On the 29th of May 1979, Gary Numan recorded a landmark session for John Peel’s BBC Radio 1 show, broadcast on 25 June. The recording features songs “Films”, "Airlane", "Conversation" and “Cars”. The session captured Numan at a pivotal moment as he transitioned from punk roots into pioneering electronic territory. Backed by members of Tubeway Army, the performance highlighted his distinctive use of synthesisers, minimal guitar, and detached vocals, offering a stark, futuristic sound that would soon dominate the charts.

Numan’s enduring legacy is closely tied to the Beggars Banquet label, which played a crucial role in his rise to prominence. It was under Beggars Banquet that he released The Pleasure Principle, his first solo album, which featured the global hit “Cars” and firmly established him as a pioneer of electronic music.

Gary Numan – BBC Session track list:

A1 Cars

A2 Airlane

B1 Films

B2 Conversation

This session is also available digitally!

The whole collection of BBC sessions is available to pre-order now as a completed box, extremely limited in number, only 250 complete boxsets are being sold.

ORDER: https://arkive.ffm.to/bbcvolume2