Random Tea in the Sahara comment

[TheEqualizer]

This is probably not worth a new thread, but whatever.

So I was in a really grumpy mood this morning. So I put on Synchronicity. Synch II helped. Miss Cradenko helped. But man, STEWART's playing in Tea in the Sahara. Just divine. I think I will be able to make it through the day.

[Howstupidmrbates]

Makes absolute perfect sense to me!

The guys have always had the ability to put you in a great mood! Feeling low? Put on some Sting, Andy & Stew and feel yourself rise!!!!!! Lift up!

[secretjourneyranch]

...and some of the live versions are just unequaled in the percussive history of the world...

[TheEqualizer]

Any particular version/performance you'd recommend?

[Funio]

Any particular version/performance you'd recommend?

Seek ye Hawaii 1984.02.25 - fantastic soundboard recording of a great performance. This is a tune that really developed nicely as the Synchronicity tour went on, and by this late in the tour it was really magnificent.

[secretjourneyranch]

Hawaii is breathtaking...as is Stockholm, but collectors items aside one can simply seek the official Atlanta version (also the B-side track) for some serious Stew magic

[smax]

love the synch rehearsal one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvBbvzFxEXM

listening to the album when it came out (i was 8 or 9) i could not work out what gordo was singing... was it "give us a heart in you" or something?
literally years passed before the penny dropped that he was singing "tea in the sahara", the name of the bloody song! i felt young and foolish and not without reason.

[jerseyfan]

This is an interesting conversation.

The best version I've heard was in Hoboken, N.J. when Andy Summers was on tour for his XYZ album. The vocals were performed by Nan Vernon who was a backup singer on some songs on the CD. I remember being blown way that night.

There are some recordings on YouTube, but none are of high quality and do not do it justice. And I don't understand people who talk non-stop during concerts.

I think Vernon was 19-years-old during this recording. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqSxCwv0FKA

[secretjourneyranch]

Wow...you're nominating a non-Stewart version as 'the best' version you've heard?
Is that even allowed on this board? The OP's comments about Stewart's playing being just divine is what inspired my thoughts.

I actually find it a bit boring over all. Especially the later versions Sting destroyed in 1991. Stewart is the ONLY reason to listen to this simple bass with whale noise track...

All three musicians benefited from the live repetitiveness of touring and took the song to much greater heights than what was achieved on the LP. By the time the second leg of the North American tour had commenced the song was just perfect. That was a song they could have re-recorded and made something of.

I'll have to dig out Andy's version and listen again as it never made much of an impression on me...but with no Stewart to make it interesting I believe the late Synch tour was this songs consummate pinnacle...