THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

772-Gary Numan-We Are Glass.

1980-Number 5 single.

Best Bit-At 3.42. His first stage name was ‘Valerian,’ but after seeing the name of a plumber called Arthur Neumann in the ads in the ‘Yellow Pages,’ he decided on a change….that’s ‘Rock ‘N Roll.’

Gary Numan (see also best songs 232 and 177) was born Gary Anthony James Webb, on March 8th, 1958, in London, England. In his mid teenage years he played in various bands, and after looking through the advertisements in the ‘Melody Maker’ music magazine, he claims to have unsuccessfully auditioned as guitarist for the then unknown band the Jam (see also best songs 670-94 and 59.) Gary Numan first found success as a member of ‘Tubeway Army,’ who in their early days played ‘Punk Rock’ music, but with Numan, who was the groups singer, songwriter, and producer, soon discovering ‘Electronic Music,’ the musical direction of the band swiftly changed, After the release of the Tubeway Army’s first two studio Albums in 1978 and 1979, the ‘Tubeway Army’ name was dropped, with all future material released under the ‘Gary Numan’ name.

As Tubeway Army there were two studio Albums released, and two official compilation Albums issued, along with four singles, which included their 1979 UK Number 1 ‘Are ‘Friends’ Electric?’ With Tubeway Army, and as Gary Numan, he has released 22 studio Albums between 1978-2021, there are also 29 official live Albums, and 17 compilations available. He has also released 51 singles between 1978-2021, with 18 of those tracks reaching the UK top 40, with two of those songs making Number 1. Gary Numan has also charted in the UK top 40 on a further five occasions, as either a featured artist, or as a collaboration. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, only ‘Cars’ in 1979, has ever charted, when making Number 9.

At the age of 18 Gary Numan had joined a group called ‘The Lasers,’ as their lead guitarist, which was where he first met that bands bassist Paul Gardiner (1958-1984.) The Lasers soon became ‘Tubeway Army,’ and it was Gardiner, along with Cedric Sharpley, (1952-2012) (drums) and Chris Payne, (synthesizers) who stayed with Numan after he effectively went solo. Paul Gardiner was born on May 1st, 1958, in Hayes, Middlesex, England, he died on February 18th, 1984, after struggling with Heroin addiction in his last years, he died from an overdose of Valium and Diconal, at the age of 25. Gardiner performed on both Tubeway Army studio Albums, and also the first two Gary Numan solo Albums, he also released two solo singles ‘Stormtrooper in Drag’ in 1981, and ‘Venus in Furs’ in 1984. During the 2009 ‘Pleasure Principle’ tour, Gary Numan paid tribute to Gardiner on the 25th anniversary of his death by playing ‘Complex,’ (the demo version) with a picture of Gardiner displayed on the large screen background.

‘We Are Glass’ was the first of three singles added to the re-issue of ‘Telekon,’ the second solo studio Album by Gary Numan, from May 1980. ‘We Are Glass’ was written and produced by Numan, with Russell Bell, (guitar) Dennis Haines, (piano) and John Webb, (percussion) playing on the track, along with those mentioned above. According to Numan the song was inspired by a comment from a writer in the ‘Omni’ magazine (the Omni was a science fiction publication.) ‘He said that he thought I’d been put here by something…. aliens, or something to carry out a cause, which I thought was very flattering, but a little silly.’ In We Are Glass’ Gary Numan is saying that just because he is a Pop star, it doesn’t mean that he isn’t fragile, like everyone else, he can also be broken.

‘We are young we can break, watch us fall. We can take some train down to the sea, we are glass. We are glass, we are real you can touch just for now, and I say: ‘Hey you, which way is down?’ We are glass.’