Spirits in the Material World
Encyclopedia
"Spirits in the Material World" is a song by new wave
trio The Police
, written by Sting. It is the opening track for their 1981 album Ghost in the Machine. The song features bass, guitar, synthesizer, drums, saxophone, and vocals. It has a Jamaican Ska
beat which changes to a swaggering rock beat in the chorus. It was released as a single in 1981 and reached number 12 in the United Kingdom and number 11 in the United States of America.
The lyrics comment on the nature of man's existence and the failure of his earthly institutions.
covered the song for the soundtrack to Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
. Sting is featured in the song. The song entered the UK charts at number 36 in January 1996 and stayed there for two weeks. Banton later rerecorded the song (without Sting) for his greatest hits album in 2008.
Also, the Puerto Rican metal band Puya
did a Spanish-language version called "Almas" for the Police tribute album Outlandos d'Americas.
On the 2007 Six Degrees Records
compilation Backspin, A Six Degrees 10 Year Anniversary Project Karsh Kale
covered "Spirits in the Material World".
In 2006 Q magazine issued a CD "Q Covered - The Eighties" on which Cord
covered the song.
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
trio The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, written by Sting. It is the opening track for their 1981 album Ghost in the Machine. The song features bass, guitar, synthesizer, drums, saxophone, and vocals. It has a Jamaican Ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
beat which changes to a swaggering rock beat in the chorus. It was released as a single in 1981 and reached number 12 in the United Kingdom and number 11 in the United States of America.
Background and Recording
Andy Summers's presence on the studio track is considerably less pronounced than on the vast majority of Police songs, and in fact, Sting wanted to record it without him entirely. Having written the song on a synthesizer, he wanted for it to use synthesizer instead of guitar, and to play the synthesizer part himself. Summers thought the synthesizer part should be replaced by guitar, and after considerable argument, they compromised by recording the part on both instruments, with a mix such that the synthesizer drowned out much of Summers's guitar. In live performances this part was played on guitar only, with synthesizer used only for background chords.The lyrics comment on the nature of man's existence and the failure of his earthly institutions.
Personnel
- Sting - bass, synthesizer, saxophone, lead vocals, backing vocals
- Andy SummersAndy SummersAndy Summers is an English guitarist born in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England. Best known as the guitarist for rock band The Police, he has also recorded twelve solo albums, collaborated with many other artists, toured extensively under his own name, published several books, and composed...
- guitar - Stewart CopelandStewart CopelandStewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks...
- drums
Cover versions
In 1995, reggae artist Pato BantonPato Banton
Pato Banton is a reggae singer and toaster from Birmingham, England. He received the nickname 'Pato' from his stepfather, and 'Banton' from the disc jockey slang for a "heavyweight DJ".-Biography:Born in Birmingham, Banton first came to public attention in the early 1980s when he worked with The...
covered the song for the soundtrack to Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is the sequel to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective . Jim Carrey reprises his role as the title character Ace Ventura, a detective who specializes in retrieval of tame or captive animals. This is the only sequel to a film starring Carrey in which Carrey reprised his role...
. Sting is featured in the song. The song entered the UK charts at number 36 in January 1996 and stayed there for two weeks. Banton later rerecorded the song (without Sting) for his greatest hits album in 2008.
Also, the Puerto Rican metal band Puya
Puya (band)
-History:Formed under the name Whisker Biscuit in 1988 and originally playing only instrumentals, the band added vocalist Sergio Curbelo in 1992 and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where they created a mix of salsa and heavy metal with the assistance of Jeff Renza and the Noiz Boiz production...
did a Spanish-language version called "Almas" for the Police tribute album Outlandos d'Americas.
On the 2007 Six Degrees Records
Six Degrees Records
Six Degrees Records is an independent record label noted for its catalog of recordings from international musicians and vocalists. It has been described by the journalist and producer Derek Beres as "one of the most groundbreaking labels of the past decade."...
compilation Backspin, A Six Degrees 10 Year Anniversary Project Karsh Kale
Karsh Kale
Karsh Kale is an Indian American musician, producer and composer, and is considered one of the pioneering figures in defining the Asian Underground genre by mixing disparate genres of music such as Indian classical and folk with electronica, rock, pop and ambient music...
covered "Spirits in the Material World".
In 2006 Q magazine issued a CD "Q Covered - The Eighties" on which Cord
Cord
Cord may refer to:* String or rope* Cord , a trimming made of multiple strands of yarn twisted together* The spinal cord* Cord Automobile, a former American car marque founded by Errett Lobban Cord* The cord , used to measure firewood...
covered the song.
7": A&M / AM 2390 (US)
- "Spirits in the Material World" - 3:01
- "Flexible Strategies" - 3:44
Charts
| Chart (1981/1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
6 |
| French Singles Chart | 4 |
| German Singles Chart | 44 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
12 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
11 |
| US Billboard Top Tracks | 7 |