A Piece Of Time
The Golden Wire
Earthly Pleasures
Imagine You
Vigango
Blues For Snake
The Island Of Silk
Journey Through Blue Regions
Piya Tose
Rain Forest In Manhattan
A Thousand Stones
A PIECE OF TIME (A. Summers)
Andy Summers: Guitar
Paul McCandless: Oboe
Doug Lunn: Bass
Kurt Wortman: Drums & Percussion
David Hentschel: Keyboards, Drum Programming
THE GOLDEN WIRE (A. Summers)
Andy Summers: Electric & Acoustic guitars
Paul McCandless: Soprano Sax
Jimmy Haslip: Bass
Kurt Wortman: Percussion
David Hentschel: Keyboards, Drum Programming
Stephen Croes: Synclavier
EARTHLY PLEASURES (A. Summers)
Andy Summers: Electric & Acoustic guitars
Kurt Wortman: Percussion
David Hentschel: Keyboards, Drum Programming
IMAGINE YOU (A. Summers)
Andy Summers: Guitar
VIGANGO (A. Summers)
Andy Summers: Guitar, banjo
Paul McCandless: Soprano Sax
Doug Lunn: Bass
Kurt Wortman: Drums & Percussion
David Hentschel: Keyboards, Drum Programming
BLUES FOR SNAKE (A. Summers)
Andy Summers: Guitar
Paul McCandless: Soprano Sax
Jimmy Haslip: Bass
David Hentschel: Drum Programming
Stephen Croes: Synclavier
THE ISLAND OF SILK (A. Summers/D. Hentschel)
Andy Summers: Electric & Acoustic guitars
Kurt Wortman: Percussion
David Hentschel: Keyboards
JOURNEY THROUGH BLUE REGIONS (A. Summers)
Andy Summers: Guitar
Kurt Wortman: Xianjiang tambourine, Percussion
Doug Lunn: Bass
PIYA TOSE
Najma Akhtar: Vocal
Andy Summers: Guitar
Jimmy Haslip: Bass
Kurt Wortman: Percussion
David Hentschel: Keyboards
Stephen Croes: Synclavier
RAIN FOREST IN MANHATTAN(A. Summers)
Andy Summers: Guitar
Paul McCandless: Two wooden flutes together
Doug Lunn: Bass
Kurt Wortman: Percussion
Stephen Croes: Synclavier
A THOUSAND STONES (A. Summers)
Andy Summers: Guitars
Produced by Andy Summers & David Hentschel
Recorded by David Hentschel assisted by Dennis Smith
at Evoke Studios, Venice California, November and December 1988 and
also at Mad Hatter Studios Los Angeles. California assisted by Darren
Mora, November, 1998
All technical assistance and loop recording by Dennis Smith
Mixed at The Complex, Los Angeles, California by David Hentschel assisted
by Sharon Rice, January 1989.
Mastered by Brian Gardner at Bernie Grundman Mastering,
Los Angeles, California.
Special thanks to Bob Bradshaw
David Hentschel plays Ensoniq Keyboards
Kurt Wortman plays Remo Products and Paiste Cymbals
Andy Summers plays on this record.
All compositions published by 1988 Evoke Music
administered worldwide by Listening Room Music Inc. BMI
ISLAND OF SILK published by 1988 Evoke Music BMI/David Hentschel Music PRS
PIYA TOSE (Copyright Control)
Extra special thanks to Najma for travelling so far and singing so beautifully.
Photography: Glen Erler
Art Direction: Norman Moore
Jimmy Haslip appears courtesy of MCA Records
Paul McCandless appears courtesy of Portrait Records and Windham Hill Records
Private Music 1989
ANDY SUMMERS THE GOLDEN WIRE (PRIVATE MUSIC NEWS) 05.89 BY TIMOTHY WHITE
As any picker who’s ever attempted to cop his chord patterns and pealing Police-era harmonics can attest, Andy Summers can be a marvelous (and demanding) stylist, composer and technician. Yet his uncommonly rich and fluid approach has slowly become eclipsed in the rock lexicon by the giddy dexterities of Eddie Van Halen or the motley grandstanding of Joe Satriani. Sure, Summers remained plenty productive after the Police disbanded in the mid-’80s, knocking out a string of rather outre solo albums while also scoring such successful movies as Down and Out in Beverly Hills. Yet the fire and invention of yore grew sporadic at best, making many feel he required the trappings of arena-band megastardom in order to shine. In one deft stroke, The Golden Wire is likely to dispel that estimation for good.
By turns spooky, propulsive and spellbinding, The Golden Wire is a guitar paced cascade of rock, jazz, blues and classically textured world beat that translates into 11 exquisite numbers. The support crew for the album is intriguing, including keyboardist/co-producer David Hentschel, Doug Lunn and Yellowjacket Jimmy Haslip on bass, Paul McCandless of Oregon on brass and reeds, drummer Kurt Wortman and, on one transcendent track, Anglo-Indian singer Najma Akhtar; the sound they achieve under Summers’ guidance is extraordinary. But the ultimate strengths of The Golden Wire are in the playing and song structures. From the impeccable sonic vocabulary of “A Piece of Time” to the siren-pitched guitar and banjo exclamations of “Vigango,” there is a sure sense of tension and release on each story-like track. Throughout, the rhythm section offers enough sensual drama and melodic atmospherics to give both Bryan Ferry and Enya a few contemporary pointers; while the art of constructing pan-cultural rock soundscapes hits new heights when Summers’ instrument embraces Najma’s ecstatically sexy vocals on “Piya Tose”. This is music born for CD, its surges and subtleties a delight.
For Andy Summers, The Golden Wire is the guitar equivalent of Peter Gabriel’s So, a personal and artistic breakthrough which becomes an instant treasure. Those with a sense of rock history also are reminded that, for its alumni, no band is an island.
– Timothy White