UAWIL #95: The Police - Ghost in the Machine
The predecessor to Synchronicity was made with new sounds, a new setting, a new producer but some of the same old infighting. However, the hits were bigger and better than ever.
By 1981, The Police had 3 hit records and the respect of their peers and the music industry. But meddling from the record company caused Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers to retreat to Canada and the isle of Montserrat to record their 4th album Ghost in the Machine.
Producer Hugh Padgham had them work in separate rooms to get their sounds but it also may have been to keep them from each others throats as the band were known for fighting over their studio parts. Sting had developed into the lead songwriter and wrote the big singles Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Invisible Sun and Spirits in the Material World as he had all their previous hits. But he sought to incorporate synthesizers, piano, horns and some of the reggae influences from their punk/ska peers and their island surroundings. Of course Stewart and Andy had to push back on some of his ideas but you can't deny the results as it was their biggest selling album to that point and was the predecessor to their biggest record of all time, Synchronicity.
Special thanks to Paul Stephenson of Vintage Rock Pod for the inspiration as his recent interview with Stewart Copeland gave us the idea to review this wonderful album.
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