Exploring The Police's Synchronicity: A Timeless Classic

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Music.
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Alright, welcome back everyone to Three Guys, One Music. How is it going, guys?
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Hello, Jimmy. Going well. Alright.
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Better than the last few days for me. Today is a good day. Oh my.
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Did you listen to Ice Cube? Today is a good day. That's a great song.
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That is a good song. I did not listen to that today.
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I enjoyed the good day. Would have been perfect to listen to that. That's true.
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How's your weekend going? It's almost over, but I just want to ask, how has it been?
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Today's been the best day. All right. And I'm not kidding. The best of the two.
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Today's been a pretty good day. I got to spend some extra time hanging out with
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the spouse, and we had a good time.
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And an old friend of ours. And an old friend over the weekend.
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So that was really cool. Yo!
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Yes. Mike and I did a project for Brent many, many years ago.
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That was a lot of fun. Yes, it was good. A lot of work, a lot of fun.
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And Brenda's a very talented artist.
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Thank you for all the work you've done for me on the side. All right, appreciate it.
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We're going to talk about the police of synchronicity today.
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This is our second album focus episode, and this is one of those records that
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really affected us, and we really thank a lot of this record.
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So I'm going to hand this off to Mike, and we're going to go ahead and get into
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it. It's a big record. It was a huge record at the time.
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It's still a classic album. Hand it on. All right. We're going to start off.
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1983, The Police came out with Synchronicity, their fifth album,
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their final album together, their biggest selling.
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10 million plus copies, I believe that's right? 8 million in the U.S..
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And this is my copy. There are many like it, but this is mine. But this one is mine.
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We went to see that tour. I'd missed the police earlier, like. January of 82.
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Zenyatta Mandada, I missed that tour. I wanted to go see it and I didn't get
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to go see it. So it was cool to see them with the synchronicity tour.
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We had really good seats, but we couldn't hear a thing from all the screaming girls in the audience.
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It was, yeah, it was a sight to see. but it was a really good show. It was an amazing show.
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Those three are and were so talented.
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But yeah, Synchronicity, the pinnacle of their writing together as a group.
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Synchronicity is, if you don't know, in fact, I really don't like it when people misuse the word.
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And during the last album discussion when we were talking about Rush,
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I used the word wrong because I couldn't think fast enough of another word.
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Synchronicity is basically putting meaning to coincidence.
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Something inconsequential happens and you feel like it means something.
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You find out later, oh, this is why. Yes. Okay.
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Carl Jung's theory of synchronicity, I think he came out,
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he was working on it in the 40s, actually published a
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book in the 50s on synchronicity trying
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to connect a causal happening you
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know a causal events with some kind of meaning hopefully hoping
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to explain some paranormal events pseudoscience if you don't believe that kind
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of thing but it's an interesting thought right and the police took it to heart
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and it's not a concept album but that theme runs through some of the songs not
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all the songs but some of the songs on the album.
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The album artwork was actually suggested by record exec at the time suggested
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they all three go and their photos taken separately and see if they connect in some way.
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Maybe they do, maybe they don't, but it's, it is an iconic cover.
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All the police's covers are standout. All very different, but they're certainly unique.
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So Synchronicity, produced by Hugh Padman.
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Mass work. Yeah, he's worked with everyone in the 80s.
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Phil Collins, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Elton John, Paul McCartney.
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Literally everyone in the... XTC and Killing Joke, two of my favorite bands.
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Some of the best recorded records, produced records.
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Yeah this really is an amazing production and
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i have something to say about that for sure yeah even before
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remastering digitally it yes it had a great sound it was a full sound yeah and
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it didn't i think it stands the test of time it doesn't sound necessarily like
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an 80s album there's some there's some 80s elements in there that you might
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nitpick about but It still stands out, all the songs on there.
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One of the things that stands out to me, the entire album, is the more complex
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production, the deeper production.
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There's a lot more instrumentally going on, but the police stick to their roots
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in that all the songs are minimalistic pop songs.
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You can break them down to the bare bones. Yeah, they could just be played on
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the three instruments and it would work.
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Yeah, but there's a lot of percussion. There's a lot of little events going
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on, strings and horns, even piano that comes up.
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And Andy Summers, is there a guitarist besides maybe Robert Fripp who's mastered
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the guitar synthesizer better than Andy Summers?
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You know, he's in and out of all the music, creating moods, creating textures.
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It's just, you know, all their contributions are impressive.
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Okay. So, well, let's start breaking it down.
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I have a general thought about the record in itself before we start getting in track to retract.
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And, Grant, you can do the same if you care to. I listened to the record yesterday,
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and there are a handful of tracks on there that are subpar.
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Notably, we'll go over one of those tracks.
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But a big gripe with all police albums. And generally, this record,
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not generally, it is the best collection of songs from top to bottom,
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with the exception of just a couple.
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And those were to placate, you know, publishing, I'm guessing,
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for that member of the band.
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So he could have a song on the record because they knew it was going to be huge.
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Well, I'm going to defend it when we come to it. Well, yeah, I do want to get into it.
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But I would say that, like you said, Hugh Padgham, this is to me,
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I would personally say this is my favorite production he ever did.
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And I love his many records that he did.
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This record is, I would say, the Rolls Royce of 80s production.
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It does have 80s elements in it, but they have aged so well.
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Yeah. It doesn't have that reverb that is jarring and sound effects that just don't belong there.
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You could say that as much as I love Heartbeat City by the Cars.
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Even though Mutt Lane produced that, who's one of the greatest producers of
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the last 40, 50 years, that production doesn't hold up nearly as well.
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Yeah. And it's essentially the same age. This record is beautifully done.
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The compression and the EQ that they did, even on Stuart's drums,
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this is my favorite drum sound.
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And I am curious what you two think, being drummers.
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I think Ghost in the Machine has a more natural drum sound with less compression.
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But the way he compressed the drums for these songs, I think was really wise. Yeah.
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That sound on ghost in the machine would not have worked.
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Yeah, it wouldn't have. He did. It was too open.
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It was too open. They needed to be deadened. Yeah.
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I was going to say that the, the snare drum, maybe the drums as a whole,
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but at least the snare drum on this album doesn't have the body of,
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that you associate with Stuart Copeland's song. But you're right,
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it worked very well with all the songs on this album.
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It was a little drier because everything else was so saturated.
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And I think maybe he didn't get to play as much.
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He didn't do as much drumming on this album as the previous albums,
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but the songs didn't call for that.
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So yeah, the restraint in his playing and the, like you say,
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the compression and EQ of the drums fit the album.
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It's not necessarily what I want to hear but for this,
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the songs on this album they're really perfect it's just the way they did it
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was so smart and a lot of tension during the recording of this record,
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a lot of tension and they literally almost didn't complete the record I think
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I think the Upadjum almost quit over the lighting all the time I think I have
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read that Stewart and And Sting actually came to blows during some recordings.
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So it was difficult. But the final outcome is fantastic.
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And the star of this record is not one of the members, but it's truly the songs.
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These songs are so good. And I love the police records, but these songs have aged so beautifully.
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And I just really think this is a super strong record. Or haven't aged.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, that's true.
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One thing, talking about the production and the sound, you know,
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Sting was a big proponent of the Sinclair.
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Stewart was an early adopter of the Fairlight. Both of those,
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top of the line, cutting edge, very, very expensive samplers and synthesizers.
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And, you know, that's the 80s sound,
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those two monsters. And you hear that sound on all kinds of records.
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And all kinds of genres, but it's not on this album.
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And if it's on this album, whether it's the horns or strings or even the percussion,
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it doesn't stand out as some manufacturing.
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There's that typical Fairlight sound that are on a million 80s recordings.
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And like you said, if they use it here, you can't tell because they use it in a different way.
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The one thing that they did on this record that I think is a tip of the hat
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to the 80s is a sequencer, which he used to overheim.
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Especially you can hear it on the opening track. But it works.
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I don't think it's dated. I don't think it. Oh, it doesn't sound dated.
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It just, it's really sounds great still. And it worked.
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It was written great for that part. And I think the sound is,
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I just can't imagine it without it.
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Yeah. So to me, it's not one of those sounds I'm like, I would have been better
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without that. I've heard the demos without it.
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And it is really totally a different feel.
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Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cause I got the whatever anniversary and it's got like,
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Buku demo tracks and it's so interesting to listen to,
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especially as a writer and a musician, to listen to what it started out and
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then what it became, you know,
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but yeah, without that it's a total different would
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you guys say that this is the closest to a punk
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rock song even though nobody ever thinks it that way but
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if you listen to the approach it's the
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closest they had to a punk rock song since early
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on yeah is that does that make
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sense i mean just the way you know
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not on the guitars but just the feel yeah
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way the attack is playing the
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way sting is delivering the vocals it's fast paced it's really moving quickly
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are we are we talking about the first song now synchronicity synchronicity one
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one it's kind of an kind of an overture for the album you know expressing this
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is what synchronicity is about and this is where we're going.
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And Stuart said they opened the concerts at that time with that song and think
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about jumping in at 100 miles an hour right off the bat.
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You better warm up backstage man because that'll take a toll on you.
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You'll be out by the time the song's over if you're not warmed up.
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Synchronicity, driving head, that rock and yeah, that punk rock beat.
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It is fast. Yeah, it's fast.
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I like the modulation the guitar plays, you know, back and forth over that.
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Stings vocals right out front you know
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a declaration and all the layered vocals i mean they
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go back there like we were saying before you know
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immediately the first track with overheim and the there's the layered vocals
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there's already so much more than just three three instruments you know yeah
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excuse me but yeah jumping right in it's it's just onslaught by all the instruments
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including Sting's voice.
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It's pretty powerful. I love that song.
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I love the energy of it. That'll get you pumped up. That's going on my list. Yeah.
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Emotional songs. So yeah, Synchronicity 1. Yeah, I kind of think of it,
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even though, like I said, it's not a concept album. I think of it as an overture.
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Yeah. Because it's letting you know what you're in for. Letting you know what
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you're in for through the whole album.
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There's all kinds of concepts and each of those are kind of hinted at in the lyrics of that song.
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So that's a great opener for that album.
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Very high energy. Yeah.
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And then after that, right into walking in your footsteps, which is that Oberheim thing.
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Pulse going on that slow tribal thing, very little percussion in the back, but you can hear it.
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There's a little, you know, high pitched inflections.
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I'm trying to think of the guitar part in that. That's kind of,
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that's one of those where it's very atmospheric or ethereal,
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where he's kind of swelling in and out.
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It does have very little guitar. Yeah. It's swelling.
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And he's coming in. The problem is either a volume pedal or manually.
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Let's just keep saying swelling. Swelling.
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Um the swells of guitar password is
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swelling but yeah it's it's you
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know again we've talked about the restraint already but
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that's a great example you know the oberheims banging
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along there's very little percussion and he's kind
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and he loves that dissonance because there i was just playing
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that song in my head and when that guitar comes in not quite
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in the middle i guess it does have a dissonant tone to it
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or diminished tone which comes across as it's
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in key but you know it's a little bit put you
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off a little bit like oh what's happening here yeah just kind
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of echoing the the i
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guess the uncertainty of the past maybe something like
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that yeah and the the lyrics too
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the lyrics are kind of silly and simple but they work great sting
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is is so good at writing pop songs and
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and making a statement making a clear
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thought you know talking about the dinosaurs
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no way of knowing or or or
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you know preparing for their imminent demise and here we are modern man with
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all the technology creating running fast forward headlong into our possible
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device exactly yeah it's not so double entendre that's an interesting uh comparison.
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Very witty he's a very well read man and that echoes in all of his lyrics just
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about well just a side note it's interesting that,
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He'd obviously read, I wrote it down, so I don't get it wrong.
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He'd obviously read Arthur Kostler's books before for the Ghost in the Machine.
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But Andy Summers said that he brought the book, The Roots of Coincidence,
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to Sting. And that's where he learned about synchronicity.
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So, and Andy Summers had before said, I think he brought him The Sheltering Sky.
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Yeah, that's by touching on that at the end of the album. Paul Bowles. Yeah.
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You know, so is Andy's sort? Andy Summers is the source of all the brilliant lyrics.
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Andy, get back to us. Talk amongst yourselves. Leave us a comment. What's your thought?
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There'll be some controversy about one of the tracks coming up. Yeah. Yeah.
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Oh My God is the next one on the album. And what is that song about?
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Thoughts? Man's Inhumanity to Man. An echo of a previous track on Zenyatta Mandata, Driven to Tears.
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I believe sting still as any
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intelligent human should do they should struggle
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with the reconciliation of the have and the have-nots and
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the state of the world and and so on
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and so forth and to be a brilliant enough writer as
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he was to put it into a pop song where yeah people
00:17:18.982 --> 00:17:22.522
might not even know what he's talking about you know always calling
00:17:22.522 --> 00:17:25.902
out those in power from when
00:17:25.902 --> 00:17:29.422
the police started but yeah oh my god is is
00:17:29.422 --> 00:17:32.062
a great just it's obviously a police song some of
00:17:32.062 --> 00:17:34.742
these songs are are kind of uh removed from what
00:17:34.742 --> 00:17:39.202
they've done in the past but oh my god is a a throwback to their earlier stuff
00:17:39.202 --> 00:17:44.342
starting with regatta de blanc and it's it that that beat by stewart copeland
00:17:44.342 --> 00:17:51.222
and the kind of reggae feel yes bouncy more swingy than rocky yeah yeah And
00:17:51.222 --> 00:17:54.402
it does make you wonder whether they intentionally,
00:17:54.442 --> 00:18:00.082
largely removed the reggae influence on this record.
00:18:00.482 --> 00:18:10.102
It's done, like I said, here, but really… Probably the least record with influence missing, yeah.
00:18:10.542 --> 00:18:13.222
Or the most record with that influence missing. The most successful record.
00:18:13.502 --> 00:18:19.042
And that's not a judgment for me, whether that's the reason why.
00:18:19.042 --> 00:18:23.462
But yeah well after four previous albums and countless tours and you know they
00:18:23.462 --> 00:18:28.562
really wanted to do something different you know it's beautiful they did a great
00:18:28.562 --> 00:18:35.702
show yeah oh what's the next track jamie is this your favorite on the album
00:18:35.702 --> 00:18:37.542
it's jamie's favorite track on the album.
00:18:38.682 --> 00:18:46.022
Mother written by andy summers gets a lot of flack from everybody and i i think
00:18:46.022 --> 00:18:52.762
it's a great song it's a great song i get the humor black i get the humor but andy,
00:18:53.748 --> 00:18:59.688
Stop being abstract and impotent on purpose and write us a song.
00:18:59.908 --> 00:19:06.328
That was after his first album with Robert Fritt. Is that right? Was it?
00:19:07.968 --> 00:19:12.348
I thought that 86 was the first record, but that wasn't the first record.
00:19:12.868 --> 00:19:15.848
Well, I'm not going to. I don't know for sure.
00:19:16.008 --> 00:19:20.228
I'm not quite sure. I think it is. I didn't follow it. It's just not my thing.
00:19:20.228 --> 00:19:23.228
Yeah but i i think really i think.
00:19:23.228 --> 00:19:25.988
By that time andy summers was ready to throw a wrench into
00:19:25.988 --> 00:19:28.828
the work oh yeah yeah just to poke sting a.
00:19:28.828 --> 00:19:31.768
Little bit you know and that song was was his.
00:19:31.768 --> 00:19:35.088
Attempt at that and i think it's the music is i love.
00:19:35.088 --> 00:19:37.948
The swirling oh the music if if the lyrics
00:19:37.948 --> 00:19:41.448
had just been something else and that melody had been something his screaming
00:19:41.448 --> 00:19:44.708
torment about an overbearing mother and i
00:19:44.708 --> 00:19:47.568
think he said you know everybody's like what's your
00:19:47.568 --> 00:19:50.448
mom think about this his mom loved it she thought it was great
00:19:50.448 --> 00:19:53.628
she laughed when she first heard it but yeah
00:19:53.628 --> 00:19:56.748
i i get the joke i appreciate it i appreciate the
00:19:56.748 --> 00:20:00.528
effort to to uh ruin the momentum of
00:20:00.528 --> 00:20:03.348
some of these songs because all these all these songs on
00:20:03.348 --> 00:20:06.208
the album just about i won't say all of them all right
00:20:06.208 --> 00:20:09.108
but uh 90 of the songs on the album are
00:20:09.108 --> 00:20:11.808
classic songs and mother is not one of them yeah
00:20:11.808 --> 00:20:14.788
well and and looking at both of their tracks i mean
00:20:14.788 --> 00:20:17.948
we can kind of segue because it's next yeah even stewart's
00:20:17.948 --> 00:20:21.728
contributions are very quirky but this
00:20:21.728 --> 00:20:24.488
one is it's core it's got its quirkenness but it's
00:20:24.488 --> 00:20:27.548
still a a it's a more structured song
00:20:27.548 --> 00:20:30.908
it's a more it's trying to have a melody and and and
00:20:30.908 --> 00:20:34.228
sometimes in the past stewart has been the one to be so quirky
00:20:34.228 --> 00:20:37.148
it's like okay this is weird he makes the fun stuff yeah
00:20:37.148 --> 00:20:40.088
yeah mother if you i mean
00:20:40.088 --> 00:20:43.708
you've got to appreciate it for the for the tongue-in-cheek i
00:20:43.708 --> 00:20:50.028
appreciated when this came out on cd skip skip so i i can't find anybody else
00:20:50.028 --> 00:20:54.668
who will defend that song so i'm going to stand up tonight and and say i i like
00:20:54.668 --> 00:20:59.868
that yeah i i every every time i listen to it obviously in the in the past you
00:20:59.868 --> 00:21:02.128
know i listen with open mind and ears and like.
00:21:03.548 --> 00:21:08.288
Like i love the music it could have been it has that driving swirling it's got a,
00:21:09.250 --> 00:21:12.010
middle eastern feel uh you know
00:21:12.010 --> 00:21:15.010
it could have been something really cool if you'd have said okay
00:21:15.010 --> 00:21:17.850
sting do something with it yeah put some words
00:21:17.850 --> 00:21:20.650
you know be my co co-writer on this one instead of just
00:21:20.650 --> 00:21:25.010
having publishing credit on the album you know jamie what's
00:21:25.010 --> 00:21:28.150
your final word on that song not good
00:21:28.150 --> 00:21:30.850
okay i'm in
00:21:30.850 --> 00:21:33.690
the minority it's unnecessary you know
00:21:33.690 --> 00:21:36.410
i mean i yeah see that's where i would if i'd
00:21:36.410 --> 00:21:39.170
have been in the band i would have come to
00:21:39.170 --> 00:21:42.270
blows over like you're gonna you're messing up the whole feel
00:21:42.270 --> 00:21:45.090
of the album dude i get your quirkiness and i get we
00:21:45.090 --> 00:21:50.630
can use it as a b-side we can use it as a bonus track later we can do whatever
00:21:50.630 --> 00:21:57.730
but this it's not working with the flow of the album you know and and i could
00:21:57.730 --> 00:22:01.170
that would have been my contention you know sting and stewart And they're fighting
00:22:01.170 --> 00:22:04.190
over this chord and, and, and sting yelling,
00:22:04.450 --> 00:22:09.050
always yelling at Stuart not to play a flam here, or he's going to kill him or whatever.
00:22:09.090 --> 00:22:14.070
And that's minor compared to putting a song like this in the middle of one,
00:22:14.070 --> 00:22:16.370
not quite the middle, but, you know, just breaking up the flow.
00:22:16.810 --> 00:22:21.270
I'm like, oh, even, even Miss Gredenko is kind of a serious tone.
00:22:21.510 --> 00:22:25.810
So I really appreciate the levity thrown right in the middle of the album by
00:22:25.810 --> 00:22:30.090
this song, because, you know, it's, it's, it is so different.
00:22:30.090 --> 00:22:36.750
And it kind of knocks you back, you know, from the album being so serious.
00:22:36.890 --> 00:22:41.410
It takes you away from that for a moment, lets you maybe catch your breath and get back into it.
00:22:41.810 --> 00:22:44.450
But, you know, like I said, I'm in the minority.
00:22:45.210 --> 00:22:50.950
Having mentioned it, the next song by Stuart Copeland, Miss Gredenko, is actually a.
00:22:52.308 --> 00:22:56.228
Song about the Cold War at the time was such a big deal. You know,
00:22:56.668 --> 00:22:58.988
nuclear war was inevitable, it felt.
00:22:59.988 --> 00:23:01.728
It still feels that way.
00:23:02.908 --> 00:23:06.428
But Miss Gredenko, what was the Sting song, Russians?
00:23:06.688 --> 00:23:11.428
How could I forget that was such a simple name? He said Sting did it so much
00:23:11.428 --> 00:23:15.128
more eloquently with Russians, but we can't all be Sting.
00:23:15.988 --> 00:23:20.308
So Stuart wrote Miss Gredenko, which is a fun tune. It's a lively tune.
00:23:20.308 --> 00:23:22.648
It's obviously Stuart Copeland.
00:23:23.008 --> 00:23:28.128
You just feel that push and pull of the music, and there's not a lot of percussion
00:23:28.128 --> 00:23:30.048
in there to start until it gets to the chorus.
00:23:30.528 --> 00:23:33.528
So yeah, I really like that tune. It's a fun tune.
00:23:34.548 --> 00:23:41.828
And the guitar part, I like the 16 notes that go all the way through it.
00:23:41.828 --> 00:23:43.488
Flamenco kind of thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:23:43.668 --> 00:23:45.908
That's the word I was thinking of.
00:23:46.288 --> 00:23:49.348
Yeah, I really like the way the guitar winds through it,
00:23:49.348 --> 00:23:52.128
sets the pace and the drums come
00:23:52.128 --> 00:23:57.288
in later to reinforce that that rhythm it's a
00:23:57.288 --> 00:24:01.348
good track you know it's like like you said it's it's not one that i listen
00:24:01.348 --> 00:24:08.328
to often you have two or three tracks in here a couple of tracks that don't
00:24:08.328 --> 00:24:16.548
work as well but the rest of these songs are so strong that they can take it, you know?
00:24:16.768 --> 00:24:23.688
So this record still is incredible, but now that we're past those, I can do things to that.
00:24:23.748 --> 00:24:26.448
Well, let me just say, Miss Quiridenco is probably the best.
00:24:27.088 --> 00:24:31.748
One of two songs I'll say is, has the best drummings on this album.
00:24:32.068 --> 00:24:35.248
Yeah, I would agree with that. He really gets to stretch out.
00:24:35.308 --> 00:24:39.008
And there's another song later on that you really have to think about.
00:24:39.148 --> 00:24:43.168
Well, yeah, there is a lot of drumming and there are a lot of creative drumming, creative choices.
00:24:43.668 --> 00:24:46.808
In what he plays, even though the drumming in the song is minimalistic.
00:24:47.368 --> 00:24:51.328
Yeah. But synchronicity to big, big radio hit.
00:24:52.236 --> 00:24:55.096
Really well written yeah the lyrics
00:24:55.096 --> 00:24:58.336
in there they're just fun to sing along to because there's so many
00:24:58.336 --> 00:25:01.056
words you know words make a difference in their
00:25:01.056 --> 00:25:06.756
percussiveness how you you know the vowels and and the crunchy consonants that
00:25:06.756 --> 00:25:12.636
you get to say so there's a lot of you know crunchy uh crunchy consonants packed
00:25:12.636 --> 00:25:19.076
like lemmings into shining metal boxes fun to say at the time sidebar At the
00:25:19.076 --> 00:25:20.516
time, I was really into martial arts,
00:25:20.676 --> 00:25:23.556
and the first time I heard it, I thought he said Chinese metal boxing.
00:25:23.616 --> 00:25:26.456
And I was like, oh, cool, he's talking about martial arts.
00:25:26.776 --> 00:25:28.956
And I looked at the lyrics and was like, what?
00:25:29.296 --> 00:25:31.256
It's not about martial arts. Yeah.
00:25:31.816 --> 00:25:34.936
But synchronicity, I don't know.
00:25:35.196 --> 00:25:40.476
He sings about this horrible home life, everything that you could suffer from
00:25:40.476 --> 00:25:45.656
in a dysfunctional family situation that follows you to the office and even
00:25:45.656 --> 00:25:46.976
stuck in traffic all day.
00:25:46.976 --> 00:25:52.616
And comparing it to singing about the Loch Ness Monster visiting someone's house.
00:25:53.336 --> 00:25:58.996
I don't know where the connection is unless it's a metaphor for his rising anger and frustration.
00:26:00.396 --> 00:26:05.876
Yet, the music is so melodic and so palatable.
00:26:06.876 --> 00:26:11.556
It's almost like you have this interesting lyric, like you said,
00:26:11.636 --> 00:26:15.376
that's so different, but the music is so accessible people.
00:26:15.958 --> 00:26:21.418
That is just so catchy. Yeah. It's one of the most, it's one of the best melodies
00:26:21.418 --> 00:26:22.918
that they ever had on a song.
00:26:23.658 --> 00:26:30.198
It's so uplifting. And me, not being a lyric guy, I was able to not even worry
00:26:30.198 --> 00:26:34.538
about that stuff. And I was just, I was able to attach myself to the fanatics
00:26:34.538 --> 00:26:36.658
of it without interpreting it.
00:26:37.078 --> 00:26:41.378
And I just thought, God, this is so good. That was one of the tracks that really
00:26:41.378 --> 00:26:44.118
got me hooked onto this record back in the day.
00:26:44.518 --> 00:26:47.758
It's just so good. that that that meter
00:26:47.758 --> 00:26:51.498
is so perfect and is such a kinetic song leading
00:26:51.498 --> 00:26:54.398
up to not really the chorus but you know
00:26:54.398 --> 00:26:57.718
leading up to that transition into the
00:26:57.718 --> 00:27:00.758
next verse because it doesn't really resolve itself it
00:27:00.758 --> 00:27:03.518
kind of leaves you hanging on that when he's
00:27:03.518 --> 00:27:06.818
talking about the Loch Ness Monster so what
00:27:06.818 --> 00:27:09.678
a what a well-written pop song without
00:27:09.678 --> 00:27:12.618
being the standard pop song you know there's no
00:27:12.618 --> 00:27:16.018
bridge and chorus that works its way into that so
00:27:16.018 --> 00:27:19.378
a lot of fun and andy summers it's almost
00:27:19.378 --> 00:27:24.638
a surf guitar yeah yeah you could say that and he actually plays a more guitar
00:27:24.638 --> 00:27:28.338
in that song than the others you know everything else is that moody guitar synth
00:27:28.338 --> 00:27:32.798
kind of thing and big andy summers chords yeah that's as straight ahead as andy
00:27:32.798 --> 00:27:37.578
summers gets so it's it's great musically it's great lyrically.
00:27:37.818 --> 00:27:41.038
It's a lot of fun to watch Grant dance to.
00:27:41.558 --> 00:27:44.678
He's an amazing dancer.
00:27:48.018 --> 00:27:52.158
I'm your private dancer. Did I sound like I was sincere?
00:27:53.898 --> 00:27:56.638
I'm a good dancer though. He's
00:27:56.638 --> 00:28:00.618
a good dancer. My mom says you're a good dancer. My mom says I'm smart.
00:28:01.018 --> 00:28:02.898
Alright, so down to side two.
00:28:03.318 --> 00:28:07.478
I would say this is the and there's
00:28:07.478 --> 00:28:10.378
no failing in any of these yeah it's all
00:28:10.378 --> 00:28:13.118
great so carry on is this
00:28:13.118 --> 00:28:15.938
their biggest hit from the album it has to be every breath you
00:28:15.938 --> 00:28:19.618
take every breath they ever
00:28:19.618 --> 00:28:23.058
had as a band right yeah the
00:28:23.058 --> 00:28:26.818
largest selling and and
00:28:26.818 --> 00:28:29.658
is there a simpler song out there because it's
00:28:29.658 --> 00:28:32.618
i mean it's just straight ahead you know
00:28:32.618 --> 00:28:35.278
there's not a lot that beside i mean if you
00:28:35.278 --> 00:28:38.238
want to break down andy summer's chord play in that song but
00:28:38.238 --> 00:28:41.238
the song itself is is pretty simple but it's
00:28:41.238 --> 00:28:43.998
worked so i may be misinterpreting this
00:28:43.998 --> 00:28:47.198
or misquoting but i think did sting somewhere say
00:28:47.198 --> 00:28:50.018
he makes a million dollars a year off this one
00:28:50.018 --> 00:28:55.778
song and the the sample that another certain artist we won't mention did combined
00:28:55.778 --> 00:28:59.498
between his original and the sample i think he said he makes a million dollars
00:28:59.498 --> 00:29:04.618
a year off this song that just yeah publishing talk let's talk about this song
00:29:04.618 --> 00:29:08.138
a little bit the song has some interesting history.
00:29:09.152 --> 00:29:13.832
I think this song in particular was one that almost derailed the Sessions.
00:29:14.532 --> 00:29:20.292
From what I understand, this record, this song is cobbled together from a bunch
00:29:20.292 --> 00:29:22.152
of takes from all the instruments.
00:29:22.452 --> 00:29:26.312
They could not agree on how to make this work, and it almost did not make the
00:29:26.312 --> 00:29:29.392
record. And there's a lot of demos of it, too, on the day.
00:29:29.892 --> 00:29:36.072
The thing that I can recall before I expound on Andy Sommer's contribution,
00:29:36.332 --> 00:29:42.232
which is extremely important. At the time, I listened to that and thought, this is his thing.
00:29:42.492 --> 00:29:50.352
He kind of has this arpeggiated, extended chord thing. That's what he does being a young guy.
00:29:51.012 --> 00:29:54.152
It's very, you know, kind of, you know, message in a bottle.
00:29:54.372 --> 00:29:55.712
It's sort of the same idea.
00:29:56.032 --> 00:30:02.332
Yeah. But when you try to play this song and those stretches and do it cleanly,
00:30:02.392 --> 00:30:10.012
it is extremely difficult to do in one take. And maybe he never did it in one take.
00:30:10.212 --> 00:30:14.512
Maybe that's why they called together. I don't know. But I don't think any of
00:30:14.512 --> 00:30:16.672
the three ever did a complete take.
00:30:16.872 --> 00:30:18.972
They just couldn't agree on how to make it work.
00:30:19.212 --> 00:30:25.392
And Andy Summers finally came up with this iconic guitar bar,
00:30:25.572 --> 00:30:30.192
made everything cohesive and really made it work.
00:30:30.772 --> 00:30:36.192
The thing that I remember about this when I first saw it, at first it was so sparse.
00:30:36.752 --> 00:30:42.812
I remember maybe one of the first times I heard it, I was like, there's not much here.
00:30:43.392 --> 00:30:49.432
I don't think, it just, not being a huge fan of any of the three at the time,
00:30:49.572 --> 00:30:51.212
I was just not hip enough to,
00:30:51.805 --> 00:30:58.645
But then I, between a, just a very short time during the chorus or that,
00:30:58.845 --> 00:31:00.685
well, not the chorus, but the, that,
00:31:01.105 --> 00:31:06.945
I guess the bridge, whenever you have that chord that he hits and then he goes
00:31:06.945 --> 00:31:08.545
down, you know, a whole step.
00:31:08.905 --> 00:31:12.325
The descending piano. Yeah. That descending piano. And it's so simple,
00:31:12.345 --> 00:31:14.885
but I thought that is awesome.
00:31:15.685 --> 00:31:21.725
It just is really smart the way they decided to do that. And it's not obvious.
00:31:22.245 --> 00:31:29.585
I mean, anybody could do that technically, but it, but there's the ones who did actually did it.
00:31:30.065 --> 00:31:34.745
I know. Yeah. Yeah. It's just like, you know, when you're a young player and
00:31:34.745 --> 00:31:41.165
you're totally into guys that are playing at this unbelievable level,
00:31:41.365 --> 00:31:44.605
that's what I, that's where I was at that point in my life.
00:31:44.605 --> 00:31:50.265
And I was attracted to guys that were pushing the envelope and challenging themselves.
00:31:50.445 --> 00:31:55.665
And I heard this and it was so simple. I thought, I don't understand why this is so popular.
00:31:56.125 --> 00:32:00.965
It just, it didn't compute at the time, but then it didn't take very long.
00:32:01.065 --> 00:32:07.445
By the end of the summer, I was singing along to it and totally into this great melody.
00:32:07.585 --> 00:32:11.525
And I understood the appeal of great songwriting and restraints.
00:32:12.725 --> 00:32:15.765
To write a part for a song
00:32:15.765 --> 00:32:21.865
and to have restraint that is challenging well that's basically the whole second
00:32:21.865 --> 00:32:26.125
side is filled with space you know whereas the other side was loaded in with
00:32:26.125 --> 00:32:30.745
everything that's true isn't it that is true that's a very good point no i might
00:32:30.745 --> 00:32:35.445
correct that uh andy summer's guitar part was actually derived from,
00:32:36.195 --> 00:32:42.275
A series of classical exercises for violin or viola.
00:32:42.575 --> 00:32:46.415
I don't know the answer to that. I can't say one way or the other.
00:32:46.595 --> 00:32:49.195
It wouldn't surprise me, but I have not heard that.
00:32:49.435 --> 00:32:52.575
That part is so important to the song.
00:32:53.235 --> 00:32:57.495
It saddens me that he wasn't given a co-writing credit for the music.
00:32:57.615 --> 00:33:00.595
I think he is in the midst of campaigning for that.
00:33:01.095 --> 00:33:04.095
I think his argument is like, this song would not have been.
00:33:04.275 --> 00:33:09.115
Yeah. We wouldn't have put it on the record had I not come up with this guitar
00:33:09.115 --> 00:33:11.935
part because it wasn't working.
00:33:12.775 --> 00:33:16.655
And he really made everything come together.
00:33:16.915 --> 00:33:22.835
He totally deserves credit for that. I don't know where that stands right now,
00:33:22.875 --> 00:33:24.435
but it is incredibly important.
00:33:24.715 --> 00:33:28.295
You can't imagine that song without it. And he wrote that part.
00:33:30.395 --> 00:33:35.515
I'll have to look into that. I believe it was a series of exercises he pulled
00:33:35.515 --> 00:33:41.095
from someone else's writing and used that type of progression.
00:33:41.355 --> 00:33:46.995
You can hear it on violin in your head, his part. I mean, it works on violin, obviously.
00:33:47.195 --> 00:33:50.995
But even Stuart Copeland said that this was the hardest song for him to do because
00:33:50.995 --> 00:33:53.775
he did each part separately. Am I right?
00:33:53.955 --> 00:33:58.235
Yeah. He played the bass drum with one hand and then went back and recorded
00:33:58.235 --> 00:34:00.075
the snare drum with the other.
00:34:01.395 --> 00:34:05.675
And that's another one of the arguments that he and Sting, because Stuart puts
00:34:05.675 --> 00:34:08.735
his flams in, and Stuart was adamant.
00:34:08.815 --> 00:34:12.975
This has to be, when the song breaks open, it has to be a flam.
00:34:13.035 --> 00:34:15.455
It can't just be a single snare crack.
00:34:15.655 --> 00:34:18.795
And Sting was like, you play flams all the time, blah, blah,
00:34:18.835 --> 00:34:21.355
blah. He's like, yeah, but I know, but it's perfect here. So I know that was
00:34:21.355 --> 00:34:23.275
one of their major arguments in this song.
00:34:24.115 --> 00:34:30.635
I just want to say one thing that we talked a lot about this over the last several episodes about feel.
00:34:31.655 --> 00:34:37.615
And when you're younger, you don't analyze those things. You just literally feel it.
00:34:38.695 --> 00:34:48.015
It's how it affects you. And the way all three of these guys play on the song is just masterfully.
00:34:48.355 --> 00:34:51.235
It's just so beautiful the way they did it.
00:34:52.995 --> 00:35:00.155
It is such an odd thing that it's hard to describe to somebody who's not a musician
00:35:00.155 --> 00:35:07.295
how the push and pull of things and how it makes the song sound.
00:35:08.613 --> 00:35:16.133
Go forward, you know, but it's, it's just such an important factor that it just can't be.
00:35:17.933 --> 00:35:24.913
It's just a huge part of these records and what they did and why they are considered so great.
00:35:26.533 --> 00:35:33.573
When you have a musician that can really play for the song and it doesn't sound like it's just a part.
00:35:33.753 --> 00:35:37.973
Now, there are some songs that we grew up with that I love and I listen to those
00:35:37.973 --> 00:35:39.253
parts. And they're fine.
00:35:39.813 --> 00:35:43.473
Then you have like these guys that are on a different level.
00:35:44.133 --> 00:35:49.533
And even Sting, who people could argue he's not a great bass player.
00:35:49.673 --> 00:35:51.313
He's a wonderful musician.
00:35:51.513 --> 00:35:54.853
And he's a fine bass player. Yeah, but try singing and playing.
00:35:55.393 --> 00:35:59.573
Well, not only the technical part of it, but his feel is so good.
00:35:59.973 --> 00:36:04.293
It is so good. And you don't think about those things when you're learning.
00:36:04.293 --> 00:36:08.713
You just accept that that's the way all guys are. and that's not the way it is. It's not true.
00:36:08.893 --> 00:36:11.153
There's a reason we're talking about it decades later.
00:36:11.933 --> 00:36:14.093
Absolutely. Yeah. Right.
00:36:15.213 --> 00:36:19.073
We haven't talked about the obvious is the words to the song.
00:36:19.613 --> 00:36:25.753
Every Breath You Take. We discussed it previously. It was on one of my lists for a scary song.
00:36:25.953 --> 00:36:31.733
I think everyone's discussed the stalking nature of this song.
00:36:31.913 --> 00:36:33.773
But you know, Sting wrote it.
00:36:34.755 --> 00:36:39.915
I think he wrote it about his, if I'm wrong, kids tell me in the comments,
00:36:39.915 --> 00:36:44.235
but I think he wrote this about his breakup with his wife, his first wife.
00:36:44.655 --> 00:36:50.295
And, you know, to say these things in private to someone in an intimate situation,
00:36:50.295 --> 00:36:55.035
maybe it feels, you know, more emotional from the heart.
00:36:55.055 --> 00:36:58.475
But when you say it out loud where everybody can hear it, it's like,
00:36:58.535 --> 00:37:01.615
I'm going to call the police on you right now.
00:37:01.615 --> 00:37:04.975
So maybe not intended as a
00:37:04.975 --> 00:37:08.975
stalker singing about you know stalking his
00:37:08.975 --> 00:37:11.695
prey what's possessive so it's very yeah it's a
00:37:11.695 --> 00:37:14.875
very possessive song but you know if when you're brokenhearted
00:37:14.875 --> 00:37:18.055
or in love or having you know issues even in
00:37:18.055 --> 00:37:20.935
your relationship you may think some of these things this is
00:37:20.935 --> 00:37:24.675
what you want even though you know literally
00:37:24.675 --> 00:37:28.015
it's a little too much yeah yeah being so possessive
00:37:28.015 --> 00:37:30.695
but doesn't take away from the beauty of
00:37:30.695 --> 00:37:33.795
the song you know great chorus great dichotomy you
00:37:33.795 --> 00:37:36.755
know the lyrics say one the music is so beautiful
00:37:36.755 --> 00:37:40.475
and so yeah uplifting and so so
00:37:40.475 --> 00:37:47.515
whatever and then these lyrics come along and like you know okay what's he saying
00:37:47.515 --> 00:37:52.015
all right well there's the redemption of the break where you know since you're
00:37:52.015 --> 00:37:55.415
gone i'm haunted by you every night yeah yeah he kind a little bow on it.
00:37:55.435 --> 00:37:57.715
So it's not quite as bad as it sounds at the beginning.
00:37:57.955 --> 00:38:00.335
Not quite as bad, but let me repeat that.
00:38:00.755 --> 00:38:04.575
Yeah. That is such a, a well-written part.
00:38:04.835 --> 00:38:09.775
Yeah. And it's so simple, but it is so brilliant. Now.
00:38:11.637 --> 00:38:17.697
That almost makes the song. Yeah. If it was just the main part without that.
00:38:18.037 --> 00:38:21.357
Yeah, it would be different. Yeah, it would be different. It would be.
00:38:21.837 --> 00:38:25.937
It might not work. Yeah, it really elevates the whole song. Oh,
00:38:25.957 --> 00:38:27.757
it does elevate it. It's so good.
00:38:28.337 --> 00:38:33.997
Yeah, it just really elevates it. And yeah, I think that's the part that really
00:38:33.997 --> 00:38:36.277
made me love the song, finally.
00:38:36.277 --> 00:38:41.477
You know, when I finally started listening to that and understanding how just
00:38:41.477 --> 00:38:46.457
well it's composed, as simple as it is, you don't need to have something fancy.
00:38:46.617 --> 00:38:48.557
You just need to have something that works.
00:38:48.917 --> 00:38:53.317
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, you can mess it up by putting two, just like a beautiful,
00:38:53.317 --> 00:38:58.337
whatever you want to cook, a hamburger, steak, or vegetable lasagna.
00:38:58.337 --> 00:39:01.557
If you add too much to it, you're ruining it, you know?
00:39:02.677 --> 00:39:06.197
Music's funny like that, like with dishes. is they, they kind of,
00:39:06.297 --> 00:39:09.457
sometimes you can ruin it by putting too many instrumentations on it,
00:39:09.577 --> 00:39:11.757
too much this, by adding too many spices, you know.
00:39:12.277 --> 00:39:15.037
Yeah. Don't add too much, boys and girls. That's right.
00:39:16.437 --> 00:39:18.957
Intelligent enough to know when to hold back. You know, the police,
00:39:19.077 --> 00:39:23.957
all three of them have proved their musical ability, their musicianship throughout their career.
00:39:24.317 --> 00:39:28.457
I think of Bring on the Night, you know, what an amazing song, complex song.
00:39:28.717 --> 00:39:32.677
And then Every Breath You Take is so simple and to the point.
00:39:32.717 --> 00:39:38.977
And it's, it's just perfect. it's such a great song so kudos good job Sting,
00:39:39.617 --> 00:39:45.977
good job guys Andy and Flammy Copeland Flammy Copeland,
00:39:47.537 --> 00:39:54.817
well it is allergy season maybe it is Flammy the other song that I mentioned
00:39:54.817 --> 00:40:01.437
earlier that has such an amazing drum part wrapped around your finger beautiful
00:40:01.437 --> 00:40:05.217
song well we're skipping Are we skipping one?
00:40:06.117 --> 00:40:10.577
King of Pain's next. Oh, see there? That's why I have you guys along.
00:40:10.937 --> 00:40:15.757
That's where my show would be over by now because I'd forget all this stuff.
00:40:16.157 --> 00:40:18.917
King of Pain, what a great song. Yes.
00:40:19.677 --> 00:40:26.217
Grant? The song that really made me a fan of this record. This was a radio track.
00:40:26.577 --> 00:40:30.517
It was played a lot on the radio. It was, but it's, it's such,
00:40:30.717 --> 00:40:34.617
it's such a sing-songy childlike thing.
00:40:35.638 --> 00:40:42.578
Melody and the the the things he's it's it's such a it's almost like a nursery rhyme yeah a very.
00:40:43.238 --> 00:40:48.538
Dark nursery that's a good comparison it's it's it's just so easy to sing along to,
00:40:49.038 --> 00:40:52.178
and if you're if you're doing something and that's in the background and that
00:40:52.178 --> 00:40:55.798
comes on you'll find yourself yeah oh yeah yeah humming along or singing involuntarily
00:40:55.798 --> 00:41:01.058
you just have to yeah and that happened you know like i said this song was i
00:41:01.058 --> 00:41:03.758
don't know if it was officially was Was that officially released as a single?
00:41:04.278 --> 00:41:09.978
Yes. It was. Okay. So, but it was played a lot on the radio,
00:41:09.978 --> 00:41:12.038
as much as any other track.
00:41:12.298 --> 00:41:14.818
Yeah. Maybe more than any other track that I can recall.
00:41:15.158 --> 00:41:21.978
But it was played all the time. And it is a beautifully, beautiful song.
00:41:22.478 --> 00:41:27.818
It's really well written. And like you said, the lyric, that's my soul up there.
00:41:28.198 --> 00:41:34.838
Yeah. It just is so easy to sing along to, and it's vulnerable.
00:41:35.338 --> 00:41:42.738
And it's such simple words, but such massive imagery in your head or such in your soul or whatever.
00:41:42.898 --> 00:41:47.358
You know, it gets you thinking, you know? But still, it's like a kid's rhyme.
00:41:47.838 --> 00:41:53.498
I think this is the best arrangement on the record. I think this is just really well done.
00:41:53.498 --> 00:41:59.038
And as much as I think that Every Breath You Take is just really a beautiful
00:41:59.038 --> 00:42:06.478
composition in the way they arranged it, I think King of Pain is more successful as an arrangement.
00:42:07.038 --> 00:42:12.678
And it's more vulnerable to me. To me, the way he's really… Oh,
00:42:12.698 --> 00:42:15.018
yeah, it's just opening up like this is… Exactly.
00:42:15.318 --> 00:42:18.278
He's using these lyrics, King of Pain.
00:42:18.638 --> 00:42:24.958
It sounds like he's suffered. I mean, it's, I don't know.
00:42:25.898 --> 00:42:31.318
That's another level of awareness. Yeah. You have to think about all these things.
00:42:31.518 --> 00:42:34.598
It's not just about the parts and things.
00:42:34.938 --> 00:42:36.698
It really is about delivery.
00:42:37.158 --> 00:42:43.318
And it is just so good. I think about the lyrics and I'm amused because if I'm
00:42:43.318 --> 00:42:46.598
correct, he was having a pity party when he wrote this.
00:42:46.858 --> 00:42:51.218
He was outside with his, what's his wife's name? Trudy.
00:42:51.418 --> 00:42:54.358
Trudy. he's outside with Trudy and there
00:42:54.358 --> 00:42:57.258
he saw sunspots I don't know how he saw
00:42:57.258 --> 00:43:00.338
sunspots maybe heard about sunspots but he
00:43:00.338 --> 00:43:03.198
said there's sunspots uh active on the sun today
00:43:03.198 --> 00:43:09.958
that's my soul up there and Trudy supposedly said oh that's that's that's you
00:43:09.958 --> 00:43:15.918
being having your little penny party again my king of pain and he's like ding
00:43:15.918 --> 00:43:20.838
ding ding and he never heard of him yeah yeah supposedly she She was making
00:43:20.838 --> 00:43:22.218
fun of him, and she came up with that.
00:43:23.018 --> 00:43:28.318
Nice. Yeah, the lyrics seemed very heartfelt, whether he was having a pity party or not.
00:43:28.738 --> 00:43:32.958
Yeah, great lyrics to express...
00:43:33.568 --> 00:43:36.808
Well it tapped into everyone's everyone's experience
00:43:36.808 --> 00:43:39.748
pain for yeah and they that's a
00:43:39.748 --> 00:43:42.648
song that makes you again you can feel
00:43:42.648 --> 00:43:47.048
a little bit better about your your pain or your bad situation you know yeah
00:43:47.048 --> 00:43:51.048
it is my favorite track on the something on the record it's my favorite yeah
00:43:51.048 --> 00:43:55.948
loneliness and and being aware of the hurt in the world everybody feels at a
00:43:55.948 --> 00:43:59.448
one time it's more you're more aware i think when you're when you're feeling
00:43:59.448 --> 00:44:02.588
wounded you're more open yeah you're more open to that.
00:44:02.868 --> 00:44:08.728
So, you know, he's singing about the injustice in the world and the loneliness and hurt he's feeling.
00:44:08.968 --> 00:44:14.388
So the words are really, you know, they're not complex, but they're really well thought out.
00:44:14.848 --> 00:44:19.788
So that's what I mean. They're so simple, yet they have so much meaning and depth.
00:44:19.948 --> 00:44:23.048
You know, that's a true writer right there. Yeah.
00:44:23.968 --> 00:44:31.368
You don't have to have a novel's worth of words to get across something so profound and so deep.
00:44:31.688 --> 00:44:36.008
I feel called out no no it
00:44:36.008 --> 00:44:38.828
does not personally i do edit oh my
00:44:38.828 --> 00:44:42.168
goodness okay what song is next do we
00:44:42.168 --> 00:44:44.848
know oh yeah and this is
00:44:44.848 --> 00:44:47.708
the anecdote the michael my thigh anecdote i
00:44:47.708 --> 00:44:50.568
have here we go can i start with that can i start the anecdote
00:44:50.568 --> 00:44:53.468
come close kids i believe i
00:44:53.468 --> 00:44:56.388
tried to confirm this by through google
00:44:56.388 --> 00:44:59.128
earlier but i know it's in my memory i've been
00:44:59.128 --> 00:45:02.028
googled so not you the song was
00:45:02.028 --> 00:45:05.368
released the video was released in the uk earlier
00:45:05.368 --> 00:45:08.368
than it was in america the video did
00:45:08.368 --> 00:45:11.908
not come out until january of 84 and i
00:45:11.908 --> 00:45:17.308
will almost die on the hill that i was at your house another new year's eve
00:45:17.308 --> 00:45:23.748
where michael hunks out early and me and his mom are sitting in the recliners
00:45:23.748 --> 00:45:29.868
slow drinking shots of whiskey why'd you let me drink so much and uh and the video premiered on MTV.
00:45:31.498 --> 00:45:37.698
I don't remember what time it was when they premiered it, but that's when it premiered.
00:45:38.838 --> 00:45:43.058
And I remember watching it for the first time and drinking with your mom.
00:45:43.418 --> 00:45:46.558
And again, you were sussed. This was New Year's of 83?
00:45:47.638 --> 00:45:51.298
As far as my memory goes, yeah, that's when it premiered. But well,
00:45:51.438 --> 00:45:55.378
of 84. No, going into 84. Oh, New Year's Day. Yeah.
00:45:56.018 --> 00:45:59.738
Well, I just want to say this is a different episode, But Billy Idol played
00:45:59.738 --> 00:46:06.938
the MTV New Year's Eve show they did that year. That was the Rebel Yell Tour.
00:46:07.198 --> 00:46:09.858
Yeah. So I know that that was on New Year's Eve of 84.
00:46:11.938 --> 00:46:15.638
I don't know if they premiered it afterward or if it came on at 1 o'clock or
00:46:15.638 --> 00:46:16.918
2 a.m. or something like that.
00:46:16.998 --> 00:46:20.838
But I know it was on. That's the first time I saw it. And that's when I did look it up.
00:46:20.938 --> 00:46:23.978
And that's when the video premiered was in January of 84.
00:46:24.338 --> 00:46:27.458
Yeah. I don't remember Billy Idol. I was passed out.
00:46:28.058 --> 00:46:30.718
Yeah, me and your mom were up dancing. I'll never remember.
00:46:32.638 --> 00:46:36.498
Moosehead that night? Yes. We drank a lot of Moosehead. Michael and his Canadian
00:46:36.498 --> 00:46:40.218
beers. Thank you, Canada, for supplying the Moosehead.
00:46:40.478 --> 00:46:42.638
I didn't even drink alcohol at the time. Good times.
00:46:43.738 --> 00:46:46.398
Did not drink enough to drink, but we did.
00:46:48.578 --> 00:46:53.458
Let's not go there. But anyway, now we can discuss the wonderful song again
00:46:53.458 --> 00:46:55.398
without a lot of instrumentation.
00:46:56.418 --> 00:47:01.758
Wrapped around your finger. By the police. I love it. 1983.
00:47:02.778 --> 00:47:07.158
What a great song. I know we've said that already. Is it kind of the opposite
00:47:07.158 --> 00:47:08.418
of every breath you take?
00:47:09.618 --> 00:47:14.078
In a sense? Wrapped around your finger. Kind of. I mean, I could see that.
00:47:14.378 --> 00:47:16.318
Wrapped around your finger. The lyrics are really...
00:47:17.616 --> 00:47:24.416
Standing up to authority, turning the tables on authority, taking your power back.
00:47:26.396 --> 00:47:29.376
You've got me wrapped around your finger, and by the end of the song,
00:47:29.596 --> 00:47:32.436
you'll be wrapped around my finger. I'll have control.
00:47:33.576 --> 00:47:35.476
Great melody, great lyrics.
00:47:37.156 --> 00:47:40.816
The lyrics always paint a picture. Sing's very good at that,
00:47:40.956 --> 00:47:44.436
and I really appreciate that when you paint a picture,
00:47:45.036 --> 00:47:48.076
not necessarily a linear story, but painting
00:47:48.076 --> 00:47:51.136
a picture with the words and music is very attractive to
00:47:51.136 --> 00:47:54.676
me so yeah i really appreciate that but stewart
00:47:54.676 --> 00:47:57.736
copeland's drumming is is very
00:47:57.736 --> 00:48:00.636
well thought out very planned and a perfect
00:48:00.636 --> 00:48:03.896
complement to everything that's going on and it
00:48:03.896 --> 00:48:11.956
it comes in pulls out you know pulls back and and just a great song there blaming
00:48:11.956 --> 00:48:17.116
now i mentioned this on our favorite drummer episode about this being the track
00:48:17.116 --> 00:48:20.936
that really cemented for me the brilliance of Stuart Copeland.
00:48:20.996 --> 00:48:24.696
I don't remember you guys really commenting too much on... We're saving it for
00:48:24.696 --> 00:48:26.456
this episode. You were right. Okay.
00:48:26.856 --> 00:48:31.656
Well, I'm not even looking for affirmation, but it is funny to me that even
00:48:31.656 --> 00:48:35.716
though King of Pain is my favorite track, I have to credit Wrapped Around Your
00:48:35.716 --> 00:48:38.656
Finger as being the song that really made me understand.
00:48:40.436 --> 00:48:48.256
That this was a really special album, a collection of songs I wasn't really
00:48:48.256 --> 00:48:53.216
thinking in terms I can specifically remember listening to this in March,
00:48:54.076 --> 00:48:57.276
of 84 driving on a Sunday hearing
00:48:57.276 --> 00:49:00.236
this on the radio which I'm not a radio guy but
00:49:00.236 --> 00:49:03.636
I was then I guess that day I was and
00:49:03.636 --> 00:49:06.636
I just got it I just remembered listening to this I
00:49:06.636 --> 00:49:09.496
just couldn't turn it off it wasn't something I was
00:49:09.496 --> 00:49:13.296
listening to at that time but it totally
00:49:13.296 --> 00:49:16.116
made sense to me and i i think i listened
00:49:16.116 --> 00:49:19.036
to it because maybe my i don't know
00:49:19.036 --> 00:49:22.136
i listened to it because i had to i don't think something
00:49:22.136 --> 00:49:26.396
wasn't working in my car maybe that's why i had listened to it i only get one
00:49:26.396 --> 00:49:31.456
radio station i don't remember exactly i must have i don't know that was my
00:49:31.456 --> 00:49:36.836
first vehicle so maybe i did not have a maybe i only had radio in the car at
00:49:36.836 --> 00:49:39.056
the time maybe that's a fact that i had forgotten.
00:49:40.167 --> 00:49:43.807
But anyway, I remember listening to the song and going, this is wonderful.
00:49:44.167 --> 00:49:50.647
And truly his drumming, like we just said, it's so well thought out.
00:49:51.167 --> 00:49:57.027
And it's with a lot of restraint. And it just really serves the song. Yeah.
00:49:57.527 --> 00:50:01.047
Nothing stands. It's a color. It's a flavor on the song.
00:50:01.787 --> 00:50:07.827
I really feel like you can listen to this song and say Andy Summers,
00:50:08.367 --> 00:50:13.207
like so many other police songs he's the time keeper in the song he's keeping
00:50:13.207 --> 00:50:18.827
time for the band where Stuart just puts a ton of drums on the song.
00:50:21.567 --> 00:50:24.787
That's one of the great things about the police a theme on this second side
00:50:24.787 --> 00:50:30.047
too is there's a lot of open and the drums aren't coming in until later on but
00:50:30.047 --> 00:50:34.007
that's the great thing about the police is they turn the rolls around you know
00:50:34.007 --> 00:50:37.687
Stuart's doing the solos and Andy's keeping time,
00:50:38.327 --> 00:50:41.267
yeah it's a lot of fun and it makes it the songs
00:50:41.267 --> 00:50:48.247
fresh kind of opposite of what the 80s were doing yeah yeah and again this the
00:50:48.247 --> 00:50:54.747
way the production is on this even though there are 80 isms it yeah it is so
00:50:54.747 --> 00:50:59.687
well done that nothing is distracting when you listen to it to me,
00:51:00.227 --> 00:51:03.567
i can be a discriminating listener and some
00:51:03.567 --> 00:51:06.487
of the things that i enjoyed as a young man i can listen to
00:51:06.487 --> 00:51:09.067
that's rough yeah this oh yeah
00:51:09.067 --> 00:51:12.007
back to some stuff like wow really yeah
00:51:12.007 --> 00:51:14.787
i love this song okay i think i think this is just
00:51:14.787 --> 00:51:17.927
a masterful production on oh yeah i'm in yeah
00:51:17.927 --> 00:51:20.547
the boys i love it the restraints some of
00:51:20.547 --> 00:51:23.947
those 80s songs you listen to and you that's an
00:51:23.947 --> 00:51:31.287
80s ism that's that stands out right there that's 1984 obviously so yeah yeah
00:51:31.287 --> 00:51:37.547
tremendous production on that T in the Sahara that's it is that the next song
00:51:37.547 --> 00:51:41.807
that is that's correct I'm starting to question my notes the last song on the album.
00:51:42.467 --> 00:51:48.927
It's the last song on the LP on the LP Jamie Jamie caught me earlier I got it
00:51:48.927 --> 00:51:53.487
written down in case no one put it down I love the bass sound on this song in
00:51:53.487 --> 00:51:58.987
particular on the record yeah I just love the bass sound yeah I love it it's
00:51:58.987 --> 00:52:01.087
got a great groove it really does,
00:52:01.627 --> 00:52:07.367
yeah and he's very good at coming up with a hooky all the atmospheric stuff
00:52:07.367 --> 00:52:10.807
yeah whether it's a fair light or a or Andy or a St.
00:52:10.847 --> 00:52:16.587
Clavier and Stuart on his little custom peisty symbols you know it just works
00:52:16.587 --> 00:52:24.187
so well and if you've never read the book The Sheltering Sky that you get that's
00:52:24.187 --> 00:52:29.527
how the book feels I mean that feeling comes through that desolate empty open.
00:52:30.567 --> 00:52:32.547
Expanse you know and you know,
00:52:33.065 --> 00:52:36.785
this could be trouble. You know, we, we, we think it's cool,
00:52:37.245 --> 00:52:39.685
you know, but now we're in trouble or whatever.
00:52:39.805 --> 00:52:43.205
It's, it's got a little ominous tone to it as well. You know,
00:52:43.405 --> 00:52:44.805
I don't want to get too nerdy.
00:52:45.045 --> 00:52:48.165
I just want to backtrack a little bit that we haven't mentioned the,
00:52:49.085 --> 00:52:53.265
for anybody who knows, we haven't mentioned that, that Andy Summers actually
00:52:53.265 --> 00:52:55.765
used Roland since on this record.
00:52:55.905 --> 00:52:59.245
He was, he was, he was a Roland guy. Yeah. During that period.
00:52:59.485 --> 00:53:03.045
So it was Roland for him. So just, but
00:53:03.045 --> 00:53:06.045
tea in the sahara is based on a chapter in that
00:53:06.045 --> 00:53:09.125
book am i right okay the story
00:53:09.125 --> 00:53:12.025
of three sisters who met a prince invited him to tea they
00:53:12.025 --> 00:53:17.285
had tea in the desert and he said this is lovely i'll be back to do this again
00:53:17.285 --> 00:53:23.845
and they waited and waited ages for him to return kind of a bittersweet situation
00:53:23.845 --> 00:53:30.425
a romantic idea of waiting for your prince to return but i really love the,
00:53:31.125 --> 00:53:35.045
subtlety of the song of the music behind the song.
00:53:36.065 --> 00:53:42.505
Nothing too glaring. It's just a good mood. It's almost like soundtrack music, you know?
00:53:42.705 --> 00:53:47.825
Yeah, I could see that. It's, it's, it's so subtle. It's not like here's a pop
00:53:47.825 --> 00:53:50.185
song music, you know, here's a regular song.
00:53:50.305 --> 00:53:52.745
It's so, it just drives that mood.
00:53:52.905 --> 00:53:57.345
There's a lot of reserve that pushes the song forward and really doesn't have
00:53:57.345 --> 00:53:58.925
to push. There's a good flow to it.
00:54:00.866 --> 00:54:05.126
I would argue that this is the most sophisticated song on the record,
00:54:05.546 --> 00:54:09.906
even more so than the next one that is the CD bonus track.
00:54:10.426 --> 00:54:13.886
I think this is, maybe not musically the most sophisticated,
00:54:14.106 --> 00:54:20.766
but it is the most sophisticated in total, in the range of it, and just in total.
00:54:21.206 --> 00:54:27.686
I think it's the final statement on the record, and it's really sophisticated.
00:54:28.046 --> 00:54:30.946
Yeah. very good got all the all
00:54:30.946 --> 00:54:34.646
the elements yeah without like i
00:54:34.646 --> 00:54:37.406
said being a traditional bass drums and guitar song you know
00:54:37.406 --> 00:54:42.266
right yeah it's it's one of those tracks that is not an obvious one if you're
00:54:42.266 --> 00:54:46.806
not a musician but it's it's really good and worth the time well there's only
00:54:46.806 --> 00:54:53.326
drums in the chorus right very minimal you know oh it's a very sparse song yeah
00:54:53.326 --> 00:54:54.906
i mean i just meant drum Sum-wise,
00:54:55.146 --> 00:54:57.966
you know, there's little percussive elements in that little echoed.
00:54:58.066 --> 00:55:03.266
I don't know if it's an oboe or a clarinet that kind of repeats a little sound.
00:55:03.446 --> 00:55:06.226
You know, it's just such a vibe, you know?
00:55:07.226 --> 00:55:12.606
Yeah. Very good. Yeah. Now, kids, if you bought the CD version,
00:55:12.866 --> 00:55:16.426
the last song on the album would be Murder by Numbers.
00:55:16.826 --> 00:55:21.726
One, two, three. That song sounds so much like a Sting song. Yeah.
00:55:21.986 --> 00:55:25.926
It's like, here's what my next album is. traditional police here's what my solo
00:55:25.926 --> 00:55:30.046
album is going to sound like yeah andy summers wrote the music for this yeah
00:55:30.046 --> 00:55:35.666
yeah and it's for me i don't know maybe i'm again on my own on this but when
00:55:35.666 --> 00:55:41.266
it starts out i've heard it so many times it starts out the drums aren't really there and,
00:55:41.866 --> 00:55:47.046
when the drums come in and it all places that beat yeah yeah it's four four
00:55:47.046 --> 00:55:51.426
and you think what's going this is not right what you don't realize it's a swing
00:55:51.426 --> 00:55:53.206
feel yeah you know because it's not there.
00:55:53.346 --> 00:55:56.406
I remember learning that going, wait a minute, something's happening here. Wait a minute.
00:55:56.566 --> 00:55:59.226
The meter is very deceptive, but it's a swing beat.
00:55:59.426 --> 00:56:02.666
It sounds so much like sting. It's,
00:56:03.412 --> 00:56:08.812
Not an obvious Please tune, but still a great... It's very different from any
00:56:08.812 --> 00:56:09.972
other song on the album, though.
00:56:11.212 --> 00:56:17.132
It has a sparsity to it. Yeah, I think that's why they only made it a bonus
00:56:17.132 --> 00:56:19.772
track, because I don't know if it would have fit in anywhere. Yeah.
00:56:20.912 --> 00:56:25.552
But I do think it's a great closer. This should have been in place of Mother.
00:56:25.852 --> 00:56:29.592
Yeah, I was going to say that, too, but it would have fit in there better.
00:56:29.592 --> 00:56:37.152
But yeah they had to Andy had to have his way he could have had his album credit
00:56:37.152 --> 00:56:40.832
on here anyway since he wrote the music and they wouldn't have had to put Mother
00:56:40.832 --> 00:56:42.292
on there but I think it was just,
00:56:42.812 --> 00:56:46.972
I need to poke you in the chest and say I need to go yeah I think that was their
00:56:46.972 --> 00:56:51.072
deal they each got one song per album to do whatever they wanted to do I don't
00:56:51.072 --> 00:56:54.712
think this would have replaced Mother in the order but,
00:56:55.432 --> 00:56:58.252
yeah I really like it as a closing track to the album Yeah.
00:56:59.272 --> 00:57:05.172
Because it comes back from the otherworldliness feel of Tee La Hara and comes
00:57:05.172 --> 00:57:10.992
back to the three instruments and ends it, you know. Well, it's so different from the other songs.
00:57:11.252 --> 00:57:15.532
It brings you back, well, not maybe back to the beginning of the album,
00:57:15.672 --> 00:57:21.692
but it brings you back to a different space, you know, to recognize the band as a whole.
00:57:21.872 --> 00:57:24.292
So, yeah, I really like that song.
00:57:24.532 --> 00:57:27.392
My guess is they actually did record this last.
00:57:27.992 --> 00:57:33.472
This was one of the very last things they did for the record because the energy is so different.
00:57:33.712 --> 00:57:37.152
It is, yeah. It is way different, and the production is different.
00:57:37.992 --> 00:57:43.672
It's not quite as fine-tuned as the rest of the record.
00:57:44.272 --> 00:57:49.292
I'm just wondering if they, I've never read this anywhere or never seen anybody
00:57:49.292 --> 00:57:51.832
say this, but I'm wondering if they were thinking about, oh,
00:57:51.932 --> 00:57:55.612
well, this is the beginning of our next album, but we're going to work on this
00:57:55.612 --> 00:57:59.052
later because we got all this to do and it doesn't really fit. And we got tours.
00:57:59.212 --> 00:58:04.572
And then of course, you know, they were like, we're probably going to break
00:58:04.572 --> 00:58:07.272
up after this. So just throw it on there as a bonus track, you know?
00:58:08.312 --> 00:58:11.532
I mean, sting knew he was, he was going to be sting new, you know?
00:58:11.692 --> 00:58:16.852
And I think he probably wanted to put the song on, have it on official police documents, so to speak.
00:58:17.772 --> 00:58:21.172
I think that a lot of people could talk about the music.
00:58:21.772 --> 00:58:24.732
They had stated everything that they needed to say
00:58:24.732 --> 00:58:27.952
but i think it was more about the human
00:58:27.952 --> 00:58:34.812
factor this record we can say is one of the best records of the 80s easily it's
00:58:34.812 --> 00:58:38.712
definitely one of the most successful records and i think it this record is
00:58:38.712 --> 00:58:47.092
truly a great record after 42 years it's it's stood up the test of time and i would say that,
00:58:47.793 --> 00:58:52.353
Sting just didn't want to fight with Stuart anymore. Yeah. He didn't need to have the conflict.
00:58:52.813 --> 00:58:56.793
He knew that he could write these songs and he could do his own.
00:58:57.753 --> 00:58:59.973
We've already done it all. We've already conquered the world.
00:59:00.113 --> 00:59:01.453
There's nothing else to do with this band.
00:59:01.593 --> 00:59:07.633
I think that the best part about this is that they truly went out on the highest note possible.
00:59:08.113 --> 00:59:12.853
Yeah. This is their best record for me. It's the best record they ever did.
00:59:14.833 --> 00:59:19.453
I don't know how many bands can say that. Yeah. Go out on the highest note.
00:59:19.613 --> 00:59:21.773
They were one of the only bands to have done that.
00:59:22.613 --> 00:59:28.433
They literally lasted eight years. No, six years. Six years.
00:59:29.313 --> 00:59:34.393
78 to 84. Yeah. Achieved all that and conquered the world.
00:59:34.953 --> 00:59:38.733
Yeah. And they did everything that they needed to do within that six years.
00:59:38.973 --> 00:59:43.113
It's almost like the Beatles in terms of the length of time.
00:59:43.513 --> 00:59:45.893
Yeah. The only other thing they didn't, it wasn't a studio album.
00:59:45.973 --> 00:59:51.093
They did remixes in 86. and went in and twisted some knobs here and there and
00:59:51.093 --> 00:59:54.313
maybe added a couple parts here and there, but that wasn't a police album.
00:59:54.453 --> 00:59:56.253
It was just the hits remiss, you know?
00:59:56.433 --> 01:00:00.053
That was not even good, in my opinion. It was unnecessary.
01:00:00.353 --> 01:00:05.333
And you could tell that... I think it was to fulfill a contractual obligation, probably.
01:00:05.833 --> 01:00:09.153
Probably. Stewart didn't even play drums on the remix.
01:00:09.533 --> 01:00:13.153
They had a program. Yeah, a lindrum, yeah. Yeah, just like...
01:00:13.153 --> 01:00:16.753
I don't remember liking it at the time. I thought it was unnecessary.
01:00:17.273 --> 01:00:20.973
Yeah, I thought it was quirky. I was like, I'd rather hear the original. You know? Right.
01:00:21.653 --> 01:00:27.093
Yeah. Yeah, this is a fantastic record. Totally worthy of our discussion.
01:00:27.493 --> 01:00:33.253
And any final thoughts from you guys? I thought this was some great songs that
01:00:33.253 --> 01:00:37.293
we talked about, and I really enjoyed this. Any final thoughts from you guys?
01:00:37.933 --> 01:00:43.633
Just for everyone playing all around. As a career, the police started out on a high note and just,
01:00:44.264 --> 01:00:47.164
crescendo to the top like you said yeah
01:00:47.164 --> 01:00:50.104
they did not do this it's uh every album bands do
01:00:50.104 --> 01:00:54.484
you know um you know i've just we've discussed miles davis and how the the best
01:00:54.484 --> 01:00:58.084
album he's ever done is the one i just listened to the police are kind of the
01:00:58.084 --> 01:01:04.324
same way i if you ask my favorite album it's hard well it's hard to pick one
01:01:04.324 --> 01:01:07.384
you know whether it's regatta de blanc or ghost of the machine.
01:01:08.004 --> 01:01:11.664
Synchronicity is an amazing album every
01:01:11.664 --> 01:01:14.424
one of their albums are so solid it
01:01:14.424 --> 01:01:17.164
on their own right it's hard to use i see
01:01:17.164 --> 01:01:19.804
what you're saying yeah i've come around to your
01:01:19.804 --> 01:01:22.844
point of view quite the conundrum you've done it created tonight done
01:01:22.844 --> 01:01:25.624
it oh my goodness i'm getting out of hand here
01:01:25.624 --> 01:01:28.404
but synchronicity the pinnacle the
01:01:28.404 --> 01:01:31.144
zenith of their career even if
01:01:31.144 --> 01:01:33.904
i don't know the order of the songs it's not on the outside the
01:01:33.904 --> 01:01:37.184
cover that's the only fault of this album the track
01:01:37.184 --> 01:01:39.964
listing is not on the outside they're gonna pull
01:01:39.964 --> 01:01:43.404
the sleeve out and everything it's crazy anyways show
01:01:43.404 --> 01:01:46.204
the kids the sleeve oh yeah they've seen this
01:01:46.204 --> 01:01:49.244
no the insides oh the inside sleeve dun dun
01:01:49.244 --> 01:01:52.404
dun dun ooh heart drops
01:01:52.404 --> 01:01:59.284
three bottle blinds nice i echoed stings glasses by the way this episode with
01:01:59.284 --> 01:02:04.504
the round gold glasses but yeah all right perfect pop art right there one of
01:02:04.504 --> 01:02:10.104
the best albums ever yeah and a great it really is a great cover yeah all right
01:02:10.104 --> 01:02:11.884
boys and girls, this was fun.
01:02:12.004 --> 01:02:14.764
Thanks everybody for joining us.
01:02:16.044 --> 01:02:19.664
We will see you guys soon. Thanks so much for liking and subscribing.
01:02:19.864 --> 01:02:22.704
If you have any comments, please add those. We will.
01:02:22.800 --> 01:02:51.970
Music.