Electric Friends: A Gary Numan Podcast

Feb 05 2025 48 ep. 22 mins 34

Electric Friends: A Gary Numan Podcast artwork

Celebrating the music of electronic pioneer Gary Numan, track-by-track. Each episode delves into a different Gary Numan song from various albums and eras in a non-linear journey.

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We Have a Technical

Feb 05 2025 16 mins

Looking back at the fantastic bonus track from Tubeway Army's Replicas album: eight minutes of pure synthpop brilliance, later covered by Matt Sharp and Damon Albarn.

Gary Numan's albums ranked

Dec 31 2024 84 mins

For this special episode, I asked you to rank your favourite Gary Numan albums from worst to best. Hundreds of you voted, and here I bring you the full countdown of 24 albums, including Gary's words about each LP.What will be number one? I won't give it away here, but do you agree?

Slowcar to China

Nov 28 2024 15 mins

For this episode, I look back at Gary Numan's Dance album opener - the haunting 9+ minute track, Slowcar to China.From its real-life inspirations and other theories to the album's sound as a whole, it's time to head back to 1981 and for one Gary's best ever LPs.

Stormtrooper in Drag

Oct 29 2024 15 mins

"Take that smile off your face, wipe that tear from your eye, don't say you're sorry for me".For this episode, we look back at Paul Gardiner's solo single 'Stormtrooper in Drag', co-written with Gary Numan and with Gary on lead vocals.The underrated track about drug use and loneliness showcased the lost potential of the late Paul Gardiner, and gave Numan fans a look at what was to

Rrussell Bell interview

Sep 29 2024 34 mins

In this latest interview special of Electric Friends, I speak to a legend in Gary Numan's music history: Rrussell Bell.In case you didn’t know - Rrussell is a prolific musician, composer and comedy writer. After graduating in Physics at London University, he joined Tubeway Army in 1979 - first appearing on record on 1980’s We Are Glass. He would then spend the next 10 years rec

Don't Be a Dummy

Aug 06 2024 15 mins

"Lee Cooper!"For this episode of Electric Friends, I look back at one of Gary Numan's first ever projects - a TV advert jingle!Gary recorded a short track called 'Don't Be a Dummy' for Lee Cooper jeans, which became very popular in 1979, just before he found fame with 'Are Friends Electric?'.This episode delves into the making of the song, why Gary didn't record a full version, the

Bill Sharpe interview

Jul 12 2024 44 mins

For this interview special, it’s with a bonafide music legend: Bill Sharpe.Bill Sharpe is a classically trained pianist and jazz rock musician, who once worked alongside John Peel at the BBC and Trevor Horn in an early band. In 1980, he co-founded the band Shakatak, who scored many big hits around the world with their brand of post-disco jazz-funk.In 1985, he teamed up with Gary

Your Fascination

Jun 24 2024 21 mins

"I don't suppose you ever laughed at me"For this episode of Electric Friends, I look back at Gary Numan's 1985 album The Fury, and in particular its lead single 'Your Fascination'.Including:How Gary continued his funk/industrial style from BerserkerHow radio continued to ignore him despite being a funky bangerHow he turned to co-producers and took on a new songwriting technique for

Metal

May 18 2024 27 mins

"We're in the building where they make us grow, and I'm frightened by the liquid engineers, like you."For this episode, I look back at one of Gary Numan's best-known and best-loved songs, 'Metal', from 1979's The Pleasure Principle.The track was the first song on the album with lyrics, and was inspired by the writings of Philip K Dick, about a machine with a desire to be human.The

Donovan Silver/John Webb interview

Apr 21 2024 63 mins

For the latest interview special of Electric Friends, I speak to Gary Numan's brother John Webb, aka Donovan Silver.Donovan opens up about his close bond with older brother Gary, what it was like growing up with him and the first time he joined Tubeway Army on stage as a 12-year-old.He also speaks about joining the band full-time as a teenager and their various tours, as well as wo