I find it interesting to hear the casual applause and cheers in the beginning, but people quickly realizing that they are witnessing something magic and their contribution is not wanted at that particular moment.
Best (most haunting/soulful) version of this tune by far. This was the performance that made me understand that a musician could entertain and connect all by himself with an electric guitar and no band behind him.
Sting was totally at the height of his powers on this night. Did he ever do a better live version of this song ? I doubt it. He has so much energy, reaching that incredibly high range and nailing every note. And he couples his amazing vocal with that understated guitar playing those sublime chords. Amazing.
In 1981, Sting and The Police were continuously fighting and Sting wanted to go off on his own, but didn't know how to do it. It could've gone two ways: Sting as a megalomaniacal popstar coke pirate as seen in the 1982 Gateshead concert on YT. Or as a chill, cool rock-jazz bandleader like in this video at Policemans Ball. He figured it out this night and that's the direction he eventually took as seen in his 1985 solo shows where he reprised Message and Roxanne in the same form for his encore.
Thank you for posting this! i was in high school in Florida in 1982 and I was very unpopular, very lonely. The radio station I listened to played this version all the time and I really connected with it. But since then the only version I could find was the fast version, which is ... OK, but not special like this one. After 8 months stuck at home during this pandemic, I got this song in my head and needed to hear this version. And thanks to you, I now have it!
Pitch perfect. What a voice. Not a dud note anywhere in the whole song. And such unique phrasing. Arguably the best rock voice to come out of the 1970's
When I was in high school in the early 1980s, I listened to a radio station that played this song all the time. Isolated, lonely, bullied, I really related to this song. I had never heard the original version, and when I first heard that years later I thought it wasn't nearly as good. The quiet isolation of his performance, the soft echo through the hall, the gentle guitar, really brings it home. I came across this today while listening to his Russians, which seemed very appropriate right now.
I saw this video before hearing the original Police recording. This was during April 1984 at my two-year college, where I'd been studying theater, literature and history. The TV in the student commons was ALWAYS on MTV --
Absolutely phenomenal performance. The comedy sketches are not the only thing that made The Secret Policeman's Balls great. They are also great for some of the best live performances in history. Pete Townshend's performance of "Pinball Wizard" at The Secret Policeman's Ball is excellent.
My second favourite rendition of this song. My favourite is when he came to town and got up to the mic and his guitar had issues. He said F* it! And started singing acapella and the 16k in attendance started singing with him. It was fantastic.
@@theredheadsaidNYC I just gave away my vinyl of The Secret Policeman’s Ball and the secret Policeman’s other balls to a friend. It’s been out of print for decades.
Back in the days where there were no mobiles and thousands of lights and people dove into the feeling of a concert instead of recording the whole time.
three geniuses with huge egos decided to form a band in the late 70's. this was the result. The Police are one of the top ten rock bands of all time. If not top 5.
Now this beautiful Soul is 71. I've only seen them perform once but thrilling ! The idea is so intelligent : the irony of everyone being a castaway and needing connection and his gorgeous song will always bring tears to my eyes. I think he knew his Shelley and Wordsworth. The only sexy guy I ever knew who was straight ! He is so humble here : he knows what works , Now Stuart looks beautiful and he too kows his worth but is so humble . 2 Great English gentleman !
So excellent. Seamless. Interesting that I just realized that he is playing the harmony guitar part (the second part on the recorded track) as opposed to the figure we all know and love. It gives the song a little more depth with the vocal. Such a strong performance. Sting is on top of the world here. The biggest rock star on the planet at his peak.
I saw and heard this video on MTV in the Student Commons at UW-Waukesha (Wisconsin) during April of 1984. Didn't hear the full Police recording until two years later. Nevertheless, this is Sting's greatest song. And the original record was the Police's finest.
A huge Police fan since 1978 I had the betamax ( who remembers that?) of the Secret Policeman's Balls which is where this happened as part of the Amnesty International fundraiser. Sting also does an intimate version of Roxanne. Sting wasn't even the top name. Jeff Beck, Clapton, and Phil Collins were the featured performers. But Sting stole the show. Even better than the music was the comedy from Monty Python as it was actually a comedy show featuring music. Bob Geldof got his idea for Live Aid from this event as his band Boomtown Rats was in the lineup.
Song is so appropriate for a sketch/ song concert that benefits Amnesty International, the organization calling for the release of political prisoners being unlawfully and cruelly locked up by autocratic regimes globally. SOS indeed.
![Sting - Message in a Bottle [Live,1988]](/img/1.gif)
I always thought this was the absolute best version of this song. The loneliness, the feeling of emotion of the vocals and with the haunting echo.
Wow, you absolutely nailed the feeling and hue of this version and feeling of this performance.
I find it interesting to hear the casual applause and cheers in the beginning, but people quickly realizing that they are witnessing something magic and their contribution is not wanted at that particular moment.
absolute peak without any doubt. His voice is unreal in this version.
HAUNTING echo
This and Roxanne were my favorite versions of those two songs (at this concert).
A song about loneliness as he stands alone performing to a faceless audience. I like this version of Sting.
incredible!
best version of this song hands down... completely pure
i absolutely love this live version; it's totally intimistic
me too.
My favorite version of this timeless song. An incredible proof of why less is sometimes more.
Live Aid 1985
Same here.
No matter how you slice it, this is some pretty majestic shit.
This is timeless. My brother brought home the record when it came out. God bless him.
"shit" would be any "modern" shit that couldn't compare to this talent to save it's life; No apologies!
Say what you like about this guy but you cannot deny he has one of the greatest ever voices in rock...and what a songwriter!
dude's totally my childhood hero
Best (most haunting/soulful) version of this tune by far. This was the performance that made me understand that a musician could entertain and connect all by himself with an electric guitar and no band behind him.
This is why you know of Sting.
Sting was totally at the height of his powers on this night. Did he ever do a better live version of this song ? I doubt it. He has so much energy, reaching that incredibly high range and nailing every note. And he couples his amazing vocal with that understated guitar playing those sublime chords. Amazing.
this is the most beautiful version of this song
Agreed! ❤️
I’ll take this slow version versus the fast one
Crossy Christian I am going to agree with you 👍
The version on "Sting Bring on the night" at the end of that docu was.phenomenal
In 1981, Sting and The Police were continuously fighting and Sting wanted to go off on his own, but didn't know how to do it. It could've gone two ways: Sting as a megalomaniacal popstar coke pirate as seen in the 1982 Gateshead concert on YT. Or as a chill, cool rock-jazz bandleader like in this video at Policemans Ball. He figured it out this night and that's the direction he eventually took as seen in his 1985 solo shows where he reprised Message and Roxanne in the same form for his encore.
You've been Stung!
Woke up this morning with this song in my head.
Absolutely Phenomenal... My favorite performance by Sting of All time... 💖💖💖
Agree.
Before I saw this film in a theater, I had no idea Sting could accompany himself on guitar at this incredible level.
これは映画からのワンシーンなんですか？
Thank you for posting this! i was in high school in Florida in 1982 and I was very unpopular, very lonely. The radio station I listened to played this version all the time and I really connected with it. But since then the only version I could find was the fast version, which is ... OK, but not special like this one. After 8 months stuck at home during this pandemic, I got this song in my head and needed to hear this version. And thanks to you, I now have it!
Pitch perfect. What a voice. Not a dud note anywhere in the whole song. And such unique phrasing. Arguably the best rock voice to come out of the 1970's
I remember they used to play this on MTV
I love Sting and his music. There is no other with that voice!
When I was in high school in the early 1980s, I listened to a radio station that played this song all the time. Isolated, lonely, bullied, I really related to this song. I had never heard the original version, and when I first heard that years later I thought it wasn't nearly as good. The quiet isolation of his performance, the soft echo through the hall, the gentle guitar, really brings it home. I came across this today while listening to his Russians, which seemed very appropriate right now.
This sound, his voice and the words pulled me back together and out from a dark place. Magical. SOS.
I've met him. I've been front row seeing him. But I've never seen this until now and it gives me new and greater respect for him. What a performance.
I still remember seeing this film when it came out in the early ‘80’s, it’s a timeless classic and one of my favorite performances from him…..
I've always loved this version of the song best, stripped down, soul bared, it is so much more poignant this way
One of the greatest solo songs ever. Sting is a god here.
The quintessential version of this amazing song. Sting sings to the heavens and beyond.
That's why I wore out the cassette spooky good
One of my favorite live performances from the 80s. Love those performances FAR more than the Police versions.
Hauntingly beautiful. As amazing as The Police songs are, a lot of them work great as acoustic versions too
I saw this video before hearing the original Police recording.
This was during April 1984 at my two-year college, where I'd been studying theater, literature and history. The TV in the student commons was ALWAYS on MTV --
Right on dude, high school class 1984 myself. The memories man, the greatest memories ever.
Seen this once on MTV a gazillion years ago my fav performance of this song 🎧🔥🔥🔥
Everything is powerful here, singing, playing, guitar, sound, colors, camera angles, everything...
Hard to believe he was a kid here. Hauntingly beautiful.
Hardly a kid, about 30 here.. he had a career as a teacher before the police, crazy to think! Make sense since he is a maestro of songwriting
Absolutely phenomenal performance. The comedy sketches are not the only thing that made The Secret Policeman's Balls great. They are also great for some of the best live performances in history. Pete Townshend's performance of "Pinball Wizard" at The Secret Policeman's Ball is excellent.
My second favourite rendition of this song. My favourite is when he came to town and got up to the mic and his guitar had issues. He said F* it! And started singing acapella and the 16k in attendance started singing with him. It was fantastic.
is this recorded anywhere?
@@theredheadsaidNYC I just gave away my vinyl of The Secret Policeman’s Ball and the secret Policeman’s other balls to a friend.
It’s been out of print for decades.
My favorite rendition of this song, so clean and pure.
This is how I want to remember Sting. Not the later years.
This is the best version of this song. Hands down. Fight me! Lol.
Tea in the Sahara riffs. Amazing! 🤘😎
I love how he would throw a song riff at the end of other songs. Such a Sting thing!
Back in the days where there were no mobiles and thousands of lights and people dove into the feeling of a concert instead of recording the whole time.
I do concur.👍
Saw this on Night Flight in the 80s. Still the best version.
I've shown this to grown men...and the tears in their eyes...
three geniuses with huge egos decided to form a band in the late 70's. this was the result. The Police are one of the top ten rock bands of all time. If not top 5.
So Beautiful, I love this song, the most wonderful voice!
I like this version better than the faster paced one with the whole band. Outstanding!
Oh, and two people are not sending out an SOS
Loretta Compher 4 people now!
I love this could listen to it all day
Who is listening to this banger in 2021?
me
I was 23 years old. Where are you now, young boy ? Glorius days...
This is when the world realized how absolutely talented sting was / is !
The 2nd single ( vinyl ) I ever purchased, what a time to be alive...
I became a Sting fan one night at 3AM when MTV played this video. It was around 1984. Then saw a similar version on Bring on the Night.
Now this beautiful Soul is 71. I've only seen them perform once but thrilling ! The idea is so intelligent : the irony of everyone being a castaway and needing connection and his gorgeous song will always bring tears to my eyes. I think he knew his Shelley and Wordsworth. The only sexy guy I ever knew who was straight ! He is so humble here : he knows what works , Now Stuart looks beautiful and he too kows his worth but is so humble . 2 Great English gentleman !
such soul.. wow
Haunting and timeless
I remember this popping up on MTV now and then. Always took notice of it. It sounds even better today than I remembered.
So excellent. Seamless. Interesting that I just realized that he is playing the harmony guitar part (the second part on the recorded track) as opposed to the figure we all know and love. It gives the song a little more depth with the vocal. Such a strong performance. Sting is on top of the world here. The biggest rock star on the planet at his peak.
He was around 30 here and he turns 70 this year, holy shit!
perfection...forty years later!!!!!!
Best version ever
dang what happend to this beautiful irreplacable work of art.
What a VOICE!!!!!!!!!!
1 man 1 guitar 1 message.
still my favorite version of this song.
Sting for me is The Musician 😊
definitely still the best version of this song
"Love can mend your life, but move can break your heart." Has there ever been a more profound & true lyric sung in a song before or after?
"This song gives me a buzz may bee it beecause it's Sting."
1 of the most BADASS performances of all time!
The Best Spiritual Song A Payer Period 🧘🏻♂️🙌🏻❤️ Humanity ought to be Shared and Celebrated instead of Studied, Classified, Categorized, etc.
my favorite live version of the song.
Insanely legendary performance so jealous I was not there to hear and see this live.
I saw and heard this video on MTV in the Student Commons at UW-Waukesha (Wisconsin) during April of 1984.
Didn't hear the full Police recording until two years later.
Nevertheless, this is Sting's greatest song. And the original record was the Police's finest.
So beautiful ❤
incredible
John Mayer saw this and was like hold my beer but this is waaay better
That's a fantastic version
Great performance.
Haunting...brilliant...legendary
A huge Police fan since 1978 I had the betamax ( who remembers that?) of the Secret Policeman's Balls which is where this happened as part of the Amnesty International fundraiser. Sting also does an intimate version of Roxanne. Sting wasn't even the top name. Jeff Beck, Clapton, and Phil Collins were the featured performers. But Sting stole the show. Even better than the music was the comedy from Monty Python as it was actually a comedy show featuring music. Bob Geldof got his idea for Live Aid from this event as his band Boomtown Rats was in the lineup.
other than the album, this is the version...amazing 👌🙌
O Mais Versátil Músico, a mais linda e doce voz 🙏🕊❤️🔥
Adorável e encantador 🙌♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
awesome timeless
25 04 2021. Thank you for the link!
i'll take this Version over all other Live Versions. Just Incredible
Damn, I love this version.
Nice quality !
Sooooooooo friggin great
Yes sir, absolutely fantastic
Hope some genuine talent like this will be born soonish....
Quite possibly his finest performance of all time
Sting is so unique.
2023... Still
Sensational!
Classic perfect
I was three live blew my mind
Amazing live singing. Go England!
La mejor versión que escuche de sting
my love, so wondrous
Song is so appropriate for a sketch/ song concert that benefits Amnesty International, the organization calling for the release of political prisoners being unlawfully and cruelly locked up by autocratic regimes globally. SOS indeed.
Melhor versão ao vivo.
brasileiro tbm escuta musica boa né mano.
@@elias-rx2dt com certeza irmão!!
Best of the best
Talk about stand and deliver !...