Are 'Friends' Electric?

“Are 'Friends' Electric?”
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, Electronic
Length	5:18
Label	Beggars Banquet BEG 18
Producer	Gary Numan
Gary Numan/Tubeway Army singles chronology
"Down in the Park" (1979) "Are 'Friends' Electric?" (1979) "Cars" (1979)

"Are 'Friends' Electric?" is a 1979 song by Gary Numan, released under the name 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".

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.

Music and lyrics

The song tells the tale of a lonely and paranoid man; its themes of alienation and isolation were a Numan hallmark at this time in his career. The lyrics were inspired by a failed relationship with Beggar's Banquet employee Susan Wathan (cryptically referred to as "S.U.") mixed with and filtered through imagery drawn from Philip K. Dick's science fiction story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (later the basis for the 1982 film Blade Runner). The music is notable for its plaintive, emotional qualities, which were in stark contrast to the deliberately cold and computerized sound preferred by other synthesizer-based artists like Kraftwerk.

"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.

Covers

The song is one of Numan's most frequently-covered compositions. Generator (featuring Kipper, a Gary Numan band member, and Numan himself on vocals) covered the song in 1994. Nancy Boy produced a quirky version in 1995 as a single (several mixes) and on the album Promosexual, whilst Information Society included a cover on the 1997 album Don't Be Afraid. It was sung as a duet between Gary Numan and Republica on the 1997 tribute album Random[1] along with two other versions by Moloko and An Pierlé, the latter a memorable arrangement for solo piano. American rock band Jessica's Crime have also covered it, on their 2000 single Don't Cry. A Groove Armada cover appeared on the compilation album "Late Night Tales: Groove Armada" featuring Crazy Girl. Weezer has covered this song and it will be released as the b-side to their 2008 single Pork and Beans.

Most famously, it was also heavily sampled in 2002 on the mash-up track "Freak Like Me" by Sugababes, blending the song's melody with the lyrics of the Adina Howard song "Freak Like Me."; Numan has been quoted on more than one occasion expressing his approval of the result which, like the original, reached number 1 in the UK singles charts.

B-side

The B-side of the single was a more rock-orientated 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.

Tubeway Army - Are Friends Electric excerpt

An excerpt from "Are 'Friends' Electric?"

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Track listing

1. "Are 'Friends' Electric?" (Numan) - 5:18
2. "We Are So Fragile" (Numan) - 2:46

Production credits

• Producer:
  • Gary Numan

• Musicians:
  • Gary Numan: Minimoog synthesizer, Guitar, Vocals
  • Paul Gardiner: Bass guitar
  • Jess Lidyard: Drums

Notes

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