OT - Drums on DOTBT was actually Synclavier?

[TheEqualizer]

A well known drummer on another website posted the following on a thread that originally discussed whether or not Dave Grohl's drum sound on Nevermind came courtesy of Pro Tools:

QUOTE

Actually you've made me think of a similar thing. I heard a Jeff Porcaro tape where he's talking to some students and he claims that all of Sting's first solo album was basically programmed on a Synclavier using Omar Hakim's samples.

Who am I to doubt Jeff - but it doesn't sound that way to me. Maybe it was just one or two tracks?

END QUOTE

While I agree that there is no way all of the drums on Dream of the Blue Turtles was programmed, any opinions whether some of the song may have?

[ltwoman]

I will dust off my copy of Dream Of The Blue Turtles and get back to you about that. Hmm. Very interesting.

I like Omar, but I bet the Sting was already missing Stewart...

[animal]

Not sure, but if this is anything to go by for Childrens Crusade you Gotta love Omar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKYbHmBkzAw

[Krokodyle]

Did the original article claim that the album itself was made using the samples & Sync? Could it have been that some of the demos/rough tracks were made that way and that's how the claim got merit?

[thedaner]

[quote="TheEqualizer"]

QUOTE

Actually you've made me think of a similar thing. I heard a Jeff Porcaro tape where he's talking to some students and he claims that all of Sting's first solo album was basically programmed on a Synclavier using Omar Hakim's samples.

Who am I to doubt Jeff - but it doesn't sound that way to me. Maybe it was just one or two tracks?

END QUOTE

While I agree that there is no way all of the drums on Dream of the Blue Turtles was programmed, any opinions whether some of the song may have?[/quote]

I think Jeff Porcaro was getting his story a little screwy. I remember a lengthly Musician mag article written by Vic Garbarini on the formation of the Blue Turtles band. In one section, Sting plays Omar his demo for "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" and sampled Hakim's drums from either "Let's Dance" or the stuff he did on Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms" (I can't remember which). Omar asked Sting who was drumming and Sting replied "It's you." then went on to explain that he sampled him from one of those recordings.

[Krokodyle]

I think Jeff Porcaro was getting his story a little screwy. I remember a lengthly Musician mag article written by Vic Garbarini on the formation of the Blue Turtles band. In one section, Sting plays Omar his demo for "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" and sampled Hakim's drums from either "Let's Dance" or the stuff he did on Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms" (I can't remember which). Omar asked Sting who was drumming and Sting replied "It's you." then went on to explain that he sampled him from one of those recordings.

So you're saying that Sting used a sample of Omar's drumming for at least one demo for "Dream..."

I'd like to read that Musician article. Any ideas on the time it came out?

[thedaner]

That is what I'm saying--he used Omar for that demo. I highly doubt that Omar was replaced by the Synclavier on the album. I also think that Sting either thought the drum sounds were cool to sample for the demo, or he just wanted to impress Omar with the sampling capabilities at that time--or both.

I have tried to find that article. If memory serves, it was multi-part, spread out over 2 or 3 issues. Unfortunately, Musician is no more, as it was sold to Billboard and now the mag itself is kaput. Trying to find it online with no results. Hoping that a Sting fan site has posted it--of course if Stingchronicity was still around, it would be available.

[thedaner]

[quote="Krokodyle"][quote="thedaner"]I think Jeff Porcaro was getting his story a little screwy. I remember a lengthly Musician mag article written by Vic Garbarini on the formation of the Blue Turtles band. In one section, Sting plays Omar his demo for "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" and sampled Hakim's drums from either "Let's Dance" or the stuff he did on Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms" (I can't remember which). Omar asked Sting who was drumming and Sting replied "It's you." then went on to explain that he sampled him from one of those recordings.[/quote]

So you're saying that Sting used a sample of Omar's drumming for at least one demo for "Dream..."

I'd like to read that Musician article. Any ideas on the time it came out?[/quote]

I think the issue was from 1985. I don't remember if it came out before DOTBT was released or not. All I know is that it was a pretty detailed account of Sting finding the guys, auditioning, rehearsing, etc.

[thedaner]

Okay, I think the article is on Sting's official site. However, this link:

http://www.sting.com/features/blueturtles/index.php

requires member login, of which I do not have. If anyone is a member and can graciously reprint the article somewhere that would be very cool. I'm fairly positive this is the article I'm talking about.

UPDATE: you don't need a membership to access articles. I was wrong.

[thedaner]

FOUND IT!!! Got my quotes between Sting and Omar wrong (coming from memory) but I was close:

Sting invites Kenny to try out the Synclavier. As the program engages the synth lines to 'Set Them Free' fill the room. The computer's printer begins to chatter, and as fascinated band members gather around, it spews out the song's sheet music. "It'll notate anything you play," explains Sting. "Plus it's got 32-track digital memory, which is like having a recording studio.

"I do find if you use machines solely, you lose that human dimension," he admits. "So if I'm playing a sequence or using a LinnDrum I'll always play some of the parts manually, in order to inject a bit of personality. Fingers can find things that machines never will." "Is that a LinnDrum on Set Them Free?" Omar asks. Sting looks sheepish. "Uh, Omar, did you play on Bowie's 'Let's Dance' single?" "Yeah," beams Hakim. "That's me." "Well, then that's you on the Set Them Free demo too." Omar looks baffled. "We sampled your drum part and used it," Sting confesses. "It was perfect."

Here's the link to the article:

http://www.sting.com/news/interview.php?uid=1542