Sting on Songwriting - Aus TV 1997
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- Sting discusses the craft of songwriting in this clip from "Established in the Soul", an episode of the Australian ABC-TV series "Access All Areas" from 1997. Included are portions of several live performances - "Lithium Sunset", "Every Breath You Take" and "Fragile" - presumably from late in his Mercury Falling Tour.
Sting is such an intense person. Comes across in his songs. Really a beautiful person.
The "middle eight" or "bridge" is the middle section of a song often used to contrast with the verse and chorus. Sometimes it switches to a minor key for example. Listen to just about any early Beatles song and you will get the picture.
The "eight" refers to the tradition of the bridge being 8 bars in length, though of course it can be any length.
Two legends, Sting AND Paul Grabowsky interviewing him.
A middle 8 is 8 bars that happen only once in a song, usually after the 2nd chorus to add extra variation.
A bridge is something that happens between each verse and chorus and is a mini 'lift' that creates excitement before the big excitement of the chorus. So a bridge will happen at least twice in a song, a middle 8 only once. Not all songs have bridges, but most have middle 8s.
In a song like Every breath You Take, that doesn't really have a chorus, the "Oh can't you see.." section acts as the bridge and happens twice. The "Since you've gone I been lost without a trace.." section is the middle 8 that only happens once.
Between verse and chorus I believe it’s called pre-chorus
Formula DOWN for a forgettable pop song. Yes!
No thats not true. A bridge is once per song, most times at the end. Youre describing a pre chorus
@@iggmeister4137 Hey Igg, in British English a USA Pre-chorus is called a Bridge, and a USA Bridge is called a Middle 8. At least every British artist used to call it that. Maybe that has changed in the last decade or so. Though in the last decade or so the pre-chorus has almost gone away!
This is good knowledge
Thanks 👍🏿
Gordon matthew Sumner,you are also a genius songwriter.Youre also an amazing poet.Ive been stung by everything youve written,especially on your own albums.I wish An dy Summers and you had stayed together till now.He was the best guitarist,IMO,ive ever heard play w you.The Soul.Cages should get a grammy....
Andy Summers is a terrible hack - sorry.
What a cool guy . Very informative
From Wikipedia: Coda (Italian for "tail", plural code) is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece (or a movement) to an end.
Singer-Song-writers always explain different things on this subject but I can relate to all I've heard so far.
Mmm..!
It's mostly an intuitive process, and describing it analytically, doesn't work too well.
A songwriting formula in music is like a formula in mathematics. If you stick to the formula , you will get it right every time. This is the secret to songwriting for Music that has mass appeal.
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Hear! Hear!
Good Song Writing often deals with opposites. ex;"You're Up, I'm Down", "He's in, I'm Out". Simple opposites, folks understand this concept very quickly and are attracted to it quickly, because they can relate to it immediately.
NOT POMPOUS OR ARRIGANT, JUST BRILLANT. LOVE HIS MUSIC AND HAS A PASSION FOR HIS CRAFT. SORTTA WEIRD TO THINK OF FOOTBALL IN RELATION TO MUSIC. HUGE EGO YET HUGE MONEY & POWER TO THAT TO YA. HE WAS MY IDEAL IN THE 70'S.
I am inspired.
And you are really hot. So when shall I set the wedding date?
Ka Boom Loser!
I'm a big middle 8 fan too. ;-))
+KEVAN KOYA MUSIC UK. Anyone who writes songs is....
+Rawcus Banks Gifted!
Sure. Why not. :D
Excellent description. In the Beatles "from me to you." The part "I've got arms that long to hold you..." that's the middle 8 for that song, but it's four measures, 16 beats, rather than two measures 8 beats.
Great studio musician
The only other thing to add to what's been said is that it's usually referred to as "Middle 8" in Great Britain, and a "Bridge" in North America.
In Britain and America one uses Coda if you are classically trained, mid 8, I've never seen a bridge at the end of a song and I've played in the pit band of a lot of off broad way shows.
Be happy. All the Sky bless you, today and Forever They will cover you with good ENERGIES.
Comments from people who haven't had a hit record, played stadiums, released albums, been on MTV, done world tours. Huh? What even...
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so cool... I think at about 5:14 he breaks into the opening riff of Austurias by Albeniz. Sounds like it
In America we call it the "bridge."
I'm American and I've heard it referred to as both the bridge and the middle eight.
Sting likes the bridge as well as Billy Joel.
Great advice
There were bands that had better choruses. But the greatest middle eight (bridge) EVER written was done so by Sting (“Wrapped Around Your Finger”). Chills.
Yes sir!
Every Breath you take seems like Leo Sayer's "More than I can say? really close!
It means the bridge of the song. A change that is different from the rest of the song be it a musical break or music/lyric change. etc...
What a bunch of negative comments. I write lyrics and can relate to what he is saying. As stated from Ricky Comiskey's post, comments from people who haven't had a hit record, played stadiums etc..... If you don't care enough to hear what he has to say, why listen?
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Agreed100%
watch and learn boys and gals
So much of his best work is made up of cover versions of old Last Exit material
I'd say that was 8 bars - assuming a fast 4/4 tempo. The bars would begin with the words "arms", "hold", "keep", "side", "lips", "kiss", "keep", "-fied"
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whats middle 8s? the bridge maybe?
yes thats the bridge
Oh my god what happened to Tom Hanks!?
MIDDLE 8 IS BASICALLY SOLO SECTION, MEANS 8 BARS..
What's coda?
Outro
you should have asked "what's google?"
some one tell me please what "Middle 8" means" im a new song writer. be gentle...fuck it... be a DICK just tell me.LOL
like his music, but what a pompous man
If you ever tire of Sting’s ego, make him humble by talking to him about to Return to Forever.
Sex or Football.
He should have been sent to prison for life for torturing the public with "Every breath you take" Holy God, without question the most annoying song in the history of recorded sound.
OKa Boomer
@@WakaWaka2468 Oh GOD! a whole language to choose from and you make THE least original comment on this thread, as you make a pathetic attempt to traduce anothers comment! The tears of laughter are rolling down my face..........
@@thewomble1509 an idiotic comment deserves an idiotic response
You're full of it!
I love that song "Fragile" that comes in. Lovely tune. However, hearing those bits again live, those synth pads do not sound good. Sting, if you are randomly scanning RUclips with nothing better to do and are accepting unsolicited advice from complete strangers on RUclips -- please avail yourself of the wonders of the resurgence of modular synthesis. There is no need for cheap crappy pads in this world.
😂😅
For free demo. music, RUclips: Heartbroken Song Writer. Looking for recording artist and film placement for my songs.
Sting is lounge music that has gotten way too much press.
Yes. Both meaningless.
Its interesting that you say he has a huge ego but is not pompous in the same breath. An ego like his would only fuel his smugness, as is evident in the clip. Contradictory point you make if anything. Though have to say in the second half of interview he does seem to mellow a bit when the question is related to the audience.
Sting - Write a hook, come up with two or three other sentences associated with the hook that you can use to lead into the hook, then repeat the hook to the point the person listening to it changes the radio station.
If you really sit down and honestly listen to his music, if you can get through it. You will start to hear his lac of imagination. Sorry to ruin the Police and Sting for you but it needs to be said.
I always thought "Every breath you take" was a song written by a fascist government to torture the population. If they locked me in a jail and played that song 24 hours a day I would kill myself within the first hour.
The Police were a great band. People love the hooks.
And how much money have you made or how many thousands of people have come to see you do Anything??? Hahahaha
You're full of it!
So if an artist like Sting would be considered to have a lack of imagination, then what does that say about the rest of us?
Sad that he doesn't like to think of what inspires the song he's singing. Maybe that's why he isn't all that great live. He's not really sharing. Just 'covering' Sting songs and collecting your money.
You're full of it !
In one of his songs " Fields of Gold" , he misses the opportunity to have written one of the most beautiful tunes ever!! By just throwing together a very amateur like "middle 8"
sex or football? wtf
Stings songs are derivative and pretentious so why would anyone take songwriting advice from him? What's he going to do, tell you how he ripped off "Every breathe you take" from Led Zepplins "Dyer Maker"? And ripped off just about anybody who wrote a song with a reggae beat then put self absorbed pretentious lyrics into it?
All songs are somewhat derivative, but the one you mention doesn't even make sense. Not only do those songs not sound anything alike. They are differently structured, have different melodies, different chord progressions. What are you even talking about.
You're full of it!