Fiat Lux

The British new wave trio Fiat Lux notched a handful of hits in the U.K. before vanishing into the pop abyss. Fiat Lux formed in Yorkshire, England, in 1982 with Steve Wright (vocals), Ian Nelson (sax, keyboards), and Dave Crickmore (guitars, keyboards). Wright and Crickmore studied drama together in college. After graduating, Wright joined a theatre company called the Yorkshire Actors where he met musician Bill Nelson, the former guitarist of Be Bop Deluxe. Wright gave Nelson a demo tape he and Crickmore had recorded. Impressed with their music, Nelson produced and arranged one of the demo's tracks, "Feels Like Winter Again," and released it on his label Cocteau Records. In April 1982, Bill Nelson's brother Ian Nelson was added to Fiat Lux's lineup. They named themselves Fiat Lux, which is the Latin translation for the Biblical quotation "Let There Be Light." "Feels Like Winter Again" was the first of Fiat Lux's radio successes. In 1984, the haunting ballad "Secrets" drew comparisons to Depeche Mode's moody synth-pop; it became Fiat Lux's most well-known song. Fiat Lux's utilization of cello in "Secrets" broadened synth-pop's stylistic range. However, Fiat Lux never released a full-length album. The group's output was limited to several singles for Polydor. Fiat Lux disbanded in 1985.