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

[bassbrad]

I’m sure many of you have seen the Rick Beato interview with Sting and his guitarist, Dominic Miller. It was a fascinating look into songwriting, basslines, and (inadvertently) one gargantuan ego.

It was a great conversation. But when Rick began to discuss the other members of The Police (Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers), Sting stepped in and essentially gave himself credit for their contributions to the band.

At some points it was subtle. Others, not so much. But I found it to be very off-putting that one of my all-time favorite musicians showed so little humility in dealing with his bandmates.

Did anyone else notice that?

@tb-player you have evidently never met or heard Andy or Stewart talk about their contributions to the Police, or listened to any of their songs.
While Andy and Stewart are both brilliant musicians in their own rights it was Sting that wrote and sang the songs and has been successful in several areas since the Police. Andy and Stewart not so much.

 

[Fonkamex]

I like Paul McCartney’s music, but I also recognize that he was probably a nightmare to work with.

I think Michael Jackson has made some wonderful music from childhood through adulthood, and yet…well, you know.

Phil Spector has produced some wonderful music, but he murdered a woman.

Ike Turner made great music, but I think we all know the story about how he treated Tina.

Metallica basically abused Jason the entire time he was with the band, and then went the opposite direction with Robert.

In short, it’s probably better that you know as little as possible about the actual “people” behind your favorite music, because you’re probably going to be really disappointed.

So true, the most well know case of it is Amadeus Mozart.

 

[Space Pickle]

Have they? I don't think that's clear. We can't roll back the universe, change Sting's personality, and see if a Kinder, Gentler Sting would be more or less successful.

I once had a guitar teacher who told me you had to be a bit of a jerk to front a piano trio. He was talking about how hard it was to lead a band, book gigs, and get paid.

 

[Greg Jones]

Meh ... it's no secret that Sting is a first rate arse ... I still can appreciate his talent and learn from what he's done. I don't need him as a friend.

 

[Spin Doctor]

Also in other Rick Beato videos Rick goes on and on about how Sting uses this mode or that mode and the brilliant music theory employed by Sting, then in the interview with Sting you get the impression from Sting himself he really wrote the music more intuitively and the songs were not derived from an extensive contemplation of music theory.

The main advantage and use of music theory is that it gives you a way to explain what's happening in a song, after the fact. Almost nobody writes songs using theory in a kind of "paint by numbers" fashion, and come up with anything good.

 

[bassobrutto]

He and his wife have a horrendous record with domestic staff, court cases etc if he can’t treat his staff well I doubt he has any space to treat anyone else well, total egomaniac with a fake accent he calls himself a Gordie

You are right about all the egomania and the treatment of "underlings". But as someone who grew up in the North East in the 70s, I always had the impression that he was embarrassed by his Geordie roots and went to great lengths to conceal his accent because it didn't fit his cooler-than-thou hipster-artiste self-image. Only latterly, with that self-indulgent abomination The Last Ship, has he really seemed to reclaim his "Geordieness".

 

[mb94952]

He's always seemed obnoxious. Then again, so is Beato.

Yes !!! I'm sure he's a good guy, etc but he's SO annoying and a name dropper. That is such an obnoxious quality.

 

[JimK]

The main advantage and use of music theory is that it gives you a way to explain what's happening in a song, after the fact. Almost nobody writes songs using theory in a kind of "paint by numbers" fashion, and come up with anything good.

I'm with you! A friend (who once had CSNTNZA on his lic. plate) plays drums & some piano. He loves Sting & The Police. On & on he'll go with Beato's vids on theory. He nagged me for 2+ years with "Spirits In The Material World"...specifically, how it's counted in.
Didn't we play this in the '80s?
Yeah, but we counted in wrong.
On Christmas, I give him the new Stewart Copeland book. There are drum transcriptions in it. He immediately flips to "Spirits". What's his take? Oh, this is wrong. It's one way to do it...but it's not right.
Any wonder why I couldn't play in a band with him?

I call my cooler cousin in Philly. He's been playing drums before he could walk. His take: He has seen "Fool In The Rain" notated 3 different ways. Read thru it...and it sounds the same.
Costanza, indeed.

 

[Papawheely]

What I took away from the stinterview was that a guy doesn’t really need to know all them fancy notes. Just go for a walk in the garden and look under rocks.

 

[KenD]

I watched the entire interview, with great interest. My take aways from his career and the interview, IMO of course:
- he is an extremely talented songwriter
- I can't stand his singing
- he's an average bass player
- one of the most insufferably pretentious people I have ever listened to.

OTOH I am a huge fan of Dominic Miller. Dig this:

 

[Spin Doctor]

Yes !!! I'm sure he's a good guy, etc but he's SO annoying and a name dropper. That is such an obnoxious quality.

Dropping names is sort of his job. Otherwise, nobody would care.

 

[2F/2F]

Nothing surprising. I haven't called him Stink for decades just because.

 

[JimK]

I watched the entire interview, with great interest. My take aways from his career and the interview, IMO of course:
- he is an extremely talented songwriter
- I can't stand his singing
- he's an average bass player
- one of the most insufferably pretentious people I have ever listened to.

OTOH I am a huge fan of Dominic Miller. Dig this:

Love Dominic Miller...and The Soul Cages band for that matter.

 

[Nev375]

Its usually an ego thing when we bash someone online - makes us feel bigger

You should change your name to Admonish. It too, is a verb.

 

[JimK]

Yes !!! I'm sure he's a good guy, etc but he's SO annoying and a name dropper. That is such an obnoxious quality.

Beato's annoying? He's a NYC-er...whatcha expect?

 

[higain617]

Nothing surprising. I haven't called him Stink for decades just because.

Both you and my father.

"Sting. More like Stink!"

 

[Crash 56]

I saw the police on the Zenyatta Mondatta tour in seattle, and it was one of the best shows ever. All three of those guys are monsters. I still remember Sting tapping his Spector with his left hand, playing a synth line with his right hand, playing bass pedals with his right foot, and singing at the same time...I guess he has a right to be conceited....

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I'm changing my name to Shart. No one will know if it's noun or verb.

At least jazz it up a bit by calling it Sh-art or something. Makes it sound more, er, artsy and/or secret.

 

[KenD]

I saw the police on the Zenyatta Mondatta tour in seattle, and it was one of the best shows ever. All three of those guys are monsters. I still remember Sting tapping his Spector with his left hand, playing a synth line with his right hand, playing bass pedals with his right foot, and singing at the same time...I guess he has a right to be conceited....

Taking great pride in his undoubted talents and accomplishments need not cross into conceit and pretentiousness.

 

[Marcus Willett]

Yea but compared to Sting those guys are barely more famous than you or me….

I don’t necessarily disagree with this, but…

I’ve had the opportunity to interact (sometimes extensively) with several rich/famous people during my years in the biz. Some were nice folk, some were not. One of them (a very wealthy and pretty famous guy) once told me:

Money/fame (power, really) just tends to make you more the way you really are inside.

Was this guy “Sting” famous? No, but…

Sting is an extremely talented and gifted musician. I love his work, but he has always come across as a cocky ass. I think that’s just how he is.

Paul McCartney is at least as talented and gifted as Sting, and is without question more famous, and though I don’t know him personally, he has never come across as an arrogant ass in the way Gordon does.

Having said all that, I care about the music they create and it really doesn’t matter how they are as people. We’re not friends, we don’t hang out. I love the music both of them create.

Just suggesting that there isn’t any necessary link between fame and personality.