Did Sting really appreciate Stewart and Andy?

[georgygirl]

-So Lonely.

I feel so Lonely...

Who doesn't?

[Hannaha]

Great GREAT interview. It brings up a question for me though...

So many times now Stewart has expressed his regret at the way he argued with Sting, and Andy too always seems very circumspect about it. They both seem very good natured and forgiving about it all. In all the interviews I have seen and read with Sting he still seems a little unforgiving at best about The Police and, at worst, bitter, despite his subsequent global super-stardom. I know there are a few Sting officionados on here as well as SC fans, does anyone know if Sting has ever publicly expressed any similar sentiments to those expressed by Stewart with regard to their behaviour during arguments in The Police?

[Fefi]

Really interesting interview. Thank you for the link!!!

[Divemistress of the Dark]

I'm sure there are details we haven't heard thoroughly - like the tension over Sting's higher payments as the songwriter on a few tracks. Also, you have to figure that the guys must continue to work together, if only to work out details on royalties and whatnot. It's in everyone's interest that they get along.

But, I do have to admit I think Sting has some piper-paying to do. He went solo because everyone kept telling him how wonderful he is (in my humble opinion) and tried to leave the guys behind, after that band put him where he is. What does he expect? Stewart's assessment is probably correct, but we'll probably not ever know why Sting won't just suck it up and play the occasional gig with Andy and Stewart.

(My personal assessment is that he thinks he'll suffer by comparison. Andy can really shred; I was just watching the Hatfield '79 show and ho, golly. Stewart is out playing with Oysterhead, which is very au curant...meanwhile, Sting's new album is getting panned and his formula seems to be getting stale. He probably wishes he were Bono.

I don't hate Sting, far from it, but I've been very disappointed in his career choices. And I'm tired of reading celebrity articles about his fabulous life.)

[georgygirl]

Bleh!

In my opinion, no matter if someone have a partner, the lonely feeling is always inside the I of many people...



With the lyirics of this song (So Lonley), Sting did it very good, but it converts into masterpiece thanks to Stewart's, Gordon's and Andy's interpretation

Clap clap

[blueboy]

So Lonely is probably a good example of the influence Stewart and Andy had on Sting's material.

The original Last Exit song that the So Lonely lyrics came from was kind of lame. If Stewart hadn't lent Sting his Bob Marley records, the So Lonely we know and love wouldn't have ever been created.

The fact that Sting had to "compromise" his songs by conforming them to the current musical environment, and a new band, is what brought out the "magic".

[Mrs. Gradenko]

Yeah the Last Exit version really did suck in comparison.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

(Where are you guys getting your hands on this stuff...?)

[Mrs. Gradenko]

You want some Last exit songs?

[georgygirl]

No thanks Mrs. Gradenko.

So Lonely with The Police interpretarion is quite good for me, don't interested in known about the roots from the song...

[alex]

Wow, this is a really great topic!. Thanks for posting it Blueboy. In what will soon be retrospect, I should not be posting after the amount of beer I was associated with this evening (contact buzz, you know)

Did Sting feel resentful towards Stewart? I say yes... and no (beer makes me wishy washy) In my very humble opinion, Sting realizes he never would have made the big time without Stewart. I think it's common knowledge that Sting would have become the next great Domenic Miller for Billy Ocean if not for an intervention by Stewart (not that I wouldn't take his salary!) From what I've read, Stewart always had to put band-aids on the band in the beginning to stop the bleeding. I can relate, haha.

When things finally started working out for The Police, it happenned very quickly. As a singer/songwriter (if I was one) I would naturally assume that it was all due to me. I mean, I am the "face" of the band. I write the songs, etc. So, I could see myself having major problems with anyone tampering with what I wrote after Regatta, when they truely became famous. Even though you have two great albums behind you, with a lot of help from Andy and Stewart, the real hits were, Roxanne, Message, and Walking. And from my not intulectual understanding (see spelling of intulectual for confirmation) were Sting songs. Intellectual? I might have got it, hahha. Back to the point.

Add to that, the fact that I am positive people were on Sting all the time to go solo, just like Francis was bugging Stewart for Rumblefish, and Fripp was on Andy. All these very famous people in their own right, trying to ride the Police wave. How many tickets could Rumblefish sell based on Stewart doing the soundtrack at the time? I would say, 100's of thousands, again just my opinion. How many albums could Fripp sell by having Andy co-star? About 20 times as many (not my humble opinion)

Sorry for the very long post ( I recently found the whisky, hahha) I think Stewart and Andy really want to give the fans what they sooooo want. Sing won't. In my opinion, because he thinks he still has all The Police fans. He doesn't. I'll still buy all his stuff, but it's out of courtesy. Because I love what he did in the past. The fact is, his last three cd's are still in plastic ( I buy them for the shame I have in my bootleg cd's, sorry Stewart) As far as Stewart and Andy go........ I saw the premeire of Everyone Stares with the AUI group in Toronto. I also bought it the first day of release, as well as Andy's book. I buy Sting's stuff when I get a moment. It's mostly for the collection. I'd have to hate to pay more for it on ebay 10 years from now, hahah. Take care all.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Honestly? I haven't bought a Sting record in at least a dozen years. I think my last one was "Nothing Like the Sun"...which isn't to say I don't appreciate the odd single I hear on the XM, but frankly, there are enough lite-rock purveyors already available on my radio dial. I haven't heard him do anything that truly rocked, or was about anything very complex, in a pretty long time. I understand Soul Cages or Broken Music may have been that, but Sting's competing for time on my ITunes with artists like Oysterhead, Nick Lowe, Neko Case, Edith Piaf, Nina Simone, Bebel Gilberto, Jorge Ben, Alex Chilton, & Wilco...any of of which (sorry, Sting) I'd rather listen to.

Now, if someone here whose judgment I trust tells me to run out and buy one of Sting's solos, I'd probably do it.

[georgygirl]

My last Sting's record was Let's your soul be your pilot.

Anyway I still love his voice and more when he sang tunes with The Police.