How Robert Palmer Caught Lightning with Riptide and Redefined His Sound
By the mid-80s, Robert Palmer had already carved out a respectable career. But when Riptide dropped in 1985, it wasn’t just another album — it was a full-blown cultural moment. Propelled by the juggernaut success of “Addicted to Love,” Palmer vaulted to the top of the charts, permanently etching his suave, stylish persona into the fabric of rock history.
The infectious groove of “Addicted to Love” stormed the radio and dominated MTV, but the song was just the surface of Palmer’s expansive musical vision. Guitarist Eddie Martinez, who worked closely with Palmer on Riptide, remembers his eclectic taste vividly: “He’d listen to Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, and then have Sepultura and Hüsker Dü on the same cassette. It was great music, irrespective of the genre,” Martinez told Ultimate Classic Rock.
The Riptide sessions were electric with creativity. Recorded at Compass Point Studios with Chic’s Bernard Edwards producing and engineering wizard Jason Corsaro behind the board, the album pushed technical boundaries early in the digital recording era. Corsaro’s innovative setup — miking Tony Thompson’s drums down a 30-foot hallway — gave Riptide its massive, signature sound.
Palmer wasn’t just dreaming up lyrics either — literally. According to Martinez, Palmer once said he dreamt “Addicted to Love” and then put it to paper. That dream would become his first No. 1 hit, a defining anthem of the decade.
Touring behind Riptide was a grueling but exhilarating experience. The first leg alone spanned 56 shows in 56 days, culminating in the powerful Live at the Apollo recording. Martinez reflects on that tour with awe, noting the intensity and emotional payoff of bringing Riptide to life on stage.
Beyond the hits, Riptide showcased Palmer’s versatility, and Martinez’s own guitar work thrived under that creative freedom. “It was like a blank canvas,” he recalls, a rare invitation for a musician to explore every shade of their talent.
In a decade packed with big personalities and bigger sounds, Robert Palmer’s Riptide stood out because it wasn’t just loud — it was smart, soulful, and irresistibly cool.
