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“That Song Was Going in the Trash Until I Played on it”: Andy Summers Hints at Legal Action Against Sting Over Writing Credits on Every Breath You Take
Guitar ^ | 10/9 | Adam England

Posted on 10/14/2023 10:41:18 AM PDT by nickcarraway

40 years after it was first released, it seems the Police guitarist still doesn’t feel he got his due for the iconic guitar part.

Andy Summers has hinted that he might take legal action against Sting over the songwriting credits for Every Breath You Take, 40 years after The Police’s classic track was first released.

When asked about the 1983 hit on the podcast The Jeremy White Show, the former guitarist for The Police (as transcribed by Ultimate Classic Rock) says, “It’s a very contentious [topic] that is very much alive at the moment. That song was going in the trash until I played on it, and that’s all there is to it. And I think that’s composition, absolutely.”

Summers doesn’t go into further detail about his efforts to get a songwriting credit on the track, which was solely credited to Sting on the original album notes for Synchronicity, but does imply legal action might be on the way, saying, “Watch the press. Let’s see what happens in the next year.”

While Every Breath You Take might be one of The Police’s biggest hits, it proved to be one of their most difficult songs to complete. Sting began work on it in 1982 after breaking up with his first wife and embarking on a relationship with her friend.

But, initially, the song didn’t have a guitar part, and the band disagreed on what to do with it. Summers reiterated that the song was “going in the trash,” explaining, “Stewart [Copeland, drummer] and Sting couldn’t agree on where the drums and bass were gonna sit with the song. And it wasn’t going to make it onto the album.”

The only reason the track wasn’t abandoned in the end was that the band hadn’t filled out the album yet. Summers expanded, “We needed the material, and the famous story is Sting just turned to me and said, ‘Well, go on. Go in there and make it your own.’

“And of course, I had all this sort of stuff under my fingers. I was the Police stock-artist guitarist, if you like. And I went in and I got that lick almost, it was like one take. Everyone stood up and cheered.”


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: andysummers; everybreathyoutake; sting; thepolice
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To: monkeyshine; KarlInOhio
It’s not recent but Biggy Smalls sampled it and made a huge hip hop hit from it. Then he got shot.

LOL, no. It was sampled in a song that his friends made about Biggy Smalls/Notorious BIG AFTER he died. So it wasn't his song, it was about him.

21 posted on 10/14/2023 11:15:48 AM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: KarlInOhio

That song was on TV commercial recently for a internet search engine.


22 posted on 10/14/2023 11:16:22 AM PDT by 4yearlurker (Arise and shine,and give God the glory!-A trail cook's morning call.)
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To: monkeyshine

Drake just sampled something from the PetShop Boys. West End girls. They are mad


23 posted on 10/14/2023 11:20:07 AM PDT by RummyChick
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To: discostu
I agree with you to some extent, but Sting was still talented as a songwriter, but Summers added some great chords to his songs.


Sting - Shaggy

That's disingenuous. Sting had great jazz musicians on his solo albums, as well as collaborating with Eric Clapton, Charles Azvanour, Cheb Mami, Herbie Hancock, and many others.

24 posted on 10/14/2023 11:21:28 AM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: 4yearlurker; KarlInOhio

Sting sold off his rights, so I doubt he could control that.


25 posted on 10/14/2023 11:22:10 AM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: RummyChick
Drake just sampled something from the PetShop Boys. West End girls. They are mad

Who is mad, Pet Shop Boys, or the West End Girls.

Drake should respond to them: "But you don't even like girls."

26 posted on 10/14/2023 11:23:29 AM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: RummyChick

It’s after the 2 minute mark. I keep seeing people say that Drake’s use is “fair use” but I don’t think it works that way. It is clear with no doubt that he was copying Petshop Boys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPdLz75ds4Q


27 posted on 10/14/2023 11:23:31 AM PDT by RummyChick
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To: nickcarraway

Dana Carvey on Sting. (Language)

https://youtu.be/glMXEpFkH_0?t=351


28 posted on 10/14/2023 11:25:07 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: RummyChick

Here is the original. Should Drake pay Petshop Boys ? Absolutely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3j2NYZ8FKs

Rolling Stone made millions off The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony because of The Last Time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdFQtbXAWdc


29 posted on 10/14/2023 11:30:17 AM PDT by RummyChick
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To: marcusmaximus

There’s 1000s of songs that use that same 1-6-4-5 pattern.

Stand By Me is just one of them.


30 posted on 10/14/2023 11:40:32 AM PDT by Eccl 10:2 (Prov 3:5 --- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding")
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To: nickcarraway

I’d tell Copeland that the groove IS the relentless steady- ness of the bear. It develops an intensity that underscores the stalker like fixation in the song. A hell of a lot of pro and amateur recording engineers consider it a near perfect recording.


31 posted on 10/14/2023 12:53:57 PM PDT by TalBlack (We have a Christian duty and a patriotic duty. God help us.)
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