The last time we spoke, Stewart Copeland and I took a deep dive into the last studio album by The Police – Synchronicity.  It was the 35th anniversary of bands legendary record.

This time around I wanted to talk about everything that was going on in his music life.  From Klark Kent to writing to Oysterhead to his Police Deranged project and of course the 40th anniversary of Zenyatta Mondatta.  Copeland is a pretty open book when it comes to his musical projects and he holds nothing back.

Klark Kent

I’ve been listening to the Klark Kent – Kollected Works album quite a bit lately.  Copeland’s solo record under that pseudonym, was release in 1980, shortly after Zenyatta Mondatta.  Copeland tells Sound Vapors, “There was a do it yourself vibe because I did it my gosh-darn self.”  A true solo record where he played everything you hear. Copeland says, “Even the singing.. unfortunately.”  There’s a rawness about the tracks that remind me of the first couple of Police records.  It’s almost a snap shot of a moment in time.  A sound.  I’m loving it more everyday.  Go give Too Kool To Kalypso a listen, you’ll see what I mean.  Stewart says, “I guess it does have a certain raw charm.” 

Agreed.  

I asked him if there would ever be another Klark Kent recording and he says, “I do have a Klark Kent song I recorded at the Sacred Grove and did the movie of it.  All one guy because I can do video overdubs with my locked off cameras.  As you can see on the Sacred Grove I can overdub video and have two Snoop Dogg’s or two Danny Carey’s or whatever.”  He continues, “So I’ve actually got a Klark Kent song in the vault, waiting for the moment to unleash it upon the world.  When the world is more deserving, Klark Kent will return.” 

Definitely looking forward to that.

Oysterhead

Prior to the Covid-19 crisis, Oysterhead started lining up dates and playing shows to the delight of many fans.  It’s hard not to get excited when you put Stewart Copeland, Les Claypool (Primus) and Trey Anastasio (Phish) on stage together.  The band released The Grand Pecking Order album in 2001 and reformed to play Bonnaroo in 2006.  They reunited once again in late 2019 and have played several shows and were set to play Bonnaroo once again.

As one might wonder from other music artist interviews, I asked Copeland how the reunion came together. He tells me, “I had too much fun with Oysterhead.  We knew it was going to be fun because it was fun last time.  But twenty years have gone by since we first got together and fourteen years since our last show.  And it was more fun than we ever imagined.  Because it’s unfettered.  We go back to the thing – set lists are for wimps.  Material is for wimps!  The amazing thing is that the audience that came out in Denver and hopefully the ones who come out for future shows, are there for an unfettered, making it up on the spot, experience.  Luckily, both of these two guys I’m working with are very good at that.  I’m a song guy, you know, verse chorus, verse chorus.  But Les and Trey and me, kind of following their lead, they go out there and just make the shit up right there in front of God and everybody.  And the people who come out for that show, that’s what they came for.”

Zenyatta Mondatta

With forty years approach on Zenyatta’s release, I wanted to ask Stewart a couple of album-event related questions.  It is, after all, my second favorite Police record.  To which Copeland relies, “It wasn’t my second favorite Police record.  I would put it about number five.”  It pains me to even write those words, because I love it so much.  But Stewart continues, “Mostly, that’s not because of the quality of the album.  I’m the worst judge of which albums are the best or worst.  For me it’s all about the experience of making it.”  Copeland explains, “The third album, Zenyatta, was when the record company were in our face and says,  Guys, you’ve had two hit albums now.  You score with this one here and you’re going to the top.  This is the big one, this is the big chance.  Come on, guys, we need to hear hits, hits, hits, hits.  They’re in the studio, literally, staring at the floor listening to the playbacks and deciding, is this a hit, is this not a hit?  Meanwhile, that was the beginning of it,  becoming just not our thing.  It was the beginning of the corporate existence of the band.”

Me, being me and desperately trying to find a favorite moment during the making of that record, I ask him for one and Stewart thinks and says, “ahhhhh….. No.”  I am beaten.  But he does offer a glimmer of hope.  “Well okay, Andy playing Happy Birthday on his guitar, all distorted like Jimi Hendrix doing the Star Bangled Banner.  I was there with my Super 8 camera and I got the great shot.  But because that song, when I made my film, was the most expensive song ever.  Since then it has been declared public domain but back then when I did the film, to pay for “happy birthday to you” which was owned at that time by Michael Jackson himself, I couldn’t use it in my movie.  But it was a fun day in the studio.”

I’ll take it.

Behind My Camel

There has been a long running rumor that Sting disliked the Andy Summers song, Behind My Camel some much, that not only did he refuse to play on it, he took the tapes and went out back into the garden and buried them.  I asked Copeland if there was any truth to this.  He says, “That’s story’s been told so much that I believe it but I can’t believe it because he would not go out to the garden, find a shovel from somewhere, dig a hole, put a reel of 2″ magnetic tape, with probably other tracks on that reel, into the dirt.. I just.. no, that did not happen. :laughs: But he did hide it somewhere in the studio.  The hiding part is true.  The digging a hole in the garden.. how could that be true?”

And the reaction of the band when that song won a Grammy Award?  “Ah joy.  My heart filled with joy”, says Copeland.  “And poor ‘ole Sting had to just sit there and take it.”  Two questions I’ve always wondered about.  Maybe you did as well.  So there ya go!

Neil Peart

On January 7, 2020, the world lost a drumming legend.  Neil Peart was just 67 years old and was an icon to millions of fans but to Stewart he was a friend.  Copeland shares, “When he passed, at first I was kind of relieved on his behalf.  He lived an incredible life.  I was at this birthday party a few months before he went.  At one point he told, “look I’m a year past my sell-by date.  I’m not supposed to even be here.”  And then another year went by.  So when he passed my first feeling was, alright, Neil, great you had an incredible life and what a great punctuation.  That’s how you do it.  And then.. some time went by.. and he’s not around.  And I miss him.  I wish he hadn’t gone and sure he had a great life.  He’s fine but I’m not so fine.  I wish he was still here.  And.. I just really miss him.”

You can hear my entire conversation with Stewart Copeland that is filled with plenty of stories and candor by clicking on the link to your favorite place to listen to podcasts or by watching the video version on YouTube.

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-Tommy Marz

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