Sting and The Police

Sting and The Police

A closer look at the legendary band that gave the world a remarkable

performance, then quietly bowed out.

Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner

October 1, 1951

Wallsend, Northumberland, UK

Father was poor

‘My Baby’

Gordon’s First Instrument

Giant steps are what you take…

• When you move from small jazz clubs to sold out stadium shows

What’s in a name?

• Gordon was wearing a yellow and black striped sweater, to which Gordon Solomon remarked, ‘You look like a wasp.’

• STING

Education

• Northern Counties College of Education • Teacher• Honorary PhD in Music from Northumbria

University and Berklee College of Music

Three Become One

Stewart Copeland, Sting, & Andy Summers

1978 - Outlandos d’Amour

1979 – Reggata de Blanc

1980 – Zenyatta Mondatta

1981 – Ghost in the Machine

1983 - Synchronicity

The Ranger Becomes Lone

1981 Sting nominated for an Oscar for ‘Best Song by Solos Artist’

By 1985 The Police had peacefully disbanded By this time Sting already had 6 Grammy

awards under his belt Sting was just getting started

Money for Nothin’

• Developed lasting friendship with Dire Straights’ Mark Knopfler

• Sting becomes a world-wide proponent for charities and fund-raising for causes

One Man Band

☑Double Bass ☑Bass Guitar☑Piano☑Sax☑Lute☑Bongos y Congas☑Mandolin☑Pan Flute☑Almost forgot…VOICE too!

Sting and Disney

• Tarzan• Emperor’s New Groove

• 16 Grammy Awards at this point!

The Day the Music almost

Died

2002 Sting comes to Salt Lake City

• Olympic Ceremony opening with Yo Yo Ma and Mormon Tabernacle Quoir

• Sting induced into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Musician, Composer, Actor, & Family Man

• 6 Children from two marriages • Married to Trudie Styler• Raw Food Vegan

AN IN DEPTH ANALYSIS OF 3 OF STING’S COMPOSITIONS

The Bed’s Too Big Without YouMurder by NumbersEnglishman in New York

Bed’s Too Big Without You

Reggata de Blanc Record Facts:• 1979• Single: Message in a Bottle• Debuted No. 25 in US• Debuted No. 1 in UK• A&M Records Ltd

Major Key

Simple Meter 4/4

Strong bass drum on beat 3 (cornerstone of reggae music)

Reggata de Blanc = White Boy Reggae

Bass guitar carries half melody/harmony with disjunct bass line beginning on beat 3

Guitar has syncopated chords harmony/melody

Form remains virtually unchanged

Composer: StingPerformers: Andy Summers, Sting, Stewart Copeland

Murder By Numbers

Synchronicity Record Facts:• 1983• 5th and final Police release• Debuted No. 1 in US• Recorded in AIR Studios UK

—also recorded the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elton John

• Broke the streak at #1 by MJ’s ‘Thriller’

• A&M Records Ltd

☆ Minor Key☆Drums in complex meter: ¾☆ Piano, Vocals, Bass complex duple meter:

12/8☆Rondo Allegro form☆Polyphony between guitar and bass☆Repetitive form and theme

Composer: Andy Summers, StingPerformers: Sting, Summers, Copeland

Englishman in New York

Nothing Like The Sun Record Facts:• Released January 1, 1987• A&M Records Ltd• Inspired by the death of his

mother Audry, in 1986

✖ Simple Meter in a Major Key✖ Two themes: Theme 2 begins at 1:53✖ Linear Drumming✖ High strings accenting off-beats (reggae element)✖ Song written for Novelist and Activist Quentin

Crisp✖ Vocal polyphony @ 3:27

✖Composed by Sting who also plays Piano and bass

✖ Branford Marsalis on Soprano, & Manu Katsche on percussion

Conclusion / Bibliography

• Sting has had a long a productive career• Still making great compositions• Major proponent for humanitarian as well as

ecological awareness