The drummer is American, the other two are British. They consciously decided to create a fusion of raggae and rock. I always love me some Police. Thanks, cats.
@@mattpotter8725 I feel like Copeland's playing influenced a lot of hip-hop drumming too. Those ghost notes on the snare and cymbal work have definitely made their way to guys like ?uestlove.
And Stewart Copeland's Dad was the infamous Miles Copeland of the CIA. His speciality was orchestrating could around the world. Notably Iran in the early 1950s, which led to the Shah's reign until 1979.
@@mattpotter8725 Sting and Andy definitely have jazz influences. Andy played in jazz/R&B/prog bands in the late '60s, Stewart grew up with Middle Eastern rhythms and was in a prog band in the '70s. It's all in there.
@@lindazee the '70s and ' early '80s we just fought our way out of the First Energy climate hoax. I was a young man then and I was there it was hard.seems like I'll be fighting for the same things again, against some of the same people in this government. fight for what's right they're still hope.
@@edminchau811 hahaha 😆 😂 🤣 I needed that. Sometimes we need to laugh at our circumstances. That was a good one! 👍 ( P.S. I'm borrowing it to share with friends.)
Check out the bbc doc from 81 with Jools Holland interviewing the band in Monserrat. It's awesome. That bass Sting is playing was custom built for him. He talks about it and him and Jools play a little jazzy number together
The police are one of my favorite bands. Stewart Copeland is recognized as one of the best drummers ever, Andy Summers is a subtle but brilliant guitarist, and Sting is a great composer, songwriter, singer with a unique voice. They were only together for six or seven years, but made some great, timeless music.
Their initial peak recording career may have only been six or seven years, but counting reunions they were actually together longer than that. I saw them during their farewell tour in about 2008 or 2009. Great show. Elvis Costello opened for them.
25 years ago my roommate was obssessed with Police. He used to listen to them a lot and got me hooked too. I heard this song so many times back then and probably haven't heard it since, but this is the first time i've been actively aware of that synth line. This song has always been about the drums for me. Strange how one's perception of sound changes.
You should watch Rick Beato What Makes This Song Great (this song name). He isolates the tracks and you’ll hear things that you missed the last thousand times you heard it. It’s really good.
@@Hornsfan64 I love Rick's channel! I'm hearing songs like never before. The track isolation he does is EVERYTHING! There are so many nuances that are missed once the song is mixed. I want a soundboard (or whatever that engineering piece is called) so I can do that to numerous songs. I actually haven't watched his vid on this song, so I'm going to check it out now!! 😍
There's piano scattered in there too. It's beautifully arranged with several layers of instrumentation. The drums are coming' in HOTT! tho (and I love it). Copeland is a beast.
The island where the album and this video were recorded is called Montserrat, and a few years later suffered a huge volcanic eruption that covered most of the island in ash. Sting, aka Gordon Sumner, is playing an Upright Bass, with a bow at times, very old school. Stewart Copeland on Drums and Andy Summer on Guitar are both tip top musicians. Sting and Andy are English and Stewart is from the USA.
This was my song for my first real girlfriend in the mid 80's. I was head over heels and she was my first thought when I would wake up in the morning. I would often put this song on while getting ready. It's still my song for her 37 yrs later (& kids & grandkids too!)
The instrument Sting is playing in the video is a double bass, with a bow (more classical) instead of plucking it with fingers (more jazz). It's for show, and is not real. In the actual song he plays the usual electric bass. One of The Police's inspirations was a band called The Beat (or The English Beat for Americans), which is a great ska band that I highly recommend you listen to. Ska as a style is the predecessor to reggae.
Yeah, these three were the Bomb in the late '70s/early '80s. WALKING ON THE MOON, SYNCHRONICITY II, DON'T STAND SO CLOSE, WRAPPED AROUND YOUR FINGER, MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE and this song are among my favorites.
They are a British band, reggae and ska had a huge influence on British music and British bands who began in the 70s. A sub genre that came out of that was called 2 tone
"I have to tell the story of a thousand rainy days since we first met" - that line was like an addiction for Sting. It's laced through several Police songs, and even in his solo stuff he did later.
I’m 70 years old and I grew up int the most prolific time in music. I would not trade a minute. I was and am a Motown Sound guy. Love anything from the Detroit sound. My second type of music was The Beach Boys. Was not much of a metal head. Love the walk through memory lane for me. You guy’s are so cute together!🧸👍❤️
Filmed in Montserrat before the volcano blew. I was there a little after this in 1982 and our motel was on side of volcano( we didn't know). The locals told us the Police did the record at Air Studio on the island built by the Beatles.
The Police are great. The fade-out is an underrated and lost art in the studio as far as ending a song. For me, fade-out endings inspire me to repeat songs the most because you feel like it never really ended in the studio, so you want to keep jamming like it was intended. Kind of like a dream you don’t want to wake up from, so you try to go back to sleep - hoping you jump back in.
This song was used in the Movie The Wedding Singer. Their song 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' was used in the TV Programme Friends for Joey's STD Poster Ad. Every Breath You Take was used in the TV Programme Stranger Things.
Sting did an interview, for Much Music (Canadian version of MTV). In the Interview he stated that when this video came out, video's were new, there was no set plan, or direction for the video so they basically hand fun, and frolicked around.
Yeah, they do have a pretty unique flavor Lex. That stand up bass def contributes to distinctive sound. Stuart's drumming is always stellar and this track is no exception; but the piano actually makes this song for me. Witnessing Copeland play live in 1984 was one of my all time favorite concert experiences. Love these guys
This was recorded at Air Studios on the Caribbean 8sland of Montserrat. The video was also filmed there. You should look at the movie "Under the Volcano" for the story of the studio.
The Police were my go to jams in the early 80s. Bringing punk, ska and rock all together. Influencing bands such as another favourite, Rush, who All had great respect for the Police. Such a great group of musicians. Stewart Copland is a tremendous drummer.
"It's a big enough umbrella, but it's always me that ends up getting wet." I love this song; it's... magic. If you liked this, you'll also like The Police: "Wrapped Around Your Finger."
That is a great lyric. The 95% of the song is about how wonderful this woman is. Then they sneak in this one line, talking about how imperfect she is. I can't think of any other band would approach it that way.
@@robbob5302 Not sure if we are reading the line the same way. I always thought it was *her* umbrella. It's big enough for 2, but he never got the courage up to ask her to share it.
Even the beginning of this song the echo of the past rubbles up. I remember you bridge and the golden field I walked thru as the sun set across it. a era that only a few where touched
My big sister gave this cassette to me on my birthday when I was young. I had no idea who they were, and little did she know she would shape my musical taste for over 40 more years.
GREAT song. I especially love Stewart Copeland’s drumming on this track The Police were British/American, but they fused many influences in their music. Great band that stands up over time Listen to “Invisible Sun”
Police, Peter Gabriel, and many more recognized the African and Island sound had good tempo and blended with progressive rock well. Amazing music came out of this period of music especially Talking Heads!
The Police were post punk, with lots of ska feel to their early tracks. Ska music was born of reggae with rock vibes blended in, so The Police have a reggae/punk/rock sound which you can also hear in tracks like The Clash's "Train In Vain" or Sham 69 or early Pretenders songs. Some amazing early Police songs include "So Lonely" and "Canary In The Coalmine" or "Can't Stand Losing You."
This is the song that made my 15-year-old self go out and spend my own money on my first LP. Blessings to you both; you are wonderful at this, and complement each other so beautifully.
When The Police started they were setting out to be a punk band. During the early punk years in London (1970s), Reggae was becoming popular amongst those in the punk scene. Listen to The Police's first album and you will still hear the punk part of their sound . . . the Reggae influence sort of edged out the punk side to a degree, though as they developed their sound.
Nothing Achieving off the first single is still one of my favorite Police songs. I bought an IRS compilation many years ago called These People Are Nuts and that was the first song. Still incredible all these years later and very punk-sounding.
I think the 'Island' vibe comes from that they recorded a lot on Montserrat which was a bit of a destination back in the day for them, Eric Clapton, and Duran Duran I think.
The Police have a few "Whoa, where did THAT come from?" songs.... "Mother", in particular. But by and large the Police are just amazing. The musical complexity, the lyrics, the vibe in general.
Scalloped Potatoes, Home Fries and the Police..?? LOL Only Lex can give you such strange analogy but that's what makes her SPECIAL....!!! Love it...!! Peace
The lead singer/bass player is Sting (Gordon Sumner) and the drummer is Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers is the guitarist. The Police were a British rock band influenced a lot of a different styles of music like rock, jazz, Ska, reggae, etc.! Sting has a huge solo career that started in the mid eighties after the police broke up!❤️❤️
Love it - I saw the Police live in 1977/78 on a UK promotional tour for their first hit single 'Roxanne'. It was a medium size venue, and it was packed, everyone obviously heard the buzz about this great new band... Lex, they were the hot new potatoes on the block. React to Roxanne next on your Police deep dive.
In answer to your question about where the Police are from. Sting (bassist and lead singer) and Andy Summers (guitar) are from the north of England and drummer Stewart Copeland is from Washington DC, although he had a very cosmopolitan upbringing. The band burst on the the UK scene in the late 70s with a sound that combined punk and reggae influences. All three are musical geniuses in their own ways.
Police are from London, England. The lead singer, Sting, is English. The lead guitar, Andy Summers, is English. The drums, Stewart Copeland is American. This band was "HUGE" in the 80' and early 90's.
That IS some mighty fine drumming, never really appreciated it enough! Can't wait until you'lll react to "Bring on the night", my favourite song of theirs.
To sum up the comments, Lex's analogies are awesome, The Police are English/American band in love with Reggae and Ska, and Sting is playing a double bass.
Love this song....my 3rd concert ever was The Police in 1982 (with fantastic opener Oingo Boingo)...they were huge and show was amazing.....the Ghost in The Machine album is perfect
I heard an interesting and kinda funny story about Sting and this song. I may not have the exact details right, but when he was writing this he hit a huge wall with the lyrics in not being able to figure out how to follow up on the word "magic". He finally got it and went berserk, running into the studio yelling "tragic, tragic!" Or maybe he just called the other guys and yelled it over the phone. 🤷♂️ Something like that!
The Police were new wave, post-punk, reggae rock. Kind of early ska-punk. Similar to the Payolas, Oingo Boingo, English Beat. The Specials, The Clash, Mighty Bosstones, No Doubt, etc. Brad gots it! Lex kinda does, too. Do more of The Police!The Police were in the late '70s and '80s. Broke up during the '80s and had solo careers. Many good songs and video from them. Yes, punk, new wave bands and ska, reggae bands hung out together a lot back then at same smaller clubs for gigs and same audiences. Like UK, NYC, LA, DC, etc. They grew up together in the underground scene, same college, underground radio stations, too. Also early rap music, too. That's why there were so much influences and fusions among them. That's how you get all of those offshoots like reggae rock, ska-punk, new wave, etc. Notice how a lot of post-punk, new wave had good rhythmic danceable bass guitars? It's usually funk and reggae roots influence. 🎸
That "big violin" is a standup bass. Stewart Copeland (drummer) is from Washington D.C., but Sting (bass, vocals) and Andy Summers (guitar) are from England so, technically, they're from an island. And it's possible that their music sounds like it's from the islands because they play a lot of reggae and ska beats.
Their reunion tour of 2007 was the most expensive concert I ever attended. It cost me $300 a ticket ( list price not scalped). it was worth every penny.
The video and the island feel come from the song being recorded at AIR studios on Montserrat. This was very popular with British acts who could get away from the record label execs and have a holiday in the sun at the same time. It closed after being badly damaged by a hurricane in 1989.
The Police incorporated a lot of Reggae rhythms into their early albums. They also recorded at a famous studio in Montserrat, which is a tiny island in the south Caribbean so the island vibe was there during the process. The studio got wiped out by a hurricane.
Love your reactions, thank you. The instrument Sting is playing at the start is a double bass. He sometimes plays it live, but usually plays the trusty old Fender electric bass. Regardless, he is a master.
Bob Marley's music had a huge impact in the UK in the 70's and influenced whole generations of British fans & musicians to Caribbean and reggae music...
I have always love the drumming of Stewart Copeland. Drummers are not always recognized for their skills.Same goes for Clem Burke from Blondie. Both he and Stewart are great drummers
Wow! Their editor must be an Eisenstein! To be able to put all those clips together, and smooth it out so it sounds like it was recorded at one place, is no easy task. Sting's "Dream of the Blue Turtles" has a hoard of great songs on it. He was their lead singer. Police's "Synchronicity 2" is very groovy too. Great show!
"It's a big enough umbrella, but it's always me that ends up getting wet." Boy that's the truth, isn't it? Many of the Police songs have a reggae sound.
This is from the Police's 4th album 'Ghost in the Machine', In their fifth and final album, their sound changed. (Not for bad or for good, just a change) Their first 3 albums all kinda had the same sound. 'Ghost in the Machine' was a transition album and this song may be one of their best. It still had that raw fun of their first 3 albums, but it had more production, it had some keyboards and steel drums and you could tell this was not one of the police's fun, 3 takes and we put the best take on our album, songs. They took a little time on this song but still kept their energy. Great reaction!
They are from an island United Kingdom. At the time they made this record Ska was very popular in England and probably where the island influence you hear comes from. This entire album is great, it was my first exposure to the Police. The track "One World" is probably my favorite song on the album.
The Police is a group headed by Gordon Sumner aka "Sting". The group is British but this video was set in different locations. Sting does mostly solo performances now.
That "big giant violin thing" is also called a stand up bass or a bull fiddle. The Police started out as a "ska" band which was an English version of reggae (from Jamica). UB40 is also a ska band (Red, Red Wine).
Ska was an English version of reggae? May I point you towards the many Jamaican ska releases on the Trojan label in the 60s & 70s. Sure you got lots of English bands (mainly on the 2 Tone label) reviving ska in the late 70s (including a lot of covers of the 60s originals) but it's roots are pure Jamaican. And UB40 were definitely reggae (the tempo & rhythm make the difference) before they became overly pop. But seriously hunt out stuff on Trojan. As well as ska you'll find the roots of reggae, dub, skinhead & more. Righteous sounds all of it. Happy hunting & enjoy.
The music style you are thinking of is called SKA. Mix of Reggae and Rock/Punk. Bands like No Doubt, Sublime, etc. The police fit the category. Great band.
They recorded this album at Air Studios...on the Caribbean island of Monserrat. It was a wonderful place...but a volcano blew up in the 90s and destroyed the main town on the island. I visited in 1991....and it was a magical place for sure.
Oh and almost forgot. I have been told that Eyoh and Whoioh are the call of the Ethiopian shepherd, and rastas worship Hailie Selasie I the deceased Emporer of Ethiopia as god, and Sting picked that Eyoh up from Bob Marley, if you noticed him calling Eyoh in this song. There are others, for example the song Walking on the Moon.
The Police are all jazz-trained musicians. The lead singer/Bassist, Sting, was a high school teacher when the band first started, so he brings a lot of literary, historical, and mythological references into the lyrics. One of their greatest songs, "Don't Stand So Close To Me", is about a young male teacher who is being pursued in an inappropriate way by an underage female student. Besides perhaps being inspired by his experiences as a teacher, the song also references the novel Lolita, about an older man who becomes obsessed with a young girl, and it leads to his downfall. Another classic by The Police, "Roxanne", is about a young man who falls in love with a prostitute and promises to save her. Sting got the idea for the song when the band played a small show in Amsterdam, near the infamous red light district.
Gorgeous review guys….a lot of their other songs are romantic and quirky. Great choices, I like it when you start to look at the more quirky, underground stuff..
The drummer is American, the other two are British. They consciously decided to create a fusion of raggae and rock. I always love me some Police. Thanks, cats.
I also think there is some jazz influence in there as well, but you're so right it's a fusion of many influences from many different musical types.
@@mattpotter8725 I feel like Copeland's playing influenced a lot of hip-hop drumming too. Those ghost notes on the snare and cymbal work have definitely made their way to guys like ?uestlove.
And Stewart Copeland's Dad was the infamous Miles Copeland of the CIA. His speciality was orchestrating could around the world. Notably Iran in the early 1950s, which led to the Shah's reign until 1979.
Stewart said his drum influence came from middle eastern rhythms. He grew up in Beirut.
@@mattpotter8725 Sting and Andy definitely have jazz influences. Andy played in jazz/R&B/prog bands in the late '60s, Stewart grew up with Middle Eastern rhythms and was in a prog band in the '70s. It's all in there.
All three members are excellent musicians. I've been a drummer for 45 years and I'm floored by Stewart Copeland's playing.
Any "Top XX Drummers" list that doesn't have Copeland in the first 10 is a joke
Definitely an amazing Drummer.
Walking On the Moon and Driven to Tears have some insane drum work!
Another drummer here… Stewart Copeland has always been a huge influence.
As huge as they were (and they were HUGE), it's crazy to think they only produced studio LP's from 78 - 83, alittle over 5 yrs!
*At 7:06 Lex says something remarkable. “It was in the 80s, when people still had Hope”. Bring back the Hope!
Or as The Crystal Method and Obama said "keep hope alive!".
I haven't thought of it that way, but it's kind of true, and is just about one of the saddest things I've heard from a young person 💔
@@lindazee the '70s and ' early '80s we just fought our way out of the First Energy climate hoax. I was a young man then and I was there it was hard.seems like I'll be fighting for the same things again, against some of the same people in this government. fight for what's right they're still hope.
In the 80s we had Steve Jobs, Johnny Cash, and Bob Hope. Now we have no Jobs, no Cash, and no Hope. Please don't let anything happen to Kevin Bacon.
@@edminchau811 hahaha 😆 😂 🤣 I needed that. Sometimes we need to laugh at our circumstances. That was a good one! 👍 ( P.S. I'm borrowing it to share with friends.)
Playing a standup bass the Police is a total vibe, hell Sting is a total vibe.
Yes, to play stand up bass with a bow, or bass at all, and sing lead. That cannot be easy.
The Police are a vibe but I think Stewart Copeland brings much of the vibe. Such an amazing drummer
Check out the bbc doc from 81 with Jools Holland interviewing the band in Monserrat. It's awesome. That bass Sting is playing was custom built for him. He talks about it and him and Jools play a little jazzy number together
The name Sting gave to the double bass was ‘Brian’
The police are one of my favorite bands. Stewart Copeland is recognized as one of the best drummers ever, Andy Summers is a subtle but brilliant guitarist, and Sting is a great composer, songwriter, singer with a unique voice. They were only together for six or seven years, but made some great, timeless music.
I agree 100%. We were very fortunate they got together. One of the greatest bands ever.
Their initial peak recording career may have only been six or seven years, but counting reunions they were actually together longer than that. I saw them during their farewell tour in about 2008 or 2009. Great show. Elvis Costello opened for them.
Yes Stewart is the man.
25 years ago my roommate was obssessed with Police. He used to listen to them a lot and got me hooked too. I heard this song so many times back then and probably haven't heard it since, but this is the first time i've been actively aware of that synth line. This song has always been about the drums for me. Strange how one's perception of sound changes.
You should watch Rick Beato What Makes This Song Great (this song name). He isolates the tracks and you’ll hear things that you missed the last thousand times you heard it. It’s really good.
@@Hornsfan64 I love Rick's channel! I'm hearing songs like never before. The track isolation he does is EVERYTHING! There are so many nuances that are missed once the song is mixed. I want a soundboard (or whatever that engineering piece is called) so I can do that to numerous songs. I actually haven't watched his vid on this song, so I'm going to check it out now!! 😍
There's piano scattered in there too. It's beautifully arranged with several layers of instrumentation. The drums are coming' in HOTT! tho (and I love it). Copeland is a beast.
The island where the album and this video were recorded is called Montserrat, and a few years later suffered a huge volcanic eruption that covered most of the island in ash. Sting, aka Gordon Sumner, is playing an Upright Bass, with a bow at times, very old school. Stewart Copeland on Drums and Andy Summer on Guitar are both tip top musicians. Sting and Andy are English and Stewart is from the USA.
The synthesized flute sound in the chorus makes the song sound like Carnivale!
One of my favorites. Stewart Copeland's drums make this song for me.
Yes, they are so tight.
YES! The man can do compex polyrhythms with ease along with strange timing signatures.
What about their songs Walking on the Moon and Driven to Tears? Stewart's drum work is magnificent!
@@WilliamTheMovieFan Yes it is, he was what drew me into the band.
@@WilliamTheMovieFan I'm a guitar player but Stewart is my favorite drummer. The beginning of Too much information is insane.
The video was shot in the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean, they used to record in a studio there called AIR.
This was my song for my first real girlfriend in the mid 80's. I was head over heels and she was my first thought when I would wake up in the morning. I would often put this song on while getting ready. It's still my song for her 37 yrs later (& kids & grandkids too!)
The instrument Sting is playing in the video is a double bass, with a bow (more classical) instead of plucking it with fingers (more jazz). It's for show, and is not real. In the actual song he plays the usual electric bass. One of The Police's inspirations was a band called The Beat (or The English Beat for Americans), which is a great ska band that I highly recommend you listen to. Ska as a style is the predecessor to reggae.
Yeah, these three were the Bomb in the late '70s/early '80s. WALKING ON THE MOON, SYNCHRONICITY II, DON'T STAND SO CLOSE, WRAPPED AROUND YOUR FINGER, MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE and this song are among my favorites.
They are a British band, reggae and ska had a huge influence on British music and British bands who began in the 70s. A sub genre that came out of that was called 2 tone
"I have to tell the story of a thousand rainy days since we first met" - that line was like an addiction for Sting. It's laced through several Police songs, and even in his solo stuff he did later.
Every cake you bake, every leg you brake... 😆
It's always me that ends up getting wet is the obligatory correlate to your supposite.
Well done!
Also from this album: "Invisible Sun" and "Spirits in the Material World."
Absolutely this!
I second this
I’m 70 years old and I grew up int the most prolific time in music. I would not trade a minute. I was and am a Motown Sound guy. Love anything from the Detroit sound. My second type of music was The Beach Boys. Was not much of a metal head. Love the walk through memory lane for me. You guy’s are so cute together!🧸👍❤️
Filmed in Montserrat before the volcano blew. I was there a little after this in 1982 and our motel was on side of volcano( we didn't know). The locals told us the Police did the record at Air Studio on the island built by the Beatles.
The Police are great. The fade-out is an underrated and lost art in the studio as far as ending a song. For me, fade-out endings inspire me to repeat songs the most because you feel like it never really ended in the studio, so you want to keep jamming like it was intended. Kind of like a dream you don’t want to wake up from, so you try to go back to sleep - hoping you jump back in.
This song was used in the Movie The Wedding Singer. Their song 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' was used in the TV Programme Friends for Joey's STD Poster Ad. Every Breath You Take was used in the TV Programme Stranger Things.
Sting did an interview, for Much Music (Canadian version of MTV). In the Interview he stated that when this video came out, video's were new, there was no set plan, or direction for the video so they basically hand fun, and frolicked around.
Yeah, they do have a pretty unique flavor Lex. That stand up bass def contributes to distinctive sound. Stuart's drumming is always stellar and this track is no exception; but the piano actually makes this song for me. Witnessing Copeland play live in 1984 was one of my all time favorite concert experiences. Love these guys
I agree with you about the piano. Is Sting playing piano on this?
@@Noelle0026 Pretty sure they brought in a session guy
This was recorded at Air Studios on the Caribbean 8sland of Montserrat. The video was also filmed there. You should look at the movie "Under the Volcano" for the story of the studio.
The Police were my go to jams in the early 80s. Bringing punk, ska and rock all together. Influencing bands such as another favourite, Rush, who All had great respect for the Police. Such a great group of musicians. Stewart Copland is a tremendous drummer.
"It's a big enough umbrella, but it's always me that ends up getting wet."
I love this song; it's... magic. If you liked this, you'll also like The Police: "Wrapped Around Your Finger."
That is a great lyric.
The 95% of the song is about how wonderful this woman is. Then they sneak in this one line, talking about how imperfect she is.
I can't think of any other band would approach it that way.
@@robbob5302 Not sure if we are reading the line the same way. I always thought it was *her* umbrella. It's big enough for 2, but he never got the courage up to ask her to share it.
@@BalbazaktheGreat
I always heard it as she was being selfish. But maybe you are right.
Or King of Pain.
Been there! 😉
My favorite band. I don’t think you can go wrong reacting to any song on this album.
Invisible Sun is awesome and dark. Love that one
Are you safe, Miss Gradinko?
Even the beginning of this song the echo of the past rubbles up. I remember you bridge and the golden field I walked thru as the sun set across it. a era that only a few where touched
My big sister gave this cassette to me on my birthday when I was young. I had no idea who they were, and little did she know she would shape my musical taste for over 40 more years.
You guys should check out "Spirits in the Material World" by the Police. Underrated little tune
Its chorus is musically kind of a slightly darker version of this song. Well, there are similarities at least lol. Love both songs tho!
"Invisible Sun" even more underrated.
Absolutely!That song is a total vibe!
Yes, my favorite song of theirs!
I love that song, too!
On their reunion tour , they did a show at the River Plate 🏟️. And that's the one that ended up on DVD .
My favorite song by my favorite band. Straight Lydian bass line. Such a strong melody. New musical ideas in the fade out. No one else does that.
Yes , from the islands. ( British Isles ) !! Definitely a reggae influenced group .
I really like the upright bass work, here, both plucked and bowed. It has a lovely, deep resonance to it.
Man...all police/sting music at my parents' 1980s BBQs. My childhood. Love all of their albums. Classics forever!
GREAT song. I especially love Stewart Copeland’s drumming on this track
The Police were British/American, but they fused many influences in their music.
Great band that stands up over time
Listen to “Invisible Sun”
One of their albums is "Regatta de Blanc" which basically translates to "white reggae".
As huge as they were (and they were HUGE), it's crazy to think they only produced studio LP's from 78 - 83, alittle over 5 yrs!
Same trajectory as Classic Van Halen
Police, Peter Gabriel, and many more recognized the African and Island sound had good tempo and blended with progressive rock well. Amazing music came out of this period of music especially Talking Heads!
Sting: "Lads, I want us to be the breakfast potatoes of rock."
Stewart Copeland: "I totally understand what you mean by those words, and I agree."
You just have no idea how absolutely COOL they were!! Such a vibe and super fresh. Saw them in 1983, my first concert. I was 12 and it was amazing.
They are a great blend of rock, reggae, and jazz. Making a unique sound of their own. They sound just as good live as they do on the albums.
Always loved The Police, and I think this is my favorite song of theirs.
The Police were post punk, with lots of ska feel to their early tracks. Ska music was born of reggae with rock vibes blended in, so The Police have a reggae/punk/rock sound which you can also hear in tracks like The Clash's "Train In Vain" or Sham 69 or early Pretenders songs. Some amazing early Police songs include "So Lonely" and "Canary In The Coalmine" or "Can't Stand Losing You."
Actually is the other way around. Ska was born first in Jamaica, then rocksteady an then Reggae. Ska was instrumental at first.
This is the song that made my 15-year-old self go out and spend my own money on my first LP. Blessings to you both; you are wonderful at this, and complement each other so beautifully.
When The Police started they were setting out to be a punk band. During the early punk years in London (1970s), Reggae was becoming popular amongst those in the punk scene. Listen to The Police's first album and you will still hear the punk part of their sound . . . the Reggae influence sort of edged out the punk side to a degree, though as they developed their sound.
Stuart Copeland set his drum kit up in reverse to give it a reggae sound.
They also went to AIR Montserrat to record this album, the Caribbean was a strong influence on this album and more of their music.
@@alexo5861 It was my era, coming from Camden Town I saw all the bands at the local clubs. The Police being one of them.
Nothing Achieving off the first single is still one of my favorite Police songs. I bought an IRS compilation many years ago called These People Are Nuts and that was the first song. Still incredible all these years later and very punk-sounding.
I think the 'Island' vibe comes from that they recorded a lot on Montserrat which was a bit of a destination back in the day for them, Eric Clapton, and Duran Duran I think.
They are from the UK but the drummer is American. They have that Reggae Ska vibe in a lot of their music.
Sting is the lead singer. He’s amazing. They are English New Wave. i guess could catalog it that way.
Stewart Copeland is American.
LOVE that Sting is playing an upright bass on this tune!
They are definitely a vibe and really hit it out of the park with their blend of raggae and progressive rock with very dynamic songs as a result.
Some artists/bands just transcend generations.
The Police have a few "Whoa, where did THAT come from?" songs.... "Mother", in particular.
But by and large the Police are just amazing. The musical complexity, the lyrics, the vibe in general.
Scalloped Potatoes, Home Fries and the Police..?? LOL Only Lex can give you such strange analogy but that's what makes her SPECIAL....!!! Love it...!! Peace
The lead singer/bass player is Sting (Gordon Sumner) and the drummer is Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers is the guitarist. The Police were a British rock band influenced a lot of a different styles of music like rock, jazz, Ska, reggae, etc.! Sting has a huge solo career that started in the mid eighties after the police broke up!❤️❤️
Punk, new wave, too especially.
@@jeffreekoch9298 yes, absolutely!
@@GinaGeeILuvu Loved that band, I think we all did 😁
This band was the very first concert I ever went to. However, at this age...i dont recall much of it.
Love it - I saw the Police live in 1977/78 on a UK promotional tour for their first hit single 'Roxanne'. It was a medium size venue, and it was packed, everyone obviously heard the buzz about this great new band... Lex, they were the hot new potatoes on the block. React to Roxanne next on your Police deep dive.
They already did a react to Roxanne song.
By far the best work ever done with the hi-hat cymbals.
Copeland did a lot of overdubbing, though
In answer to your question about where the Police are from. Sting (bassist and lead singer) and Andy Summers (guitar) are from the north of England and drummer Stewart Copeland is from Washington DC, although he had a very cosmopolitan upbringing. The band burst on the the UK scene in the late 70s with a sound that combined punk and reggae influences. All three are musical geniuses in their own ways.
Late 70's early 80's British music had a ton of reggae influences - it was everywhere
Police are from London, England. The lead singer, Sting, is English. The lead guitar, Andy Summers, is English. The drums, Stewart Copeland is American. This band was "HUGE" in the 80' and early 90's.
That IS some mighty fine drumming, never really appreciated it enough! Can't wait until you'lll react to "Bring on the night", my favourite song of theirs.
To sum up the comments, Lex's analogies are awesome, The Police are English/American band in love with Reggae and Ska, and Sting is playing a double bass.
Love this song....my 3rd concert ever was The Police in 1982 (with fantastic opener Oingo Boingo)...they were huge and show was amazing.....the Ghost in The Machine album is perfect
Stewart Copeland has actually composed dozens of well known movie soundtracks
The Equalizer series from 1980s.
For a small Island, Britain produced an absolute ton of amazing groups like this.. 60s 70s 80s.. the brit music invasion..
I heard an interesting and kinda funny story about Sting and this song. I may not have the exact details right, but when he was writing this he hit a huge wall with the lyrics in not being able to figure out how to follow up on the word "magic". He finally got it and went berserk, running into the studio yelling "tragic, tragic!" Or maybe he just called the other guys and yelled it over the phone. 🤷♂️ Something like that!
The Police were new wave, post-punk, reggae rock. Kind of early ska-punk. Similar to the Payolas, Oingo Boingo, English Beat. The Specials, The Clash, Mighty Bosstones, No Doubt, etc. Brad gots it! Lex kinda does, too. Do more of The Police!The Police were in the late '70s and '80s. Broke up during the '80s and had solo careers. Many good songs and video from them. Yes, punk, new wave bands and ska, reggae bands hung out together a lot back then at same smaller clubs for gigs and same audiences. Like UK, NYC, LA, DC, etc. They grew up together in the underground scene, same college, underground radio stations, too. Also early rap music, too. That's why there were so much influences and fusions among them. That's how you get all of those offshoots like reggae rock, ska-punk, new wave, etc. Notice how a lot of post-punk, new wave had good rhythmic danceable bass guitars? It's usually funk and reggae roots influence. 🎸
All are very talented. That interview on Rick Beato's channel with Sting was amazing. Beato - "What do you play to practice?" Sting - "Bach"
That "big violin" is a standup bass. Stewart Copeland (drummer) is from Washington D.C., but Sting (bass, vocals) and Andy Summers (guitar) are from England so, technically, they're from an island. And it's possible that their music sounds like it's from the islands because they play a lot of reggae and ska beats.
Their reunion tour of 2007 was the most expensive concert I ever attended. It cost me $300 a ticket ( list price not scalped). it was worth every penny.
Copeland was a serious drummer. One of the best. That big violin😂👍is actually called the double bass.
The video and the island feel come from the song being recorded at AIR studios on Montserrat. This was very popular with British acts who could get away from the record label execs and have a holiday in the sun at the same time. It closed after being badly damaged by a hurricane in 1989.
AIR Studios was founded By George Martin and other producers.
The Police incorporated a lot of Reggae rhythms into their early albums. They also recorded at a famous studio in Montserrat, which is a tiny island in the south Caribbean so the island vibe was there during the process. The studio got wiped out by a hurricane.
the chorus is clearly influenced by Calypso, another caribbean style different from reggae, you can even see typical calypso percussions in the video
"The Bed's Too Big Without You" is epic. IMHO they really paid their reggae dues with that one.
Love your reactions, thank you. The instrument Sting is playing at the start is a double bass. He sometimes plays it live, but usually plays the trusty old Fender electric bass. Regardless, he is a master.
Those guys, and Sting solo, can write hits in any genre they choose.
The Police. True GOAT band.
Bob Marley's music had a huge impact in the UK in the 70's and influenced whole generations of British fans & musicians to Caribbean and reggae music...
I have always love the drumming of Stewart Copeland. Drummers are not always recognized for their skills.Same goes for Clem Burke from Blondie. Both he and Stewart are great drummers
"Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" is literally magic. 😊
That last 80s stream was so good. All 10 songs were solid. I'm usually lucky to hear 2 songs I like in a stream, if that.
It was! Nothing, but new wave punk and alternative . lol. For once no hair bands (hard rock) won a poll that night.
Wow! Their editor must be an Eisenstein! To be able to put all those clips together, and smooth it out so it sounds like it was recorded at one place, is no easy task.
Sting's "Dream of the Blue Turtles" has a hoard of great songs on it. He was their lead singer.
Police's "Synchronicity 2" is very groovy too. Great show!
The Police are one of those bands you can only imitate. They are so unique that getting anywhere close to that style would be seen as copying them
"It's a big enough umbrella, but it's always me that ends up getting wet." Boy that's the truth, isn't it? Many of the Police songs have a reggae sound.
White Reggae was the term back in the Reggatta de Blanc
This is from the Police's 4th album 'Ghost in the Machine', In their fifth and final album, their sound changed. (Not for bad or for good, just a change) Their first 3 albums all kinda had the same sound. 'Ghost in the Machine' was a transition album and this song may be one of their best. It still had that raw fun of their first 3 albums, but it had more production, it had some keyboards and steel drums and you could tell this was not one of the police's fun, 3 takes and we put the best take on our album, songs. They took a little time on this song but still kept their energy.
Great reaction!
They are from an island United Kingdom. At the time they made this record Ska was very popular in England and probably where the island influence you hear comes from. This entire album is great, it was my first exposure to the Police. The track "One World" is probably my favorite song on the album.
Sting and Andy Summers are from the UK. Stewart Copeland is from the USA. So I guess you could say they are a majority UK band.
I saw their last UK concert in Hyde Park, magic day!
The Police is a group headed by Gordon Sumner aka "Sting". The group is British but this video was set in different locations. Sting does mostly solo performances now.
The Police as musical Skillet Fries - Lex, your musical analogies never cease to amaze.
Brad getting sentimental & Lex not realizing he's about to drop a compliment on her is so sweet. I can't take it.
In the 70s and 80s raggae and Ska were really big in England so many bands were influenced by it (The Police, The English Beat, Madness etc…)
even stronger island vibe check out Walking on the Moon, really cant go wrong with any Police song
British artists ... dominating popular music for the last 60 years
"The Police are a vibe." Big facts, Brad......big facts
That "big giant violin thing" is also called a stand up bass or a bull fiddle. The Police started out as a "ska" band which was an English version of reggae (from Jamica). UB40 is also a ska band (Red, Red Wine).
Ska was an English version of reggae? May I point you towards the many Jamaican ska releases on the Trojan label in the 60s & 70s. Sure you got lots of English bands (mainly on the 2 Tone label) reviving ska in the late 70s (including a lot of covers of the 60s originals) but it's roots are pure Jamaican.
And UB40 were definitely reggae (the tempo & rhythm make the difference) before they became overly pop.
But seriously hunt out stuff on Trojan. As well as ska you'll find the roots of reggae, dub, skinhead & more. Righteous sounds all of it.
Happy hunting & enjoy.
Hi guys ! You seem to be kind people with open minds..Thanks, its refreshing.
The music style you are thinking of is called SKA. Mix of Reggae and Rock/Punk. Bands like No Doubt, Sublime, etc. The police fit the category. Great band.
They recorded this album at Air Studios...on the Caribbean island of Monserrat.
It was a wonderful place...but a volcano blew up in the 90s and destroyed the main town on the island.
I visited in 1991....and it was a magical place for sure.
Oh and almost forgot. I have been told that Eyoh and Whoioh are the call of the Ethiopian shepherd, and rastas worship Hailie Selasie I the deceased Emporer of Ethiopia as god, and Sting picked that Eyoh up from Bob Marley, if you noticed him calling Eyoh in this song. There are others, for example the song Walking on the Moon.
The Police are all jazz-trained musicians. The lead singer/Bassist, Sting, was a high school teacher when the band first started, so he brings a lot of literary, historical, and mythological references into the lyrics. One of their greatest songs, "Don't Stand So Close To Me", is about a young male teacher who is being pursued in an inappropriate way by an underage female student. Besides perhaps being inspired by his experiences as a teacher, the song also references the novel Lolita, about an older man who becomes obsessed with a young girl, and it leads to his downfall. Another classic by The Police, "Roxanne", is about a young man who falls in love with a prostitute and promises to save her. Sting got the idea for the song when the band played a small show in Amsterdam, near the infamous red light district.
Gorgeous review guys….a lot of their other songs are romantic and quirky. Great choices, I like it when you start to look at the more quirky, underground stuff..