“They would argue about anything… it was pathetic really”: Producer recalls tension of recording The Police’s Synchronicity
Though Synchronicity might be regarded as The Police’s best album, the making of it was far from rosy.
The fifth and final album from the band left things on a high as it went on to become their most loved, but behind closed doors the trio were not getting along. Landing in 1983, it hosted hits such as Every Breath You Take and Wrapped Around Your Finger.
READ MORE: Andy Summers says he thought Every Breath You Take sounded “corny”: “It was a million miles from The Police”
In an interview with Uncut, the album’s producer, Hugh Padgham, recalls working among tension between Andy Summers, Sting and Stewart Copeland, with the latter two most often clashing.
“They would argue about anything,” says Padgham. “If one person said the sky was blue, the other would disagree. It was pathetic, really. If I tried to break it up, they would both turn on me. The main protagonists were Sting and Stewart. Andy could be incredibly funny and incredibly morose. I don’t really remember what he did when the other two were arguing.”
“Andy kept his head down,” Copeland adds. “He enjoyed the parts I didn’t like. If Sting comes over to talk about my hi-hat part, I tell him to fuck off, turn around and play his bass. But Andy loved that stuff. Him and Sting would put their heads together, as happy as clams, sharing ideas. They enjoyed that interaction in a way I did not.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Summers says of the album’s legacy, “We weren’t going to end our career on a shit record. We had the pride and ego to do a good job. We signed off on a massive hit record and said ‘See you later’, which drives everybody insane. It was a very ballsy move and it means everybody will want more forever.”
In celebration of its 40th anniversary, a global reissue of Synchronicity will land on 26 July. The record is available in multiple formats, including a six-disc Limited Edition Deluxe Boxset containing 55 previously unreleased tracks, new liner notes and interviews, rare archive memorabilia and unseen photographs.
40th anniversary editions of Synchronicity are available to order now.
The post “They would argue about anything… it was pathetic really”: Producer recalls tension of recording The Police’s Synchronicity appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
