Gary Numan (Tubeway Army) - Are Friends Electric? Reaction 

Our whole school went nuts to this.

I remember in 1979 when this first came out. We were all crowded around the juke box in the pub, and Phil put his money in the machine, having chosen this song. We all agreed that it was a totally new sound ,despite bands like Kraftwerk having made synth based songs before. And to this day it stands the test of time.

May 24th 1979 and everything changed. Fifteen years old watching Top of the Pops and Tubeway Army's performance of "Are Friends Electric?". I'd never seen or heard anything like it. I bet that I didn't blink once. It genuinely felt like the future had arrived 🧡

Takes me straight back to my last term at junior school 1979, the future seemed so exotic and exciting, being ushered by in by this song.

In 79 this song came along and changed everything, it blew everything out of the water and made way for "the electric 80s", it was that important Almost 45 years of this absolute classic

Swoon. One of the greatest pop songs ever written. I've listened to it millions of times. Been a fan since I was 11. I'm 55 now. So happy he's finally getting the credit he's always deserved. King of synth-pop, godfather of techno, huge influence on early hip hop -- ask Kool Herc if you don't believe me. Freakin' genius, that dude.

Such a brilliant tune. As a night club DJ i was able to play this when it came out... filled the dancefloor .. trouble was it was there was nothing else quite like it to mix it with. Heart of Glass from Blondie and Message in a bottle from the Police...

Believe it or not, this FIVE MINUTE LONG song went to #1 on the British charts, as did the album it came from ("Replicas"). He broke the mold: songs that long RARELY chart well.

The reason he was smiling is because this was just a rehearsal that just got recorded. I don’t think it was ever meant to have been put out

It's hard to explain the massive impact that this had at the time of the original release - nothing had sounded like it and been so commercially successful (it was one of the top 5 best sellers of the year in the UK). There's so much of Gary's work that I could recommend, but I'd actually skip forward nearly 40 years to "My Name is Ruin" to show his longevity - his daughter joins him on vocals for it.

Such a unique voice. And he's still going strong producing new albums.

Loved it aged 9 and was quite obsessed with Gary. 52 now and still love it ❤

As someone commented he is still producing music and thier suggestions of my name is ruin with his daughter persia on backing track is a good one.

Absolute fkkn banger Pushed music forward 20 years

If you have a chance look up the documentary on Gary & this song! He was writing Sci Fi stories and came up with this song that actually is about Robot prostitutes...Fascinating how he explains it! He is very humble guy, glad to see him still performing!

This brought back memories of when I was walking along a London street market back in 1979 when I heard this playing at a"record" stall. It was so different to anything I'd heard before.....I had to buy the album and still have it today.

It's cold outside And the paint's peeling off of my walls There's a man outside In a long coat, grey hat, smoking a cigarette Now the light fades out And I'm wondering what I'm doing in a room like this There's a knock on the door And just for a second I thought I remembered you So now I'm alone Now I can think for myself About little deals And *issues* And things that I just don't understand Like a white lie that night Or a slight touch at times I don't think it meant anything to you So I open the door It's the `friend' that I'd left in the hallway "please sit down" A candle lit a shadow on a wall near the bed You know I hate to ask But, are `friends' electric? Mine's broke down And now I've no one to love So I find out your reason For the phone calls and smiles And it hurts And I'm lonely And I should never have tried And I missed you tonight So it's time to leave You see this means everything to me

Love this for decades! Number 1 in England; didn't chart in the US (before "Cars", his first American hit). The title is a Philip K. Dick reference, which he made several of (and all science fiction).

Simply brilliant and groundbreaking for mainstream audiences in 79. I was lucky enough to see him live a few years back - he is now so energetic live.

Everything right down to the lead synth sound is flawless. It sounds like something from today's mad world not 1979.

This is absolute class, so powerful

This was the first "electronic" song I bought. I had been an exclusively rock n roll, guitar kid until then, but this single began the real broadening of my musical horizons.

Great choice! 🤩👍 Thank you to those who'd suggested it, and thank you Cynthia & Chris for checking it out! 😊 I could write a whole novel to this song now, but I'll restrain myself and just say that you guys chose well with this particular performance because it sure _is_ rare to see Gary smile and obviously enjoying himself in most of his early clips 😀 He'd also confirmed the Bowie influence, and it's mind-blowing from today's perspective that this song alone had made him UK's pioneer of Electronic Music back then 😀 I still cannot believe that I'd never heard it before the early 90's!🤯

I find it fascinating looking back to remember I liked Gary Numan immediately even although I was a huge Northern soul, Ska, Reggae and Punk fan. This was still Punk era but it was like a relief of chiilling a bit but from Punk but still very reactionary. As you said, influences abound and probably why it fitted very well for the time and the fans of other stuff.

Beautiful music.

Ground breathtaking song in 79 this in the uk nothing had ever been as powerful as this and cars and gary paved the way for the electronic invasion of music that was to come he's a genius and total respect to him that's he's still a massive influence on any generation

Ah, big fat slabs of analog goodness! It warms my heart.

When this came out it was an absolute game changer. It put synthesizers into the public consciousness in a way they never had been before. Of course there had been electronic music in the charts before, but this was the first that spoke to and for the punk generation, and it really was the future. Down in the Park is an even better track, I think. I think it's fair to say that Gary Numan cultivated a distant, some might say arrogant, attitude that caused him problems with sections of the UK media, and perhaps didn't help is longevity in the mainstream.

Brings me back to my teenage times 😄😄 greetings from the Netherlands

Fantastic to see that you appreciate Gary Numan's music.💕💕💕

I'd love to see a reaction to something newer from him, 'My name is ruin' for example.

Gary smiled when he pulled his head away from the mic and almost sang the next line away from the mic. Another thing that made him smile was when he did his twirl. In an earlier video he didn't make the twirl in time. It was a mimed show and I think he was just finding it all a bit amusing. If you see Gary in interviews he smiles and jokes a lot. Comes across as a very humble, down to earth guy. But having asperges, I think the austere performance was a good facade to hide behind. Another time I saw Gary smile was when he performed I Am Ruine with his daugher Persia. He snuck a look at her under his arm while holding the mic stand, and you can see he how proud of her he was and a he couldn't help a smile.

"Shes Got Claws" is another great one from Gary

Saw him last year. Brilliant!

He took a lot of inspiration from John Foxx. Gary has always reinvented himself over the years. When you see him, he of course does play some of his classics but he much prefers to look towards the future. Now lives in the USA

Young me was blown away by this song, coming out of 70s punk and into the electronic age was so wild. Love this song.

Please check out his Down In The Park for a very sinister futuristic sound and story.

So glad you like that one. On target comments. Try "I Die You Die" for something less ponderous. Also, his opening act, "Nash the Slash" has some great stuff covers of Smoke on the Water (redone as Dopes on the Water), 19th Nervous Breakdown, and Deadman's Curve as well as original works.

My name is Ruin! Should be the next Gary Numan song! Love me some Gary Numan!

Apparently some of the early US rappers were influenced by Gary Numan.

I did like his stuff back in the day, his vocals always reminded me of an early David Bowie.

As mentioned below the SugarBabes combining this with an Adina Howard track was also great, making it a great dancehall record. Gary Numan was first known from music he did for a Lee Cooper add. And everyone wanted to know what that sound was. And then this came.

Gary Numan was really into science fiction when he was a kid, and yes he was influenced by David Bowie, Kraftwerk and early Ultravox! with original founder and frontman John Foxx. (One of the keyboardists and synth musician, Billy Currie, who did study and learned classical music from a very early age is in this video and was a member of Ultravox!). Gary Numan also has Aspergers and despite that he was accepted when he applied at an Air Force Academy so he can study to become a pilot. He did receive his pilot license when he was in his early 20's. Gary Numan is a self taught musician as well. "Are The Friends Electric?" is from his second album titled 'Replicas' which it is a concept album about a dystopian society and aliens from other planets. One of his songs on that album is titled "Machmen" which they are cyborgs who kill normal humans. Way before James Cameron's 1984 film 'The Terminator'. His song "Are The Friends Electric?" is about an AI (Artificial Intelligence) prostitute who comes over to his dwelling to give him sexual pleasure but she breaks down, and Gary Numan (the main character in the song) is lonely and he has no one to love. Another song from the 'Replicas' album which was also a popular song in England is "Down In The Park." From his second album 'Replicas', his third 'The Pleasure Principle' and his fourth 'Telekon' are all very futuristic even to this very day. I really enjoyed your reaction to Gary Numan's song "Are The Friends Electric?"

Great choice, Great Anthem deffo stood the test of time, Cheers Jim, UK

Absolutely fantastic track , Gary was right up there for synth music .

To me Gary Numan is a reflective 'Mood' rather than something to watch. For me, this is Roller Skating memories from very late 70s ...thanks

I´d recommend listening to "Down in the park" and "M.E.". Loads of bands have covered his songs. The cover version of "M.E." by Wand is fantastic 🙂

Thanks mates! He us so underrated and influenced lots of people. Maybe try down in the park next. Thank you for starting with Numan

Also , please try , down In the park , another banger . 🙏

He has also performed with his daughter have a look.

I really enjoyed when he switched from this sort of sound, to the track RIP, having a big influence on Nine Inch Nails

Gary is God of the synth..Check out M.E as well as Films and music for chameleons by Gary Numan..The man is a genius.. Great video and all the best from the U.K🇬🇧🇺🇸👍

40+ years ago, I remember hearing this song on our AM radio and it left such an impression that I spent my adult life looking for it.

I like how the band is standing stoically, but drummer Cedric Sharpley is bouncing to his beat

Absolute bonafide new wave synth classic ! .. So atmospheric and enigmatic sounding .. I get lost in the feel of it every time I hear it .. Thanks for reacting to this one.👌

I just read that Gary had turned 65 only a couple of days ago; Happy Birthday to him! 🥳💚🍾🥂🎂🎶🎉🍀

There is an updated version of this he released a few years ago for Allsaints Basement Sessions, def worth a listen to what he can do with modern instruments.

Love to our Brothers and Sisters in Canada, from the UK. According to Gary, the song is about going to a brothel. When Gary came along, he was so different, it was like he suddenly came from another planet. Enjoyed as usual.

This changed the world for 15 minutes - A long come the synth bands...

Classic from Gary.....

More Numan more Numan! 😊

I've seen Gary Numan more than a few times, and I've met him a few times. This video is unusual in that I've never seen him smile as much as he's doing in this video. Back then he was mister serious on stage. Great guy off-stage. People back then use to make references to David Bowie a lot. I never saw it and in later years he said that people got it all wrong. He wasn't so much influenced by David Bowie. He was influenced by and wanted to be a band called Ultravox when a guy named John Foxx was their vocalist. I'd recommend their album titled Systems Of Romance, and either the song Maximum Acceleration or Dislocation.

One of the most influential artists of all time including "Africa Bombarta" and is still keeping it fresh .Its worth checking out an all girl band from Britain called "The Sugar Babes "Freakin" they sampled this track and did a really good job.Gary Numan lost his confidence in the late 80s but regained it in the 2000,s and his daughter performed with him live .Try "We take mystery to bed"

Billy Currie from Ultravox on synths with Chris Payne. The drummer Cedric Sharpley passed away a few years ago. Listen to some of his recent stuff especially A Prayer For The Unborn and Pure.

Gary Numan was huge in the late 70s up until the mid 80s. The stuff he released after that period was probably more interesting but not as commercial

This video is quite famous for Gary not taking himself seriously (for a change :) ) He's fooling around a lot here, smiling and dancing around.

I was at his show on this tour! Cool

I saw gary numan in concert in Brighton 1980ish .. best concert ever

Yes ! Great tune ! Great time ! Yep Gary was surely influenced by Bowie ! But how many Artists cant say they were influenced by Bowie , Zep , Lou Reed , or any one else come to that ! Did pave the way for more bands such as "Ultravox " a few years later ! The 3 Bowie albums that would IMO be the influencers ! are the trio recorded in Berlin ! "Station to Station " "Low" and "Heroes" very synthy! on Low they used a "Harmonizer" kinda made the Drums sound so differant ! Also at the time of this release Garys music got him into trouble with BBC band that were sometimes used on Top Of The Pops ! The "Union" didnt like Synthesisers as those new fangled machines were taking their jobs away ! Honestly you couldnt make it up !Cheers !

This song was so a head of its time its from the album replicas replicas was about a future where technology went the wrong way a friend in this song is a android you can order like a pizza delivery service to talk to if your lonely or play chess replicas had a dark seedy side but it was brilliant because gary said he loves technology he didnt want it to go the wrong way the man outside is a machman machines that acted as a police force who took you away if you thought the wrong thing it was a very dystopian world gary was showing what could happen if technology went the wrong way

Attended this GN concert tour at the Queen E theater in Vancouver around 1980ish. Awesome. Wall of sound and light. Great concert.

To a 10 year old in 1979 this was mind blowing!

Gary! ♥ His whole catalog is amazing. ETA: If you get the chance to see him in concert, don't miss it!

I bought this album when it came out. Loved it, have you heard "Cars", if you listen to it watch Nine Inch Nails perform it with Gary.

I love this song. Thank you.

He's still touring and I'd highly recommend catching a show if you get the chance! Sounds somewhere between this and Nine Inch Nails these days

The keyboard player behind GNs left shoulder is Billy Currie of Ultravox who was "on loan" at this point!

I da hypnotic sounds from Gary

He was also a acrobatic pilot but gave it up after all his friends got killed .

This song only really makes sense when you've read the backstory to the Replicas album, which involves deadly A.I and cyborgs who variously entertain and oppress the dwindling human population...guess the rest.

Heard that David Bowie and Garry were in a TV studio due to be interviewed and Bowie really got on one and said Get him out of here! ;)

It's that "wrong" note. Probably a better song than Cars which was no slouch....but 1979 at 9 years old I remember taping it off Capital Radio on the JVC boombox my dad gave me and saying "listen to this!!" Totally got me into the whole analog synthesizer sound. It took me a while to realize it was basically about a robot prostitute. What is it about the UK scene in 1979? A little past punk, some musicianship and the ideas were flowing. A great time and you encapsulated it superbly.

Lors de mes 16 années sur cette planète, je me suis dit que je n'étais pas par hasard 😌

Billy Currie from Ultravox on keyboards. Memories ... for me

This song is about being able to order replicant prostitutes over the computer and they turn up at your door on demand. We are not to far away from that becoming a thing.

Fan since the 70s....totally changed synth music....

Replicas was and still is one of my favorite albums.

It's interesting you both said Bowie was a big influence on Numan which is true unfortunately Bowie wasn't impressed stating he copied him .Gary said at the time that Bowie was struggling for inspiration so may have been jealous of Numan around 79 80 as he was this new star that came from nowhere and Bowie needed to find new inspiration which he did with the" Scary Monsters " album in 80

I was 10 when I bought this. I heard it once and went straight to HMV. My Nan paid for it 🙂.

A classic.

Down In the Park is amazing , Trent Resnor is a big Neuman fan , Did a few songs on stage together

Glad you checked this out, it's stood the test of time well, though definitely sounds much better with far less compression than on here. I recognised a possible David Bowie influence at first, though put that down to how Gary Numan looked when performing more than the music itself, as because I was also listening to early Human League at the time I thought of it more as a parallel development than direct influence. I'm happy to say I couldn't stand Numan's singing voice at the time as I thought it too nasal, but time changes things and I like it better now - it fits.

It's cold outside And the paint's peeling off of my walls There's a man outside In a long coat, grey hat, smoking a cigarette.... Best Lyrics every

Yeah I remember when it first came out, I was into heavy rock but I loved this!

Layering is amazing.....Not a huge music student as per his own words. Natural talent

The Synth sound has reverberated through my brain since I first heard it on "Son of my Father" (Moroder/Chicory Tip).

Here is a great Live version. Gary Numan 'Are Friends Electric?' AllSaints Basement Sessions

It's set in the future and all about robot prostitutes,but he never let on about that at the time or he'd have never got it by top of the pops,check out his albums Savage and Intruder,his more up to date stuff,AWESOME!

Summer of 1979, No1 in UK for 4 weeks knocked off by Boomtowns Rats I don't like Mondays.

There is a very good documentary video about Gary Numan on RU-vid that I highly suggest you watch before you review another of his videos. Please understand that he was a pioneer and kraftwork & DEVO were influenced by him. You will understand him so much better if you watch that documentary. It will answer all your questions. Thank you for the reaction video!