I'm not quite old enough to really remember 1979, but I can imagine this must have been pretty mind blowing, and Cars too. Plus to have other iconic hits like Message in a Bottle, Video Killed The Radio Star, Another Brick In The Wall in the same year must have been amazing.
I first heard this on 102.3 WHFS in the Washington DC area around mid 1979 or so. I was blown away. Gary was years ahead in the music field then, never got the full recognition he deserves.
58 years old ...Can still remember first hearing this on Top of The Pops and everyone at school talking about it. It flew in the face of everything that was around in those days. Wasn't the first but brought Synths to the masses.
He is criminally unrepresented on review channel's. He is criminally underated in the music industry. He is the reason depeche mode etc etc exist you must do a deep dive into his music.
I grew up as a bit of an outsider in the culturally-deprived rust belt. In the late fall of 1983, in my senior year of high school, a friend made a compilation mix tape for me with a good selection of songs from the "Replicas" LP on one side. Numan had faded a bit from the spotlight at that point and time with most of my peers, but I was bowled over at what I was hearing. Gawd I wore that tape out. An amazing song from an amazing record that helped to guide me through some awkward, isolated years. It really did mean everything to me.
I was 14 years old in 1979 and thought Gary Numan was so futuristic. He was on the leading edge of the early 80s synth pop scene. He still plays "Are Friends Electric" in his live gigs but it has a far more Rocky edge to it. Worth a listen is you get a chance.
Very erudite response Nick to a groundbreaking song for not only Gary but for the generation who bought the single. Thanks for your appreciation of a song which stills stand alone today.
The first time I heard this was in my friend’s garage. I was probably 8 or so. My friend’s much older brother and his friends were working on a car and this was playing on the radio. The part I heard was the weird sounding carnival music with Gary talking behind it. Couple that part with some teenagers I found intimidating and it scared the crap out of me. It was a number of years later I heard it again and realized where I heard it first. It still gives me an eerie feeling.
he was like something from another planet,for an artist to have their first two singles to get to number 1 was pretty special in the late 70s because you had to sell a ton o records,these days you get your family and neighbours to buy your song and its a hit,talk about injustice.
tubeway army is Gary Numan and his Brothers there where a punk band but when there in a studio Gary saw a synthezisers in studio then he change his style music to new wave music if watch this he never look at the camera while the do it because like is smile thank you for showing a style of film to us
I grew up listening to "Cars" so I knew of Gary Numan, but the first time I really fell in love with his music was in the early 90's when I heard Marilyn Manson cover "Down in the Park". Oddly enough, it was my first experience with Manson. It led me down the Gary Numan rabbit hole. I love both versions of the song, but the original is obviously superior. "Are Friends Electric" is my favorite song from him after "Down in the Park". He's a synth god.
Amazing song, but as a young child watching him on Top Of The Pops I was equally terrified of him and fascinated too. Something so intimidating about his stage persona to me at that age.
Nick ye will now have to react to 'Underpass', by John Foxx tae send me back to early 80's, in my bedroom with blood runnin out my wee record player...
I was 16 when I first heard the song 1981 and it blew me away. Nearly the same when I heard Nina Hagen a year before that for the first time. I was a fan of ABBA and Queen and loved oldies. Til I heard Nina and this song I didn't know how different and great music could be. It opend a whole new world for me.
Was good to see you were so into this....Gary Numan has been producing music all the way from this early track to the present day constantly reinventing himself to move with the times. The old hits have been revamped...check out the Hybrid album and Allsaints Basement sessions...and new songs produced....like My Name Is Ruin. There`s a lot to explore and I think you`ll really enjoy it.
Check out I Die, You Die, Down in the Park, Prayer for the Unborn, Complex and We are Glass. All great tracks from Gary worth reacting to. His new stuff is brilliant as well.
1979 he put good sounding electronic music to masses. 1980s then move to sinthpop but hearing most of the sinthpop today sound dated. (Poppy sinths) Except Gary Numans music which never sounds dated. Today his old music sounds as new and as powerful as back then.
Gary’s amazing, his last three cds are better than his “classic” output. Who else can you say that about? We’ve seen his last three tours, and he leaves you stunned.
I think replicas, pleasure principle and Telekon (and dance) are better than the last 3 (or 4) albums I see what you're saying though they are strong releases for someone 40+ years into their career. I mean splinter and savage are both very good for me but intruder I found too long and samey? Didn't buy that one. Think he should try to change his sound up a bit for the next album maybe try out some new lyrical themes. Just my opinion his hardcore fanbase seem to be super into whatever he releases I am just a casual fan.
Back in the day there were a lot of people in the press that tagged him as a Bowie rip-off. I never really thought that. I got into Gary Numan and Tubeway Army a little before their album Replicas was released. Before that, I was into a band called Ultravox (when John Foxx) was the vocalist. I always thought his music was closer to Ultravox. Years later Gary talked about how the press got it wrong, in that he wasn't trying to rip off Bowie (though he liked his music), he went on to say that he was trying to rip off John Foxx-era Ultravox. Listen to Ultravox's album Systems Of Romance. So what came 1st Tubeway Army or Ultravox. The answer is Ultravox. Tubeway Army's 1st album is also great...though now that I think about it, there are some songs on their 1st album that does sound like pre-Ziggy Stardust Bowie, so maybe the press really did have something.
Your reviews are great. And your choices are always top drawer. A real music lover, that's obvious. Btw, can't help noticing the Jim Morrison pics. Are you aware of who 'anti war' counter-culture figure Jim's dad was? And the part he played in starting the VTNM war? In fact he basically started it with a false flag. There was an already established anti war protest group in the US made up of intellectuals, academics and other serious, respected ppl. What better way to discredit any anti war sentiment than having a bunch of spoiled kids frolicking about naked, on all kinds of drugs and basically making the 'anti war' ppl look ridiculous. When I was younger in the 80s I wished I could have been a part of the hippie generation. After much research later I see it very differently.
@InsignificantNick I'd heard/read him saying his dad was a postman. Well, he certainly delivered is all I'll say. I think Jim's drink and drug problems likely stemmed from being so conflicted about all that. How a seemingly preppy kid who admittedly had never been into music and would often go out on his admiral father's aircraft carrier (the Nimitz no less) with no training in music at all, is overnight transformed into 'Jim Morrison' rock god is quite a story. If you haven't read it I'd recommend 'weird scenes from the canyon' (about the whole hippie psyop thing) it's a fascinating read and when you realise how many of the prominent hippie generation came from high up military families, from nowhere to stardom, on both sides of the pond almost overnight is quite incredible. Frank Zappa's father was a bio-warfare expert, same again the mammas and the pappas, and the byrds were manufactured in a very similar way. Even Hendrix and elvis were ex-military. The list goes on and on, even to more recent times. Kim Deal's dad was a laser expert at Wright Patterson airbase, and most of us know why that base is so famous. I'd really recommend that book. The author died very young after finding a very similar pattern to the outbreak of serial killers in the 70s and 80s with the Phoenix Program in Vietnam, along with other such programs like the testing of LSD on unwitting troops for its effectiveness as a psychological 'weapon', and just how many of the big mid-late 60s music stars were ex-military or from military families, including the son of sam, or one of his sons at any rate, at the same base in Germany, and all as 'medics' - including Dahmer. The stats are quite incredible. The author was called late one night out of the blue and told it would be a shame if he went ahead and published his book cause there are all kinds of nasty cancers you can get, but he chose to brush it off. suffice to say that relatively young man (Dave McGowan) who had never smoked very soon developed the most aggressive form of lung cancer and was dead within weeks. That book was 'programmed to kill'. And it's not 'conspiracy theory' (as if wealthy powerful men have ever conspired in any way, even in caesar's day) it's all well-researched, well-laid-out facts. And it's pretty alarming stuff. But love your reactions. You almost always choose decent music, aren't just an empty prime bottle ad man or gaming chair/bunny headphones promoter. You clearly have a genuine interest in music with some very astute insights to offer, and you leave it till the end of the tracks (mostly) before giving your considered opinion. Which for better or worse are often in line with this 51 year old jaded old guys opinions. Keep at it man. I could see you making a really good music journalist, at least in 'alternative' (which I've always seen as a euphemism for 'good') music.
Gary Numan wanted his own rock band but synths came out, then he met the synth guy who is classically trained pianist and he is the talent behind this song, also Visage "Fade to Grey" and Ultravox "Vienna", sorry I forgot his name but he was the unsung genius that created this sound NOT gary numan
Sounds like you are thinking about Billy Currie, but I don't think was involved in the album (credited to just Gary/Paul/Jess). Definitely involved with subsequent live performances though: ua-cam.com/video/uiFseE3eOJ0/v-deo.html
In 1979... I said this sound is the future. Interesting how the people who decide what type of music is cool and suppresses electropop music and promotes all this boring crap instead.
Hey nick this is a great song, I saw tubeway army in 79 great times. if you like this play john foxx, the song is underpass. great track... gary numan loved the song....
What I've always liked about Gary... and I'm one of those sad ppl who is old enough to remember when his music first came out, is that he's always seemed very genuine. Obviously he's a performer and as such he is doing his act but even so I still sense his vulnerabilities and very real concerns. So that although his music sounds very synthetic and machine like and futuristic his music has a very strong human quality and is concerned with time old human concerns.
Forty plus years on from 'Are Friends Electric?' and Gary Numan still sounds like the future.
Y.e.s
You have no idea how good this sounded when it first was released.
It’s 44 years old and yet somehow it still sounds like the future!
I'm not quite old enough to really remember 1979, but I can imagine this must have been pretty mind blowing, and Cars too. Plus to have other iconic hits like Message in a Bottle, Video Killed The Radio Star, Another Brick In The Wall in the same year must have been amazing.
I first heard this on 102.3 WHFS in the Washington DC area around mid 1979 or so. I was blown away. Gary was years ahead in the music field then, never got the full recognition he deserves.
58 years old ...Can still remember first hearing this on Top of The Pops and everyone at school talking about it. It flew in the face of everything that was around in those days. Wasn't the first but brought Synths to the masses.
@Packard63 I do and yes it was and is great
He is criminally unrepresented on review channel's. He is criminally underated in the music industry. He is the reason depeche mode etc etc exist you must do a deep dive into his music.
The record that literally changed my life.
You react to early numan, instant subscriber. Thank you. I was about 16 when this dropped. Changed the course of my life musically and creatively.
I grew up as a bit of an outsider in the culturally-deprived rust belt. In the late fall of 1983, in my senior year of high school, a friend made a compilation mix tape for me with a good selection of songs from the "Replicas" LP on one side. Numan had faded a bit from the spotlight at that point and time with most of my peers, but I was bowled over at what I was hearing. Gawd I wore that tape out. An amazing song from an amazing record that helped to guide me through some awkward, isolated years. It really did mean everything to me.
It wasn't the first of it's genre but it was the one which broke through into the public conscience. No1 for weeks in the UK
I was 14 years old in 1979 and thought Gary Numan was so futuristic. He was on the leading edge of the early 80s synth pop scene. He still plays "Are Friends Electric" in his live gigs but it has a far more Rocky edge to it. Worth a listen is you get a chance.
I knew Tubeway Army before Replicas and I was mortified how different this was to That's Too Bad
@@DazzleMonroe
@That's Too Bad' is brilliant, the whole Tubeway Army album was amazing at the time
Same here, 14.
@dazzlemonroe oh, didn't I say I'm not one of you?
A timeless classic.
- C 2023
Very erudite response Nick to a groundbreaking song for not only Gary but for the generation who bought the single. Thanks for your appreciation of a song which stills stand alone today.
The first time I heard this was in my friend’s garage. I was probably 8 or so. My friend’s much older brother and his friends were working on a car and this was playing on the radio. The part I heard was the weird sounding carnival music with Gary talking behind it. Couple that part with some teenagers I found intimidating and it scared the crap out of me. It was a number of years later I heard it again and realized where I heard it first. It still gives me an eerie feeling.
he was like something from another planet,for an artist to have their first two singles to get to number 1 was pretty special in the late 70s because you had to sell a ton o records,these days you get your family and neighbours to buy your song and its a hit,talk about injustice.
When this came out in 79 it blew everything else away .. Still sounds brilliant today
The b side of this was a track called "We are so fragile", another absolute banger.
tubeway army is Gary Numan and his Brothers there where a punk band but when there in a studio Gary saw a synthezisers in studio then he change his style music to new wave music if watch this he never look at the camera while the do it because like is smile thank you for showing a style of film to us
Yep genius song - pleasure of knowing this song for all of its 44 years!
I grew up listening to "Cars" so I knew of Gary Numan, but the first time I really fell in love with his music was in the early 90's when I heard Marilyn Manson cover "Down in the Park". Oddly enough, it was my first experience with Manson. It led me down the Gary Numan rabbit hole. I love both versions of the song, but the original is obviously superior. "Are Friends Electric" is my favorite song from him after "Down in the Park". He's a synth god.
One of his newer songs that’s really good is “Crazier”. By Gary Numan. Check it out
One of the most unique number one's ever.
WOW!!! Love that you did this. I was 9 when this was released, I played this single over and over, Still have it 😊
Amazing song, but as a young child watching him on Top Of The Pops I was equally terrified of him and fascinated too. Something so intimidating about his stage persona to me at that age.
Nick ye will now have to react to 'Underpass', by John Foxx tae send me back to early 80's, in my bedroom with blood runnin out my wee record player...
I was 11 when this came out. I remember him on Top of the Pops tv show playing this. I’d never heard anything like it before.
Gary,Kate Bush, Judie Tzuke. Three artists that really got my attention ,first time of hearing them.
I was 16 when I first heard the song 1981 and it blew me away. Nearly the same when I heard Nina Hagen a year before that for the first time. I was a fan of ABBA and Queen and loved oldies. Til I heard Nina and this song I didn't know how different and great music could be. It opend a whole new world for me.
And off of a great and influential album, definitely worth trying some other tracks.
Was 17 when it released and bought the album. It really felt like the future had arrived
My favorite song and cool reaction
I'm a huge DM fan and knew 'Cars', but never heard this.... great track! Good job with helping us to know Gary better.
45 years of Gary Newman one stage show great music
Was good to see you were so into this....Gary Numan has been producing music all the way from this early track to the present day constantly reinventing himself to move with the times. The old hits have been revamped...check out the Hybrid album and Allsaints Basement sessions...and new songs produced....like My Name Is Ruin. There`s a lot to explore and I think you`ll really enjoy it.
You'll also like: Me! I Disconnect From You. Down In The Park. M.E. . Tracks. Remind Me To Smile. The Joy Circuit.
Out of space music. Amazing.
You need to check out ME from his album The Pleasure Principle! Just as good as if not better than Cars from the same album 😎
Check out I Die, You Die, Down in the Park, Prayer for the Unborn, Complex and We are Glass. All great tracks from Gary worth reacting to. His new stuff is brilliant as well.
1979 he put good sounding electronic music to masses. 1980s then move to sinthpop but hearing most of the sinthpop today sound dated. (Poppy sinths) Except Gary Numans music which never sounds dated. Today his old music sounds as new and as powerful as back then.
I was 11 when this was released in 1979.love it
This made Bowie to up his game just amazing
Don't get me wrong - It's a great song, but Bowie had already released 'Sound and Vision ' before this, Bowie was always ahead of the curve ball.
Gary’s amazing, his last three cds are better than his “classic” output. Who else can you say that about? We’ve seen his last three tours, and he leaves you stunned.
I think replicas, pleasure principle and Telekon (and dance) are better than the last 3 (or 4) albums I see what you're saying though they are strong releases for someone 40+ years into their career. I mean splinter and savage are both very good for me but intruder I found too long and samey? Didn't buy that one. Think he should try to change his sound up a bit for the next album maybe try out some new lyrical themes. Just my opinion his hardcore fanbase seem to be super into whatever he releases I am just a casual fan.
A good companion piece to this would be "Down In the Park ", from the same album, and also about AI, and robots..the Machmen..
Great song
Funnily enough, another Canadian channel reacted to this song a day or so ago!
Well, my goodness!
Do the we are glass video next my mate and I'll be your bestest mate forever and ever! 😊🏴
Check out gary numan " My name is ruin "
Back in the day there were a lot of people in the press that tagged him as a Bowie rip-off. I never really thought that. I got into Gary Numan and Tubeway Army a little before their album Replicas was released. Before that, I was into a band called Ultravox (when John Foxx) was the vocalist. I always thought his music was closer to Ultravox. Years later Gary talked about how the press got it wrong, in that he wasn't trying to rip off Bowie (though he liked his music), he went on to say that he was trying to rip off John Foxx-era Ultravox. Listen to Ultravox's album Systems Of Romance. So what came 1st Tubeway Army or Ultravox. The answer is Ultravox. Tubeway Army's 1st album is also great...though now that I think about it, there are some songs on their 1st album that does sound like pre-Ziggy Stardust Bowie, so maybe the press really did have something.
Glad you enjoyed this one. Films is a very good song by him - my recommend lol
Check out the Gary Concert live in London 1979. They play Films, M.E. and other classics. Incredible concert.
Ground breaking when it came out.
More Numan! 😊
I am only Numan of flesh and blood i made😍
The album is a beaut.
If you love Numan like lots of us why don't you do more? 😊
All in good time. But I really wanna come back to him now.
Hi
Check out ‘ we are glass ‘ another classic Numan. Also The Adverts - Gary Gilmore eyes lol.
8:18 I think Gary Numan has had around 5 hair transplants!
Listen to Gary Numan_ M.E.
Your reviews are great. And your choices are always top drawer. A real music lover, that's obvious. Btw, can't help noticing the Jim Morrison pics. Are you aware of who 'anti war' counter-culture figure Jim's dad was? And the part he played in starting the VTNM war? In fact he basically started it with a false flag. There was an already established anti war protest group in the US made up of intellectuals, academics and other serious, respected ppl. What better way to discredit any anti war sentiment than having a bunch of spoiled kids frolicking about naked, on all kinds of drugs and basically making the 'anti war' ppl look ridiculous. When I was younger in the 80s I wished I could have been a part of the hippie generation. After much research later I see it very differently.
I know Jim had people believing that his parents were dead. I don't think he was a fan, lol
@InsignificantNick I'd heard/read him saying his dad was a postman. Well, he certainly delivered is all I'll say. I think Jim's drink and drug problems likely stemmed from being so conflicted about all that. How a seemingly preppy kid who admittedly had never been into music and would often go out on his admiral father's aircraft carrier (the Nimitz no less) with no training in music at all, is overnight transformed into 'Jim Morrison' rock god is quite a story. If you haven't read it I'd recommend 'weird scenes from the canyon' (about the whole hippie psyop thing) it's a fascinating read and when you realise how many of the prominent hippie generation came from high up military families, from nowhere to stardom, on both sides of the pond almost overnight is quite incredible. Frank Zappa's father was a bio-warfare expert, same again the mammas and the pappas, and the byrds were manufactured in a very similar way. Even Hendrix and elvis were ex-military. The list goes on and on, even to more recent times. Kim Deal's dad was a laser expert at Wright Patterson airbase, and most of us know why that base is so famous. I'd really recommend that book. The author died very young after finding a very similar pattern to the outbreak of serial killers in the 70s and 80s with the Phoenix Program in Vietnam, along with other such programs like the testing of LSD on unwitting troops for its effectiveness as a psychological 'weapon', and just how many of the big mid-late 60s music stars were ex-military or from military families, including the son of sam, or one of his sons at any rate, at the same base in Germany, and all as 'medics' - including Dahmer. The stats are quite incredible. The author was called late one night out of the blue and told it would be a shame if he went ahead and published his book cause there are all kinds of nasty cancers you can get, but he chose to brush it off. suffice to say that relatively young man (Dave McGowan) who had never smoked very soon developed the most aggressive form of lung cancer and was dead within weeks. That book was 'programmed to kill'. And it's not 'conspiracy theory' (as if wealthy powerful men have ever conspired in any way, even in caesar's day) it's all well-researched, well-laid-out facts. And it's pretty alarming stuff.
But love your reactions. You almost always choose decent music, aren't just an empty prime bottle ad man or gaming chair/bunny headphones promoter. You clearly have a genuine interest in music with some very astute insights to offer, and you leave it till the end of the tracks (mostly) before giving your considered opinion. Which for better or worse are often in line with this 51 year old jaded old guys opinions. Keep at it man. I could see you making a really good music journalist, at least in 'alternative' (which I've always seen as a euphemism for 'good') music.
Nick more numan!
Gary Numan wanted his own rock band but synths came out, then he met the synth guy who is classically trained pianist and he is the talent behind this song, also Visage "Fade to Grey" and Ultravox "Vienna", sorry I forgot his name but he was the unsung genius that created this sound NOT gary numan
Sounds like you are thinking about Billy Currie, but I don't think was involved in the album (credited to just Gary/Paul/Jess). Definitely involved with subsequent live performances though:
ua-cam.com/video/uiFseE3eOJ0/v-deo.html
had this on vinyl single. weird b side called asylum.
Asylum is on the complex single b side, ha yep twas weird
Actually, it was the B-side to Cars
In 1979... I said this sound is the future.
Interesting how the people who decide what type of music is cool and suppresses electropop music and promotes all this boring crap instead.
Hey nick this is a great song, I saw tubeway army in 79 great times. if you like this play john foxx, the song is underpass. great track... gary numan loved the song....
What I've always liked about Gary... and I'm one of those sad ppl who is old enough to remember when his music first came out, is that he's always seemed very genuine. Obviously he's a performer and as such he is doing his act but even so I still sense his vulnerabilities and very real concerns. So that although his music sounds very synthetic and machine like and futuristic his music has a very strong human quality and is concerned with time old human concerns.
Going by his interviews I’ve seen I agree with you. Top bloke and immensely talented
Great song