Love Needs No Disguise

Speaker B: 00:00:28

Earlier this week at the time of recording I visited Brussels for a couple of days with my wife and while we were there we discovered a surprising number of brilliant record shops all closely scattered around the city center. I managed to find an excellent haul of Newman records and CDs that I didn't own.

er his self imposed hiatus in: 1981

Then I only had the cassette and it was my prized possession in an era where discovering more info pre Internet was rather difficult and weirdly looking back, the cassette version didn't have the likes of metal films, Emmy, I'm an agent, etc. So it was another year or so before I heard those. And so for a while I had an affinity to Newman's post telecon era releases from 80 to 83.

But in this shop I bought the double CD which had far more tracks on it. If only I knew.

And it reminded me that on the cassette aside from Cars, my favourite song on that best of back then and still one of my favourites now was a song that in hindsight is rather different to the majority of everything else on the trap list, a song called Love Needs no Disguise.

The limited information on the cassette and to be Honest, as an 8 year old I probably wasn't looking at it too closely, didn't mention that the song was actually technically by a different artist and only featuring Gary on vocals. It was only years later that I found all of this out, but to this day it makes Love Needs no Disguise one of the most intriguing songs of his career.

Dramatis were formed by four of the musicians who had been the core of Gary Newman's live band in the late 70s and very early 80s. The lineup consisted of Chris Payne, Russell Bell, Dennis Haynes and Ced Sharply.

tired from road work in April: 1981

With Newman stepping back from live performance, they decided to strike out on their own and embrace the burgeoning electronic pop and new wave movement.

John's label, and in December: 1981

Speaker C: 00:03:13

My old band were keen to stay together after Wembley and formed a new band called called Dramatis.

I visited them in the studio where they were recording their debut album and they played me a track called Love Needs no Disguise, a song about our time together. It was great and they asked if I wanted to sing the vocal, which I was happy to do.

We made a video for it and it was released on 5th December on the Beggars label. It reached number 33 in the chart, which wasn't too bad. The album it came from For Future Reference came out soon after.

I would have been more helpful in promoting it if I could, but I had a major project of my own underway at the time.

Speaker B: 00:04:24

The song opens with a haunting synth line that Daft Punk or Kraftwerk would be proud of before it slowly kicks in with Said Sharply's drums that fade in to an eventual awesome beat.

The beauty of the song is its perfect mix of catchy 80s synth pop with a somewhat darker Depeche Mode style track, the brilliant melody and chorus song by Gary, and an excellent combination of synths, piano and something rare for a Newman song back then, electric guitar performed by Bell, and Payne's sublime viola. The instrumental break of the song in particular is something of pure beauty.

So when you listen to Love Knees no Disguise in isolation, it sounds like a cool, slightly detached early 80s synth pop song on Intimacy or some sort of broken down love story. But Russell Bell has confirmed something far more specific.

He wrote it about their time touring with Gary Newman and it was an effectively a tribute to him. Speaking to Russell in an earlier episode of the podcast, he said, yeah, I

Speaker D: 00:06:09

know it was about our time touring with Gary. Week two of the Skies and the Friends All Go Home Love Me the Skies.

It was literally about that, which is kind of ironic because he ended up singing a song that was written as a tribute to him. Yeah,

Speaker B: 00:06:28

so the opening lines of the song feel like classic observational romance imagery. She dances, he watches, she sighs. But through Russell's explanation, this becomes rather performative between artist and audience.

One performs one Observes the emotional exchange is real, but public. Remember, love needs no disguise. This line reads as a reassurance. Authenticity doesn't need theatrics.

It may subtly counter the idea that Gary's aloof stage Persona meant emotional distance. But beneath the image, there was a genuine connection. And if the park gates are closed, remember, we tour the skies.

This is where the touring reference clicks into place. Park gates suggest venues shutting, shows ending, access closing off. We tour the skies feels expansive.

They've traveled the world, taking music across countries, literally toured the skies. So this is about the come down after gigs. The crowd disperses, the spectacle ends, but the bond remains.

And this next line hits the hardest in context. And if the friends all go home, you know love needs no disguise. Touring bands form intense temporary families. Then everyone leaves. What remains?

Loyalty, Shared experience, Something deeper than fame. Given this was written right after Gary's supposed retirement. It reads like reassurance during uncertainty.

Whatever happens next, the connection is real. We can lock all the doors Forget the reasons and fame there's no deceiving inside you know we'll all be the same.

This feels like pulling away from public scrutiny.

Close the doors ignore the press expectations stories inside the circle there's no artifice that's particularly resonant given Gary's intense media exposure in 79 81. So all in all, it isn't really a love song in the romantic sense.

It's about artistic kinship, shared experience and the idea that true connection doesn't need image, mythology or stage lighting. And that makes it one of the more quietly emotional songs orbiting Gary's early 80s world. For this song, Gary ended up reuniting with his band.

Explaining more, Russell said, so it was

Speaker D: 00:09:02

basically mainly Dennis and I doing the lead vocals. It was just like whoever had the most input on the song did the vocals.

And then Gary came along and he came along to Ridge Farm Studios where we were recording. I was just about to do the vocals on Lovelies no Disguise, and he said, oh, I really like that. Can I sing that? Yeah, sure.

Speaker B: 00:09:27

Saved me.

Speaker D: 00:09:28

Saved me a lot of effort and of course it came out really well, did a lot better than I could.

Speaker B: 00:09:40

And the video is one of the better ones of Gary's career, featuring him and the band performing at a club at Shepperton Studios.

And for from what I can see, 200 fans were invited to see the video being made and appear in the performance via his fan club with Gary appearing in his dance style. Get up. It's great to see Chris, Russell, Dennis and Cedric perform properly alongside him in a video.

As Gary said, the song reached number 33 in the chart, which I'd say is a travesty. It should have been a much bigger hit, as Gary hinted. Perhaps it just got lost under the radar at the time, the lack of proper promotion.

Plus it was released around Christmas time. I was looking it randomly had two weeks in a row at number 33 and then seven weeks inside the top 75.

Speaker A: 00:10:22

I think that's lovely. Buck Spears the land of make believe and that goes straight in at number 35 in the Rady 1 top 20 and right now at number 34.

It's down, I'm afraid, for Buenos Aires. Bad Manners Drumatis used to be Gary Newman's backing band.

He was persuaded to make a guest appearance on this particular track and he's gone straight in at this week's number 33.

Speaker B: 00:10:46

the group sadly disbanded in: 1982

Sadly, before this, in: 2012

But he bought it back in: 2012

So overall, for me, Lovely Snow Disguise will always have a soft spot and it's probably one of my top 10 Newman tracks, even if technically it's only one he featured on a brilliant song written by Russell and one I'd love for Gary to bring back in his set every once in a while. So I had loads of comments from you guys about this song on X and Facebook. Going through some of them now.

Wayne Tuck said, I am the lad on the video who has stood on a box above everyone else in a trilby and trench coat. Gary's mum told me to stand up there. I swapped trilby hats with Gary and Russell during the filming. That's amazing.

And similarly, Joanne Seymour said, my friend and I were also in the video doing our numenoid dance moves at the back. She trod on Gary's foot. Nick Groves said, Blown away.

The first time I heard this song, a C90 cassette in a mates Cortina early 80s, I was hooked by the brilliant slow introduction, the steam train percussion, the fact that it gets better and better and then the lyrics. It all played into the heartstrings of an impressionable young lad like me. Still played a lot in my house.

Cameron Healy said, it always makes me think of Christmas. It was released in November and I was playing it to death over Christmas as a 15 year old.

Tony Magica said, a friend and myself were both early members of the fan club so got to go to Shepperton Studios and be part of the video. I had a terrible speech impediment but found myself by a door and Gary walked in.

I put my hand out and shook hands and said perfectly, can you sign my record please? I took a copy of one of his singles with me. He replied that he will sign it after the video.

I knew I couldn't say it again and I didn't get my single signed. That's such a shame, Tony. I hope you've met him since then and if not I'm sure we could get him to sign it now. Gotta get that sorted.

Marilyn Towie said, the end of the video when the car drives off and Gary just walks out of the shadows. Cool as anything with the girlfriend. I love it and end up rewinding it over and over again.

First time seeing that scene nearly took the roof off the house. Now I'll have to watch it again. Great song and video. Ian Charles said, I feel very nostalgic for this one.

It was a different sound with the influence of Chris Payne very clearly and Russell Bell able to put in some nice guitar work. Gary's vocals were strong and lift the track. Nice plain cover with Dramatis typeface and Garrick's signature as well.

Cooper Doug said, my better half Karen loved the song so much, particularly the meaning behind the lyrics. She had it tattooed on her upper back A few years ago we sent a pic to Russell Bell who approved.

Jeremy Lane said, my wife arranged for this song to be played live at my 60th birthday party. We loved it. That's amazing. Andy Leg said, Always thought it was a brilliant song.

It's quite haunting, great vocals and drums and by coincidence I saw a 12 inch version in the flea market in Brighton today for eight pounds. Annoyingly, of all the Dramatist songs vinyls I did find in Brussels, that wasn't one of them. I will get it out at some point I'm sure.

Zara DeLuca said, I went to the video shoot at Shepperton Studios. I lived in Folkestone at the time, went with my pen pal Tracy from Ashford. It was my first time of meeting Gary which overwhelmed me greatly.

So much so I had to have a whole week off school afterwards. How did you sort that out? Bizarre. It's amazing. I loved it. Such a fabulous experience and I love the song.

Amazing how many of you are in the video, Paul Hunson said, A fantastic track shows just how capable Dramatis boys were as songwriters as well as musicians. Its lack of Airplane chart success shows the apathy shown towards Gary at the time and Dramatis suffered as a band for it.

Not sure releasing a month before Christmas was best timing and finally Andy Brown said I thought, great, he's missing his live backing band already and he'll be touring again before too long. I was nearly right.

y were back together again in: 1983

Was a fan in my early teens, went to his premier hit store in Birmingham when I was 15 with my mum. The ex husband sadly didn't share my music interests and I missed the best 20 years of Gary's career sacrifice to Intruder.

I spent the past eight months catching up, buying as many CD albums as I get my hands on T shirts, hoodies, music magazines, autobiography, joined a couple of fan groups on Facebook and even signed up to Patreon. I came across a little song called I Don't Believe. Apparently it was a B side to New Anger.

I think if Gary made happy tunes this would be up there with like a B film. I've happily played both of these on loop for hours.

Also just wondered if you had checked out Chilled with the Ghost Chris Fielding from Two Boy Days, an Anthony Gilroy or Vanilla Coffee. They recently released a double CD of Newman covers and they are absolutely brilliant. I bought one. Their version of Cold Warning gives me chills.

It's so beautiful. Yes I have and as you say they're brilliant. Just like True Way Days. Thank you for your podcast. Love listening to them. Best wishes Lindsay.

Thanks so much for that Lindsay. It's amazing that I love people either discovering or rediscovering Gary even now.

So glad to see you finally got back to his music after 20 or so years away. It's never too late, so please do like what Lindsay did. Send in your own stories or anything you'd like to say.

Just reach out over email on newmanpodcastmail.com or I'm on all the socials at Newman Podcast. Or head to newmanpodcast.com for more.

And remember, if you'd like to support me and the show and to get your hands on some Electric Friends merch, please do. It means a lot. T shirts, hoodies, stickers. There's a mug on there now as well. Head to the show notes of this episode for where to get them.

Or head to Electric Hyphen Friends. Printify me now, though. Have a good one. Hope you're all safe and well. Thanks again for listening and I'll speak to you all soon.

Speaker D: 00:17:46

Never be the same. Sam.

Speaker B: 00:18:41

Electric Friends A Gary Newman Podcast the songs and stories of a music icon.