"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".
Despite being over five minutes long and possessing, in the words of its composer, "no recognisable hook-line whatsoever", th...
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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".
Despite being over five minutes long and possessing, in the words of its composer, "no recognisable hook-line whatsoever", 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. "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...
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