80s album gearlists and more

(last updated: 22/08/24) Musical gear Drums & percussion: Roland CR-78   CompuRhythm  drum machine: "In The Air Tonight", "Hand In Hand", "Tomorrow Never Knows" Premier 717 Elite custom tom-tom kit /w Gretsch 20" bass drum and various snares Zildjian / Paiste  cymbals Piano & keyboards: Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus : e.g. "In The Air Tonight" Fender Rhodes Stage 73 electric piano 1820 Collard & Collard 6' grand piano Basses: 1958 Fender Precision sunburst: John Giblin Lobue (?): Alphonso Johnson Guitars: Suntec SA-MRSC Super Stratocaster : Daryl Stuermer's main, "In The Air Tonight" Studio equipment Microphones: Drums: Neumann U87s (drum room) Neumann U47 (bass drum) Shure SM57 (snare) Sennheiser MD421s or Shure SM57s (toms) STC 4038 or Neumann U87 (overheads) STC 4021 Ball & Biscuit (Reverse talkback room mic) Horns (likely setup): Neumann U87 Sennheiser MD421 Voca...

(last updated: 22/8/24) Musical gear Phil Collins: Simmons SDS-V  electronic drum system: "Silver Rainbow", "Second Home By The Sea" Pearl DLX birch concert tom kit: 20”x14” bass drum 14”x8” parallel action strainer snare 8”x5” tom 10”x6 1/2” tom 12”x8” tom 15”x12” tom 16”x16” tom 18”x16” tom   Zildjian/Paiste/Sabian cymbals Premier D717 'Soundwave' kit Movement MCS-2 drum machine - e.g. "Illegal Alien" Tony Banks: Keyboards & synthesizers: ARP Quadra E-mu Emulator I New England Digital Synclavier II Sequential Circuits Prophet-10 Yamaha CP-70B grand piano Effects: Boss CE-1 Chorus (?) MXR Stereo Chorus MXR Phase 100 (on organ - can be heard in "It's Gonna Get Better") Other: Linn LM-1 drum machine - for triggering synths. AMEK X1000 12-channel mixer Roland Jazz Chorus JC120 amp ("Just A Job To Do"?) Mike Rutherford: Guitars: Fender Stratocaster (1975, sunburst) Roland G-505 : guitar synth controller, but used...

(last updated: 21/5/21) Basses 1962 Fender Jazz One of Sting’s first basses, which he bought in Newcastle in 1970 for 150 quid. Sting’s primary bass while he was in Last Exit during the mid-1970s. Has also been among Sting’s arsenal throughout the Police era (1977-1984), both live and in the studio. It's evident that the original bridge cover of this bass had been removed by 1978. By 1987, Sting began playing the Fender Jazz bass again,  Sources:  https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/sting-talks-fender-p-basses-technique-and-jamming-jaco-pastorius-644627 , International Musician & Recording World July 1979, Bass Player April 1992, The PoliceWiki, various 1978 Fender Precision fretless Bought in November 1978 from Manny’s in New York when doing a string of concerts at CBGBs. Played on Reggatta De Blanc , Ghost In The Machine and Synchronicity albums.  The last appearance of this bass was in an advert featured in Music Information magazine March 1987 issue, and...

(last updated: 18/08/24) Instruments Drum Machines/electronic drums: Movement MCS Drum Computer Mk. 1 Oberheim DMX:  ‘Wrap It Up’,  ‘Somebody Told Me’ and  ‘I Could Give You (A Mirror)’ Simmons SDS-V:  “Somebody Told Me” intro Sequencers: Roland CSQ-100 EDP Wasp? Synthesizers: Roland SH-09 Roland Juno-6 Oberheim OB-X : borrowed, used on title track Pianos: Bechstein 6’ 8” acoustic grand piano Yamaha CP-70 / CP-80 acoustic/electric piano –  heard on “The Walk”, around 2-minute mark Other: Electro-Harmonix Big Muff distortion Farfisa Combo : “The Walk” strings Gretsch Country Gentleman guitar:  David A. Stewart’s, originally custom-built for Scotty Moore as a larger version of Clubman. e.g. slide guitar on “This City Never Sleeps”. Suzuki Omnichord OM-27 : harp sound on “Love Is A Stranger” Studio equipment Tape recorders: Multi-track: TEAC 144 4-track portastudio TEAC 80-8 8-track /w B.E.L Electronics BC-3-8T noise reduction Unknown 16-tr...

(updated: 29/08/24) Thompson Twins Into The Gap Musical equipment Drums & percussion: Movement MCS-2 Drum Computer Movement MCS Mimic sampler prototype(?) Paiste percussion rack Yamaha Xylophone Latin Percussion Timbales Keyboards & synthesizers: Oberheim OB-Xa : Tom Bailey’s main, used for most synth parts & basslines Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 : Joe Leeway’s Sequential Circuits Pro One : “Doctor Doctor” sequencer Yamaha CP-70B electric piano: “Sister Of Mercy” Guitars: Fender Telecaster /w Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus combo (Tom Bailey) unknown 12-string: “Doctor Doctor”, played by Phil Thornalley (uncredited) Recording & Studio equipment Microphones: AKG C414 EB : vocals Sennheiser MD-421 : percussion Neumann U87 : percussion (ambience), possibly guitars Outboard gear (partial list): AMS DMX 15-80S digital delay/harmonizer/sampler AMS RMX-16 digital reverb Roland SDD-320 Dimension D UREI 1176 compressors/limiters Tape recorders: Compass Point: MCI JH114 24...