Guardian: The Police as The 3's "seminal band"

[DirtyMartini]

Steerpike (Thank you, Steerpike!) posted a nice article in the Links section that you guys will appreciate: http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic ... 33,00.html . A lot of familiar material, but some interesting quotes.


Three passages that stuck out to me:


[quote]"Over the last twenty years," Copeland adds, "people in my company have assumed that what I like to hear is Sting-bashing, so I hear a lot of it, and I'm sure I don't need to tell you what the opinions are. I tell these friends of mine, 'If Sting was here now with a guitar in his hands, you would within moments realise he's the most talented, gifted musician you've ever met - ever.' Because he is."

"Despite all the crap written about us, how we all hate each other, we're not like that, it's such bullshit," Summers confirms. "If that was the truth, we wouldn't have been able to come back together and do this. Whatever we do, this is always going to be the seminal band we were all in."[/quote]



[quote]Their once-teenage fans are now in their 40s, and from his drum stool Copeland has observed other changes: "At the front we used to have a lot of teenage females fainting. Now we have grown men weeping." Weeping for what? Their lost youth? "I guess that's what it is. There are certain songs, and I look out there and they're weeping inconsolably. It makes me feel good. It hits me with, 'I guess it must be important what we're doing.' I mean, it isn't, it's just music, but it does affect people - and that affects me."[/quote]



[quote]So what is this bond, the shared chemistry that took these three from half-empty clubs to the biggest stages in the world, and still has people filling stadiums to see them? Does the man who formed the Police have the answer? "There are times when Sting and I shake our heads at the disparity in our music values," Copeland offers, "and yet there are 60,000 people out there that want to hear us play together. How's that possible? We disagree so deeply and profoundly about fundamental pillars of our artistic philosophy that sometimes we look at each other and it's not just like we come from different planets, but that different rules of physics apply, and, like I say, we shake our heads and wonder at the strangeness of life that you put these two value systems together and something happens that makes people cry."[/quote]


[ETA: Subject line hates me today.]

[Kalypso]

Maybe they shake their heads according to different gravity laws????

I am sure they miss the girls fainting, BTW...I hope no crying man throws his boxers at them onstage

[Laz]

VERY good article!! Thanks!

Laz

[secretjourneyranch]

[quote="Kalypso"]BTW...I hope no crying man throws his boxers at them onstage :wink: :shock:[/quote]

I wasn't crying...!

[Kalypso]

Is that Chris Isaak in your icon?

[secretjourneyranch]

No, that's my personal hero Elvis.

If you have not yet accepted Elvis into your heart won't you do so today?

[irishrose1969]

I feel no shame for Crying when I was at GC last week and Met Stewart. It was a beautiful, moving and touching moment. I am glad to have read this passage to know that when people react to them in similar fashion, it still gets them. Very nice. Thanks for sharing.

[Kalypso]

Of course I know it was Elvis, but San Franciscans would think it's Chris Isaak first...
I accepted Elvis as the Originator of It All from a white point of view. But there are too many black musicians that can be credited for It All. Chicken or Egg situation.

[AZPEARTPORTNOY]

[quote="DirtyMartini"]Steerpike (Thank you, Steerpike!) posted a nice article in the Links section that you guys will appreciate: http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic ... 33,00.html . A lot of familiar material, but some interesting quotes.


Three passages that stuck out to me:


[[quote]Their once-teenage fans are now in their 40s, and from his drum stool Copeland has observed other changes: "At the front we used to have a lot of teenage females fainting. Now we have grown men weeping." Weeping for what? Their lost youth? "I guess that's what it is. There are certain songs, and I look out there and they're weeping inconsolably. It makes me feel good. It hits me with, 'I guess it must be important what we're doing.' I mean, it isn't, it's just music, but it does affect people - and that affects me."[/quote]



I remember sitting at a bar a couple of years ago, right accross the street from New Mexico State University. There were these three teachers sitting a few stools down from me and they were discussing a new study that had come out about how music helps you remember events in your life more than photos and journals. It was really interesting listening to them discuss/debate the findings. I thought about that a lot and I think there is quite a bit of truth in that, at least, for me.

I don't think I got emotional when the boys came to Phoenix but I couldn't tell you what Sting and Andy did during the show. My eyes never left the drums.


Thanks for sharing Dirty.

[DirtyMartini]

[quote="AZPEARTPORTNOY"]
I couldn't tell you what Sting and Andy did during the show. My eyes never left the drums.
[/quote]

You and me both, sweetheart.



PS -- Thanks go to Steerpike. I just copied the link over here. Thank you, Steerpike!

[Max Taffey]

"Over the last twenty years," Copeland adds, "people in my company have assumed that what I like to hear is Sting-bashing, so I hear a lot of it, and I'm sure I don't need to tell you what the opinions are."

This pretty much validates what I've always thought about Stewart's relationship with Sting - kind of like many family members are. As an example: I can say my brother is a complete no-mind, idiotic dick, but if someone outside of the family says it LOOK OUT.

[secretjourneyranch]

[quote="Kalypso"]Of course I know it was Elvis, but San Franciscans would think it's Chris Isaak first...
I accepted Elvis as the Originator of It All from a white point of view. But there are too many black musicians that can be credited for It All. Chicken or Egg situation.[/quote]

Gotcha!
Sarcasm doesn't come across so well
My bad.

I saw Chris in your town in 98
He was great....and I loved his Mirror Suit!!

as far as E inventing Rock n Roll like Bono says, I do feel he did but several black musicians gave him the ingredients, the tools, the know how, and the inspiration.....your right...Chicken? Egg?

TCB!

[Divemistress of the Dark]

At the risk of sounding like one of those "you're not from around here, are ya?" assholes I hate, there are a couple of dynamics that I really think become apparent when you visit Memphis.

Sure, the original Elvis took a lot of influence from black artists, but he got it honest: when he was in high school he was singing on Beale Street, where many white folks didn't go, much less perform. Not only was he performing there, he was known and admired by many of the locals. You gotta remember this was Jim Crow Memphis, where you could easily get killed for being a, um, really unpleasant word-lover...I'm not saying anyone deserves a medal for doing the right thing, but there is a certain authenticity that aspects of Elvis' career bring to bear that may not be obvious to the casual observer.

(Note to sjr: Last week was Elvis Week, which you really ought to attend sometime. Elvis impersonators from all over the world descend upon Memphis, including women and Asian impersonators. It's a zoo, but I hear it's a good time. There's always a lot of local press about it, which is how I know details...though I did visit Graceland myself a few months back...it's always on the TN tourist tour, my sister in law hadn't seen it...)

(I saw Isaak back in '03 or so at the Ryman in Nashville; he had not only a mirror suit but a disco ball. Probably a first for the Mother Church of Country Music.)

[quote]At the front we used to have a lot of teenage females fainting. Now we have grown men weeping." Weeping for what? Their lost youth? "I guess that's what it is. There are certain songs, and I look out there and they're weeping inconsolably. It makes me feel good. It hits me with, 'I guess it must be important what we're doing.' I mean, it isn't, it's just music, but it does affect people - and that affects me."[/quote] [/quote]

What, he isn't noticing the grown women weeping...?



[quote]We disagree so deeply and profoundly about fundamental pillars of our artistic philosophy that sometimes we look at each other and it's not just like we come from different planets, but that different rules of physics apply, and, like I say, we shake our heads and wonder at the strangeness of life that you put these two value systems together and something happens that makes people cry."[/quote]

Just hope ol' Stingo realizes (and it touches me how vociferously Stewart defends him) that Stew and Andy are a HUGE part of that equation. I certainly would like to hear songs penned by either of them on the fall leg of the U.S. tour...

[quote]There were these three teachers sitting a few stools down from me and they were discussing a new study that had come out about how music helps you remember events in your life more than photos and journals.[/quote]

Coolness. I'd be interested to read that...

[secretjourneyranch]

[quote="Divemistress of the Dark"]At the risk of sounding like one of those "you're not from around here, are ya?" assholes I hate, there are a couple of dynamics that I really think become apparent when you visit Memphis.

Sure, the original Elvis took a lot of influence from black artists, but he got it honest: when he was in high school he was singing on Beale Street, where many white folks didn't go, much less perform. Not only was he performing there, he was known and admired by many of the locals. You gotta remember this was Jim Crow Memphis, where you could easily get killed for being a, um, really unpleasant word-lover...I'm not saying anyone deserves a medal for doing the right thing, but there is a certain authenticity that aspects of Elvis' career bring to bear that may not be obvious to the casual observer.

(Note to sjr: Last week was Elvis Week, which you really ought to attend sometime. Elvis impersonators from all over the world descend upon Memphis, including women and Asian impersonators. It's a zoo, but I hear it's a good time. There's always a lot of local press about it, which is how I know details...though I did visit Graceland myself a few months back...it's always on the TN tourist tour, my sister in law hadn't seen it...)
[/quote]



I think his contribution to modern music is immeasurable....
I think he was the chef that invented RnR!

Background:
My mother and I would listen to him.
I have made sure both my daughters understand his presence that is still here today and we all celebtrate January 8th with a big celebration around here.


My love for him is limitless....

[Divemistress of the Dark]

You know, I'm a fan as well. Not ashamed to admit it, either. Although he still looms so large in these parts, disliking him around here would be like turning your back on Abe Lincoln or something...

From the original article:

[quote]Most strikingly, for a decade Copeland didn't pick up a drum stick. "I was a film composer, and not only that, but I was desperate to escape type-casting as the drum-score film composer, and so for many years I was writing scores with no discernible rhythm at all. I went a little too far, as you do when you've got something to prove."[/quote]

That's a new quote, I think, and a telling one...