fad Gadget
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
04:07
Composers: Daniel Miller - Frank Tovey
10
Back To Nature
Fad Gadget
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
05:48
Composers: Fad Gadget
12
Lady Shave
Fad Gadget
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
05:46
Composers: Frank Tovey - Miller
06
Luxury
Frank Tovey
Snakes And Ladders
04:02
Composers: Cash - Simmonds - TOVEY
07
King Of The Flies
Fad Gadget
Incontinent
04:26
Composers: Balmer - Cash - Fad Gadget
10
Chasing The Blues Away
Frank Tovey And The Pyros
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
06:04
Composers: TOVEY
03
Love Parasite
Fad Gadget
Under The Flag
05:29
Composers: Frank Tovey
06
Life On The Line (Version IV)
Fad Gadget
Under The Flag
03:57
Composers: TOVEY
04
Coitus Interruptus
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
04:31
Composers: TOVEY
02
Swallow It
Fad Gadget
Incontinent
05:42
Composers: Balmer - Fad Gadget - Simmonds
03
Salt Lake City Sunday
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
02:12
Composers: Fad Gadget
06
State Of The Nation
Fad Gadget
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
03:46
Composers: Frank Tovey
07
Insecticide
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
03:11
Composers: Fad Gadget
04
Luddite Joe
Frank Tovey
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
03:36
Composers: TOVEY
02
Jump
Fad Gadget
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
04:11
Writer: Cash - Rogers - SACKETT - TOVEY / Composers: Cash - Rogers - SACKETT - TOVEY
05
Wheels Of Fortune
Fad Gadget
Under The Flag
04:55
Composers: TOVEY
01
Pedestrian
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
03:20
Composers: Fad Gadget
05
Back To Nature
Fad Gadget
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
06:21
Composers: Fad Gadget
08
The Box
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
04:15
Composers: Fad Gadget
07
Sam Hall
Frank Tovey
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
04:36
Composers: Ash - Carroll - Jeffery - TOVEY - Trad - Vaandrager
09
Arch Of The Aorta
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
06:20
Composers: Fad Gadget
05
Fireside Favourites
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
04:31
Composers: Fad Gadget
06
Newsreel
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
03:42
Composers: Fad Gadget
06
One Man's Meat
Fad Gadget
Gag
04:06
Composers: SACKETT - Simmonds - TOVEY
04
Stand Up
Fad Gadget
Gag
03:30
Writer: Rogers - Simmonds - TOVEY / Composers: Rogers - Simmonds - TOVEY
01
Ideal World
Fad Gadget
Gag
05:39
Writer: Cash - Frost - TOVEY / Composers: Cash - Frost - TOVEY
03
Sleep
Fad Gadget
Gag
03:25
Composers: Miller - TOVEY

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  • Discography
Albums
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
℗ 2006 Mute Records Limited
11-09-2006
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
01
Swallow It
Fad Gadget
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
05:34
Composers: Balmer - Fad Gadget - Simmonds
02
Jump
Fad Gadget
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
04:11
Writer: Cash - Rogers - SACKETT - TOVEY / Composers: Cash - Rogers - SACKETT - TOVEY
03
Ideal World
Fad Gadget
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
05:39
Writer: Cash - Frost - TOVEY / Composers: Cash - Frost - TOVEY
04
Luddite Joe
Frank Tovey
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
03:36
Composers: TOVEY
05
Under The Flag II
Fad Gadget
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
02:51
Composers: Fryer - TOVEY
06
Bridge Street Shuffle
Frank Tovey
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
05:45
Composers: TOVEY
07
Sam Hall
Frank Tovey
Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey
04:36
Composers: Ash - Carroll - Jeffery - TOVEY - Trad - Vaandrager
Access the complete album info (30 songs)
Under The Flag
℗ 1982 Mute Records Limited
01-09-1982
Under The Flag
01
Under The Flag I
Fad Gadget
Under The Flag
03:09
Composers: Fryer - TOVEY
02
Scapegoat
Fad Gadget
Under The Flag
02:53
Composers: TOVEY
03
Love Parasite
Fad Gadget
Under The Flag
05:29
Composers: Frank Tovey
04
Plainsong
Fad Gadget
Under The Flag
03:53
Composers: Frank Tovey
05
Wheels Of Fortune
Fad Gadget
Under The Flag
04:55
Composers: TOVEY
06
Life On The Line (Version IV)
Fad Gadget
Under The Flag
03:57
Composers: TOVEY
07
The Sheep Look Up
Fad Gadget
Under The Flag
03:37
Composers: TOVEY
Access the complete album info (10 songs)
Incontinent
℗ 1984 Mute Records Limited
01-07-1981
Incontinent
01
Blind Eyes
Fad Gadget
Incontinent
05:04
Composers: Balmer - Fad Gadget
02
Swallow It
Fad Gadget
Incontinent
05:42
Composers: Balmer - Fad Gadget - Simmonds
03
Saturday Night Special
Fad Gadget
Incontinent
06:39
Composers: Fad Gadget - Frost
04
Incontinent
Fad Gadget
Incontinent
03:27
Composers: Fad Gadget
05
Manual Dexterity
Fad Gadget
Incontinent
03:35
Composers: Fad Gadget - GOTOBED
06
Innocent Bystander
Fad Gadget
Incontinent
06:32
Composers: Fad Gadget
07
King Of The Flies
Fad Gadget
Incontinent
04:26
Composers: Balmer - Cash - Fad Gadget
Access the complete album info (9 songs)
Gag
℗ 1981 Mute Records Limited
01-01-1981
Gag
01
Ideal World
Fad Gadget
Gag
05:39
Writer: Cash - Frost - TOVEY / Composers: Cash - Frost - TOVEY
02
Collapsing New People
Fad Gadget
Gag
04:22
Writer: Barbara Frost - Dave Rogers - David Simmonds - Frank Tovey - Nick Cash / Composers: Barbara Frost - Dave Rogers - David Simmonds - Frank Tovey - Nick Cash
03
Sleep
Fad Gadget
Gag
03:25
Composers: Miller - TOVEY
04
Stand Up
Fad Gadget
Gag
03:30
Writer: Rogers - Simmonds - TOVEY / Composers: Rogers - Simmonds - TOVEY
05
Speak To Me
Fad Gadget
Gag
03:23
Writer: SACKETT - TOVEY / Composers: SACKETT - TOVEY
06
One Man's Meat
Fad Gadget
Gag
04:06
Composers: SACKETT - Simmonds - TOVEY
07
The Ring
Fad Gadget
Gag
03:53
Composers: Simmonds - TOVEY
Access the complete album info (9 songs)
Fireside Favourites
℗ 1980 Mute Records Ltd
01-09-1980
Fireside Favourites
01
Pedestrian
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
03:20
Composers: Fad Gadget
02
State Of The Nation
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
03:48
Composers: Frank Tovey
03
Salt Lake City Sunday
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
02:12
Composers: Fad Gadget
04
Coitus Interruptus
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
04:31
Composers: TOVEY
05
Fireside Favourites
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
04:31
Composers: Fad Gadget
06
Newsreel
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
03:42
Composers: Fad Gadget
07
Insecticide
Fad Gadget
Fireside Favourites
03:11
Composers: Fad Gadget
Access the complete album info (9 songs)
Featured in
Stranger Things (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series)
This compilation (P) 2017 Sony Music Entertainment
27-10-2017
Stranger Things (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series)
01
INTRO - Will Singing the Clash
Will Byers
Stranger Things (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series)
00:27
Composers: Spoken Word
02
Every Breath You Take
The Police
Stranger Things (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series)
04:11
Writer: Gordon Summer / Composers: Gordon Summer
03
Should I Stay or Should I Go (Remastered)
The Clash
Stranger Things (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series)
03:06
Writer: Joe Strummer - Mick Jones / Composers: Joe Strummer - Mick Jones
04
'Coffee and contemplation'
Jim Hopper
Stranger Things (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series)
00:09
Composers: Spoken Word
05
Hazy Shade of Winter
The Bangles
Stranger Things (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series)
02:45
Writer: Paul Simon / Composers: Paul Simon
06
Nocturnal Me
Echo and the Bunnymen
Stranger Things (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series)
04:55
Writer: Will Sergeant - Ian McCulloch - Les Pattinson - Pete de Freitas / Composers: Will Sergeant - Ian McCulloch - Les Pattinson - Pete de Freitas
07
'Bring him home!'
Joyce Byers
Stranger Things (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series)
00:07
Composers: Spoken Word
Access the complete album info (30 songs)
From the 80ies
Mollycat
15-01-2012
From the 80ies
01
A Mysterious Song
Marcie's Still Waiting
From the 80ies
04:37
Writer: Rainer Spachmann / Composers: Rainer Spachmann - Rainer Winschermann - Frank Behnke
02
Unique World
Marcie's Still Waiting
From the 80ies
04:11
Writer: Rainer Spachmann / Composers: Rainer Spachmann - Rainer Winschermann
03
66
Marcie's Still Waiting
From the 80ies
02:53
Writer: Rainer Spachmann / Composers: Rainer Spachmann - Rainer Winschermann
04
For You (Not for You)
Marcie's Still Waiting
From the 80ies
05:38
Writer: Rainer Spachmann / Composers: Rainer Spachmann - Rainer Winschermann - Frank Behnke
05
Back from Nature
Marcie's Still Waiting
From the 80ies
07:12
Writer: Rainer Spachmann / Composers: Rainer Spachmann - Rainer Winschermann
06
Brooklyn
Marcie's Still Waiting
From the 80ies
04:31
Writer: Rainer Spachmann / Composers: Rainer Spachmann - Rainer Winschermann
07
Swamp Things
Marcie's Still Waiting
From the 80ies
04:14
Writer: Rainer Spachmann / Composers: Rainer Spachmann - Rainer Winschermann
Access the complete album info (11 songs)
Snakes And Ladders
℗ 1986 Mute Records Limited
01-05-1985
Snakes And Ladders
01
The Cutting Edge
Frank Tovey
Snakes And Ladders
03:53
Composers: Miller - TOVEY
02
Snakes And Ladders
Frank Tovey
Snakes And Ladders
03:12
Composers: TOVEY
03
The Cutting Edge (Reprise)
Frank Tovey
Snakes And Ladders
01:00
Composers: Miller - TOVEY
04
Shot In The Dark
Frank Tovey
Snakes And Ladders
05:51
Composers: TOVEY
05
Concrete
Frank Tovey
Snakes And Ladders
04:37
Composers: TOVEY
06
Luxury
Frank Tovey
Snakes And Ladders
04:02
Composers: Cash - Simmonds - TOVEY
07
Small World
Frank Tovey
Snakes And Ladders
05:18
Composers: TOVEY
Access the complete album info (15 songs)