Synchronicity I
| "Synchronicity I" | |
|---|---|
| Recorded by The Police | |
| Released: | 1983-06-01 US LP
1983-10-26 (Japanese 7") |
| Recorded: | December 1982 - January 1983 |
| Length: | 3:23 |
| Album(s): | Synchronicity |
| Label(s): | A&M |
| Writer(s): | Sting |
| Producer(s): | The Police, Hugh Padgham |
| Studio(s): | AIR Studios |
| Released as single? | YES (Japan) |
"Synchronicity I" is a song written by Sting and recorded by The Police in 1982 / 1983.
Contents
About the song
Writing
Sting wrote the song at Ian Fleming's "Goldeneye" residence on Jamaica around May / June 1982.
Utopia demo
On 1982-10-08 and 1982-11-23 he recorded demo versions at Utopia Studios in London, England, UK. The demo that was released on the Synchronicity box set (released on 2024-07-26) lasts 3:33 minutes.
The song was basically finished including its sequencer parts The bass pattern was less basic than what's on the LP version.
The voices in the choruses were not as sustained and overlapping as they are on the LP.
The demo was recorded as The Connecting Principle.
Alternate Mix
There'an early mix from AIR Studios with some differences to the known LP version. It sounds like all instruments are already in place, but the LP version is an edited version of what they originally recorded.
The start is the same, but Sting counts the other instruments in. Once the drums kick in there are eight bars of instrumental music before Sting starts to sing (there are only four on the LP).
A similar case of tightening the song comes after the last chorus where there are sixteen bars of repeating "Synchronicity" in the early mix (before the additional guitar kicks in), whereas on the LP version it's eight bars only.
The LP version also fades out a few bars earlier than the early mix, which altogether makes it considerably longer than the LP version.
There are about two additional minutes of instrumental music in an unreleased interlude called Loch which was originally supposed to link Synchronicity I and Synchronicity II. This sounds like something that would fit right into the movie Blade Runner (the closest thing to it in The Police's song catalogue might be the beginning of Secret Journey) - Andy detuned his guitar synth to C sharp and produced a great wash of sound. There was an acoustic on top, a few cymbals and an oboe. It didn't work too well and Miles Copeland said it was too psychedelic... no drums or bass whatsoever...
Even way into April 1983 the song had another working title, similar to the demo title: A Causal Connecting Principle. As there was no Synchronicity I at that time, there was also no Synchronicity II - that song was just called Synchronicity by then.
LP version
The LP version lasts 3:22 minutes.
Instrumental version
There's an instrumental version on the Synchronicity box set (released on 2024-07-26) that lasts 3:22 minutes.
Personnel
Release History
Albums
Synchronicity I appears on the following album releases:
| Cover art | Album title | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Synchronicity | 1983-06-01 | USA |
|
Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings | 1993-MM-DD | UK |
Singles
CD Singles
| Cover art | Catalog no. | Songs | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Catalog no. | "Song"(s) | YYYY-MM-DD | Country |
7" Singles
| Cover art | Catalog no. | A-side song/B-side song | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40px | AMP-784 | "Synchronicity I"/"Someone To Talk To" | 1983-10-26 | Japan |
12" Singles
| Cover art | Catalog no. | A-side song(s)/B-side song(s) | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Catalog no. | "A-side song"/"B-side song" (add more songs as necessary) | YYYY-MM-DD | Country |
Video
"SONG TITLE" appears on the following video and dvd releases:
| Cover art | Video title | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Video or dvd title | YYYY-MM-DD | Country |
Awards, nominations, and certifications
Awards
This section needs more information.
| Year | Winner | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| YYYY | WINNER (album, song, producer, etc.) | AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.) | CATEGORY |
Nominations
This section needs more information.
| Year | Nominee | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| YYYY | NOMINEE (album, song, producer, etc.) | AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.) | CATEGORY |
Certifications
This section needs more information.
| Country | Certifier | Classification | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| COUNTRY | CERTIFIER (RIAA, IFPI...) | CLASSIFICATION (Album, singles, foreign artist...) | CERTIFICATION (Gold, Platinum, Diamond...) |
Lyrics
Lyrics are property and copyright of their owners, and provided here for educational purposes only.
With one breath, with one flow You will know Synchronicity A sleep trance, a dream dance A shared romance Synchronicity A connecting principle Linked to the invisible Almost imperceptible Something inexpressible Science insusceptible Logic so inflexible Causally connectable Yet nothing is invincible If we share this nightmare We can dream Spiritus mundi If you act, as you think The missing link Synchronicity A connecting principle Linked to the invisible Almost imperceptible Something inexpressible Science insusceptible Logic so inflexible Causally connectable Yet nothing is invincible We know you, they know me Extrasensory Synchronicity A star fall, a phone call It joins all Synchronicity A connecting principle Linked to the invisible Almost imperceptible Something inexpressible Science insusceptible Logic so inflexible Causally connectable Yet nothing is invincible It's so deep, it's so wide Your inside Synchronicity Effect without a cause Sub-atomic laws, scientific pause Synchronicity
Quotations and trivia
This section needs more information.
Alternative and cover versions
This section needs more information.
See also
This section needs more information.
External links
This section needs more information.
References
- Police, The. Synchronicity. (1983) [Audio recording], A&M Records.
- Craig Betts (demo dates)
- Fabio Trentini (demo info after listening to Pete Smith's tapes)
