The Rhythmatist
| The Rhythmatist | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 1985 | |||
| Studios | The Worried Rabbit (Nineveh, Assyria) | |||
| Genre | Worldbeat | |||
| Length | 41:28 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producers |
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| Stewart Copeland chronology | ||||
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The Rhythmatist is the second solo studio album by American musician and composer Stewart Copeland, released in May 1985 by A&M Records. It was produced by Copeland along with Jeff Seitz, and was recorded at the White Rabbit in Nineveh, Assyria. The album features the singles "Koteja (Oh Bolilla)" featuring Congolese (DRC) musician Ray Lema, as well as "Gong Rock". Lema wrote or cowrote three songs on The Rhythmatist, of which he also sings on, being the only other credited musician besides Copeland.
On April 18, 2026, the album was remastered, and re-released for its 40th anniversary on Record Store Day. This release peaked at No. 9 on the UK Independent Album Breakers Chart, whereas the original album peaked at No. 148 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic Paul Collins wrote that "The Rhythmatist is light years ahead of his sophomorically amiable work as Klark Kent", adding that "its enthusiastic world music fusion has held up better than the other Police solo efforts of this period."
Track listing
All tracks are written by Stewart Copeland, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Koteja (Oh Bolilla)" | Ray Lema | 3:32 |
| 2. | "Brazzaville" | 4:11 | |
| 3. | "Liberté" | Lema | 4:03 |
| 4. | "Coco" | 3:56 | |
| 5. | "Kemba" |
| 5:52 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Samburu Sunset" | 6:19 |
| 2. | "Gong Rock" | 3:35 |
| 3. | "Franco" | 2:12 |
| 4. | "Serengeti Long Walk" | 4:29 |
| 5. | "African Dream" | 3:26 |
| Total length: | 41:28 | |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from The Rhythmatist liner notes.
Musicians
- Stewart Copeland – guitar, bass, piano, keyboards, percussion, computer programmes, vocals
- Ray Lema – vocals
Technical
- Stewart Copeland – producer
- Jeff Seitz – producer, engineer
- J.P. Dutilleux – photography
- Michael Ross – design
- Jeremy Williams – design
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | US Billboard 200 | 148 |
| 2026 | UK Independent Album Breakers Chart | 9 |
References
- ↑ https://www.demonmusicgroup.co.uk/catalogue/releases/stewart-copeland-the-rhythmatist-cd/
- ↑ https://progrography.com/stewart-copeland/review-stewart-copeland-the-rhythmatist-1985/amp/
- ↑ https://www.stewartcopeland.net/news/4334/record-store-day-2026-the-rhythmatist
- ↑ https://recordsandcharts.com/album.php?alid=5387
- ↑ https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/24625/stewart-copeland/
- 1 2 Collins, Paul. "Stewart Copeland – The Rhythmatist". AllMusic. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ The Rhythmatist (CD booklet). Stewart Copeland. A&M Records. 1985.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
External links
- The Rhythmatist at Discogs (list of releases)