Gary Numan

Gary Numan

Gary Numan is an English singer, composer and musician from Hammersmith, London, born Gary Anthony James Webb in 1958. He is best known for combining synthesizers with rock instrumentation, and for helping to establish commercial electronic music, synthpop and the broader new wave sound. His work also connects to dark wave, electronic rock, electronica, gothic rock and industrial music.

Early career and Tubeway Army

Numan begins in several short-lived bands before joining the punk group The Lasers in 1976. In 1977 he and bassist Paul Gardiner leave to form Tubeway Army with drummer Bob Simmonds. The group initially records under futuristic pseudonyms and then changes direction towards synthesizers, with Numan taking the name Gary Numan and his uncle Jess Lidyard replacing Simmonds on drums. Early demos recorded for Beggars Banquet in 1978 later appear as The Plan.

Tubeway Army’s debut album, Tubeway Army, appears in 1978. Their second album, Replicas, follows in 1979 and includes “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?”, which tops the UK chart and also pushes the album to number one. The record also contains “Down in the Park”, a song that becomes one of his most gothic pieces. The success of the single makes Numan a major UK pop figure and leads him to replace Tubeway Army with a larger backing band while keeping Gardiner on bass.

Chart success in the late 1970s and early 1980s

The Pleasure Principle is released in 1979 and produces “Cars”, his best-known international hit. The single reaches number one in the UK and the American Top Ten, while the album becomes his second consecutive British number one. He follows this with elaborate futuristic stage presentations and a tour that loses money. He also develops an interest in amateur flying.

His next album, Telekon, arrives in 1980 and becomes his third straight UK chart-topper. It yields the Top Ten singles “We Are Glass” and “I Die: You Die”, while “This Wreckage” later reaches the Top 20. In 1981 he announces retirement from live performance and plays farewell concerts before the release of Dance. While that album and its lead single “She’s Got Claws” are still charting well, he attempts to fly around the world and is arrested in India on suspicion of spying and smuggling; the charges are dropped, but his plane is confiscated.

Later 1980s and label work

Numan’s retirement from the stage is short-lived, and he returns in 1982 with I, Assassin. The album is another Top Ten success, and “We Take Mystery (To Bed)” becomes a major hit. By 1983, with Warriors, his singles are slipping, and the title track becomes his last British Top Twenty hit apart from reissues and collaborations.

After parting with Beggars Banquet, he starts his own Numa label and releases Berserker in 1984. Paul Gardiner dies that year from a drug overdose. The Fury follows in 1985 and becomes the last of his albums to reach the British Top 30. Between 1985 and 1989, Numan also works with Bill Sharpe of Shakatak, issuing four singles and one album together. He signs to IRS after Strange Charm in 1986, but the relationship is troubled: the label changes the title of Metal Rhythm to New Anger for its North American release, remixes several tracks, refuses to release his soundtrack for The Unborn, and does not fund tours for New Anger or Outland. When that contract ends, he returns to Numa for Machine + Soul in 1992.

Return to critical favour

Sacrifice appears in 1994 and marks a move towards industrial sounds and a return to underground respect. Around this period, Hole, Foo Fighters and Smashing Pumpkins perform his songs live, Marilyn Manson records “Down in the Park” for the B-side of “Lunchbox”, and Nine Inch Nails cites him as an important influence. Numan develops this darker style further on Exile in 1997, then reaches a stronger creative peak with Pure in 2000, which extends his cult following.

In 2003, “Crazier”, credited to Gary Numan vs Rico, reaches No. 13 in the UK. Rico, an artist from Glasgow, also works on the remix album Hybrid, which reworks older songs in a more contemporary industrial style.

Later releases and associated work

Numan launches Mortal Records in 2004 and issues a series of live DVDs before releasing Jagged in 2006. He performs an album launch show at The Forum in London and tours in support of the record. In 2007 he provides vocals for four tracks on Ade Fenton’s debut solo album Artificial Perfect, released on Fenton’s Submission label: “The Leather Sea”, “Slide Away”, “Recall” and “Healing”. In 2008 he releases the double remix album Jagged Edge, based on Jagged and co-produced with Ade Fenton.

Style and legacy

Numan’s signature sound centres on prominent synthesizer lines processed through guitar effects pedals, alongside a preference for real instruments in much of his work. His early records draw on Kraftwerk, David Bowie’s Berlin-era collaborations with Brian Eno, Roxy Music, Ultravox, Can and other strands of electronic, experimental and Krautrock music. His themes and image are described as cold, robotic and theatrical, with science fiction influence from writers such as Philip K. Dick. His approach helps shape synthpop and later leaves a strong mark on goth rock, industrial music and darkwave.

Labels and group affiliations

He is associated with Tubeway Army and Mean Street, and his labels include Numa and Numan Music Ltd.