For Future Reference
For Future Reference is the only studio album released by the British synth-pop band Dramatis. The album itself failed to reach the UK Albums Chart, however, one of the four singles released from the album, "Love Needs No Disguise", with Gary Numan providing vocals, reached No.33 on the UK Singles Chart. The other singles from the album were "Ex Luna Scientia", "Oh! Twenty Twenty Five" (titled "Oh! 2025" on the album) and "No-One Lives Forever". The album was reissued on CD in 2000 and 2002 and retitled as The Dramatis Project. This reissue was credited to Tubeway Army featuring Gary Numan, despite Numan's only contribution being the vocal to "Love Needs No Disguise". A further CD reissue in 2003, under the title Future, was again credited to Tubeway Army. The album was made available again in 2014 as a digital download only, this time under the title Terrestrial Channels and with Numan as the sole artist credit. The album was eventually reissued as a remastered and expanded double CD edition released by Cherry Red Records on 22 April 2022, with Disc One including the original album track listing, plus eight bonus tracks consisting of 7-inch and 12-inch versions of singles and B-sides. Disc Two includes seven 7-inch single mixes and eight tracks recorded "In Concert - BBC Paris Theatre, London May 1982". Although three new singles were released during 1982, a follow-up album to "For Future Reference" didn't eventuate: "Face on the Wall" (released 5 February 1982) "The Shame" (released 21 May 1982) "I Can See Her Now" (released 15 October 1982 and charted at No.57 on the UK Singles Chart)
| For Future Reference | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | 4 December 1981[1][2] |
| Recorded | Ridge Farm Studio, Surrey |
| Genre | Synthpop |
| Label | The Rocket Record Company |
| Producer | Dramatis, Simon Heyworth |
| The Dramatis Project | |
 Cover for the 2000 reissue | |
| Singles from For Future Reference | |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
For Future Reference is the only studio album released by the British synth-pop band Dramatis. The album itself failed to reach the UK Albums Chart, however, one of the four singles released from the album, "Love Needs No Disguise", with Gary Numan providing vocals, reached No.33 on the UK Singles Chart.[10] The other singles from the album were "Ex Luna Scientia", "Oh! Twenty Twenty Five" (titled "Oh! 2025" on the album) and "No-One Lives Forever". The album was reissued on CD in 2000[11] and 2002[12] and retitled as The Dramatis Project. This reissue was credited to Tubeway Army featuring Gary Numan, despite Numan's only contribution being the vocal to "Love Needs No Disguise". A further CD reissue in 2003, under the title Future, was again credited to Tubeway Army.[13]
The album was made available again in 2014 as a digital download only, this time under the title Terrestrial Channels and with Numan as the sole artist credit.[14]
The album was eventually reissued as a remastered and expanded double CD edition released by Cherry Red Records[15] on 22 April 2022,[16][17] with Disc One including the original album track listing, plus eight bonus tracks consisting of 7-inch and 12-inch versions of singles and B-sides. Disc Two includes seven 7-inch single mixes and eight tracks recorded "In Concert - BBC Paris Theatre, London May 1982".
Although three new singles were released during 1982, a follow-up album to "For Future Reference" didn't eventuate:
- "Face on the Wall" (released 5 February 1982)[18][19]
- "The Shame" (released 21 May 1982)[20]
- "I Can See Her Now" (released 15 October 1982 and charted at No.57 on the UK Singles Chart)[21][22]
Track listing
[edit]Original LP track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Dramatis.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Oh! 2025" | 4:32 |
| 2. | "Human Sacrifice" | 3:55 |
| 3. | "I Only Find Rewind" | 4:17 |
| 4. | "No-One Lives Forever" | 3:55 |
| 5. | "Love Needs No Disguise" | 4:44 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Turn" | 5:19 |
| 7. | "Take Me Home" | 5:26 |
| 8. | "On Reflection" | 3:28 |
| 9. | "Ex Luna Scientia" | 5:02 |
2022 Remastered 2CD
[edit]| No. | Title | Originally from | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Lady D.J. (12" Version)" | B-side "Ex Luna Scientia" 12" single | 4:07 |
| 11. | "The Curtain" | B-side "Oh! Twenty Twenty Five" 7" single | 4:05 |
| 12. | "Face on the Wall" | A-side non-album 7" single | 3:40 |
| 13. | "Pomp and Stompandstamp" | B-side "Face on the Wall" 7" single | 4:07 |
| 14. | "The Shame (12" - Dance Party Mix I)" | A-side non-album 12" single | 5:31 |
| 15. | "I Can See Her Now (12" Version)" | A-side non-album 12" single | 6:08 |
| 16. | "One Step Ahead (12" Version)" | B-side "I Can See Her Now" 12" single | 3:29 |
| 17. | "No-One Lives Forever (12" - Remixed Long Version)" | A-side 12" single | 5:50 |
| No. | Title | Originally from | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "For Future Reference (Selections from the forthcoming album 'For Future Reference' TRAIN 18): "Turn"/"I Only Find Rewind"/"On Reflection"/"Human Sacrifice"" | B-side "No-One Lives Forever" 7" and 12" singles | 4:26 |
| 2. | "Ex Luna Scientia (7" Version)" | A-side 7" single | 3:57 |
| 3. | "Lady D.J. (7" Version)" | B-side "Ex Luna Scientia" 7" single | 3:27 |
| 4. | "Oh! Twenty Twenty Five (7" Version)" | A-side 7" single | 3:32 |
| 5. | "The Shame (7" Version)" | A-side non-album 7" single | 3:22 |
| 6. | "I Can See Her Now (7" Version)" | A-side non-album 7" single | 3:42 |
| 7. | "One Step Ahead (7" Version)" | B-side "I Can See Her Now" 7" single | 2:37 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Sand and Stone" | 5:52 |
| 9. | "I Only Find Rewind" | 3:41 |
| 10. | "Face on the Wall" | 3:46 |
| 11. | "I Can See Her Now" | 2:22 |
| 12. | "Turn" | 5:01 |
| 13. | "Love Needs No Disguise" | 4:15 |
| 14. | "Pomp and Stompandstamp" | 3:01 |
| 15. | "The Shame" | 3:37 |
Personnel
[edit]- Chris Payne – viola, keyboards, cornamuse, recorders, backing vocals
- Rrussell Bell – guitar, Chapman Stick, Moog Liberation, Vi-tar, abstract sax, backing vocals
- Cedric Sharpley – drums, percussion, synth drums, backing vocals
- Denis Haines – piano, keyboards, backing vocals, abstract vocal noises
- The Big G (Gary Numan) – guest vocal ("Love Needs No Disguise")
- Gus – backing vocals on "I Only Find Rewind" and "No-One Lives Forever" and humping the gear
- Dramatis – producer, arrangements
- Simon Heyworth – producer, engineer
- Simon Smart – engineer
References
[edit]- ^ "Turn On - Releases". Record Mirror. 5 December 1981. p. 30. Retrieved 7 December 2025 – via Flickr.
- ^ "Record News". New Musical Express. 5 December 1981. p. 40. Retrieved 7 December 2025 – via Flickr.
- ^ "New Singles" (PDF). Music & Video Week. 9 May 1981. p. 26. Retrieved 7 December 2025 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Record News". New Musical Express. 25 July 1981. p. 41. Retrieved 7 December 2025 – via Flickr.
- ^ "News - Merchandising" (PDF). Record Business. 7 September 1981. p. 4. Retrieved 7 December 2025 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Record News". New Musical Express. 12 September 1981. p. 38. Retrieved 7 December 2025 – via Flickr.
- ^ "News - Numan single Dramatis". Record Mirror. 21 November 1981. p. 2. Retrieved 7 December 2025 – via Flickr.
- ^ "Record News - Numan's reunion". New Musical Express. 21 November 1981. p. 47. Retrieved 7 December 2025 – via Flickr.
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ "Chart History of Love Needs No Disguise". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ "Tubeway Army Featuring Gary Numan – The Dramatis Project". Discogs. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ "Tubeway Army Featuring Gary Numan – The Dramatis Project". Discogs. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ "Tubeway Army – Future". Discogs. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ Beathound.com: Gary Numan - Terrestrial Channels Archived 8 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine - retrieved 10 September 2015
- ^ "Dramatis: Dramatis, 2CD Digipak". cherryred.co.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ "Dramatis For Future Reference - Compact Disc Double". Plastic Head Megastore. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ "Lost Albums: DRAMATIS For Future Reference [release date at bottom of page]". electricityclub.co.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ "Face On The Wall [The Rocket Record Company press release image]". 45cat. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ "New Singles" (PDF). Record Business. 1 February 1982. p. 22. Retrieved 8 December 2025 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "New Singles" (PDF). Record Business. 17 May 1982. p. 18. Retrieved 8 December 2025 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "I Can See Her Now [Notes: 'The New Singles' No. 948 reference]". 45cat.com. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ "Chart History of I Can See Her Now". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
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