Demolition Man

Zoo Freaks, get ready for some wild trivia about "Demolition Man" by The Police from their 1981 album Ghost In The Machine. Written by Sting in the summer of 1980 while staying at actor Peter O’Toole’s home in Connemara, Ireland, the song was initially intended for The Police’s earlier album, Zenyatta Mondatta, but they didn’t record it at the time. Instead, Sting sent a demo to Grace Jones, who released her version in February 1981 on her album Nightclubbing. The Police, after hearing Jones’ cold, robotic take, decided to record their own, aiming for a "more ballsy" sound, as guitarist Andy Summers put it in a 1982 Creem interview. They nailed it in one take at AIR Studios in Montserrat, with Summers using his 1961 Stratocaster and Sting’s roadie, Danny Quatrochi, laying down the bassline because Sting’s original take—played while jumping on a trampoline—was too sloppy. The song’s lyrics, inspired by Arthur Koestler’s book The Ghost in the Machine, paint a vivid picture of a destructive force with lines like “I’m a walking nightmare, an arsenal of doom.” Sting later reflected in a 1981 NME interview that the song’s “three-line whip” lyric, referencing a British parliamentary term for an urgent vote, caught O’Toole’s attention, boosting Sting’s confidence in its potential.

Another cool tidbit comes from the song’s recording process. According to producer Hugh Padgham, the band’s energy was electric when they kicked off Ghost In The Machine with “Demolition Man.” The track features Sting playing tenor saxophone, riffing the counter-melody, a skill he picked up just months earlier with a “tune-a-day” booklet, as drummer Stewart Copeland humorously recounted in a 2000 Revolver interview. The Police’s version, clocking in at nearly six minutes, is their longest song and stands out for its urgent, hard-rock edge, contrasting Jones’ machine-funk style. Sting himself described the song’s narrator as a reflection of his own destructive tendencies in a 1981 NME post shared by @ThePoliceBand on X, saying, “I’m actually very destructive. I can also be creative, but that is half of me.” The song’s legacy continued with Sting reworking it in 1993 for the Demolition Man movie starring Sylvester Stallone, and it’s been covered by others, like Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, showing its lasting appeal.

The Police, formed in London in 1977, started as a scrappy punk-rock outfit before evolving into one of the most influential bands of the ’80s. Sting (born Gordon Sumner), a former teacher and jazz enthusiast, was playing in local Newcastle bands like Last Exit when he caught the attention of drummer Stewart Copeland, an American with a worldly upbringing and a knack for rhythm. Copeland, who’d been in the prog-rock band Curved Air, recruited Sting for his raw energy and distinctive voice. They were joined by guitarist Andy Summers, a seasoned musician who’d played with Soft Machine and The Animals, bringing a textured, reggae-inflected style to the mix. The trio’s early days were gritty—rehearsing in dingy London flats and recording their first single, “Fall Out,” at Pathway Studios, as Copeland shared in a 2020 X post. Their big break came with “Roxanne” in 1978, a reggae-punk hit that got them noticed by A&M Records. From there, their blend of punk, reggae, and pop, paired with Sting’s cerebral lyrics, propelled them to global stardom with albums like Outlandos d’Amour and Reggatta de Blanc.

You can dive deeper into The Police’s world through their official website, where you’ll find discography details and tour history. Connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, and X for updates and throwback posts. Fans, or Zoo Freaks looking to vibe with others, can join the conversation on the r/ThePolice subreddit, a lively community with over 4,000 members sharing everything from album art discussions to rare demos. There’s also PoliceWiki, a fan-run site packed with meticulous details on songs, tours, and gear—like the fact that Summers used a Strat for “Demolition Man.” These platforms are perfect for keeping the Zoo Crew’s retro spirit alive while spinning those classic Police records.