Are 'Friends' Electric?
| "Are 'Friends' Electric?" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Gary Numan/Tubeway Army | ||||||||||
| from the album Replicas | ||||||||||
| Released | May 1979 | |||||||||
| Format | 7" single | |||||||||
| Recorded | Gooseberry Studios, London, January/February 1979 | |||||||||
| Genre | New wave, synthpop | |||||||||
| Length | 5:25 | |||||||||
| Label | Beggars Banquet BEG 18 |
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| Producer | Gary Numan | |||||||||
| Gary Numan/Tubeway Army singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Are 'Friends' Electric?" is a 1979 song written by Gary Numan, released under the name of his then-band Tubeway Army as a single and on the album Replicas. The single reached number 1 in the UK in June 1979, remaining there for four weeks, and was the first of two chart toppers for Numan that year, the other being "Cars".
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[edit] Production
Despite being over five minutes long and possessing, in the words of its composer, "no recognisable hook-line whatsoever",[1] the single topped the UK charts and is notable for being the first electronic/synthesizer-based record to become a hit in the post-punk era. Whilst the track's new and distinctive sound stood out at the time, sales also benefitted from the record company's use of a picture disc and Numan's striking, "robotic" performance on the TV shows The Old Grey Whistle Test and Top of the Pops.[2] "Are 'Friends' Electric?" has been a mainstay of Numan's concerts since its release and appears on all ten of his official live recordings to date. A semi-acoustic version appeared on the 2006 Jagged tour setlist. "Are 'Friends' Electric" was also featured in EA's Need for Speed: Carbon.
[edit] Music
"Are 'Friends' Electric?" features three different sections: a recurring 'verse' with synth riff in C and B flat, a recurring section with spoken word over slow arpeggiated seventh chords, and an instrumental break in F. The instrumentation is quite minimalistic: there is a conventional drum and bass guitar backing track, some additional heavily flanged guitar (particularly in the instrumental break), subdued vocals and, most prominently, Minimoog synthesizer. These synth parts include a slow-paced sawtooth bass riff, and some soaring portamento background lines.
[edit] B-side
The B-side of the single was a more rock-oriented number, "We Are So Fragile". Popular in its own right with Numan's fan base, it was played frequently on The Touring Principle series of concerts and appears on the album Living Ornaments '79. Both A- and B-sides were remixed twice for the album The Mix in 1998. A remix of "Are 'Friends' Electric?" also appeared on the 2003 collection Hybrid.
[edit] Track listing
- "Are 'Friends' Electric?" (Numan) – 5:18
- "We Are So Fragile" (Numan) – 2:46
[edit] Production credits
- Producer:
- Gary Numan
[edit] Notes
- ^ Stephen Webbon & Gary Numan (1985). "Complete Gary Numan UK Discography". Record Collector (December 1985, No. 76): p.14
- ^ Paul Goodwin (2004). Electric Pioneer: An Armchair Guide To Gary Numan: pp.38-39
[edit] References
- Stephen Webbon & Gary Numan (1985). "Complete Gary Numan UK Discography". Record Collector (December 1985, No. 76).
- Gary Numan with Steve Malins (1998). Praying to the Aliens.
- Paul Goodwin (2004). Electric Pioneer: An Armchair Guide to Gary Numan.
| Preceded by "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward |
UK number one single 30 June 1979 – 21 July 1979 |
Succeeded by "I Don't Like Mondays" by The Boomtown Rats |
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