Tubeway Army
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 in London, England |
| Founder | Gary Numan |
| Defunct | 1979 |
| Headquarters | London , England |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Tubeway Army was a new wave group originating from London, fronted by vocalist Gary Numan. Established in 1977 amid the punk rock movement, the band gradually adopted an electronic music style. They became the pioneering electronic group to secure a UK number-one single with "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and the accompanying album Replicas in 1979. After this achievement, Numan abandoned the Tubeway Army moniker, opting to release music under his own name while keeping the original members as his backing band.
Early years
At age 18, Gary Webb was the lead singer of the London-based band Mean Street in 1976 before crossing paths with bassist Paul Gardiner during auditions for The Lasers. This group eventually transformed into Tubeway Army, reassembled with Webb’s uncle Jess Lidyard on drums. Webb changed his stage name to "Valerian," Gardiner to "Scarlett," and Lidyard to "Rael."
Webb was a highly productive songwriter, and the band secured a contract with independent label Beggars Banquet. Their debut single "That's Too Bad" (released February 1978) did not enter the charts. A follow-up single, "Bombers"/"Blue Eyes"/"OD Receiver," also failed to chart. During this phase, personnel changes took place as Webb and Gardiner moved away from their punk roots.
Disenchanted with the violent atmosphere at punk venues, Tubeway Army stopped performing live after a disrupted show in July 1978. The group then concentrated exclusively on studio recordings. Only two live recordings are known: a 1977 performance at The Roxy and a February 1978 London gig, both later included as bonus tracks on the 1998 CD reissue of Tubeway Army.
Debut album
Shortly thereafter, the original lineup swiftly recorded the Tubeway Army album. Webb adopted the stage name "Gary Numan," inspired by a local plumber named "Arthur Neumann" listed in the phone directory, altering the spelling for his persona. Although primarily guitar/bass/drums-driven, this album marked his initial use of the Minimoog synthesizer, which he stumbled upon during recording sessions. The lyrics explored dystopian and science fiction themes influenced by writers J. G. Ballard and Philip K. Dick, including direct allusions such as those found in "Listen to the Sirens."
Numan intended to release the album under his own name rather than Tubeway Army, but Beggars Banquet declined this request. Issued on blue vinyl in November 1978, the initial pressing of 5,000 copies sold out despite no singles being released and no chart placement.
Replicas and commercial success
Early in 1979, Numan returned to the studio with Tubeway Army to produce Replicas and recorded a John Peel session. This record placed greater emphasis on synthesizers and science fiction themes. The first single from the album, "Down in the Park," did not chart but gained a cult following.
The major breakthrough arrived with "Are 'Friends' Electric?," released in May 1979. Starting at number 71 on the UK Singles Chart, it ascended to No. 1 by June.[1] The track included references to Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Sales were bolstered by a limited edition picture disc and prominent television appearances on The Old Grey Whistle Test and Top of the Pops on 24 May 1979. The lineup—featuring Ultravox keyboardist Billy Currie, Chris Payne, Paul Gardiner, and drummer Cedric Sharpley—performed clad in black and remained motionless on stage; Numan's robotic stage presence became his trademark style. The single maintained its number one position for four consecutive weeks, while Replicas topped album charts.[2] By year’s end, "Are 'Friends' Electric?" ranked as the UK's fourth best-selling single of 1979.[3]
At their commercial peak, a June 1979 John Peel session was credited solely to Gary Numan, signaling the end of using the Tubeway Army name.[4] Numan continued to employ the same musicians for his solo albums and tours.
Following Numan’s brief retirement from live performances in 1981, his backing band formed synth-pop outfit Dramatis, releasing For Future Reference (1981) with Numan featuring on one track. Reissued on CD in 2000 as The Dramatis Project credited to "Tubeway Army featuring Gary Numan," this release is not classified as a Tubeway Army album.
Band Members
- Gary Numan (also known as "Valerian") – guitar, lead vocals, synthesizers (1977–1979)
- Paul Gardiner (nicknamed "Scarlett") – bass guitar, backing vocals (1977–1979; passed away 1984)
- Jess Lidyard (alias "Rael") – drums (1977, 1978–1979)
- Bob Simmonds – drums (1977–1978)
- Barry Benn – drums (1978)
- Sean Burke – guitar (1978)
- Billy Currie – synthesizers (1979)
- Trevor Grant – guitar (1979)
- Chris Payne – synthesizers (1979)
- Cedric Sharpley – drums (1979; deceased 2012)
Band Lineups
| Years | Members | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 |
|
|
| 1977–1978 |
|
|
| 1978 |
|
|
| 1978–1979 |
|
|
| 1979 (Old Grey Whistle Test and Top of the Pops appearances) |
|
Studio Albums
| Year | Album Details | Highest Chart Positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | NZL | SWE | US | |||
| 1978 | Tubeway Army
|
14[upper-alpha 1] | — | — | — | — | |
| 1979 | Replicas
|
1 | 11 | 8 | 37 | 124 |
|
| 2009 | Replicas Redux
|
96 | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" indicates albums that did not enter the charts | |||||||
Compilations
| Year | Description | Highest chart rankings |
|---|---|---|
| UK | ||
| 1984[upper-alpha 2] | The Plan
|
29 |
| 2019 | Replicas - The First Recordings
|
31 |
Singles
| Year | Single title | Highest chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | AUT | GER | BEL | IRE | NED | NZL | US | |||
| 1978 | "That's Too Bad" | 97 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Bombers" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979 | "Down in the Park" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Are 'Friends' Electric?" | 1 | 12 | 12 | 23 | 14 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 105 |
| |
Further reading
- Goodwin, Paul (2004) Electric Pioneer: An Armchair Guide To Gary Numan
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- ↑ Gary Numan The Pleasure Principle - The First Recordings Beggars Arkive
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- Articles with short description
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