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, who played with the
post-punk bands
Magazine and
Visage 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 band
St. Louis Union, including appearances on ''
Top of the Pops'' and in the film ''
The Ghost Goes Gear'' (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
James Martin Hannett (31 May 1948 – 18 April 1991), initially credited as Martin Zero, was an English record producer, musician and an original partner/director at Tony Wilson's Factory Records. Hannett produced music by artists including Joy ...
.
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
The electric grand piano is a stringed musical instrument played using a keyboard, in which the vibration of strings struck by hammers is converted by pickups into electrical signals, analogous to the electric guitar's electrification of the trad ...
,
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 ...
, 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
Ensemble may refer to:
Art
* Architectural ensemble
* Ensemble (album), ''Ensemble'' (album), Kendji Girac 2015 album
* Ensemble (band), a project of Olivier Alary
* Ensemble cast (drama, comedy)
* Ensemble (musical theatre), also known as the ...
Visage with
Magazine's
John McGeoch and
Barry Adamson in 1978; he played on their first two albums, ''
Visage'' and ''
The Anvil''. He left the group in 1983 after having some differences with drummer
Rusty Egan
Rusty Egan (born 19 September 1957 in London) is the former drummer for the British new wave band Rich Kids. They were founded by former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock (bass guitarist and backing vocals, occasional lead vocals), with Steve New ( ...
regarding the musical style of their third album.
Ludus
Formula was a performing and songwriting member of
Ludus
Ludus may refer to:
* ''Ludus'' (ancient Rome) (plural ''ludi''), several meanings around "play, game, sport, training"
**''Ludi'', public games held for the benefit and entertainment of the Roman people
* Luduș, a town in Transylvania, Romania
...
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,
Barry Adamson,
John Doyle,
John McGeoch (posthumously) and
Robin Simon
Robin Simon (born 12 July 1956) is a British guitarist who was a member of Ultravox, Magazine and Visage.
Biography
Early career
Robin Simon played guitar in a number of local Halifax based bands in the early to mid-1970s. The bands include ...
- as well singer/ songwriter
Robert Wyatt,
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 FactoryDave Formula on FacebookDave Formula & The Finks on FacebookDave Formula's site on MySpacewire-sound – Dave FormulaOfficial 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 databas ...
PunkNet '77 entry for Magazine*
AllMusic entry for MagazineTrouserPress 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