Demolition Man (The Police song)
| "Demolition Man" | |
|---|---|
| Recorded by The Police | |
| Released: | 1981-10-02 |
| Recorded: | 1981-06-20 - 1981-07-26 |
| Length: | 5:54 |
| Album(s): | Ghost In The Machine |
| Label(s): | A&M |
| Writer(s): | Sting |
| Producer(s): | Hugh Padgham & The Police |
| Studio(s): | AIR Studios, Montserrat |
| Released as single? | NO |
"Demolition Man" is a song written by Sting and recorded by The Police in 1981.
Contents
About the song
Sting wrote the song in 1980 and recorded various demo versions at Keystone Studios in Dublin, Ireland.
There's a Sting "solo" demo (3:21) with a basic percussion rhythm - there's only the occasional bit of keyboards accompanying that.
Another demo version with drums by Paul McAteer was sent to Grace Jones, who released her own version of the song as a single in February 1981 way before The Police recorded the song for Ghost In The Machine.
As Andy Summers said in 1982-04 Creem Demolition Man was the first track they recorded for Ghost In The Machine - in a one-take job... Andy used his 1961 Stratocaster for this song.
An early mix from AIR Studios is basically the same as the LP version - most noteable difference is that Stewart stopped playing his snare for a while in the last minute of the song, which results in a bit of rhythmic confusion. The LP version features snare overdubs which makes listening to it easier.
Personnel
According to producer Hugh Padgham the actual bassline heard on Ghost In The Machine was played by Danny Quatrochi, as Sting's original take played while jumping on a trampoline was too sloppy
Release History
Albums
Demolition Man appears on the following album releases:
| Cover art | Album title | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ghost In The Machine | 1981-10-02 | UK |
|
Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings | 1993-MM-DD | UK |
|
Every Move You Make: The Studio Recordings | 2018-11-16 | UK |
|
Ghost In The Machine (picture disc) | 2022-11-04 | worldwide |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Catalog no. | "A-side song"/"B-side song" | YYYY-MM-DD | Country |
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.
Tied to the tracks and the train's just coming Strapped to the wing with the engine running You say that this wasn't in your plan And don't mess around with the demolition man Tied to a chair and the bomb is ticking This situation was not of your picking You say that this wasn't in your plan And don't mess around with the demolition man I'm a walking nightmare, an arsenal of doom I kill conversation as I walk into the room I'm a three line whip I'm the sort of thing they ban I'm a walking disaster I'm a demolition man You come to me like a moth to the flame It's love you need but I don't play that game 'Cos you could be my greatest fan But I'm nobody's friend I'm a demolition man I'm a walking nightmare, an arsenal of doom I kill conversation as I walk into the room I'm a three line whip I'm the sort of thing they ban I'm a walking disaster I'm a demolition man
Quotations and trivia
This section needs more information.
Alternative and cover versions
Alternative versions
- Sting "solo" demo
- Sting demo (with drums) for Grace Jones
- early mix during Ghost In The Machine recordings
- Demolition Man (Sting song)
Cover versions
A cover version of Demolition Man appears on the following album release:
| Cover art | Artist | Album title | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40px | Grace Jones | Demolition Man (7" and 12") | 1981-MM-DD | UK |
| 40px | Manfred Mann's Earthband | Somewhere In Africa | 1982-MM-DD | Germany |
|
Rayvon, Shaggy | Reggatta Mondatta Volume II | 1998-06-30 | ?? |
See also
This section needs more information.
External links
This section needs more information.
References
- Police, The. Ghost In The Machine. (1981) [Audio recording], A&M Records.
- personal information (demos)
- 1982-04 Creem
- Rolling Stone - February 18, 1982 (Stratocaster)
