Behind The Vinyl: "Cars" with Gary Numan 

Wrote the song in 10 minutes, just held the note thinking about what to do...Gary's a fkn genious!

This song sounds so futuristic, even today, more tan 40 years later, sounds from the future.

It amazes me how a lot of electronic music from this period still sounds much futuristic than anything coming out today.

He was really big in the 80's when I was school and it's so cool to see that he's still at the top of his game all these years later. And he's just the same - not bloated by drug and alcohol abuse, no in and out of rehab, serial womanising or bodyguards surrounding him. He's just Gary Numan and he's one cool individual.

Fall of 1980. Autzen Stadium. Eugene, Oregon. Homecoming Football Game. North Eugene vs South Eugene. Homecoming for North. Halftime arrives: late-60's muscle cars down the ramp and out to the 50-yard line carrying the couple for each of the classes. The jam? Cars. LOUD! It was awesome! Cars played loud in a football stadium.

I was 17 when i heard this song for the first time, it got me into Tubeway Army, Kraftwerk and Devo. This is still in my top 5 favorite songs of all time, Thank You Gary..

This whole explanation seems like a Nigel Tufnel bit, I love it. "I thought it sounded quite good just hittin' the one note and not goin' anywhere with it."

As a kid in Perth, Western Australia, when I heard this on the radio, it was like a the aliens had landed, sitting amongst Abba, AC/DC and all the (now) "classic rock" and schmulzy pop. Life changer....

Lost track of Gary years ago. Had no idea he was still producing. He has aged beautifully, and has maintained to remain a very humble individual.

Underappreciated, underrated, underplayed.

I remember waiting for this song to play on f.m. radio with the tape recorder on standby. Couldnt wait to demo that to my buddy Peter!😂

Love this. Pleasure Principle is easily in my top 10 albums of all time. Years ahead of its time and still stands up over 40 years later. To my great shame I've never seen him live but putting that right in August at Rebellion. Better late than never? Don't think I'd ever tire of listening to this song. It has everything.

There's an "odd note" in the synth riff to "Are Friends Electric" that, like the sustained note in "Cars," Gary cites as an unintentional accident he decided to keep. Listening, being aware, and being ready when that Aha! moment happens, are what set Gary apart as an artist.

An older cousin gave me The Pleasure Principle cassette when I was about 10. Blew my mind and still brings back memories. Personally I think It's a landmark album that is timeless.

Transformed my life, the second I saw it on TOTP

He wrote that song in 10 minutes?!! Still sounds great to this day.

Great story. Tank. BOOM!!!

My sister loved this song and I became a fan music is a time machine it always takes you back to that moment in time

On his Splinter tour, Gary signed my vintage MXR Phase 100 phaser pedal. He looked at it and laughlingly remarked, "Oh, that's what did the wobbly bit on Cars!" Great sense of humour and he apologized when the silver marker pen ran when he autographed it...A genuinely nice guy....

gary numan fed my depression for 40+ years - thank you, gary!

It's cool to hear the story of these iconic songs of my youth!🥰🔥🙌

The four notes repeated all through the song, reminds me of the four beat theme in Beethoven's fifth symphony. Once you hear it, you can't unhear it. :-)

I like this song well enough, but hearing how he wrote it, both musically and lyrically, is pure gold! And honestly...it adds to my enjoyment of the song!

Down in the park by Gary numan was awesome

this was the first music video I ever saw.... in '79...before MTV. Cool song and video

I wonder if the guys in the van have ever heard this story and recognised themselves as the protagonists to one of the greatest pop records in history?

Never thought of Gary Numan as that much of an electronic pioneer... he was just on top of that synth-pop new wave sound earlier than most. New wave still traditionally had instruments like in a regular pop rock band... including guitars and bass and drums, along with synthesizers

Gorgeous Gary love him so so much forever

What a legend

Poly saw-wave detune. Very interesting to the ear. Good choice just to let it ride.

And that one note beautiful genius love the song so much

and a iconic song was born!

Fascinating story!

Cars was a 'crossover' hit here in the US, at least on the radio. Just as fresh & cool now, as it was then.

I have "The Pleasure Principle" on vinyl LP (Atco U.S. pressing) and I played that song "Cars" at the dance over and over again!! Love the Vox Humana sound of the Polymoog!!

Gary Numan is such a legend. Always will be one of my all-time favorites. I wish he got more credit for that sound. I mean that sound was pioneered by him. 80s synth wave is the Gary Numan sound

My favorite era of Numan's career will always be the Beggars Banquet years (though I quite enjoy the material that came after and the current stuff as well). For me, _'Replicas',_ _'The Pleasure Principle'_ and _'Telekon'_ are masterpieces. Wish he would've talked about other songs like _'I Die: You Die'_ and _'Down In The Park'._ Paul Gardiner, Cedric Sharpley R.I.P....

I saw Garry in Boston arlt The Channel Club in 1982. Great show! Someone threw him a green light stick, and Garry smiled and put it into his shirt pocket, where it kept glowing for the rest of the show.

Classic tune.

He's so absolutely brilliant!! Love him. Love that song. As well as all of his others. He's still making music folks!!❤️💜🖤❤️💜🖤

Always interesting listening to Gary...no edge or arrogance to him at all.

that one long hold key into the rundown of the rest of the keys is fantastic!

Great song. Great hook. I was in a cover band years ago and we did a version of this song. We did a hard rock version of it. Always fun to play

That was awesome. I was 12 when this song came out and I remember that I couldn't wait til I was 16 to get my drivers license so I could drive to this song. Then one night while driving on the highway this song comes on and I blast it. I remember the highway lights zooming by, windows open, music blaring, no traffic, just me, my car and my song.

This was the very first album I ever bought back in the early eighties. Still fresh today.

my fav song off all time

thats exsactly how the feeling gets the audio that gets to my ears thats foreverrrrrrrrrr thats neet! thanks gary

Awesome background on an incredible song. In high school I recorded an entire side of a 90 minute cassette with it. The other side is "Voices Inside My Head" by The Police. This was back when double casstte decks made this easier than ever. Just had to rewind the tape after the song ended to record it again. Took hours but worth it. Still have it. Still blast it.

"Doo doo doo doo" gods bless Gary Numan

Great song and he is still so cool!!

Quel artiste !

This and Are Friends Electric, are fantastic brilliant songs! Did anyone else have MTV Snowboarding for the PS1? xD

I still have the vinyl LP. And it’s still awesome

this man amazing

all respect

This needs 1 billion views !

Gary and the Tubeway Army crushed this song. Still bang it today.

Love that song cutie Gary

This was the very first record I had ever purchased on my own. Paper route money! It was a 45.

That's a Timeless, Fun Song! Totally Electrifying Sound.

Amazing. Sometimes simplicity and not overthinking is an effective tool in songwriting. An unforgettable song, far ahead of it's time. Will always remember hearing it on the radio and how it helped to shape a new inspiring futuristic sound! Cheers Gary!

To echo Stuart Booth's comment below, so cool indeed! As a 53 year old who's been a 'couldn't-live-without-it' music lover since - well, since birth, probably (example: I took my first "The Sweet" album to school for our school's music teacher to hear in the first grade!), I'd like to say its 'so cool' to hear all these stories. Having been called a romantic/ nostalgic fool (much) more than once, I'm very pleased to have happened upon your channel and would like to thank you sincerely for sharing these wonderful stories.

And a great song indeed

Fantastic.

I was only 16 when I saw him live, and it was an inspirational gig. Unlike anything I've seen before or since.

I'm sure someone has spoken about, but I have to figure that Prince must have been a big fan of the song. There is something in "When Doves Cry" that echoes "Cars".

Genius!! 🎶🎤❤️

The songs so good that it’s difficult to listen to Gary. I’ve had to rewind it several times.

thank you so much for this amazing firsthand insight...creativity is so often the daughter of happenstance

The best songs are always written quickly...!

Ya i liked it it got alot of airplay at one point And now that i think about it, it was one of those tracks that was successful early in the so called new wave movement

Timeless song I remembered hearing this at the age of 10 and never looked back

This is hilarious and very interesting. I could listen to Numan's stories for hours.

I was 11 and my future stepbrother was 10. He said " you gotta hear cars!! best song ever!" I said yea yea ok. In San Diego there was this bizarre burger joint called doodle burgers. They had a jukebox and that's where I heard it. Wasn't expecting that! So we got tickets to go see him at the Fox theatre. My mum took us. Game changing experience. I was into playing guitar and after that all I wanted was a synthesiser. For years🤣🤣

I’ve only just discovered this series. Gary brought me here, and now I’ve returned to this video after seeing a ton. I actually believe, personal bias aside, this is one of the best video of the series. Gary breaks the song down as it plays, provides three important backstories to the song, while also talking about concept. Great great video!

I LOVEE THIS SONG!!

tremendous classic

Best one of these so far 👍

Always been obsessed with Gary numan

Always love the back story of a song...….this was great...….

Gary Numan is the god father of synth.

Class

wonderful.............. brilliant

Thank you, Gary Numan 🎖

It occurred a couple years after his popularity cooled in the USA......but Gary Numan and his band showed up (unannounced) at the Cleveland Agora to attend an Iggy Pop show -- and Numan insisted that they pay for tickets before being escorted to a VIP section the club had for special guests. They were in the city on a day off from their tour --- the next stop, the following night....at the Cleveland Agora.

80s music is so kick ass!

I had always loved the strange sounds on Sc Fi films and Tv as aa young child. Then when Gary Numan came along. I was hooked. it was as though he came from a different planet. nothing like him ever. I became addicted to synthesizers and electronic music. Dozens of synths later in my studio, and ''I just can't get enough''. well, that's a different song.

Excellent !

Truely fascinating

This is fantastic. I love Gary . Hope to meet him someday. Does he still,fly airplanes. Would love to sit and just talk to him.

pure legend

he reminds me a lot of Bowie - the way he talks and even his mannerisms.

So great to see how far he has come from the skinny ghost that obviously hated being on the telly or interviewed to the mature and articulate guy he is today.

This is a very good song 👌

Great song.

Great music Good name

❤❤❤

At the skating rink and Jamie's Crying playing

Let's not forget Gary landed a light aircraft on the road :)

That's song is really easy to cover, but it's so catchy!!!