Andy Summers: How The Police wrote "Message in a Bottle"

Summary

In this engaging conversation, Sting reflects on the unique musical elements that made the iconic song "Message in a Bottle" a hit. He delves into the open fifths voicings, a distinct technique he employed to outline the chords, leaving out the third and creating a dark, mysterious sound. Sting also discusses his musical education, mentioning his love for Bach violin duets, which influenced his approach to songwriting. He fondly recalls the studio session where the label executives recognized the song's potential, and shares his continued joy in performing it live, where it remains a crowd-pleaser. The discussion also touches on Sting's musical collaboration with his son, highlighting the power of music to inspire and connect across generations.

Takeaways

• 🎸 The unique use of open fifths voicings in the song provides a distinctive hook, making the song stand out with its construction.
• 🤖 The approach of playing chords by omitting certain notes, like the third in a C minor chord, creates a specific sound that defined the artist's style.
• 🎹 The artist draws inspiration from classical music, particularly Bach violin duets, influencing their musical approach and ideas.
• 📝 Discussing the potential for a new guitar project based on classical music shows the artist's continuous pursuit of musical exploration and innovation.
• 📢 Emphasizes the importance of subscribing to the channel to support the content and future projects, highlighting community engagement.
• 🎵 The songwriting process and the creation of riffs and harmonies are collaborative, evolving through experimentation and mutual discovery among band members.
• 🎧 The reception of the song by industry professionals was overwhelmingly positive, indicating its potential success even before its release.
• 📺 Reflecting on the enduring quality of the song, the artist believes it will remain relevant and appreciated for decades to come.
• 💯 The artist expresses a deep connection to the song, continuing to perform it with enthusiasm and considering it a highlight of their career.
• 🙌 The power of music to connect, inspire, and elevate performances is a recurring theme, illustrated through personal anecdotes involving family and live performances.

Q & A

What unique aspect of the music composition did the speaker highlight?

The speaker mentioned the use of open fifths voicings, which was a unique and unusual approach to composing the song.

How did the speaker describe the song's structure?

The speaker described the song as having "hook after hook after hook," indicating that it had multiple catchy and memorable sections.

What guitar voicing technique did the speaker use to outline the chords?

The speaker used a technique of leaving out the third note in each chord, playing only the root, fifth, and seventh notes (e.g., C, G#, and D# for a C minor chord).

What musical influence did the speaker mention?

The speaker mentioned being influenced by Bach violin duets, which he found musically interesting and educational.

What was the reaction when the speaker played the song for the first time in the studio?

Two representatives from the A&M record company were thrilled and grinning ear to ear when they heard the song, indicating that the speaker knew it would be a hit.

How did the speaker describe the songwriting?

The speaker called it "the best song he [Sting] ever wrote" and a "great piece of songwriting," highlighting the song's imagery and the chord progression.

Why does the speaker continue to play the song in his current shows?

The speaker still loves playing the song and considers it a great way to end his shows, with the audience getting up and singing along.

How did the songwriting process work for the band?

The songwriting process was not straightforward, starting from an empty tape and gradually coming together through the band members' moody and dark contributions.

What did the speaker say about the drummer's performance on the track?

The speaker complimented the drummer (Stuart Copeland) and said it was the greatest drum track he ever recorded, driven by the song itself and its structure.

What recent musical collaboration did the speaker mention?

The speaker mentioned playing drums with his son Anton during the pandemic, noting that his son's drumming improved as the speaker pushed himself to play better, illustrating the power of music.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 Exploring Unique Musical Techniques

The first paragraph dives into the distinctive musical approach utilized in a beloved song, focusing on its unconventional open fifths voicings which set it apart from contemporary tracks. The speaker reflects on their personal connection to the song, highlighting its composition and the strategic omission of certain notes to create a unique sound. This technique, inspired by the speaker's extensive musical background including the study of Bach's violin duets, has become a defining element of their musical identity. The conversation also touches on the idea of exploring these classical influences further through a guitar project. Additionally, there's a brief interlude encouraging viewers to subscribe to the channel to support its growth and enable the hosting of dream guests. Finally, the narrative shifts back to the song's creation, detailing the collaborative process and the excitement it generated among listeners and music executives alike, cementing its status as a groundbreaking hit.

05:02

🥁 Reflecting on Collaboration and Musical Evolution

In the second paragraph, the discussion shifts to the collaborative dynamics within the band, characterized by moody interactions and the gradual development of songs. The speaker pays tribute to the drummer's exceptional performance on what they consider the band's most outstanding track, attributing its success to both the song's structure and the drummer's skill. The narrative then explores the speaker's personal experiences with musical performance, including playing guitar solos and the impact of engaging with the audience. A touching aspect of this segment is the speaker's collaboration with their son, highlighting the bond over music and the mutual influence they exert on each other's performances. This story underlines the transformative power of music and the personal growth and connection it fosters.

Keywords

💡Open fifths voicings

Open fifths voicings refer to a chord structure where the fifth interval is emphasized, often leaving out the third to avoid defining the chord as major or minor. In the context of the video, this musical technique is highlighted as a unique approach within a song, creating a distinctive hook. The script mentions how this method contributes to the song's appeal by providing a fresh sound, contrasting with more conventional chord voicings that include all the harmonic notes.

💡Hook

In music, a hook refers to a catchy musical idea or motif that stands out and is easily remembered, often meant to attract and hold the listener's attention. The video script discusses the song's structure, emphasizing its series of memorable hooks that engage the audience, demonstrating effective songwriting that leverages repetition and standout elements to create a compelling composition.

💡Song construction

Song construction denotes the methodical arrangement of various elements within a song, including melody, harmony, rhythm, and lyrics to create a cohesive piece. The video appreciates the song's construction, focusing on its strategic layout of hooks and sections to maximize its impact and memorability, underlying the song's success and lasting appeal.

💡Instrumental performance

Instrumental performance in this context refers to playing a song without vocal accompaniment, focusing on the musical instruments alone. The speaker mentions performing the song instrumentally, using a backing track, highlighting the adaptability and enduring charm of the song's composition when presented solely through instruments.

💡Musical education

Musical education involves formal or informal learning processes to understand and perform music. The script references the speaker's advanced musical knowledge, shaped by experiences like playing Bach violin duets, indicating how a well-rounded musical education can influence one's artistic style and approach to music creation and interpretation.

💡Bach violin duets

Bach violin duets are classical compositions for two violins by Johann Sebastian Bach, revered for their complexity and beauty. In the video, the artist recalls engaging with these pieces, suggesting that the intricate interplay and harmony in Bach's work informed his approach to arranging and performing music, showcasing the influence of classical training on contemporary music-making.

💡Subscriber engagement

Subscriber engagement refers to the interaction and commitment viewers have with a content creator's channel, often measured by actions like subscribing, commenting, and viewing. The script includes a call to action for viewers to subscribe, emphasizing its importance for supporting the channel and enabling the creation of more content, illustrating the creator-audience relationship in digital media platforms.

💡Harmony part

A harmony part in music is an accompanying part that complements the main melody with different notes, enriching the song's texture. The video discusses adding a harmony to a guitar riff, an enhancement that provides depth and complexity, illustrating the collaborative and iterative process of refining a song's arrangement.

💡Drum technique

Drum technique encompasses the skills and methods a drummer uses to play their instrument. The script praises a particular drum track as the finest example of the drummer's work, highlighting how advanced technique can elevate a song, enhancing its rhythmical appeal and overall impact.

💡Musical legacy

Musical legacy refers to the enduring influence and memory of an artist's work over time. The video contemplates the song's lasting relevance, suggesting it will continue to be celebrated and played for decades, illustrating how certain compositions transcend their era to achieve timeless status in the music canon.

Highlights

Open fifths voicings in song, unique hook

Song structure praised as 'hook after hook'

Use of back in track for instrumental play

Approach to playing chords by leaving out certain notes

Influence of Bach violin duets on musical education

Idea for a guitar duo album inspired by Bach

Encouragement to subscribe to support channel growth

Discussion on the creation of a song riff with harmony

Reception of 'Message in a Bottle' by A&M representatives

Confidence in 'Message in a Bottle' becoming a hit

Importance of songwriting and structure in hit songs

Personal satisfaction in performing 'Message in a Bottle'

The inception and evolution of songs in the studio

Stuart's drum track on 'Message in a Bottle' highlighted

Influence of performance energy on audience engagement

Playing music with family during the pandemic

Transcripts

the open fifths voicings in this song

this is another thing that you just

didn't hear people do right in songs it

was such a a unique hook yeah and this

song is just hook after hook after hook

yeah well it's a great construction I

mean it is my favorite song I played it

only a few hours ago in Florida I play

it instrumentally but I use that back in

track but um yeah I mean it's outlining

the songs with with that way of playing

like instead of C mon with all the all

the notes you leave out the 30 so you

got C Shar gsh and dsh is that right yes

yeah and then a yeah so you do it that's

the same approach on all the Cs which is

basically C Minor

A F minor

B I only played this five

million no no a b f that's what b f need

a guitar on my hand um yeah so

this became a very definitive approach

for me in terms of uh you know playing

the you know the verses the chorus

underneath the vocal to to reduce it to

this you know and I I like to think that

you know I mean I was pretty musically

educated by the time I was in the police

I played a lot of um this might seem

unusual but a lot of bok violin Duets

you know learning both parts and

listening to that you know the 44 B

which was you know very hip to me

musically and just wonderful musical

writing but it you know the summer one

of the albums I don't know if it was on

this one no I think it was when we were

in monserat I took all I was re learning

all those you can't learn all of them

but playing those bck violin jarts I

wanted to do them with Robert frit but I

don't think he was quite up up for it

but maybe somebody should make an album

a guitar J album go maybe I'll do it

actually that good idea project yeah I'd

like to take take a second to talk to

you about this channel this is actually

Rick Bato 2 I've had it since the

beginning of my main Channel and many of

you are not subscribed as a matter of

fact 87% of the people that watch this

channel regularly are not subscribed so

I encourage you to hit the Subscribe

button on this channel and on my main

Channel this will help me get even more

of my dream guests and help continue to

grow both channels thank you let me just

talk about this riff here Andy if you

want to uh on the guitar I can play it

for you it's got a Harmony so you know

so instead

of instead of

[Music]

sh beautiful that's a

h yeah did you say oh it needs a Harmony

Part there or no I think we just kind of

figured it out that it needed to be

doubled up somehow that's what gives it

it's really dark dark

mysterious yeah because otherwise it's

just when you finish a song like this

and you're listening to playback in the

studio are you oh my God this is another

hit or are you like oh that's pretty

good we were pretty pleased with it but

you know the real killer moment was

there were these two guys one guy was

called Dale um they came down from A&M

to our studio and we said um this what

you got you no what what do you got what

do you got we put on message in B they

went they were grinning ear to ear they

could not believe what they were hearing

we cranked it up man they were so

thrilled so you knew then right when by

this time you're like oh this is going

to be a Smash Hit yeah I think we were

pretty sure about it I mean there wasn't

anything else really like it in the

English pop charts at all first track on

the record too I think it's a great

piece of songwriting one of things the

imagery you know the whole you know the

fact that it goes to that the a cord in

the middle and then you got that little

slowed down chorus a great great B I

mean to my mind it's the best song he

ever wrote once again it's a song that

50 years from now people will still be

playing yeah and I'm I'm yeah go why

would you want to play the police where

you are now I go well I love playing

that song I still love it and you know I

do it you know I the show I'm doing now

I end up I bring it back as an encore I

do um spirits in the world and bring on

the night and I go that's it and I'm out

of here and they all get up out their

seats and come up play it out

from and they go out and do Message in a

Bottle which is a great way to end it

and that that's it you got you can't

beat that after that you know I thank

sing for writing that song and I'm very

happy to have played on it right mate

wherever you

are it's probably in Las Vegas it's

fascinating though to to that these

songs at one point there was an empty

tape yes right there was a point where

they didn't exist no they didn't exist

you know I mean the way it would have

gone down you been through three like

well two two Moody English men and one

one American it was like muttering well

you know it's sort of you know like this

yeah got it you know you

so they they come out of like oh

I've got this great song and I want you

all guys to play it how about it fellas

it's not like that it's all Moody and

you know dark it comes together you know

once we start learning it and for me I

i' say I'd like to play compliment to

Stuart here because I think that's the

greatest drum tack he ever did of all

the stuff we did and they're all great

but he particularly excels on that track

maybe driven by the song itself and the

structure of it I mean this it seems

obvious but I've been out playing so

much this year playing endless solos

endless guitar solos and if I'm really

into it I start playing harder and

really pushing it the audience comes

with you yeah you go if I'm playing okay

you know but then I go okay wake up come

on you can do better yeah just really

kind of start whipping it a bit they

come with you you know and uh another

example of that is like I in the last

two years since middle of the pandemic

my son Anton grew up well he grew up

playing drums he played drums for 10

years but then he became a martial arts

teacher and he's he's got black belts

and everything so halfway through the

pandemic he says oh dad you know why

don't we play together cuz I have a drum

kit cuz I like to play the drums mhm and

I play the drums and he said oh well got

come down you know at the end of the

garden so he comes down and we start

playing he's a little bit Rusty but

gradually you know he's got better and

better and better it's in him you know

and we play so many songs now so you

know I'm doing like four or five gigs a

week because so so I haven't got a gig

I'm not on tour but you know what I'm

playing all the time with my kid it's

great cuz he's grown up now and so he's

gotten so much better with it and one of

those I noticed if I start playing

really well and I start really pushing

it he picks up with me if I'm not I'm

sort of average he stays there so I can

kind of get him going you know it's the

power of music I suppose