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"Complex" is a song by
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
musician
Gary Numan Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two albums with the band, he released his d ...
. It was the second single to be taken from his
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
album '' The Pleasure Principle''. The single reached number six in the UK Singles Chart. The recording's backing track uses conventional acoustic drums, acoustic piano, and electric bass guitar, however the distinctive lead parts are performed on
violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
,
viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...
, and heavily flanged and reverberated analogue monosynth, an unusual combination in popular music. Lyrically, the song alludes to a psychological complex, expressing a paranoia that might have been directed at critics, fans, stalkers or false friends, depending on one's point of view: :Please keep them away :Don't let them touch me :Please don't let them lie :Don't let them see me A BBC Radio 1 review panel speculated that this song was "the first electronic
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
", although this is untrue, as it post-dates recordings such as "Hiroshima Mon Amour" by
Ultravox Ultravox (earlier styled as Ultravox!) were a British new wave band, formed in London in April 1974 as Tiger Lily. Between 1980 and 1986, they scored seven Top Ten albums and seventeen Top 40 singles in the UK, the most successful of which was ...
and " Neon Lights" by
Kraftwerk Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...
by a couple of years.


Track listing

7" (Beggars Banquet BEG 29) A. Complex - 3.10 B. Bombers (live version) - 5.47 12" (Beggars Banquet BEG 29 T) A. Complex - 3.10 B1. Me! I Disconnect From You (Live Version)
B2. Bombers (live version) - 5.47 Live tracks recorded at Hammersmith Odeon, 28 September 1979.


Live versions

Numan rarely performed "Complex" in concert throughout the 1980s and 1990s, although versions appear on the re-released and expanded
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...
recordings captured on ''Living Ornaments '80'', as well as the ''Micromusic'' video from his final
Wembley Arena Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500-sea ...
concert in
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
and its CD counterpart ''Living Ornaments '81''. He revived the song on stage in September 2003, as captured in the "Hope Bleeds" DVD and CD. "Complex" was also part of the setlist during the 2009 "The Pleasure Principle Live" concerts although it was the only track to have its position vis à vis the original album moved from between "Metal" and "Films" to between "Conversation" and "Cars". {{DEFAULTSORT:Complex (Song) 1979 singles Gary Numan songs 1979 songs Beggars Banquet Records singles Songs written by Gary Numan 1970s ballads Synth-pop ballads