Great song, but I’m not entirely sure this is the right video. The presence of Phil Collins means the camera isn’t focused on Sting as often as it normally would, and The Police version is different (and better, IMHO).
I agree, but also there's no better place to notice how an artist sings than with a laid back instrumental. So it might be the best versione for her, though not for us.
Agreed, and is it just me or does this performance also sound a bit sped up? It's like Sting just wants to get it done and get out of there, whereas the original recording was much more laid back.
The Police: Roxanne, Can’t Stand Losing You, Message in a Bottle, Don’t Stand So Close To Me, Walking on the Moon, Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, So Lonely. Sting: Englishman in New York, Shape of my Heart, Fields of Gold, Moonlight, My One and Only Love, Fortress Around your Heart, Fragile, When we Dance.
Yes please! IMO, Every Breath You Take is sooo boring compared to the rest of their catalog. Although her analysis can make Happy Birthday interesting and nuanced.
@@nf3959 I was going to say, now that Elizabeth got their most boring song out of the way first, we can now look forward to their actual good songs. lol
@@reliantncc1864 I love those too! I agree those songs are excellent and should also be on the list. The list was made off the top of my head and to provide a good starting point moving forward, but I definitely didn’t get them all. :) Thanks for the reminder!
I would not have chosen this song. The Police are fantastic but this is Sting all by himself. Wrapped Around Your Finger is a much better example of how magical The Police were as a band.
This version of this song really obliterates the beautiful counterpoint guitar melody that holds The Police version together. And it adds a bunch of Kenny G sounding stuff that isn't very appealing to me.
And as the main focus of the channel is voice, it's actually better that it's mostly Sting's (and Phil's) singing, less distraction from the other instruments.
As much as I appreciate the candor, @turelyon, I did not grow up with rock in my household. I speak about hearing The Police in passing, but not really knowing their music at all - even meeting Sting and being embarrassed I couldn't name one song. So it's definitely not Clickbait.
You have not yet listened to The Police for the first time. Just like with Rush and its members, The Police is Sting + Andy Summers + Stewart Copeland. If you want to analyze The Police, then listen to The Police. This was listening to Sting and a buddy doing a live interpretive performance of a Police song. It you want to analyze Sting, then go with something from "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" instead. That is Sting's (fantastic) solo debut.
Live Aid was quite an event for Phil Collins. He performed at Wembley Stadium with Genesis and did some songs with Sting, then he headed to a helicopter, which flew him to Heathrow Airport, where he then caught a supersonic Concorde jet to New York City, and then grabbed another helicopter to Philadelphia and played his own solo sets as well as playing drums for Eric Clapton and drums for a mini Led Zeppelin reunion. The man was unstoppable back then.
@acaliaaidras5012 - Yes, very cool! 😀👍 He did _not_ perform together with Genesis at Live Aid, though! 😉 He did a solo performance at both Wembley and in Philadelphia, plus duetting with Sting and drumming for Zed Leppelin 🙂
The 1983 studio version by the Police won a Grammy for song of the year. The black and white video that accompanies the song is a visual masterpiece that takes the experience to another level entirely. I hope you review it, or at least watch for your own enjoyment.
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The clip is filmed by Godley and Creme (musicians of 10 CC) who defitnitly made a masterpiece with this beautiful song
Her favorite " mistake " ... not going for the studio Version when it comes to rock music... rock music is not classical or opera... with rock music one should always start with the studio Version ... I actually think this version was kind of mid ... not too good...
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@@oozeman23 I agree, it's not a great version despite the fact there were 3 hugely talented musicians here, but not the magic.
Agreed. The upright bass with the “squeaking” on the strings as well as the piano and recorded vocals is what made this song hauntingly sinister-soft, mellow but listening to the lyrics and Sting’s delivery *bam* magic.
Aw... you need to hear the studio version. The one we all listened to throughout the 80s on the radio and MTV. The Police was so great. They helped shape our culture back then, as so many new wave era bands did. Good times. Thanks for the analysis!
@@atheistconservative6211 I don't mind the live versions, but this one is basically not even the same song.... I hope she does a real The Police version, maybe this one from 1983 th-cam.com/video/LHXIm6MaNLw/w-d-xo.html
@@atheistconservative6211 Live versions are typically uncut and unedited/pitch corrected. They make for a better analysis of someone's actual voice. But I agree using concerts is not always the best, especially when bands change up a lot for concerts and can be tired, etc during the performance. You really have to know the song and the band's abilities in order to find the best live versions, so this really doesn't work if you want a blind react/analysis (without someone else finding the best version for you).
@mimsydreams yeah I know and most times they sound like sh!t. Some, like SRV, Iron Maiden, any truly talented group makes live versions awesome, also depending on the mixing. My point is that she's losing a lot of dynamics with crappy live versions when the studio is tons better
It's a soprano saxophone. And the player is the magical Branford Marsalis. They played a lot of music together. The most famous is the "Englishman in New York". 🙂😍
I figured others would catch this too. I just feel the need to add: it's a woodwind, not brass, instrument (and I hate myself because I am sure our esteemed host knows this)
I don't think I've given a proper listen to the Live Aid version of this song before, but my first thought when I heard the sax was "That's absolutely the sax player from Dream of the Blue Turtles." His style is so distinctive and so exceptionally good! And I had no idea until just now that it was Branford Marsalis, even on DotBT!
I suffer from PTSD, depression, anxiety and love your deep dive into music. It helps me to focus on something other than what is on my mind. Music helps the soul and mind. Thank You for what you do.❤
The sax player is Branford Marsalis, who has recorded and toured with Sting for decades. If you love jazz, I highly encourage you to dive into him, as well as his siblings. The Marsalis family are not vocalists, but most definitely talented and accomplished musicians. As many said, this is not the Police, but Sting, with Phil & Branford.
Too bad this wasn’t The Police. Sting is great and this is a fun version of the song, but musically it’s lacking its very key elements (Andy & Stewart) of what made the band great. Hopefully, at some point, you’ll check out The Police as a band
Oh my. While you could argue that Sting is the "stamp", vocally, on the song, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland's immeasurable, and invaluable contributions made "Every Breath You Take" a POLICE song. From what I understand, it was Andy who was the main inspiration melodically, coming up with that iconic riff, and Stewart and Sting then fell in line behind, It was all done fairly quickly. Hopefully, you'll check out the original video/studio version and expand out to other iconic tunes like "Message In A Bottle".
Sting had a song on his debut solo album called "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free", which he called his antidote to Every Breath. It was also a top 40 hit.
@@melrupinski88 - So true! Already in '85 I'd remarked that it was pretty much the only song on that album with a 'Police' atmosphere to it! 😀 It must be because of the guitar, which plays only a supporting role on the rest of the songs. But it also reflects that many of the guitar parts in The Police's songs had indeed been Sting's original ideas, and Andy then refined them 🙂 And sadly, the only 'new' thing we did get were those awful remakes in '86 of 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' and 'De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da'! 😭 😅
Police- Message in a bottle. Sting - Fragile. Anything from Dream of the blue turtles, nothing like sun, soul cages, ten summoner’s tales, or mercury falling. She will love anything with Branford Marsalis on Sting’s solo career.
Yes! You can certainly see more of Sting's English teacher background in other songs. "Nothing Like the Sun" is a Shakespeare sonnet, "Moon Over Bourbon Street" from Interview with a Vampire", "Wrapped Around your Finger" -Greek mythology. Even the album Ten Summoner's Tales inspired by The Canterbury Tales. Then there's his work influenced by the time.amd history. Fragile (when the environmental causes really started to gain momentum), Russians, They Dance Alone, Children's Crusade. I find Soul Cages so touching, which explores (sort of) his relationship with his father. Sting's music is quite a journey of humor and whimsy and insight and musical play and emotion and humanity. "Dead Man's Rope" came out while my father was dying. It was such a comfort.
Sting (and The Police) are as worthy of a deep dive as anyone. His catalogue with The Police and as a solo artist is insane. So many good songs. Most of his deep tracks are as good as his singles.
Fantastic! I sold Hi-Fi waa-ay back when. When I heard " Walking on the Moon" , it was all over. The insistent energy, total wizardry guitar player to ing, my heart and voice, the eclectic electric bass.. . Reggae meets Rock!
Strange choice for the first reaction. Both the song and the version without the police. Even among Sting's solo work this isn't up there. Someone really needs to be advising her since she can't presample the music.
Totally agree. She should really just react to the studio versions of songs first 95% of the time. And then react to live renditions later if she wants.
I adore The Police. This wouldn't have been my first choice of song... not that it's bad, it's just not as good as some IMO. Having said that, this is probably their best seller of all time, so apparently other people would disagree with me. For my money, "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" or "Message In A Bottle" would probably be my first choices.
@johngaunce - I absolutely agree with you! This song was cool for a while at the time, but then I got tired of it very quickly. Unlike a song like 'Walking On The Moon'! 45 years later and I'm _still_ not tired of it! 😄
This song drives home the realization that songs which focus on a romantic obsession are really about the singer's own emotions rather than the person who is ostensibly the object of their affections.
The Police have a huge number of good songs to listen to. For recommending a second song, I'm torn among "Synchronicity II", "Wrapped Around Your Finger" and "Message in a Bottle".
In his defence, as a writer, I think the number of lines that rhyme, and how relatively short those lines are, it's incredibly impressive that this song exists at all. It's so cohesive and I can imagine him finding all the possible rhymes and trying to write lines that included them. Some decisions were no doubt made in that process, but he came out of it with an all-time classic song.
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Ah, this is not the Police. A lot of energy is missing without Stewart on drum, a lot of harmonic subtil colors are missing without Andy Summers on guitar. Nevermind, I really love Phil and Sting, They both had a great musical influence on me. But Police's sound and energy, it's a kind of magic.
Well as a HUGE Police fan, this is my FIRST time hearing this version. It is something else to hear Phil Collins sing those parts. THAT is pretty amazing. A wonderful duet I didn't know I needed today! I am in agreement with some of the other commenters that you ought to take a listen and share your thoughts on the studio version because this one is SO different.
Sting wrote the song in 1982 while he was going through a "mental breakdown" during the end of his first marriage. He wrote it at Ian Fleming's writing desk on the Goldeneye estate in Jamaica.
I'm guessing by now you've realized the majority of rock singers may not be the 'best' vocalists but each has something in their voice which is unique and gives a band a true identity. Those with both a golden voice and instantly recognizable presentation become the legends we remember when auto-tuning is all that remains. :D
You should definitely give the original studio version a listen. I always loved that guitar cord progression and the drums slap. You're right about the lyrics being creepy. Sting himself wrote a solo song that was an answer to this song called 'If you Love Someone, Set Them Free'. It's also worth an analysis.
I know this is a vocal analysis channel, but the guitar and bass of this song are so iconic accompanying Sting’s voice that it’s a shame that we didn’t get to see it
About creepy lyrics: I think it is healthy and important for art to sometimes be built by such creepy, unhealthy, dark, foolish thoughts and/or feelings. We all have experienced thoughts or feelings that are petty and/or unhealthy in some way - hopefully only very briefly, as we quickly recognize this and move ourselves forward and out of them (but, let's face it, not everyone moves themselves to a healthier place as quickly as others). And I think those temporary experiences can make for great, permanent examples to explore and even re-experience in a healthy, and distanced, way. As a lyricist, poet, and philosopher, I've sometimes found myself wanting all my works to represent the wisdom of healthy perspectives and conclusions, when approaching the darkness of incomplete explorations. However, I credit other terrific artists for reminding me to allow a line, verse, a moment in a song, or even, especially, an entire piece, to remain steadfast in that unhealthy point of view. Leaving the bad things unresolved, or even the questions unanswered, can sometimes be more beneficial, as art, than when we avoid such things and/or when we include the solutions within the work itself. Sometimes the piece of art best stands on the merit of only representing the problem, and not the solution (or the darkness without the light). Just fun (to me) thoughts that I figured I'd share. ❤❤❤ (And, sure, it's okay to call those works creepy, or whatever, haha! Just, some people tend to think that means the work is bad, immature, or without merit.)
I appreciate what you said about pitch correction. It takes feeling away from the song, makes it sound more robotic and probably 90% of people listening would never hear that a note is flat. In jazz, there are times when you want to play slightly sharp and ahead of the beat. The average person will never pick up on it, but they just know the feeling. Pitch correction takes a lot of that feeling away.
Every little thing she does is magic is a far more positive and vocally amazing song. I agree that sticking to actual Police vs Sting solo is a different experience. That being said live aid definitely had its charm with the arrangement and musicians. Cheers Elizabeth ❤️
Will just say that saying this is The Police is inaccurate. It is a Police song and Sting is singing but the trio that were The Police is more than one member. They were magic as a band, this is a performance by Sting not a performance by The Police.
Fun fact: This song is often played at weddings as ‘romantic’, but that’s a case of people not listening to the lyrics, as it’s not a love song, it’s a song about obsession
This song is about obsession. One person being obsessed with someone else, in not necessarily a healthy way. So, he's watching her...he's suspicious, but at the same time he loves her. There's darkness here, but also strong passion and desire. It's a brilliant song! Also, this song was played at SO many weddings in the '80s and the band was like WHAT?! It's a stalker song, lol.
Stalking her. Not just watching. From memory it's about a school girl crush (on a teacher as sting was a teacher) and it turning into obsession. "Every move you make, every step you take" etc is the girl stalking the teacher.
People can hear they like in a song and growing up I thought this was a beautiful song about watching the one you love, nothing sinister in that. Obviously in the age of the internet and people get obsessed with every single line and lyric, and since interviews with Sting have shown what the song is really about people now say how could you not see, but I just didn't, it was just a beautiful song. I can completely understand how people could play this at their wedding, especially if they've not dug into the lyrics and seen the interviews.
@@mattpotter8725 Oh, I didn't think about this song that way - but not because of the internet, but because of a cover Sting did for a TV show called Spitting Image - it was called 'Every Bomb you make', and was song from the perspective of Death. Clearly the original had dark undertones.
This is just getting me more and more excited for next April. Billy, Joel and Sting on the same bill. I've seen Billy before but I've never seen Sting apart from The Police.
@@daviddickinson2556 Also a lyrical/poetic two fer. Although the symbolism may not be immediately accessible to western listeners without exposure to middle eastern language and poetry
The Police takes me back to good times in my life when I was still a kid and my older brothers listened to them and so many other artists and bands. 1988 was the year if I'm not wrong. Good times, simpler times. ❤❤❤
I, for one, am super happy you chose this performance. Other commenters have a point when they say this isn't The Police without Stuart and Andy, but the duet with Phil is amazing. This is the first time I've seen this, too, and I love it. Maybe revisit The Police with a song more indicative of their broader discography, like Message In A Bottle. They're really a Reggae group with a jazz twist. Every Breath is a fantastic song, but really an anomaly in their whole body of work.
You want to hear what Sting can do with more Jazz and blues styles, check out his first solo album, "The Dream of the Blue Turtles." The most commercial piece is probably "Fortress Around Your Heart", and it's a masterpiece, but personally I adore "We Work the Black Seam", "Russians" and "Love is the Seventh Wave." ("An Englishman in New York", from his second album, is my favourite piece of his of all time - but for more personal reasons.)
2024: The fact that this is still the most played song in the history of radio is testament to its greatness above and beyond what anyone else has done
So Phil Collin’s gave his own performance, sang with Sting AND played drums for Led Zeppelin! Amazing! He also performed at both venues during Live Aid! ❤
and in my opinion is NOT the reason Zep struggled in their set (I'm being diplomatic in saying "struggled). Not-so-fun-fact: Phil and I shared hair styles unintentionally around this point in time.
Saw him in concert once ... incredible. Very simplistic. He started just him on the stage with a guitar singing "Roxanne", and with each song another band member and instrument came out. In the end there was maybe 6 people on stage, and just a couple of lights. No pyrotechnics, no massive light shows, no huge background of dancers. Just him, his band and his music. Awesome.
The three of them together, Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers, and Sting are on fire when they play live. I saw them play on their 2007 reunion tour, we sat behind ole Stewdaddy (BEST seats in the house!!) and they were so tight as a band, absolutely unstoppable. I highly recommend listening to The Police play this (or any of their amazing songs) live, rather than a solo Sting. It's an entirely different beast.
There was no The Police anymore by that time, though. It really is an actual Sting performance, plus Phil Collins singing backing vocals and Branford Marsalis on the soprano sax. But it also really is just this video's title I can moan about! 😄 His gig at Live Aid sure _was_ very good! 🤩 I watched it on TV as it was happening, at only 15 😊
Elizabeth - there are SO many great Police/Sting songs. Personal recommendations: (Police) Wrapped around your finger, Every little thing she does is magic, King of Pain and Roxanne - (Sting) Fields of Gold, Fragile, Seven Days and Englishman in New York. Sting also plays the lute - look up Sting & Edin Karamazov - John Dowland - Come Again.
Thanks for this reaction Elizabeth. If you want another take on this - that is creepy and poignant - watch the "Spitting Image" version of this, where Death is the watcher!
Sting did a response to this called “If You Love Somebody (Set Them Free) which is also about his relationship with the other 2 members of the Police and him trying to force them to stay together. Despite they hadn’t been getting along for awhile due to creative differences.
The difference between this version and the studio cut is the absence of an intro and drums from the outset. The intro is a big help towards: a) creating misdirection between the happy melody/chord structure and the dark subject of the lyrics, b) creating a consistent rhythm which paces the vocal, making the the POV of the song sound more calculating and therefore more creepy. This song loses A LOT in departing from the album arrangement, IMHO.
A bit off topic but Blind Faith and Stevie Winwood would be a really good review any of the music would do well. However the song "can't find my way back home" is sure to please.
It is perhaps the ultimate irony that a song chosen by many couples to be their first dance at their wedding is basically 'The Song of The Stalker'... The Police were an incredible mix of talents and energy - all three members were massively overqualified to be in The Police and it showed in pretty much every track. For a while they thrived on the creative tension that they all realised made the end product so much better, but ultimately it turned toxic and it all came to a very sudden end. Other tracks to consider would be, as others have said, tracks like Roxanne, Walking on The Moon, Don't Stand So Close to Me - but I'd add Invisible Sun to that list.
Long time lurker, finally subscribed because of this video. I really like The Police, but Sting is my all time favorite. All time number one, hands down. Seen in concert... okay, only four times, but that's 2x more than I've seen anyone else. There is an entire origin story to this involving a friend in high school, Jamie, who I exchanged blank tapes for copies of entire albums with. He introduced me to music and is significantly responsible for my musical Bildungsroman. Jamie gave me a general appreciation for music with The Clash, Violent Femmes, The Police, and others, which eventually led me to Sting. Listening to The Dream of the Blue Turtles, his first solo album, cemented how much I appreciate his lyrics and voice. I haven't spoken to Jamie since high school, but more than three decades later I can confidently say he enriched my life for the cost of a few blank cassettes. Fragile, Fields of Gold, Englishman in New York, all Sting songs I would love to hear your take on. But one I think you would have a lot of fun with, more than the others, is Shadows in the Rain. For The Police, you can't go wrong with Roxanne, Message in a Bottle, King of Pain, Driven to Tears, So Lonely, Walking on the Moon, etc. But I really hope you react to his solo songs.
Sting's solo track "Shape of my Heart" is one of his best and a very good quality recording to hear on decent gear, definitely worth a listen even if it's not an analysis choice
Hello dear Elizabeth and thank you so much particularly for this video. It has two of my biggest musical influences combined, so I got a lot to say about this :) Phil Collins was my first pop star ever, in 1981 when I was 1 yr old I used to kick along with my feet against the car front seat when "In the air tonight" came on the radio, which happened a lot back then. He later became my first "real" pop star to listen to around the age of 12, but at like 15, 16 yrs old I discovered Sting and I became his biggest fan ever, without forgetting about Phil. I've been to 13 Sting or Police concerts so far since the year 2000, and have also seen the German production of Sting's musical "The Last Ship" 6 times now, the songs in there are amazing! About "Every breath", yes it was meant to tell the story of a stalker, and Sting used to call couples who used this as their wedding song "sick". Meanwhile he says he just writes the song and it means whatever it means to the listener, he doesn't own the sole correct interpretation. I already posted a comment with my top 10 Sting solo recommendations under another one of your videos. If you like I could look for it and post it here again. Btw Branford Marsalis plays a wonderful soprano saxophone and he is strongly featured on Sting's "Englishman in New York". In his memoir, Phil writes about this performance at live aid, that he tried so hard to memorize the words of Every breath in the correct order, and then two seconds before they go on stage, Sting smirks at him and goes "I'll probably be improvising a bit with the words, just do what I do". Phil is an amazing musician but he mostly worked like with a metaphorical safety net, trying to reproduce his records as closely as possible on stage. Sting always loves risks, he wants to surprise, give art the opportunity to create something new and interesting, even if simply by coincidence. They are very different like that, but you are right that their voices blend very well. Sting did backing vocals on Phil's "Long, long way to go", it also sounds very nice!
I get the preference for live versions over studio recordings, and usually that's a good call. But I think in this case it might have backfired on you, unfortunately. For one, this isn't the Police, it's just Sting, and for two, it's actually not really a very good rendition of the song, it's very mediocre at best. The studio version (and accompanying video) are absolutely epic. I would politely recommend going back and watching that (not even necessarily as a deep dive, but just to watch on your own, although I'd certainly watch you do a video on it if you were so inclined, heh).
As a few folks pointed out below, the soprano player is one of the world's best: Branford Marsalis. He can "noodle" with ANYONE extremely competently. Also, while most saxes are made of "brass", they are not considered a "brass instrument" as you said but a woodwind. They do tend to have a brighter sound that many woodwinds, but that's more due to the conical bore (as opposed to cylindrical bore - thought you might enjoy the physics the way you discuss the space in the singer's "instrument") than what the horn is made of.
Sorry but this is roasting time. Saying that this song is by The Police is like saying in the air tonight is by Genesis...... Nope. Love your analysis of the voices. It is amazing how well they compliment each other on the stage.
Great song, but I’m not entirely sure this is the right video. The presence of Phil Collins means the camera isn’t focused on Sting as often as it normally would, and The Police version is different (and better, IMHO).
So much better
Yep, this is NOT the best version, imo. What made Live Aid so good was Queens performance. This is not that good.
@@Veaiki I'm an outlier I know but I always thought Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays was the best moments of Live Aid.
I agree, but also there's no better place to notice how an artist sings than with a laid back instrumental. So it might be the best versione for her, though not for us.
Agreed, and is it just me or does this performance also sound a bit sped up? It's like Sting just wants to get it done and get out of there, whereas the original recording was much more laid back.
The Police: Roxanne, Can’t Stand Losing You, Message in a Bottle, Don’t Stand So Close To Me, Walking on the Moon, Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, So Lonely.
Sting: Englishman in New York, Shape of my Heart, Fields of Gold, Moonlight, My One and Only Love, Fortress Around your Heart, Fragile, When we Dance.
Yes please! IMO, Every Breath You Take is sooo boring compared to the rest of their catalog. Although her analysis can make Happy Birthday interesting and nuanced.
@@nf3959 I was going to say, now that Elizabeth got their most boring song out of the way first, we can now look forward to their actual good songs. lol
start with roxanne - released when he was still a window cleaner...
OK, fine, but where are Wrapped Around Your Finger and Synchronicity II in your list?
@@reliantncc1864 I love those too! I agree those songs are excellent and should also be on the list. The list was made off the top of my head and to provide a good starting point moving forward, but I definitely didn’t get them all. :) Thanks for the reminder!
This is not ‘The police’. This is Sting. Andy and Stuart are just as important.
This performance is Sting (+ Phil), but it was originally recorded by The Police.
So important that you forgot his name is spelled 'Stewart.' It's still a Police song.
Stewie is the core of the band. Brilliant drummer.
You're right. Thanks for bringing it up.
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I would not have chosen this song. The Police are fantastic but this is Sting all by himself. Wrapped Around Your Finger is a much better example of how magical The Police were as a band.
The "feel" opposite of this, for Police songs is Mother", and Andy Summers is the vocalist.
This version of this song really obliterates the beautiful counterpoint guitar melody that holds The Police version together. And it adds a bunch of Kenny G sounding stuff that isn't very appealing to me.
And as the main focus of the channel is voice, it's actually better that it's mostly Sting's (and Phil's) singing, less distraction from the other instruments.
@@thossi09 True. But if your idea is to analyze The Police it is a bad choice. The Police ain't here.
@@zanzibart3 I think the idea of the Charismatic VOICE is to analyze the VOICE of the lead singer, so it's a great choice.
It's a shame you didn't listen to a performance by the Police. All 3 members are so important to their music.
Apparently she's been hiding under a rock all her life 😂. I think it's clickbait, and THAT'S a shame.
Her cave didn't pick up any radio signals 😂
It's okay! There'll be Phil Collins and Branford Marsalis instead of Andy and Stewart!
😅👍
As much as I appreciate the candor, @turelyon, I did not grow up with rock in my household. I speak about hearing The Police in passing, but not really knowing their music at all - even meeting Sting and being embarrassed I couldn't name one song. So it's definitely not Clickbait.
@TheCharismaticVoice
You need to react to Roxanne - it was their first big hit and a great mix of moody grooving reggae and uptempo punky rock 😎
You have not yet listened to The Police for the first time. Just like with Rush and its members, The Police is Sting + Andy Summers + Stewart Copeland. If you want to analyze The Police, then listen to The Police.
This was listening to Sting and a buddy doing a live interpretive performance of a Police song.
It you want to analyze Sting, then go with something from "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" instead. That is Sting's (fantastic) solo debut.
It's not the same without "The Police", Stewart Copeland's drumbeats are phenomenal. She do Roxanne or Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
Live Aid was quite an event for Phil Collins. He performed at Wembley Stadium with Genesis and did some songs with Sting, then he headed to a helicopter, which flew him to Heathrow Airport, where he then caught a supersonic Concorde jet to New York City, and then grabbed another helicopter to Philadelphia and played his own solo sets as well as playing drums for Eric Clapton and drums for a mini Led Zeppelin reunion. The man was unstoppable back then.
Cocaine is one hell of a drug.
Totally agree
And the only vocal warm up he did was ME ME ME ME ME ME
Sorry couldn't resist a joke but that is quite amazing
@acaliaaidras5012 - Yes, very cool!
😀👍
He did _not_ perform together with Genesis at Live Aid, though! 😉 He did a solo performance at both Wembley and in Philadelphia, plus duetting with Sting and drumming for Zed Leppelin 🙂
@@mightyV444 Yes - my bad. My friends went to the concert in Philly and I was sooooo jealous I didn't get to go.
The 1983 studio version by the Police won a Grammy for song of the year. The black and white video that accompanies the song is a visual masterpiece that takes the experience to another level entirely. I hope you review it, or at least watch for your own enjoyment.
The clip is filmed by Godley and Creme (musicians of 10 CC) who defitnitly made a masterpiece with this beautiful song
I just went back to the official clip. It really is masterpiece. You should really check it out, Elizabeth!
Her favorite " mistake " ... not going for the studio Version when it comes to rock music... rock music is not classical or opera... with rock music one should always start with the studio Version ... I actually think this version was kind of mid ... not too good...
@@oozeman23 I agree, it's not a great version despite the fact there were 3 hugely talented musicians here, but not the magic.
Agreed.
The upright bass with the “squeaking” on the strings as well as the piano and recorded vocals is what made this song hauntingly sinister-soft, mellow but listening to the lyrics and Sting’s delivery *bam* magic.
This isn’t The Police. This is Sting. The two other members are virtuosos on their instruments 😢
Aw... you need to hear the studio version. The one we all listened to throughout the 80s on the radio and MTV.
The Police was so great. They helped shape our culture back then, as so many new wave era bands did. Good times.
Thanks for the analysis!
For WHATEVER reason, she picks too many live versions. I won't even watch
@@atheistconservative6211 I don't mind the live versions, but this one is basically not even the same song.... I hope she does a real The Police version, maybe this one from 1983 th-cam.com/video/LHXIm6MaNLw/w-d-xo.html
Agreed, missing Stuarts astounding drumming and Stings phenomenal bass lines
@@atheistconservative6211 Live versions are typically uncut and unedited/pitch corrected. They make for a better analysis of someone's actual voice. But I agree using concerts is not always the best, especially when bands change up a lot for concerts and can be tired, etc during the performance. You really have to know the song and the band's abilities in order to find the best live versions, so this really doesn't work if you want a blind react/analysis (without someone else finding the best version for you).
@mimsydreams yeah I know and most times they sound like sh!t. Some, like SRV, Iron Maiden, any truly talented group makes live versions awesome, also depending on the mixing. My point is that she's losing a lot of dynamics with crappy live versions when the studio is tons better
It's a soprano saxophone. And the player is the magical Branford Marsalis. They played a lot of music together. The most famous is the "Englishman in New York". 🙂😍
Good eyes bro. I was hoping someone would mention that.
I figured others would catch this too. I just feel the need to add: it's a woodwind, not brass, instrument (and I hate myself because I am sure our esteemed host knows this)
And a saxophone is a woodwind instrument not brass!
I don't think I've given a proper listen to the Live Aid version of this song before, but my first thought when I heard the sax was "That's absolutely the sax player from Dream of the Blue Turtles." His style is so distinctive and so exceptionally good! And I had no idea until just now that it was Branford Marsalis, even on DotBT!
You gotta listen to the actual Police, the way they play off each other is so important to the songs
I suffer from PTSD, depression, anxiety and love your deep dive into music. It helps me to focus on something other than what is on my mind. Music helps the soul and mind. Thank You for what you do.❤
A little disappointing that this isnt actually The Police, but just Sting.
The sax player is Branford Marsalis, who has recorded and toured with Sting for decades. If you love jazz, I highly encourage you to dive into him, as well as his siblings. The Marsalis family are not vocalists, but most definitely talented and accomplished musicians. As many said, this is not the Police, but Sting, with Phil & Branford.
i came to add this. Thank you for beating me to it and absolutely nailing it.
Roxanne, Roxanne, Roxanne, Roxanne. It’s the song that really introduced the Police to widespread audience.
What he said.
Don't you put on the red light
Agreed. To really understand The Police/Sting, she needs to check out one of their songs with a reggae influence. Huge part of their sound
Also a very difficult song to sing.
Version live 1981 from Around the World VHS
Too bad this wasn’t The Police. Sting is great and this is a fun version of the song, but musically it’s lacking its very key elements (Andy & Stewart) of what made the band great. Hopefully, at some point, you’ll check out The Police as a band
Oh my. While you could argue that Sting is the "stamp", vocally, on the song, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland's immeasurable, and invaluable contributions made "Every Breath You Take" a POLICE song. From what I understand, it was Andy who was the main inspiration melodically, coming up with that iconic riff, and Stewart and Sting then fell in line behind, It was all done fairly quickly. Hopefully, you'll check out the original video/studio version and expand out to other iconic tunes like "Message In A Bottle".
Got excited that you were reacting to The Police. Then my heart sunk when I realized it was an inferior live version done without the proper band.
I have to request THE POLICE "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" (Official Video) 💫
Absolutely. Came here to say this very thing.
Yes!
She changed it. The review was supposed to be Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
I’ll listen and watch when you do “The Police”!
Sting had a song on his debut solo album called "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free", which he called his antidote to Every Breath. It was also a top 40 hit.
His solo debut is a great album indeed! 🤩👍 So many great songs on it! 😀 My favourite being 'Fortress Around Your Heart' 😊
Shape of my heart and fields of gold are both excellent as well
@@mightyV444I always thought that song was written/intended as the next Police single…before the breakup, of course.
@@melrupinski88 - So true! Already in '85 I'd remarked that it was pretty much the only song on that album with a 'Police' atmosphere to it! 😀
It must be because of the guitar, which plays only a supporting role on the rest of the songs. But it also reflects that many of the guitar parts in The Police's songs had indeed been Sting's original ideas, and Andy then refined them 🙂
And sadly, the only 'new' thing we did get were those awful remakes in '86 of 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' and 'De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da'!
😭 😅
@@mightyV444 Agree! My favourite Sting album, the most "policey" probably too.
Police- Message in a bottle. Sting - Fragile. Anything from Dream of the blue turtles, nothing like sun, soul cages, ten summoner’s tales, or mercury falling. She will love anything with Branford Marsalis on Sting’s solo career.
Yes! You can certainly see more of Sting's English teacher background in other songs. "Nothing Like the Sun" is a Shakespeare sonnet, "Moon Over Bourbon Street" from Interview with a Vampire", "Wrapped Around your Finger" -Greek mythology. Even the album Ten Summoner's Tales inspired by The Canterbury Tales.
Then there's his work influenced by the time.amd history. Fragile (when the environmental causes really started to gain momentum), Russians, They Dance Alone, Children's Crusade.
I find Soul Cages so touching, which explores (sort of) his relationship with his father.
Sting's music is quite a journey of humor and whimsy and insight and musical play and emotion and humanity. "Dead Man's Rope" came out while my father was dying. It was such a comfort.
Every little thing she does is magic is a MUST. Really encapsulates their greatness.
Great song for sure! Just, it has tons of keyboards all over it that were _not_ played by The Police themselves! 😉
Sting (and The Police) are as worthy of a deep dive as anyone. His catalogue with The Police and as a solo artist is insane. So many good songs. Most of his deep tracks are as good as his singles.
Roxanne will always be the ultimate combination of vocals and musicianship from The Police for me. It's heart wrenching.
Shows how subjective music is. Roxanne is the only song on their first album I don't like.
Thank you for listening to him in his prime - he aged SO well, but nothing like the sound that made him famous.
Elizabeth, you definitely need to watch the original video when you have a chance! The vocals, the instrumentation, the visuals - all so good! 😀
Please check out Message in a Bottle. It's their best song. Even the band agrees with me.
Lyric, drumming, guitar voicing, bass, check x 4. Stingo's irritating repetition? Not so much.
@@thefollandgnat "STFU Sting end the song already!" - Stewart Copeland
Yes, I had those very words in mind.
True true Very true
YES!!!! Ignore all the other requests THIS one.
Fantastic! I sold Hi-Fi waa-ay back when. When I heard " Walking on the Moon" , it was all over. The insistent energy, total wizardry guitar player to ing, my heart and voice, the eclectic electric bass.. . Reggae meets Rock!
Oop's! Sting,
@MarkChen-m8n - That's the song that had also gotten _me_ hooked to The Police, at 10 and when it was a Hit 😊
Strange choice for the first reaction. Both the song and the version without the police. Even among Sting's solo work this isn't up there. Someone really needs to be advising her since she can't presample the music.
Yeah the origuitar riff is legendary
Totally agree. She should really just react to the studio versions of songs first 95% of the time. And then react to live renditions later if she wants.
Please do consider the original version. It shows so much more of what his voice can do. The extra bits here are quite distracting.
I adore The Police. This wouldn't have been my first choice of song... not that it's bad, it's just not as good as some IMO. Having said that, this is probably their best seller of all time, so apparently other people would disagree with me. For my money, "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" or "Message In A Bottle" would probably be my first choices.
This is great news then. I look forward to more of their best, then!
@@TheCharismaticVoicemessage on The bottle Sting says it ! The best good vibe song. And the melancólica and smoth listen Wrapped around your finger
@johngaunce - I absolutely agree with you! This song was cool for a while at the time, but then I got tired of it very quickly.
Unlike a song like 'Walking On The Moon'! 45 years later and I'm _still_ not tired of it! 😄
This song drives home the realization that songs which focus on a romantic obsession are really about the singer's own emotions rather than the person who is ostensibly the object of their affections.
The Police have a huge number of good songs to listen to. For recommending a second song, I'm torn among "Synchronicity II", "Wrapped Around Your Finger" and "Message in a Bottle".
In his defence, as a writer, I think the number of lines that rhyme, and how relatively short those lines are, it's incredibly impressive that this song exists at all. It's so cohesive and I can imagine him finding all the possible rhymes and trying to write lines that included them. Some decisions were no doubt made in that process, but he came out of it with an all-time classic song.
Ah, this is not the Police. A lot of energy is missing without Stewart on drum, a lot of harmonic subtil colors are missing without Andy Summers on guitar. Nevermind, I really love Phil and Sting, They both had a great musical influence on me. But Police's sound and energy, it's a kind of magic.
That's a Queen song, though! 😄
Well as a HUGE Police fan, this is my FIRST time hearing this version. It is something else to hear Phil Collins sing those parts. THAT is pretty amazing. A wonderful duet I didn't know I needed today! I am in agreement with some of the other commenters that you ought to take a listen and share your thoughts on the studio version because this one is SO different.
Sting wrote the song in 1982 while he was going through a "mental breakdown" during the end of his first marriage. He wrote it at Ian Fleming's writing desk on the Goldeneye estate in Jamaica.
The studio version is so well done. The guitar part is just amazing for its simplicity and perfection.
That guitar part is actually harder to play than it sounds! 😅
To me, Stings best vocal performance is Syncronicity 2 - He brings so much intensity to that one.
Oooh good suggestion, I heard that live as the starting song of their Sydney concert, man it was brilliant.
I'm guessing by now you've realized the majority of rock singers may not be the 'best' vocalists but each has something in their voice which is unique and gives a band a true identity. Those with both a golden voice and instantly recognizable presentation become the legends we remember when auto-tuning is all that remains. :D
You should definitely give the original studio version a listen. I always loved that guitar cord progression and the drums slap. You're right about the lyrics being creepy. Sting himself wrote a solo song that was an answer to this song called 'If you Love Someone, Set Them Free'. It's also worth an analysis.
I know this is a vocal analysis channel, but the guitar and bass of this song are so iconic accompanying Sting’s voice that it’s a shame that we didn’t get to see it
It's weird to call this an analysis of the Police when it's just Sting.
About creepy lyrics: I think it is healthy and important for art to sometimes be built by such creepy, unhealthy, dark, foolish thoughts and/or feelings. We all have experienced thoughts or feelings that are petty and/or unhealthy in some way - hopefully only very briefly, as we quickly recognize this and move ourselves forward and out of them (but, let's face it, not everyone moves themselves to a healthier place as quickly as others).
And I think those temporary experiences can make for great, permanent examples to explore and even re-experience in a healthy, and distanced, way.
As a lyricist, poet, and philosopher, I've sometimes found myself wanting all my works to represent the wisdom of healthy perspectives and conclusions, when approaching the darkness of incomplete explorations. However, I credit other terrific artists for reminding me to allow a line, verse, a moment in a song, or even, especially, an entire piece, to remain steadfast in that unhealthy point of view.
Leaving the bad things unresolved, or even the questions unanswered, can sometimes be more beneficial, as art, than when we avoid such things and/or when we include the solutions within the work itself. Sometimes the piece of art best stands on the merit of only representing the problem, and not the solution (or the darkness without the light).
Just fun (to me) thoughts that I figured I'd share. ❤❤❤
(And, sure, it's okay to call those works creepy, or whatever, haha! Just, some people tend to think that means the work is bad, immature, or without merit.)
I appreciate what you said about pitch correction. It takes feeling away from the song, makes it sound more robotic and probably 90% of people listening would never hear that a note is flat. In jazz, there are times when you want to play slightly sharp and ahead of the beat. The average person will never pick up on it, but they just know the feeling. Pitch correction takes a lot of that feeling away.
I was very disappointed you didn’t choose the Police
17:16 Phil Collins being a drummer even without drums, stepping up to keep the band in tempo against the offbeat claps from the audience. 👨🍳👌
Every little thing she does is magic is a far more positive and vocally amazing song. I agree that sticking to actual Police vs Sting solo is a different experience. That being said live aid definitely had its charm with the arrangement and musicians. Cheers Elizabeth ❤️
Oh yes. Perhaps not the best choice to begin with, there are so many!
We want more of Paul Stanley!!!!!! Isolated vocal of My Way, I Still Love You from Unplugged, or love Gun from Sau Paulo 1994!
Will just say that saying this is The Police is inaccurate. It is a Police song and Sting is singing but the trio that were The Police is more than one member. They were magic as a band, this is a performance by Sting not a performance by The Police.
Fun fact: This song is often played at weddings as ‘romantic’, but that’s a case of people not listening to the lyrics, as it’s not a love song, it’s a song about obsession
This song is about obsession. One person being obsessed with someone else, in not necessarily a healthy way. So, he's watching her...he's suspicious, but at the same time he loves her. There's darkness here, but also strong passion and desire. It's a brilliant song!
Also, this song was played at SO many weddings in the '80s and the band was like WHAT?! It's a stalker song, lol.
Maybe it was a premonition song during the divorce 😂
Stalking her. Not just watching. From memory it's about a school girl crush (on a teacher as sting was a teacher) and it turning into obsession. "Every move you make, every step you take" etc is the girl stalking the teacher.
@@skilletpan5674 Wrong song. That's Don't Stand So Close to Me.
People can hear they like in a song and growing up I thought this was a beautiful song about watching the one you love, nothing sinister in that. Obviously in the age of the internet and people get obsessed with every single line and lyric, and since interviews with Sting have shown what the song is really about people now say how could you not see, but I just didn't, it was just a beautiful song. I can completely understand how people could play this at their wedding, especially if they've not dug into the lyrics and seen the interviews.
@@mattpotter8725 Oh, I didn't think about this song that way - but not because of the internet, but because of a cover Sting did for a TV show called Spitting Image - it was called 'Every Bomb you make', and was song from the perspective of Death. Clearly the original had dark undertones.
This is just getting me more and more excited for next April. Billy, Joel and Sting on the same bill. I've seen Billy before but I've never seen Sting apart from The Police.
Sting and Cheb doing Desert Rose might be an interesting vocal analysis.
YES. This. This needs more votes.
Absolute classic
It's a vocal two fer
"Desert Rose" yesyesyes
@@daviddickinson2556 Also a lyrical/poetic two fer. Although the symbolism may not be immediately accessible to western listeners without exposure to middle eastern language and poetry
I’m not watching this for singing tips, but I love your fresh reactions to classic songs that we now take for granted…
My favorite Sting song all time is Why Should I Cry For You, solely because of how expressive the vocals are.
Sting was mentioned in
"only murders in the building," but the most iconic film he has been in is "QUADROPHENIA"
it is an absolute classic.
The Police takes me back to good times in my life when I was still a kid and my older brothers listened to them and so many other artists and bands. 1988 was the year if I'm not wrong. Good times, simpler times. ❤❤❤
YES! My favorite group EVER!!
Get into some early stuff.
So Lonely
Can’t Stand Losing You
"Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" is one of my personal favorites by The Police. It is as pleasant and joyful as this song was creepy.
I, for one, am super happy you chose this performance. Other commenters have a point when they say this isn't The Police without Stuart and Andy, but the duet with Phil is amazing. This is the first time I've seen this, too, and I love it. Maybe revisit The Police with a song more indicative of their broader discography, like Message In A Bottle. They're really a Reggae group with a jazz twist. Every Breath is a fantastic song, but really an anomaly in their whole body of work.
You want to hear what Sting can do with more Jazz and blues styles, check out his first solo album, "The Dream of the Blue Turtles." The most commercial piece is probably "Fortress Around Your Heart", and it's a masterpiece, but personally I adore "We Work the Black Seam", "Russians" and "Love is the Seventh Wave." ("An Englishman in New York", from his second album, is my favourite piece of his of all time - but for more personal reasons.)
'Children's Crusade' and 'Consider Me Gone' are also great! 😀👍
It really is a stellar album! 🤩
Russians is THE song in my book , and if you think Every breath had dark lyrics, wait 'til you read the ones in Russians!!!
2024: The fact that this is still the most played song in the history of radio is testament to its greatness above and beyond what anyone else has done
So Phil Collin’s gave his own performance, sang with Sting AND played drums for Led Zeppelin! Amazing! He also performed at both venues during Live Aid! ❤
and in my opinion is NOT the reason Zep struggled in their set (I'm being diplomatic in saying "struggled). Not-so-fun-fact: Phil and I shared hair styles unintentionally around this point in time.
Saw him in concert once ... incredible. Very simplistic. He started just him on the stage with a guitar singing "Roxanne", and with each song another band member and instrument came out. In the end there was maybe 6 people on stage, and just a couple of lights. No pyrotechnics, no massive light shows, no huge background of dancers. Just him, his band and his music. Awesome.
I saw Police live, and The English Beat opened for them. It was double bonus!
The three of them together, Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers, and Sting are on fire when they play live. I saw them play on their 2007 reunion tour, we sat behind ole Stewdaddy (BEST seats in the house!!) and they were so tight as a band, absolutely unstoppable. I highly recommend listening to The Police play this (or any of their amazing songs) live, rather than a solo Sting. It's an entirely different beast.
Phil Collins - Against All Odds (live aid)
Even though Sting was the primary songwriter in The Police, I have always enjoyed him with the band more than solo. Those 3 together worked so well.
There was no The Police anymore by that time, though. It really is an actual Sting performance, plus Phil Collins singing backing vocals and Branford Marsalis on the soprano sax.
But it also really is just this video's title I can moan about! 😄 His gig at Live Aid sure _was_ very good! 🤩
I watched it on TV as it was happening, at only 15 😊
Elizabeth - there are SO many great Police/Sting songs. Personal recommendations: (Police) Wrapped around your finger, Every little thing she does is magic, King of Pain and Roxanne - (Sting) Fields of Gold, Fragile, Seven Days and Englishman in New York. Sting also plays the lute - look up Sting & Edin Karamazov - John Dowland - Come Again.
Thanks for this reaction Elizabeth. If you want another take on this - that is creepy and poignant - watch the "Spitting Image" version of this, where Death is the watcher!
Everything Little Thing She Does is Magic
6:15 They were both born in the United Kingdom and their diction is very good.
Sting did a response to this called “If You Love Somebody (Set Them Free) which is also about his relationship with the other 2 members of the Police and him trying to force them to stay together. Despite they hadn’t been getting along for awhile due to creative differences.
not a police song but fields of gold was always my fav sting song
Fields of Gold. A Phenomenal performance & production of a phenomenal song. The atmosphere he creates with his voice is intoxicating
i was just struck with the reminder of just how good of musicians sting and phil are. I hadnt heard this version. it is simply amazing.
Another one to add to your list U2. Pride in the name of love , is a good one to start with.
Yes! 😀👍 Or she could react to U2's Live Aid performance of their song 'Bad'! 😀 Bono's voice was in great shape that day! 🤩
The difference between this version and the studio cut is the absence of an intro and drums from the outset. The intro is a big help towards: a) creating misdirection between the happy melody/chord structure and the dark subject of the lyrics, b) creating a consistent rhythm which paces the vocal, making the the POV of the song sound more calculating and therefore more creepy. This song loses A LOT in departing from the album arrangement, IMHO.
ROXANNE Please!!!! He's still trying to control the poor girls but it's a wondeful song. Sting is great, as well Copeland and Summers
One for "King of Pain" by The Police. Thank you.
A bit off topic but Blind Faith and Stevie Winwood would be a really good review any of the music would do well. However the song "can't find my way back home" is sure to please.
I would say "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic."
This isn't the Police and not the same song. This performance is great in its own wY but would never replace the original on my play list.
It is perhaps the ultimate irony that a song chosen by many couples to be their first dance at their wedding is basically 'The Song of The Stalker'... The Police were an incredible mix of talents and energy - all three members were massively overqualified to be in The Police and it showed in pretty much every track. For a while they thrived on the creative tension that they all realised made the end product so much better, but ultimately it turned toxic and it all came to a very sudden end.
Other tracks to consider would be, as others have said, tracks like Roxanne, Walking on The Moon, Don't Stand So Close to Me - but I'd add Invisible Sun to that list.
"Tea in the Sahara" would be my Police recommendation for vocal analysis!
Indeed, or _Murder by Numbers._ Possibly my two favorite "The Police" songs.
Long time lurker, finally subscribed because of this video.
I really like The Police, but Sting is my all time favorite. All time number one, hands down. Seen in concert... okay, only four times, but that's 2x more than I've seen anyone else. There is an entire origin story to this involving a friend in high school, Jamie, who I exchanged blank tapes for copies of entire albums with. He introduced me to music and is significantly responsible for my musical Bildungsroman. Jamie gave me a general appreciation for music with The Clash, Violent Femmes, The Police, and others, which eventually led me to Sting. Listening to The Dream of the Blue Turtles, his first solo album, cemented how much I appreciate his lyrics and voice. I haven't spoken to Jamie since high school, but more than three decades later I can confidently say he enriched my life for the cost of a few blank cassettes.
Fragile, Fields of Gold, Englishman in New York, all Sting songs I would love to hear your take on. But one I think you would have a lot of fun with, more than the others, is Shadows in the Rain.
For The Police, you can't go wrong with Roxanne, Message in a Bottle, King of Pain, Driven to Tears, So Lonely, Walking on the Moon, etc.
But I really hope you react to his solo songs.
Sting's solo track "Shape of my Heart" is one of his best and a very good quality recording to hear on decent gear, definitely worth a listen even if it's not an analysis choice
Agreed. My favorite version: th-cam.com/video/037uSAIahho/w-d-xo.html
Boo
Hello dear Elizabeth and thank you so much particularly for this video. It has two of my biggest musical influences combined, so I got a lot to say about this :)
Phil Collins was my first pop star ever, in 1981 when I was 1 yr old I used to kick along with my feet against the car front seat when "In the air tonight" came on the radio, which happened a lot back then. He later became my first "real" pop star to listen to around the age of 12, but at like 15, 16 yrs old I discovered Sting and I became his biggest fan ever, without forgetting about Phil. I've been to 13 Sting or Police concerts so far since the year 2000, and have also seen the German production of Sting's musical "The Last Ship" 6 times now, the songs in there are amazing!
About "Every breath", yes it was meant to tell the story of a stalker, and Sting used to call couples who used this as their wedding song "sick". Meanwhile he says he just writes the song and it means whatever it means to the listener, he doesn't own the sole correct interpretation.
I already posted a comment with my top 10 Sting solo recommendations under another one of your videos. If you like I could look for it and post it here again.
Btw Branford Marsalis plays a wonderful soprano saxophone and he is strongly featured on Sting's "Englishman in New York".
In his memoir, Phil writes about this performance at live aid, that he tried so hard to memorize the words of Every breath in the correct order, and then two seconds before they go on stage, Sting smirks at him and goes "I'll probably be improvising a bit with the words, just do what I do". Phil is an amazing musician but he mostly worked like with a metaphorical safety net, trying to reproduce his records as closely as possible on stage. Sting always loves risks, he wants to surprise, give art the opportunity to create something new and interesting, even if simply by coincidence. They are very different like that, but you are right that their voices blend very well. Sting did backing vocals on Phil's "Long, long way to go", it also sounds very nice!
I get the preference for live versions over studio recordings, and usually that's a good call. But I think in this case it might have backfired on you, unfortunately. For one, this isn't the Police, it's just Sting, and for two, it's actually not really a very good rendition of the song, it's very mediocre at best. The studio version (and accompanying video) are absolutely epic. I would politely recommend going back and watching that (not even necessarily as a deep dive, but just to watch on your own, although I'd certainly watch you do a video on it if you were so inclined, heh).
Phil Collin’s and sting do sound very similar in lot of songs. Great pair
My 1st ever concert was The Police with Joan Jett in the '80s
As a few folks pointed out below, the soprano player is one of the world's best: Branford Marsalis. He can "noodle" with ANYONE extremely competently. Also, while most saxes are made of "brass", they are not considered a "brass instrument" as you said but a woodwind. They do tend to have a brighter sound that many woodwinds, but that's more due to the conical bore (as opposed to cylindrical bore - thought you might enjoy the physics the way you discuss the space in the singer's "instrument") than what the horn is made of.
``Fields of Gold' is my favorite or back to the beginning with `Roxanne' for the next deep dive....
Do more Police reactions please. “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” would be another one of their great songs!
do Synchonicity II
Way off the beaten track. One of my favorite from the Police. 😄
Yeah, I love that one so much. It's not overplayed like some of their songs (including the one she's reacting to here).
Sorry but this is roasting time. Saying that this song is by The Police is like saying in the air tonight is by Genesis...... Nope. Love your analysis of the voices. It is amazing how well they compliment each other on the stage.