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Why I lost a bit of respect for Sting (Rick Beato Interview)

#321
Yes, he is a pompous ass, and yes I've played his amazing music over the decades and yes we all kinda love him cause he is a very talented original thinking musician who kicks just about every single modern day wannabe into the long grass, but then so are/were Copeland and Somers.
BUT... he can also be so darn irritating. Like the moment he got up in front of James Taylor and did Fire and Rain on a sort of Lute/Dulcimer thing...it wasn't very good, but hey, he's Sting, apparently he can do anything.
 
#324
fhm555 said:
There's an old saying that runs along the lines of, "it's not bragging if you can do it."
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This is what I think of when I read threads like this. People seem to assert that anyone who has ability shouldn't actually acknowledge that they have ability, and if they do somehow acknowledge they are good at something, it's arrogance.
 
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#325

Thread has all the answers. And some very important questions. I don't have any questions, only gratitude. Nicely done TB.

I remember when Dream of the Blue Turtles came into being. It was a breath of fresh air. I didn't know why except to say it was more like the music in my head than most pop music, back then. Today, I have a better idea and it strikes me that I am more indebted to Sting & Co. than I realized. Those guys changed the world.

I still don't own a copy of that album but that may be remedied :)




​
 
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#326
Tom Bomb said:
Thread has all the answers. And some very important questions. I don't have any questions, only gratitude. Nicely done TB.

I remember when Dream of the Blue Turtles came into being. It was a breath of fresh air. I didn't know why except to say it was more like the music in my head than most pop music, back then. Today, I have a better idea and it strikes me that I am more indebted to Sting & Co. than I realized. Those guys changed the world.

I still don't own a copy of that album but that may be remedied :)

​
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I was previously tepid about Sting, but this thread may cause me to add slightly to his millions.
 
#329
Tom Bomb said:
Thread has all the answers. And some very important questions. I don't have any questions, only gratitude. Nicely done TB.

I remember when Dream of the Blue Turtles came into being. It was a breath of fresh air. I didn't know why except to say it was more like the music in my head than most pop music, back then. Today, I have a better idea and it strikes me that I am more indebted to Sting & Co. than I realized. Those guys changed the world.

I still don't own a copy of that album but that may be remedied :)




​
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Branford told a story when he was working with Sting (right? the serious jazzer and the pop artist). Anyway Branford was impressed and said, Sting, you are a mother***. Sting said, "excuse me???

Branford had to quickly explain that in his musical world, that was high praise. :)
 
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#331
I didn't want to say too much about this until I had a chance to at least watch portions of this video, but having done that now, I don't really see the arrogance others are projecting in there. Is it because he's describing a songwriting process that isn't how you imagine it should be? When he says he comes up with the chord voicings and then hands that over to Dominic to work with, that's not dissimilar to the way many people write. I guess I don't know what it is that's sparking all this angst.
 
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#332
consectaneus said:
Exactly. There were a LOT of British post-punk and new wave bands copping reggae and ska. Why single out The Police?
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Indeed. Both The Specials and The Beat started out as much closer to punk than ska. And The Clash dabbled in reggae and punk. The Selecter and others although a bit more on the ska side certainly added in elements of punk. Elvis Costello too dabbled in reggae. It would be almost unusual for a post-punk or new wave UK band of the period not to have done a bit of ska or reggae before heading off to pastures new either in that band, or new formulations (e.g. General Public, which melded parts of The Beat and The Specials, Fun Boy Three, Big Audio Dynamite, etc.)
 
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#334
Oh, when he says 'It's nice to know a song has utility' when talking about songs on the Soul Cages album, utility is very much Geordie. Baffled by the posh concept. He sounds no more posh than me!

EDIT: Actually he seems to sound more Geordie through the interview, which might be a testament to Beato who is perhaps making him relax progressively more.
 
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#335
-Asdfgh- said:
Isn't that much how it worked with Sting and Summers?

If anything, he seemed slightly embarrassed at the praise Beato was heaping on him.
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Yes, that's what he was saying before they tossed it over to Dominic. Sting was the principal songwriter in the Police, and he took credit for that. What, is he supposed to pretend he didn't write the songs? I guess I don't understand why wanting to take credit for his role would be wrong.
 
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#336
kreider204 said:
I was just going to mention that.
My favorite part is when the amazing musicians in the band all start jamming on a bebop version of The Flintstones theme song, of all things. Sting tries to join in, but can't keep up. They all laughed at him for playing in the wrong key, and it really took him down a notch. :)
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In the other hand (and it's not my intention to be ironic or disrespectful here), none of those amazing musicians (and amazing they truly are) were able to compose songs like Sting's.
 
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#337
-Asdfgh- said:
Indeed. Both The Specials and The Beat started out as much closer to punk than ska. And The Clash dabbled in reggae and punk. The Selecter and others although a bit more on the ska side certainly added in elements of punk. Elvis Costello too dabbled in reggae. It would be almost unusual for a post-punk or new wave UK band of the period not to have done a bit of ska or reggae before heading off to pastures new either in that band, or new formulations (e.g. General Public, which melded parts of The Beat and The Specials, Fun Boy Three, Big Audio Dynamite, etc.)
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Unusual apart from the synth lot.
 
#338
I am grateful to Mr. Sumner for his musical contributions, which improved the quality of my life.

Am grateful to countless other musicians / performers / actors as well.

Do I want to meet any of them? Probably not. They can cope with their life and I will cope with mine. I have their work to enjoy, isn't that enough?
 
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#340
cnltb said:
He did?
Source...?

I'm just wondering...would Miles Davis have had Sting on one of his albums if he hated him?
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In an interview at the time, Sting said he was invited to the studio to record "you're under arrest" in French to be on the album. He recorded it in one take and then Miles grabbed his (own) crotch and said "arrest THIS mother f——r". Next thing Sting new he had been escorted out of the building and was standing in the alley.
 
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