The Best of Fad Gadget Issued on Vinyl for the First Time⁠—Celebrating 40 years Since Frank Tovey’s Debut Single

Mute have announced a double silver-vinyl release of The Best of Fad Gadget, out on the 6th of September 2019. The compilation is available for the first time on vinyl, part of the ongoing MUTE 4.0 (1978 > TOMORROW) campaign, the release marks the 40th anniversary of Fad Gadget’s debut 7”, the double A-side single, “Back to Nature” / “The Box”, which was released in 1979.

The original 2001 CD release of The Best of Fad Gadget was the last release before the untimely early death of Fad Gadget’s Frank Tovey in 2002. The tracklisting, his own personal selection, was designed to be both a concise retrospective of the Fad Gadget years and an introduction to his work for a new generation as he embarked on Depeche Mode’s Exciter tour as their special guest.

Fad Gadget was Mute founder Daniel Miller’s first signing to his label, and the groundbreaking debut 7”, “Back To Nature” / “The Box”, recorded using a drum machine and a synthesiser, was the second release on the label. following Miller’s own project The Normal with “Warm Leatherette”.

Alongside Cabaret Voltaire, The Human League, Throbbing Gristle, Soft Cell and The Normal, Frank Tovey was at the forefront of the British electronic movement of the late 70s/early 80s and his live performances, drawing on his art school background and interest in performance art, were intense, spectacular and innovative.

The Best of Fad Gadget features the classic singles “Ricky’s Hand”, “Fireside Favourite”, “Collapsing New People” and “For Whom The Bells Toll” (featuring Alison Moyet), b- sides and tracks from his celebrated albums, Fireside Favourites (1980), Incontinent (1981), Under The Flag (1982), and Gag (1984) as well as ‘Luxury’, taken from 1986’s Frank Tovey release, Snakes & Ladders.

This release is the first stage of Mute’s celebration of Frank Tovey’s work, to be followed by a career-spanning box set in early 2020 marking the 40th anniversary of his first album Fireside Favourites.

The silver vinyl edition of The Best of Fad Gadget is out 6 September through Mute.

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The Best of Fad Gadget tracklisting
Side A
1. Back To Nature
2. The Box
3. Ricky’s Hand
4. Handshake

Side B
5. Fireside Favourite
6. Insecticide
7. Make Room
8. Lady Shave

Side C
9. Saturday Night Special
10. King Of The Flies
11. Life On The Line
12. 4M
13. For Whom The Bells Toll

Side D
14. Love Parasite
15. I Discover Love
16. Collapsing New People
17. One Man’s Meat
18. Luxury