Tubeway Army

Tubeway Army formed in 1977 with Gary Numan on vocals, Paul Gardiner on guitar, Phil Judd on bass, and Bob Harding on drums. Their early shows sometimes confused audiences who weren't ready for the stark electronic sound Numan was developing. The band's first album came out in 1979, though the existing history incorrectly calls it 'Tubular Bells', it was actually self-titled.

In 1979, Tubeway Army released 'Are 'Friends' Electric?' as a single. The song's cold synthesizers and detached vocal delivery became an unexpected hit, pushing the band into wider recognition. Other tracks from that period like 'Down In The Park' and 'Me! I Disconnect From You' shared that same atmospheric, machine-like quality.

The lineup shifted after that initial success. Judd left and was replaced by Chris Payne on bass. By 1981, Gardiner had departed too, leaving Numan as the only original member still using the Tubeway Army name. Numan would soon drop the band name altogether and continue as a solo artist, but those early recordings established the template for much of what followed in electronic pop.