sting and the police
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Sting and The Police. A closer look at the legendary band that gave the world a remarkable performance, then quietly bowed out. . Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner. October 1, 1951 Wallsend , Northumberland, UK Father was poor. ‘My Baby’. Gordon’s First Instrument. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Sting and The Police
A closer look at the legendary band that gave the world a remarkable
performance, then quietly bowed out.
Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner
October 1, 1951
Wallsend, Northumberland, UK
Father was poor
‘My Baby’
Gordon’s First Instrument
Giant steps are what you take…
• When you move from small jazz clubs to sold out stadium shows
What’s in a name?
• Gordon was wearing a yellow and black striped sweater, to which Gordon Solomon remarked, ‘You look like a wasp.’
• STING
Education
• Northern Counties College of Education • Teacher• Honorary PhD in Music from Northumbria
University and Berklee College of Music
Three Become One
Stewart Copeland, Sting, & Andy Summers
1978 - Outlandos d’Amour
1979 – Reggata de Blanc
1980 – Zenyatta Mondatta
1981 – Ghost in the Machine
1983 - Synchronicity
The Ranger Becomes Lone
1981 Sting nominated for an Oscar for ‘Best Song by Solos Artist’
By 1985 The Police had peacefully disbanded By this time Sting already had 6 Grammy
awards under his belt Sting was just getting started
Money for Nothin’
• Developed lasting friendship with Dire Straights’ Mark Knopfler
• Sting becomes a world-wide proponent for charities and fund-raising for causes
One Man Band
☑Double Bass ☑Bass Guitar☑Piano☑Sax☑Lute☑Bongos y Congas☑Mandolin☑Pan Flute☑Almost forgot…VOICE too!
Sting and Disney
• Tarzan• Emperor’s New Groove
• 16 Grammy Awards at this point!
The Day the Music almost
Died
2002 Sting comes to Salt Lake City
• Olympic Ceremony opening with Yo Yo Ma and Mormon Tabernacle Quoir
• Sting induced into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Musician, Composer, Actor, & Family Man
• 6 Children from two marriages • Married to Trudie Styler• Raw Food Vegan
AN IN DEPTH ANALYSIS OF 3 OF STING’S COMPOSITIONS
The Bed’s Too Big Without YouMurder by NumbersEnglishman in New York
Bed’s Too Big Without You
Reggata de Blanc Record Facts:• 1979• Single: Message in a Bottle• Debuted No. 25 in US• Debuted No. 1 in UK• A&M Records Ltd
Major Key
Simple Meter 4/4
Strong bass drum on beat 3 (cornerstone of reggae music)
Reggata de Blanc = White Boy Reggae
Bass guitar carries half melody/harmony with disjunct bass line beginning on beat 3
Guitar has syncopated chords harmony/melody
Form remains virtually unchanged
Composer: StingPerformers: Andy Summers, Sting, Stewart Copeland
Murder By Numbers
Synchronicity Record Facts:• 1983• 5th and final Police release• Debuted No. 1 in US• Recorded in AIR Studios UK
—also recorded the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elton John
• Broke the streak at #1 by MJ’s ‘Thriller’
• A&M Records Ltd
☆ Minor Key☆Drums in complex meter: ¾☆ Piano, Vocals, Bass complex duple meter:
12/8☆Rondo Allegro form☆Polyphony between guitar and bass☆Repetitive form and theme
Composer: Andy Summers, StingPerformers: Sting, Summers, Copeland
Englishman in New York
Nothing Like The Sun Record Facts:• Released January 1, 1987• A&M Records Ltd• Inspired by the death of his
mother Audry, in 1986
✖ Simple Meter in a Major Key✖ Two themes: Theme 2 begins at 1:53✖ Linear Drumming✖ High strings accenting off-beats (reggae element)✖ Song written for Novelist and Activist Quentin
Crisp✖ Vocal polyphony @ 3:27
✖Composed by Sting who also plays Piano and bass
✖ Branford Marsalis on Soprano, & Manu Katsche on percussion
Conclusion / Bibliography
• Sting has had a long a productive career• Still making great compositions• Major proponent for humanitarian as well as
ecological awareness