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Deconstructing Ghost in the Machine By Rob Collier
Deconstructing Ghost in the Machine by Rob Collier… Ghost in the Machine, the fourth studio album by the Police, marks a departure from their first three albums, all of which exhibit them as a raw, energetic band. This 1981 effort is a more elaborate studio creation; while the earlier albums featured few overdubs, most of the songs on Ghost in the Machine have layers of horns, synthesizers, and backing vocals.
The album is also unusual from a songwriting perspective. Half of the songs on the album are structured around bassist Sting’s short, repetitive grooves that often repeat through the entire song. One could play six or seven of the record’s songs by learning just a few measures of music.
The eleven songs on Ghost in the Machine can be divided into four groups. Group 1 is made up of songs that have one bass pattern that is two to four measures long. This pattern repeats virtually unchanged through the whole song. The structure of the song (verse, chorus, etc.) is created soley by other musical elements changing on top of this repetitious groove.
The songs in Group 2 have two distinct bass patterns, usually one for the verse and one for the chorus. They are slightly less straightforward in form than songs in Group 1, but are still based largely on repeated bass grooves.
Group 3 songs are a bit more complex than songs in Group 2. These have three distinct sections, usually a verse and chorus, plus a contrasting bridge or interlude. These songs are the most closely aligned with more traditional songwriting.
There is only one song on the album that has more than three formal sections. Though there may be some debate about how songs best fit within each of the first three groups, there is only one song that does not easily fit into one of these categories. “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” has a longer, more complex song form than every other track on the album, and clearly stands alone in Group 4.
Group 1: Songs that have one bass pattern
Three songs on Ghost in the Machine have two- or four-measure bass lines that repeat through the entire song with few or no embellishments.
“Demolition Man”
This is basically a four-measure groove repeated with very little variation. Measures one and three are essentially the same, but notice how Sting alters the rhythm on beat one. This slight change makes measure three a little bouncier than measure one and gives the overall phrase a nice shape.
“Too Much Information”
Sting plays a two-measure groove for this whole song. It is almost identical to the horn riff, but is offset by two beats. The bass line is very simple, but it effectively holds down the groove while everything else changes around it.
“One World”
Drummer Stewart Copeland continually, and often abruptly, changes the feel from cut time to 4/4, but Sting just hangs on this two-measure groove for the entirety of the song (aside from some subtle rhythmic variations). The eighth notes are swung, giving it an extra lift.
Group 2: Songs that have one pattern for the verse and one for the chorus
These songs are also very simple structurally. They feature only two distinct bass patterns (or two sections, i.e., verse and chorus) and the form of the song is very straightforward.
“Invisible Sun”
For the majority of this song, the bass is simply providing a straight eighth note pulse. (The intro, outro, and interludes are just Eb – Cm vamps, the same as the first two measures of the verse.) All in all, this is not Sting’s most inspired work, but the bass line supports the song well. (And the chorus is fun to play!)
“Hungry For You”
Sting plays basically the same groove through this entire song, and just moves it around when the chords change. The verses are a two-measure vamp from D to G while the chorus has a four-measure C-G-D progression. Rhythmically, Sting’s bass line is exactly the same in each measure of the song. In fact, if you aren’t paying attention, you might assume the whole song is a two-measure vamp.
“Darkness”
This song could almost be put in Group 1. The bass line is two measures repeated, then two more measures repeated. So, if you learn four measures—or three, since the first pattern could be thought of as the same measure repeated four times—you’ve got the whole song. The two patterns are fairly distinct, though; thus it resides in Group 2.
Group 3: Simple chorus pattern for verse, chorus, plus bridge
Songs in Group 3 have at least three distinct sections and feature slightly more irregular song structure.
“Spirits in the Material World”
Sting’s bass line on the verse of “Spirits in the Material World” is one of his most exciting. In the first measure he leaves a lot of space and accents the off-beats, and then plays so simply in the second measure. The line feels like it is continually tumbling into the second measure, where it regains its balance. Sting reverses this in the chorus. In the first measure, he plays a simple line accenting beats one and three. Then in the next measure, he again accents the off-beats, doubling the rhythm of the vocal melody.
“Rehumanize Yourself”
This song really just has a couple of different bass patterns, but the form of the song isn’t entirely straightforward. During the intro and interludes, Sting plays the same one-measure bass groove, but moves it up and down the neck with the chord changes. The verse/chorus bass line also features the most improvisation Sting does on the record. The basic structure of this groove is always the same, but Sting embellishes it regularly, often on beat four of measures two and four.
“Omegaman”
“Omegaman” is Andy Summers’ lone songwriting contribution to Ghost in the Machine. This is Sting’s least imaginative bass line on the record. He had a reputation for refusing to play on Summers’ songs, so it is not surprising he would not have put much thought into this line.
“Secret Journey”
Sting plays another simple, driving eighth note line for much of this song, which makes the arrival of the verse and chorus grooves that much more satisfying.
Group 4: Longer song form
Only one song on the album has more than three distinct formal sections. “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” has a verse, chorus, bridge, and outro, each with distinct bass lines.
“Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”
This is the most unusual song in the context of the album, largely because it is the most “normal” pop song of the collection. It sounds out of place, and in fact, it was written about four years before the other songs. It is more of a typical pop song, whereas the rest of the album seems somewhat experimental. Not that it’s a bad song—it was the biggest hit on the record. Sting plays sparsely on the verses and interludes, and then infuses the chorus with a terrific bouncing line.
NOTE: The transcription, when used for educational purposes, falls under “Fair Use” (Section 107, Chapter 1, Title 17 of the United States Copyright Code).
Bass Videos
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes…
It is always great to meet a super busy bassist who simply exudes a love for music and his instrument. Erick “Jesus” Coomes fits this description exactly. Hailing from Southern California, “Jesus” co-founded and plays bass for Lettuce and has found his groove playing with numerous other musicians.
Join us as we hear of his musical journey, how he gets his sound, his ongoing projects, and his plans for the future.
Photo, Bob Forte
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Bass Videos
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
“These stories from the front are with real-life, day-to-day musicians who deal with work life and gigging and how they make it work out. Each month, topics may include… the kind of gigs you get, the money, dealing with less-than-ideal rooms, as well as the gear you need to get the job done… and the list goes on from there.” – Steve the Bass Guy and Shawn Cav
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This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…
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Bass CDs
New Album: Jake Leckie, Planter of Seeds
Bassist Jake Leckie and The Guide Trio Unveil New Album Planter of Seeds,
to be released on June 7, 2024
Planter of Seeds is bassist/composer Jake Leckie’s third release as a bandleader and explores what beauty can come tomorrow from the seeds we plant today.
What are we putting in the ground? What are we building? What is the village we want to bring our children up in? At the core of the ensemble is The Guide Trio, his working band with guitarist Nadav Peled and drummer Beth Goodfellow, who played on Leckie’s second album, The Guide, a rootsy funky acoustic analog folk-jazz recording released on Ropeadope records in 2022. For Planter of Seeds, the ensemble is augmented by Cathlene Pineda (piano), Randal Fisher (tenor saxophone), and Darius Christian (trombone), who infuse freedom and soul into the already tightly established ensemble.
Eight original compositions were pristinely recorded live off the floor of Studio 3 at East West Studios in Hollywood CA, and mastered by A.T. Michael MacDonald. The cover art is by internationally acclaimed visual artist Wayne White. Whereas his previous work has been compared to Charles Mingus, and Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet with Charlie Haden, Leckie’s new collection sits comfortably between the funky odd time signatures of the Dave Holland Quintet and the modern folk-jazz of the Brian Blade Fellowship Band with a respectful nod towards the late 1950s classic recordings of Ahmad Jamal and Miles Davis.
The title track, “Planter of Seeds,” is dedicated to a close family friend, who was originally from Trinidad, and whenever she visited family or friends at their homes, without anyone knowing, she would plant seeds she kept in her pocket in their gardens, so the next season beautiful flowers would pop up. It was a small altruistic anonymous act of kindness that brought just a little more beauty into the world. The rhythm is a tribute to Ahmad Jamal, who we also lost around the same time, and whose theme song Poinciana is about a tree from the Caribbean.
“Big Sur Jade” was written on a trip Leckie took with his wife to Big Sur, CA, and is a celebration of his family and community. This swinging 5/4 blues opens with an unaccompanied bass solo, and gives an opportunity for each of the musicians to share their improvisational voices. “Clear Skies” is a cathartic up-tempo release of collective creative energies in fiery improvisational freedom. “The Aquatic Uncle” features Randal Fisher’s saxophone and is named after an Italo Calvino short story which contemplates if one can embrace the new ways while being in tune with tradition. In ancient times, before a rudder, the Starboard side of the ship was where it was steered from with a steering oar. In this meditative quartet performance, the bass is like the steering oar of the ensemble: it can control the direction of the music, and when things begin to unravel or become unhinged, a simple pedal note keeps everything grounded.
The two trio tunes on the album are proof that the establishment of his consistent working band The Guide Trio has been a fruitful collaboration. “Santa Teresa”, a bouncy samba-blues in ? time, embodies the winding streets and stairways of the bohemian neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro it is named for. The swampy drum feel on “String Song” pays homage to Levon Helm of The Band, a group where you can’t always tell who wrote the song or who the bandleader is, proving that the sum is greater than the individual parts. Early jazz reflected egalitarianism in collective improvisation, and this group dynamic is an expression of that kind of inclusivity and democracy.
“The Daughters of the Moon” rounds out the album, putting book ends on the naturalist themes. This composition is named after magical surrealist Italo Calvino’s short story about consumerism, in which a mythical modern society that values only buying shiny new things throws away the moon like it is a piece of garbage and the daughters of the moon save it and resurrect it. It’s an eco-feminist take on how women are going to save the world. Pineda’s piano outro is a hauntingly beautiful lunar voyage, blinding us with love. Leckie dedicates this song to his daughter: “My hope is that my daughter becomes a daughter of the moon, helping to make the world a more beautiful and verdant place to live.”
Bass CDs
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
In a thrilling solo debut, bassist Nate Sabat combines instrumental virtuosity with a songwriter’s heart on Bass Fiddler…
The upright bass and the human voice. Two essential musical instruments, one with roots in 15th century Europe, the other as old as humanity itself.
On Bass Fiddler (Adhyâropa Records ÂR00057), the debut album from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and bass virtuoso Nate Sabat, the scope is narrowed down a bit. Drawing from the rich and thriving tradition of American folk music, Sabat delivers expertly crafted original songs and choice covers with the upright bass as his lone tool for accompaniment.
The concept was born a decade ago when Sabat began studying with the legendary old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky at Berklee College of Music. “One of Bruce’s specialties is singing and playing fiddle at the same time. The second I heard it I was hooked,” recalls Sabat. “I thought, how can I do this on the bass?” From there, he was off to the races, arranging original and traditional material with Molsky as his guide. “Fast forward to 2020, and I — like so many other musicians — was thinking of how to best spend my time. I sat down with the goal of writing some new songs and arranging some new covers, and an entire record came out.” When the time came to make the album, it was evident that Molsky would be the ideal producer. Sabat asked him if he’d be interested, and luckily he was. “What an inspiration to work with an artist like Nate,” says Molsky. “Right at the beginning, he came to this project with a strong, personal and unique vision. Plus he had the guts to try for a complete and compelling cycle of music with nothing but a bass and a voice. You’ll hear right away that it’s engaging, sometimes serious, sometimes fun, and beautifully thought out from top to bottom.”
While this record is, at its core, a folk music album, Sabat uses the term broadly. Some tracks lean more rock (‘In the Shade’), some more pop (‘White Marble’, ‘Rabid Thoughts’), some more jazz (‘Fade Away’), but the setting ties them all together. “There’s something inherently folksy about a musician singing songs with their instrument, no matter the influences behind the compositions themselves,” Sabat notes. To be sure, there are plenty of folk songs (‘Louise’ ‘Sometimes’, ‘Eli’) and fiddling (‘Year of the Ox’) to be had here — the folk music fan won’t go hungry. There’s a healthy dose of bluegrass too (‘Orphan Annie’, ‘Lonesome Night’), clean and simple, the way Mr. Bill Monroe intended.
All in all, this album shines a light on an instrument that often goes overlooked in the folk music world, enveloping the listener in its myriad sounds, textures, and colors. “There’s nothing I love more than playing the upright bass,” exclaims Sabat. “My hope is that listeners take the time to sit with this album front to back — I want them to take in the full scope of the work. I have a feeling they’ll hear something they haven’t heard before.”
Available online at natesabat.bandcamp.com/album/walking-away
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
New Gear: Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
