Difference between revisions of "Spirits In The Material World (song)"

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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Released:</b>
 
| <b>Released:</b>
−
| [[1981-12-04]]
+
| [[1981-12-04]] (UK)
 +
[[1982-02-21]] (Japan)
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Recorded:</b>
 
| <b>Recorded:</b>
−
| June 20 - July 26, 1981
+
| [[1981-06-20]] - [[1981-07-26]]
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Length:</b>
 
| <b>Length:</b>
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Album(s):</b>
 
| <b>Album(s):</b>
−
| [[Ghost In The Machine]]
+
| [[Ghost In The Machine (original album) | Ghost In The Machine]]
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
 
| <b>Label(s):</b>
 
| <b>Label(s):</b>
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=About the song=
 
=About the song=
−
''This section needs more information.''
+
There are a lot of different versions out there:
 +
 
 +
#) [[Sting]]'s demo
 +
#) [[The Police]]'s LP / 7" version
 +
#) a videoclip version with Stewart's count-in at the start, without [[Sting]]'s "oh" after the first few bars
 +
#) [[1981-12-10]] TV version (Kenny Everett Show / Top Of The Pops) - with added saxophone parts, different lead vocals and drums
 +
 
 +
There are also various versions of the song's re-recording by [[Sting]] and Pato Banton. There's also a version by [[Curved Air]] (!).
  
 
=Personnel=
 
=Personnel=
Line 44: Line 52:
 
=Release History=
 
=Release History=
 
==Albums==
 
==Albums==
−
[[Song]] appears on the following album releases:
+
[[Spirits In The Material World]] appears on the following album releases:
 
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1" style="background-color: #F0F0F0;  border-spacing: 2; padding:5px;"
 
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1" style="background-color: #F0F0F0;  border-spacing: 2; padding:5px;"
 
! Cover art
 
! Cover art
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! Release country
 
! Release country
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
−
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
+
| [[Image:Police-album-ghostinthemachine.jpg|40px]]
−
| [[Ghost In The Machine]]
+
| [[Ghost In The Machine (original album) | Ghost In The Machine]]
 
| [[1981-10-02]]
 
| [[1981-10-02]]
 
| UK
 
| UK
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:Police-album-messageinaboxthecompleterecordings.jpg|40px]]
 +
| [[Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings]]
 +
| [[1993-MM-DD]]
 +
| UK
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:Every_Move_You_Make.jpg|40px]]
 +
| [[Every Move You Make: The Studio Recordings]]
 +
| [[2018-11-16]]
 +
| UK
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:Ghost_picture_disc.jpg|40px]]
 +
| [[Ghost In The Machine (picture disc)]]
 +
| [[2022-11-04]]
 +
| worldwide
 
|}
 
|}
  
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! Release date
 
! Release date
 
! Release country
 
! Release country
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:Spirits_UK.jpg|40px]]
 +
| AMS 8194
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Low Life]]"
 +
| [[1981-12-04]]
 +
| UK
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AM 23.292
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Omegaman]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| Argentina
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| K-8647
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Low Life]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| Australia
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AM 30397
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| Bolivia
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AM 47.040
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Low Life]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| Brazil
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AM 560
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Hungry For You]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| Canada
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AM 7065028
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Too Much Information]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| Costa Rica
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AMS 9186
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Low Life]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| Germany
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
−
| Catalog no.
+
| AMS 8194
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Low Life]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| Greece
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AMS 9186
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Low Life]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| The Netherlands
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AMS 8194
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Low Life]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| Ireland
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AMS 9186
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Low Life]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| Italy
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AM 42038
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Flexible Strategies]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| Mexico
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| K 8647
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Low Life]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| New Zealand
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| CSR 1192
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Too Much Information]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| Peru
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AMRS 1376
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Low Life]]"
 +
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
 +
| South Africa
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AMS 9186
 
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Low Life]]"  
 
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Low Life]]"  
−
| [[1981-12-DD]]
+
| [[1981-MM-DD]]
−
| UK
+
| Spain
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AMP 2390
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Flexible Strategies]]"
 +
| [[1982-MM-DD]]
 +
| USA
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
 +
| AMP 740
 +
| "[[Spirits In The Material World]]"/"[[Flexible Strategies]]"
 +
| [[1982-02-21]]
 +
| Japan
 
|}
 
|}
  
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=Quotations and trivia=
 
=Quotations and trivia=
−
In [[1982-09 Guitar]] talks about the guitar sound: "Actually , that is just a guitar played up very high and plucked dry - you know, the palm on the string. I blended this with the setting on the Prophet-5 keyboard synthesizer to get that kind of sound."
+
* In [[1982-09 Guitar Player]] talks about the guitar sound: "Actually , that is just a guitar played up very high and plucked dry - you know, the palm on the string. I blended this with the setting on the Prophet-5 keyboard synthesizer to get that kind of sound."
 +
 
 +
* This song was featured in Season 8, Episode 6 of the television series ''American Horror Story''.[https://musicfromahs.tumblr.com/post/179169839700/season-8-episode-6-final-scene-of-the-episode]
  
 
=Alternative and cover versions=
 
=Alternative and cover versions=
−
An alternative version of [[Spirits In The Material World]] appears on the following album release:
+
Alternative versions of [[Spirits In The Material World]] appear on the following album release:
 
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1" style="background-color: #F0F0F0;  border-spacing: 2; padding:5px;"
 
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1" style="background-color: #F0F0F0;  border-spacing: 2; padding:5px;"
 
! Cover art
 
! Cover art
Line 206: Line 339:
 
| [[1997-MM-DD]]
 
| [[1997-MM-DD]]
 
| The Netherlands
 
| The Netherlands
 +
|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
 +
| [[Image:North_Star_Curved_Air.jpg|40px]]
 +
| [[Curved Air]]
 +
| [[North Star]]
 +
| [[2014-17-03]]
 +
| United Kingdom
 
|}
 
|}
  
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=External links=
 
=External links=
−
''This section needs more information.''
+
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LtN7evu-eI version 1)]
 +
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHOevX4DlGk version 2)]
 +
* [https://vimeo.com/643039651?fbclid=IwAR02UaURUQaOJKCqJCxR_iqHZelD2Zw85Ql-5fLlilN6T5NuFUWL00msKcQ version 3)]
 +
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRnYHo_r3Uk version 4)]
  
 
=References=
 
=References=

Latest revision as of 05:25, 8 November 2022

"Spirits In The Material World"
a flyer for the single's UK release
Recorded by The Police
Released: 1981-12-04 (UK)

1982-02-21 (Japan)

Recorded: 1981-06-20 - 1981-07-26
Length: 2:58
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? YES

"Spirits In The Material World" is a song written by Sting and recorded by The Police in 1981.

About the song

There are a lot of different versions out there:

  1. ) Sting's demo
  2. ) The Police's LP / 7" version
  3. ) a videoclip version with Stewart's count-in at the start, without Sting's "oh" after the first few bars
  4. ) 1981-12-10 TV version (Kenny Everett Show / Top Of The Pops) - with added saxophone parts, different lead vocals and drums

There are also various versions of the song's re-recording by Sting and Pato Banton. There's also a version by Curved Air (!).

Personnel

This section needs more information.

Release History

Albums

Spirits In The Material World appears on the following album releases:

Cover art Album title Release date Release country
Police-album-ghostinthemachine.jpg Ghost In The Machine 1981-10-02 UK
Police-album-messageinaboxthecompleterecordings.jpg Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings 1993-MM-DD UK
Every Move You Make.jpg Every Move You Make: The Studio Recordings 2018-11-16 UK
Ghost picture disc.jpg Ghost In The Machine (picture disc) 2022-11-04 worldwide

Singles

CD Singles

Cover art Catalog no. Songs Release date Release country
Stub.gif 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 AMS 8194 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Low Life" 1981-12-04 UK
Stub.gif AM 23.292 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Omegaman" 1981-MM-DD Argentina
Stub.gif K-8647 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Low Life" 1981-MM-DD Australia
Stub.gif AM 30397 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" 1981-MM-DD Bolivia
Stub.gif AM 47.040 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Low Life" 1981-MM-DD Brazil
Stub.gif AM 560 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Hungry For You" 1981-MM-DD Canada
Stub.gif AM 7065028 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Too Much Information" 1981-MM-DD Costa Rica
Stub.gif AMS 9186 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Low Life" 1981-MM-DD Germany
Stub.gif AMS 8194 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Low Life" 1981-MM-DD Greece
Stub.gif AMS 9186 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Low Life" 1981-MM-DD The Netherlands
Stub.gif AMS 8194 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Low Life" 1981-MM-DD Ireland
Stub.gif AMS 9186 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Low Life" 1981-MM-DD Italy
Stub.gif AM 42038 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Flexible Strategies" 1981-MM-DD Mexico
Stub.gif K 8647 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Low Life" 1981-MM-DD New Zealand
Stub.gif CSR 1192 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Too Much Information" 1981-MM-DD Peru
Stub.gif AMRS 1376 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Low Life" 1981-MM-DD South Africa
Stub.gif AMS 9186 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Low Life" 1981-MM-DD Spain
Stub.gif AMP 2390 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Flexible Strategies" 1982-MM-DD USA
Stub.gif AMP 740 "Spirits In The Material World"/"Flexible Strategies" 1982-02-21 Japan

12" Singles

Cover art Catalog no. A-side song(s)/B-side song(s) Release date Release country
Stub.gif 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
Stub.gif 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. 

There is no political solution
To our troubled evolution
Have no faith in constitution
There is no bloody revolution

We are spirits in the material world

Our so-called leaders speak
With words they try to jail you
They subjugate the meek
But it's the rhetoric of failure

We are spirits in the material world

Where does the answer lie?
Living from day to day
If it's something we can't buy
There must be another way

We are spirits in the material world

Quotations and trivia

  • In 1982-09 Guitar Player talks about the guitar sound: "Actually , that is just a guitar played up very high and plucked dry - you know, the palm on the string. I blended this with the setting on the Prophet-5 keyboard synthesizer to get that kind of sound."
  • This song was featured in Season 8, Episode 6 of the television series American Horror Story.[1]

Alternative and cover versions

Alternative versions of Spirits In The Material World appear on the following album release:

Cover art Artist Album title Release date Release country
Reggatta Mondatta.jpg Pato Banton feat. Sting Reggatta Mondatta 1997-MM-DD The Netherlands
North Star Curved Air.jpg Curved Air North Star 2014-17-03 United Kingdom

See also

This section needs more information.

External links

References

  • Police, The. Ghost In The Machine. (1981) [Audio recording], A&M Records.
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