do wop babes, andy and stewart or samples for backing vocals

[nofrets5]

Say...where does one (ME) find the VH1 deal-ly ? Just checked the Vh1 sites and have seen nothing and would love to bet caught up without giving out a credit card number, snicker snicker.

I think the idea of triggered backing vocals blended with Andy and Stew live is the best way to go. Now I'm wondering if someone triggers them offstage and is a drummer who has great timing to get it all lined up. I also wonder if Stewart has the tempo to start the song with, which would be needed for the timing of the backing vox, OR is playing to click thru an earpiece or thru a good set of monitors. Now I'll be hung up on the tech side of this touring production, but I LOVE the fact that they are doing it as a trio, a true celebration of the band !

[jedsoon]

Stewart HIMSELF could trigger those samples from an electro pad he could play like the rest of his drums. I did wince a little hearing the samples at the Grammys, despite being an electronic producer myself. It must have been surprise on my part tho, 'cause it still sounded great.

I could really go with any of the three given options. A trio of female singers really harkens to the I-Threes, which makes total sense, since the origins of the Police sound are rooted in The Wailers. I loved it how Stewart took charge of that question and then immediately put it to the fans. He is constantly demonstrating why i admonish him with all this hero worship.

But if push came to shove, my sentiments go to Stew and Andy singing live backup. Andy in particular surprised me with how great his vocal sounded at the Whiskey.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

I vote for S and A. Although sampled vocals wouldn't bother me too much if you can still hear Stew/Andy in the mix.

[Laz]

I'm personally of several opinions as to this question...

My very 1st reaction during the Grammy performance was, "hey, Rush has been doing this on tour now for years (flying in triggered backup vocals and keyboard parts etc...) and it never bothered me much... (well I guess it sorta did at first....)

As for the Andy and Stewart route, could certainly work on some of the older songs, and part of me certainly perfers that for this tour (just the three of them on stage, raw etc... like Sting said, sounds like a very nice proposition)...

There is another part of me (please don't laugh) who, definitely rather than the MIDI sequenced stuff from the Synchronicity tour, would not have minded at all, say, Kipper or J. Rebello on keyboards and Dominic Miller on additional guitar, as this suddenly opens up quite a few of the Synchronicity and Ghost In The Machine songs. Additional keys and guitar on stage, yes, but live...

Perhaps three MALE backing vocalists might have worked... certainly won't be missing Tessa, Dolette and Michelle (nothing personal against them...)

Now, if it is going to be just Sting/Andy/Stewart on stage, I suppose they could still play just about anything. Expect quite a few new rearrangements, though (new 2nd verse of Roxanne, the "Voices Inside My Head/When The World Is Running Down" new midtempo funky version from the Whisky, which by the way I just can't get out of my head... love that bassline, harmonics on the guitar, and midtempo groove, perhaps as close to new music from The Police as we'll get for a while??)

I, for one, won't mind either way...

Laz

[matthewstr]

Stewart and Andy for almost everything, maybe use samples for the trickier Synchronicity songs (some of which use sequencers anyway).

Stewart was definitely on a click at the Grammies and if you listen to the "rehearsal" performance of Roxanne you can hear the telltale metallic ping of the sequencer counting off along with Stewart at the begining of he song. Outside of an internationally televised gig, there's no reason to use backing tracks to play Roxanne and I hope that they won't on the tour.

[cpriddims]

At first, I was surprised about the samples and did not appreciate them, but after listening several times, I like how it compliments the group. As long as it's not too prevalent in the mix. This way Andy can really concentrate on giving us the most amazing sonic presence ever heard while Stew can pound the crap out of the skins with out reservation to have to sing too much.

People, Let's all remember back...Stew and Andy rarely did the vocals much justice in a live situation. I have tons of bootlegs. I still want them to sing, but the samples help when the boys feel the need to be more spontaneous on their instruments.

[blueboy]

Stewart...if you're reading this....

Don't hold a public opinion poll on this, as I think people in general are conditioned to think samples are bad. (i.e. the impromptu Whiskey Poll you took)

It takes an amazing amount of energy just to play your instruments let alone sing well every night, so I think properly blended vocal samples bring consistency and energy to the overall performance.

As long as you guys are adding some "grit" to the backing vocal mix, and things don't sound too "perfect", I think everyone will be fine with properly balanced vocal samples.

Truthfully, the majority of fans will never notice or care as long as it sounds good.

[Jose]

[quote="tj7"]LOL!
The Police never used backing vocal samples and never needed to.
Sampled backing vocals are unnecessary and are not in the spirit of a live performance. They will always sound the same, and restrict the band when playing live.[/quote]

Is not totally true... if you look at "POLICE AROUND THE WORLD" video search "De do do do..." at Frejus - France... there are used Samples, the same as "Born in the fifties" at Hong Kong or It's overdue at making post-production video?

Well see these to make conclusions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFUpl1NrHrE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAOaDffO1ME

So I think samples is not bad

[New Zealand Promoter]

those backing vox were added post-recording, and i've always hated them. they sound too 'perfect' and contradict the spirit of live performance. for the record, the midi backing on the synch tour always annoyed me because the tempo, arrangement of songs like 'synch I' and 'king of pain' was always the bloody same because the band were beholden to that backing arrangement.....

look, this is about credibility, kids.

pre-recorded backing vocals basically suggest the band isn't confident in their ability to 'fill the space' and take a 'raw, warts and all' approach. oh, and backing vocal tracks are not at all like the use of a delay unit for drums and guitars, whomever referred to that earlier... come on!

why do the backing vocals have to sound perfect, anyway? why? they don't need to!

[blueboy]

One last thing I forgot to mention, and is probably the most important is that I don't want to see another "personality" on stage....

...whether they be female or male.... backing vocalists or instrumentalists.

If anyone else is helping "fill out" the sound, they should not bring any new elements or individual qualities to the overall sound.

If a band needs to add another instrumentalist to be able to pull a song off live, then I prefer that you can see them standing in the shadows in the back, and playing the parts that sound like the original recording. This lets the audience know that you are not trying to hide anything from them, but you are also not "highlighting" any support players.

In other words, don't bring out the next famous whiz kid jazz keyboardist to do an extended version of Every Little Things She Does is Magic with a piano solo! (Which might actually be cool...but leave that for Sting to do an his own)

I've always felt a little queasy about the underground "studio" beneath U2's stage where all the magical extra guitar and keyboard parts mysteriously come from. I'm glad they do it, but at the same time it is "hidden" so that always bothers me.

The bottom line though is that I'll take samples of Sting any day over additional backing vocalists....even though I did enjoy "watching" the Synchronicity doo wop girls.


I want the Police sound....and ONLY the Police sound!!!

Rawness...with Finesse

Aggressive...but Intelligent

Sweaty...but Sophisticated

Sting, Stewart and Andy.


That's what I'm coming to see and hear!

[Laz]

[quote]If anyone else is helping "fill out" the sound, they should not bring any new elements or individual qualities to the overall sound.

If a band needs to add another instrumentalist to be able to pull a song off live, then I prefer that you can see them standing in the shadows in the back, and playing the parts that sound like the original recording. This lets the audience know that you are not trying to hide anything from them, but you are also not "highlighting" any support players. [/quote]

My sentiments exactly...
Laz

[Mrs. Gradenko]

>I think Divemistress and I were both contemplating being cheeky and shouting out "Klark Kent!")

Who was it that kept yelling Stewart's name? And Sting was like, "It's one of your kids."

But yeah, only Stewart and Andy as the backup singers.

[Three over Four]

Stewart and Andy only on BG vox....this is their 30th reunion, and I LOVE the fact that it's just going to be the 3 of them on stage just like it was in the beginning. If you're gonna go that far, take it all the way and just have the 3 of them belting out the tunes, vocals and all! I REALLY like the way "When the World Is Running Down" went at the rehearsals....tie the boys down to a backing track, and you're not gonna get as much of a chance at the great improvisation that I witnessed a couple days ago...

[timethistime]

Stings voice sounded good at the rehearsals. Let's help him keep it that way ! I don't want him hoarse by the time The Police get over to Britain.

So I say samples and mix in Stewart and Andy.
No backing singers though please.

Also why not play the later stuff as it was played back in '83 - '84 ?

[zilboy]

I won't presume to speak for guitarists or bassists, but as a drummer, I found that singing while playing was really not all that difficult. Think of it as a fifth limb. I only felt sorry for Stewart having to crane his neck way back to sing (in the old days). Of course, that's no longer an issue now that he's got the "Britney Spears" mic I shouldn't laugh, because I've used one also. There's nothing worse than having to lean way over to the left to sing while trying to wail on a ride cymbal.

As for the samples, I don't care, but I think Stew and Andy sound pretty good these days. They had their moments back in the day as well.

BTW, because Stewart has been immersed in heavily sequenced, quatitized music for so long (his film work), he's perfectly comfortable playing with or without a click and it should be obvious to anyone by now that he can do so with equal facility. Just listen to that smokin' version of "Voices/World." Need I say more?