Sting/Police Mistake?

[bearhart74]

at the beginning of the second verse sting plays a little slide down from C# then stops playing. Time 1.00 in this vid
Think this was intentional or they just left it in?

 

[ElectroVibe]

I don't hear anything other than amazing musicianship. Honestly I tried hearing for it several times.

 

[bearhart74]

I don't hear anything other than amazing musicianship. Honestly I tried hearing for it several times.

So you think it was intentional? If you were covering it would you put it in?

 

[kineticdg]

Oh, 100% intentional - and I’ve always loved it when the bass comes back in.

 

[ElectroVibe]

So you think it was intentional? If you were covering it would you put it in?

His bass playing is probably beyond my abilities. But I don't know what I would do.

 

[Goatrope]

I’ll vote for “just leave it”. It’s low enough in the mix that the guitar masks it pretty well, and it’s not a wrong note, just came back in early, then caught it.


Conspiracy theory: Maybe even all the verses start with bass and guitar, then the producer just pulled the bass out post production. This verse he wasn’t quick enough on the fader.

 

[bearhart74]

and it’s not a wrong note, just came back in early, then caught it.

Thats what i thought too but i had to question it because Sting.
Then i found a live version where he thumbs the E string before coming back in...makes me think it was intentional.

 

[Goatrope]

It’s like the mistake in “Polly” by Nirvana. Kurt comes back with the vocal too early, but they leave it in anyway. I think it adds a little punkish charm.

 

[Goatrope]

I guess we’ll never know, but after decades of him playing it live, I’m sure he’s hitting all sorts of accents hear and there that weren’t on the original.

Honestly, nobody is thinking about this

Thats what i thought too but i had to question it because Sting.
Then i found a live version where he thumbs the E string before coming back in...makes me think it was intentional.

but you and me, brother.

 

[Killing Floor]

Referring to his rest?

Anyway, the answer to the question is that it’s on the recording so it isn’t a mistake. Whether or not it was made by purpose isn’t relevant because it was captured and survived edit.

BTW that was produced by Nigel (Freaking) Gray. If it was a problem it would have been addressed.

 

[FunkHead]

There's nothing there that's a mistake.

 

[bmusic]

It sounds natural to me. It functions like a crash cymbal—just a little punch to emphasize the start of the verse, before coming in later with the line proper. I like it.

 

[overit]

Sounds just right to me. A tasty rest.

 

[Markmann]

I say totally intentional and I like it.

 

[Eric Wolfe]

at the beginning of the second verse sting plays a little slide down from C# then stops playing. Time 1.00 in this vid
Think this was intentional or they just left it in?

Clearly intentional and tasteful...

 

[yodedude2]

Sounds just right to me. A tasty rest.

the best know what not to play ~

 

[sawzalot]

I think it's intentional. I like the punch to start the verse and then let the guitar carry it for a few lines.

 

[wintremute]

I always thought it was on purpose, and that's how I play it. This is one of the 1st songs I ever learned on bass.

 

[micguy]

On Roxanne, there is no guitar in the choruses - the vocals take over the guitar part. The Police worked a lot on arrangement stuff - there is very little chance to that any thing is a "mistake" of that magnitude.

 

[skyline_01]

at the beginning of the second verse sting plays a little slide down from C# then stops playing. Time 1.00 in this vid
Think this was intentional or they just left it in?

I agree with intentional, and it's always how I've played it when our band has covered it. I always exaggerate the bass entry just to make damn sure everyone knows what's going on LOL.

As for (what I think is) unintentional, a good example is Zeppelin's "Good Times, Bad Times", coming out of the guitar solo back into the chorus. I guess JPJ wanted the solo to go on, but maybe that's just me. I like it though.