Stewart Copeland, Incredible

I quite agree. Have you heard Murder by Numbers off the Synchronicity album. Awesome stuff. My favorite track off that album.

If you like the Police Rock/Reggae style then you will like Wesley Finley of Rebelution - also does great hi-hat work and a great relaxed touch and groovy feel. Another great and all time legend on the hi-hat is David Garibaldi but he plays funk so I am not sure if that is up your street. Anyway this is all old school technical quality stuff - no David Grohl banging away (although I like David's style too - albeit in brief doses)

"Murder by Numbers" is from the Synchronicity compact disc.

It is indeed on the CD.

I am pretty sure it was on the vinyl album I had. I am kind of elephant memory on these things - at least when it comes to music. However it was 1983 (a long time ago) and about 50% of all the Vinyl I ever bought were Japanese pressings (a lot of the rest was 12" 45's that always sounded better than LP's). I'll be honest but regular pressings were to put it mildly mostly crap!

Is it possible I had the Japanese pressing which was different?

Unfortunately, my Vinyl is in storage in my parents basement somewhere half way across the country so I can't confirm this but I remember playing it on Vinyl before CD came out.

BTW - Spirits has some great drumming too and pushes Sting's bass playing abilities (he's no John Deacon, Geddy Lee or John Taylor) but an amazing and influential songwriter. Many people say Ghost in Machine was dark but it was probably my favorite overall.

It may have been on a 45 rpm I bought. And yes you could find great sounding North American Vinyl - just I found it hit and miss - whilst Japanese recordings were almost always oustanding. Anyway it was a long time ago and although everybody dismisses this sound because of its unpolished feel - I found it was teh best on teh entire album principally becuase it demonstrated Stewart's amazing talent on drums.

I also remember hearing Message in a Bottle for teh first time and thinking WOW that is such a simple boring childlike nursery rhyme melody but Stewart Copeland's drumming just carries the entire thing - making it a huge hit.

Rumble Fish - Stewart wrote the soundtrack for this movie.