Synchronicity – Part One – Our Twentieth Episode!

The Police Go Out On Top

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When it came time to record their fifth album, Synchronicity, the three members of the Police were at war and barely on speaking terms. Co-producer Hugh Padgham was just as much peacemaker as he was producer.

The members, Sting (Gordon Sumner) bassist and lead vocalist, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland had come a long way from their early punk rock ragamuffin beginnings and had a string of hits and critically acclaimed records prior to Synchronicity.

But the emergence of Sting’s abilities far out-shined that of Summers and Copeland and he didn’t bother trying to hide the gap. While everyone would bring songs to the sessions it was the brilliance of Sting that stepped to the fore and resentment routinely spilled over into the sessions.

Synchronicity vs. The Gloved One

Still, it would be hard to argue that even in open vs. each other personally, the group held together wonderfully from a musical perspective. The argument that you needed harmony to create great art was blown to bits as the album made the group the biggest in the world for a brief time before the inevitable implosion once the world tour ended.

Still, for a time this album rose above the juggernaut that was Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, and was #1 on the Album chart for 17 weeks while spinning off four bona fide hits.

It spawned possibly the greatest single song of the 1980’s (“Every Breath You Take”) and sold 8 million units in the U.S.

Sting: Dandy Dives In

For Dan, he found himself exhausted by Sting’s scholarly approach to rock if not bemused by how it must sound to a truck driver. Meanwhile, Randy found himself rediscovering music he hadn’t listened to over 20 years and loving it.

If you ever wondered what the hell Sting was singing during “Wrapped Around Your Finger” and want to know what it’s like to have Randy give a bad grade to a song for once, then press play and let’s go!