Down In The Park - Music
Down In The Park by Tubeway Army
Tubeway Army
Artist Biography For Tubeway Army
Tubeway Army's Main Claim To Fame Is That Gary Webb Aka Gary Numan First Came To The Public's Attention Here. The Band Was Formed In London UK In 1977 By Gary Numan And The Late Paul Gardiner. What Started As A British Punk Band Would Evolve Into Something Quite Different. During The Recording Of Their Self-Titled First Album "Tubeway Army" In 1978 Numan Came Across A Minimoog Synthesizer Accidentally Left In The Studio Which Would End Up Being Used In Several Of The Album's Songs. The Change In Sound Served Well For The Band As Their First Album Would Go On To Sell Out Its Small Initial Pressing Despite Not Charting. The Release Of Their Second Album "Replicas" In 1979 Finally Gave Numan The Success He Had Been Trying To Achieve From The Start With The Single "Are Friends Electric?" The Song Topping The British Charts For Four Weeks. The Band's Cold Electronic Take On Minimalistic Pop Took A Little While To Catch On With The Music Audience At Large But Proved To Be Of Lasting Influence. Combining The Artistic And Poetic Tendencies Of David Bowie Especially The Berlin Years With Sequenced Synthesizers Along The Lines Of Kraftwerk Presaged The Whole Genre Of Techno-Pop In The 1980s. In Late 1979 After The Success Of "Replicas" Numan Dropped Tubeway Army And Went On To Record As A Solo Artist. It's Also Worthy Of Note That During 1979 While His Band "Ultravox" Were On Hiatus Billy Currie Collaborated With Gary On Material For Both "Replicas" And Gary's First Solo Album "The Pleasure Principle". The Official Website Can Be Found Here Www.Garynuman.Co.Uk
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: Down in the Park
Tubeway-Army - Replicas Redux
"Down In The Park" Is A 1979 Single Written And Recorded By Gary Numan With His Band Tubeway Army. The First Cut From The Album Replicas It Was Not A Hit When Released But Has Long Been A Critical And Fan Favourite And For Many Years Was Described By Numan As His Best Composition. Like The Replicas Album As A Whole "Down In The Park" Marked A Major Shift From Tubeway Army's Previous Output. The Band's Early Releases The 1978 Singles "That's Too Bad" And "Bombers" Plus The Self-Titled Debut Album Contained Elements Of Punk Hard Rock Heavy Metal And New Wave But Were Exclusively Guitar Driven With Only Occasional Use Of Primitive Synthesizer Effects. "Down In The Park" On The Other Hand Was Numan's First Composition On Keyboards And His First Release To Feature The Predominantly Electronic Sound That Became His Trademark. Musically It Pared Down Still Further The Guitar Power Chord And Bass Root Note Style Arrangements He Had Used Previously Reducing The Harmony To Bare Unisons Of Layered Bass Guitar Fender Rhodes Electric Piano And Minimoog Synthesizer. The Semitone Key Changes A To Bb And Chromatic Melodic Riffs Between The Song's Verses Are Somewhat Unusual In The Context Of Traditional Western Music Theory But Are Not Unusual In Rock Music. Lyrically The Song Crystallized The Dystopian Science Fiction Concept That Was The Basis Of The Replicas Album. Heavily Influenced By Such Writers As J.G. Ballard And Philip K. Dick It Tells The Chilling Story Of A Futuristic Park In Which Machmen Androids With Human Skin And Machines Rape And Kill Human Beings For The Delight Of Spectators Who Along With Their Numerically-Named Robotic "friends" "Down In The Park With A Friend Called Five" View The Carnage From A Nearby Club "Zom Zoms" . The Piece Was Typical Of Numan's Themes At The Time Both Embracing And Fearing Technology. In Contrast To Much Contemporary Post-Punk Music And His Own Earlier Releases Numan's Vocals Were Deliberately Underplayed Leaving The Slow And Stately Synthesizer Work To Evoke The Song's Melancholy Atmosphere.
In What Would Become Numan's Normal Practice The B-Side Was A Non-Album Track In This Case "Do You Need The Service?" The Title Referenced A Line From The Works Of William S. Burroughs The Service In Question Meaning Pest Control. The 12" Single Included The Same Tracks As The 7" Along With "I Nearly Married A Human 2 " A Different Mix To The Version On Replicas This Time Featuring Drum Machine Throughout And Numan's Recitation Of The Song's Title The Only Words Heard. "Down In The Park" Has Been Covered By A Number Of Artists Notably Foo Fighters On The X-Files Songs In The Key Of X Soundtrack Album 1996 Marilyn Manson On The "Lunchbox" And "Sweet Dreams" Singles DJ Hell A 1998 Techno Version With Lyrics Translated In French Entitled "Dans Le Parc" Christian Death A Live Performance On The Iron Mask Girls Under Glass And Jimi Tenor On The Numan Tribute Album Random. Terre Thaemlitz Recorded Two Instrumental Versions Of "Down In The Park" On The Tribute Album Replicas Rubato One On Piano And The Other On Synthesizer The Latter A Hidden Track . Other Tribute Acts To Have Recorded The Song Include Bytet And Reload On The Albums Ghost Of A White Face Clown And Tubeway Navy Respectively. "Down In The Park" Has Been A Mainstay Of Numan's Concerts Since His 1979 Tour And Appears On Almost All Of His Live Albums. An Arrangement With Solo Piano Introduction Appeared On The Living Ornaments '80 LP In The Movie Urgh! A Music War And In The Micromusic Video Concert From Wembley Arena Soundtrack Released As Living Ornaments '81 . A Version For Piano Alone Was The Flip Side Of Numan's Single "I Die You Die" In 1980 And Was Also Included As A Bonus Track On The 1998 CD Re-Issue Of Telekon . The Original Song Was Remixed Twice For The 2003 Collection Hybrid And A Demo Version Of The Song Was Included On The Soundtrack Of The Movie Times Square 1980 .
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Biography - Tubeway Army
Tubeway Army's Main Claim To Fame Is That Gary Webb Aka Gary Numan First Came To The Public's Attention Here. The Band Was Formed In London UK In 1977 By Gary Numan And The Late Paul Gardiner. What Started As A British Punk Band Would Evolve Into Something Quite Different. During The Recording Of Their Self-Titled First Album "Tubeway Army" In 1978 Numan Came Across A Minimoog Synthesizer Accidentally Left In The Studio Which Would End Up Being Used In Several Of The Album's Songs. The Change In Sound Served Well For The Band As Their First Album Would Go On To Sell Out Its Small Initial Pressing Despite Not Charting. The Release Of Their Second Album "Replicas" In 1979 Finally Gave Numan The Success He Had Been Trying To Achieve From The Start With The Single "Are Friends Electric?" The Song Topping The British Charts For Four Weeks. The Band's Cold Electronic Take On Minimalistic Pop Took A Little While To Catch On With The Music Audience At Large But Proved To Be Of Lasting Influence. Combining The Artistic And Poetic Tendencies Of David Bowie Especially The Berlin Years With Sequenced Synthesizers Along The Lines Of Kraftwerk Presaged The Whole Genre Of Techno-Pop In The 1980s. In Late 1979 After The Success Of "Replicas" Numan Dropped Tubeway Army And Went On To Record As A Solo Artist. It's Also Worthy Of Note That During 1979 While His Band "Ultravox" Were On Hiatus Billy Currie Collaborated With Gary On Material For Both "Replicas" And Gary's First Solo Album "The Pleasure Principle". The Official Website Can Be Found Here Www.Garynuman.Co.Uk read less
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Gary Numan Ultravox The Human League Visage John Foxx Japan Adam And The Ants Blancmange Fad Gadget Devo Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Soft Cell Heaven 17 Magazine The Teardrop Explodes Pete Shelley.
"Down in the Park" is a 1979 single written and recorded by Gary Numan with his band Tubeway Army. The first cut from the album Replicas, it was not a hit when released but has long been a critical and fan favourite and for many years was described by Numan as his best composition.
Like the Replicas album as a whole, "Down in the Park" marked a major shift from Tubeway Army's previous output. The band's early releases, the 1978 singles "That's Too Bad" and "Bombers" plus the self-titled debut album, contained elements of punk, hard rock, heavy metal and New Wave but were exclusively guitar driven with only occasional use of primitive synthesizer effects. "Down in the Park", on the other hand, was Numan's first composition on keyboards and his first release to feature the predominantly electronic sound that became his trademark. Musically, it pared down still further the guitar power chord and bass root note style arrangements he had used previously, reducing the harmony to bare unisons of layered bass guitar, Fender Rhodes electric piano, and Minimoog synthesizer. The semitone key changes (A to Bb) and chromatic melodic riffs between the song's verses are somewhat unusual in the context of traditional Western music theory but are not unusual in rock music.
Lyrically the song crystallized the dystopian science fiction concept that was the basis of the Replicas album. Heavily influenced by such writers as J.G. Ballard and Philip K. Dick, it tells the chilling story of a futuristic park in which Machmen (androids with human skin) and machines rape and kill human beings for the delight of spectators who, along with their numerically-named robotic "friends" ("Down in the Park, with a friend called Five"), view the carnage from a nearby club ("Zom Zoms").
The piece was typical of Numan's themes at the time, both embracing and fearing technology. In contrast to much contemporary post-punk music, and his own earlier releases, Numan's vocals were deliberately underplayed, leaving the slow and stately synthesizer work to evoke the song's melancholy atmosphere.
In what would become Numan's normal practice, the B-side was a non-album track, in this case "Do You Need the Service?"; the title referenced a line from the works of William S. Burroughs, the service in question meaning pest control. The 12" single included the same tracks as the 7" along with "I Nearly Married A Human (2)", a different mix to the version on Replicas this time featuring drum machine throughout and Numan's recitation of the song's title, the only words heard.
"Down in the Park" has been covered by a number of artists, notably Foo Fighters on The X-Files Songs in the Key of X soundtrack album (1996), Marilyn Manson on the "Lunchbox" and "Sweet Dreams" singles, DJ Hell (a 1998 techno version with lyrics translated in French entitled "Dans Le Parc"), Christian Death (a live performance on The Iron Mask), Girls Under Glass, and Jimi Tenor on the Numan tribute album Random. Terre Thaemlitz recorded two instrumental versions of "Down in the Park" on the tribute album Replicas Rubato, one on piano and the other on synthesizer (the latter a hidden track). Other tribute acts to have recorded the song include Bytet and Reload, on the albums Ghost of a White Face Clown and Tubeway Navy respectively.
"Down in the Park" has been a mainstay of Numan's concerts since his 1979 tour, and appears on almost all of his live albums. An arrangement with solo piano introduction appeared on the Living Ornaments '80 LP, in the movie Urgh! A Music War, and in the Micromusic video concert from Wembley Arena (soundtrack released as Living Ornaments '81). A version for piano alone was the flip side of Numan's single "I Die: You Die" in 1980 (and was also included as a bonus track on the 1998 CD re-issue of Telekon). The original song was remixed twice for the 2003 collection Hybrid, and a demo version of the song was included on the soundtrack of the movie Times Square (1980). Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.