Question about the drum take in Demolition Man

[Neuron Divide]

I've been drumming for most of my life and Stewart has always been a HUGE influence for me, especially when I was developing my style as a kid... Like countless other drummers, I spent many hours listening to and analysing his drumming and applying it to my technique.

I've recently been listening to GITM quite a lot lately, and out of all of the drum takes Stewart ever recorded, this is the one that still baffles me the most... The phrasing and flow of it is radically different - it stands apart from anything else he ever did in studio.

Some years ago I came to the conclusion that either Andy and Sting recorded their parts 2 quarter notes (half a bar) before the drum track, or that Hugh moved the drum track 2 quarter notes behind the rest of the other instruments.

Hopefully Stewart can chime in and "let the cat out the bag" in regards to this one - I've been wondering about it for a long time!

[drummike]

I think it's just a great example of the exceptional talents of the three members of the Police. Demolition Man is a great uptempo Police tune with lots of energy and rhythmic tension. I suspect that the bass lines probably were something that Sting came up with while noodling around and Andy joined in doubling the part on guitar. It's a relatively simple part, a tad repetitive, but it's fun to play. The drum part is also pretty straightforward, but energetic. The kick drum and high hat pretty much provide the pulse during the verse with occasional flourishes on snare or octobans, then on the verse, the snare comes in on the backbeats. The overdubbed gong bass provides some occasional counterpoint. The long notes of the saxes sort of float over all the intensity of the other instruments, then end their phrases with some quick notes to tie it all together. Andy plays a great, blistering solo on this track; it would have been great to see him play it in the studio, with that room full of Marshall amps just screaming. The drums sound fantastic on this track; the snare just hits you in the head like a baseball bat and the kick drum is like a kick to the solar plexus. And then, the next track on the album, Too Much Information, just falls right in with another great bass line, cracking drums, looped saxes, and inventive rhythm guitar.

[Howstupidmrbates]

I've always wondered, as the track fades out and the guys pick it up again, if there's an extended jam version somewhere in the vaults. I wonder how long they rocked after that fade out.

[smax]

^

that'd be good, a compilation with the fade outs removed.

[Neuron Divide]

[quote="drummike"] The drum part is also pretty straightforward, but energetic. The kick drum and high hat pretty much provide the pulse during the verse with occasional flourishes on snare or octobans, then on the verse, the snare comes in on the backbeats. [/quote]

I don't know... I agree that the main beat is pretty straightforward, but if you have a real good listen to all of the fills, accents and cymbal hits he plays on this track, every one of them resolves on the third beat of the bar, which is exactly 2 quarter notes (one snare hit) behind what he would normally do.

I also remember an interview where Stewart claimed that he was the first drummer to move everything 2 quarter notes forward, and that is what gave him his "trademark" sound. But in this case I believe the drum track was physically shifted forward.

Of course, I may be totally wrong, but it would be great to know if my suspicions are correct!

[drummike]

Yeah, I'm remembering now that Stewart does do a few things in Demolition Man that are against the beat, which is completely normal for him. That's something that I've always loved about his drumming, his ability to suddenly play a rhythm that no one else would think of, putting the bass drum in an odd place, putting a snare or tom fill where it normally wouldn't go, or simply start playing in another time signature when the other guys are still in 4/4.