Andy Summers on Recording "Every Breath You Take" 

Rick is so incredibly refreshing the way he completely enjoys every moment of spending time with these people who are his heroes, as opposed to enjoying every moment of hearing himself speak and constantly interrupting. The best.

A cup of tea solves everything

It is insane that Andy is not a credited writer on the song. That intricate (and difficult) guitar track is the heartbeat throughout

Between the 3 members of the Police, I always felt the Andy's interviews during their time were the most professional.

This guys contribution to guitar can’t be understated.

Since the first time I heard this song, my favorite part was hearing Andy's fingers drag along the strings. This is almost emphasized in this song. Tastefully done.

Andy just has a unique guitar playing style that still stands out anytime i listen to the police The Message in a bottle riff does it for me everytime Much love to Andy

I've watched this interview many times. Andy's dry, self-effacing humour is hilarious and his timing is spot on. A natural storyteller.

It's good to take a song out of the studio and hear it with other people. I often don't hear all the flaws in my work until someone else is in the room, then they all jump out at me mercilessly.

Andy has almost a decade on Sting and Stewart. He was literally too old for any of their shit.

Nice when the guests do all the talking 💚

You can always count on Andy to give you a straight story. Not some overly philosophical emotional rubbish. Brilliant.

Andy is an amazing storyteller!!

Saw the Police during their 2nd tour of US after Roxanne was taking off. My Fathers Place @ Roslyn. Might’ve been a free showcase hosted by WLIR. They were unbelievable. Well, not really, just way better than you would’ve imagined based on Roxanne. These were jazz and prog rock guys. Head and shoulders above what I expected. This was people capable of playing Mingus or Monk and Yes and King Crimson. Wow….wish I still had the cassette recorded on my Blaupunkt Car Stereo

That comment about evaluating your songs/recordings in different contexts is GOLD.

Rick is a fantastic interviewer!

Andy Summers has found the secret to NOT age...who could believe this guy is actually 81 YEARS OLD???

Guy looks really good for 81.

Amazing story. Having met George Martin at rehearsals for an off Bway play, I had the same reaction. Magical.

I like how Andy plays his positions spread over 5 frets. It’s the same with Message in a bottle where he adds the 9th , 5 frets up from his root note , on every change. That’s not an easy riff for smaller hands. Very unique that He frets like a shredder , but has a fender clean sound and plays the riffs to support the song melody .

The reference to Monk & Ornette. Another musician giving props to the 50’s/60’s jazz greats. I love that. How many “musicians” of today would even know who those greats were?

I'm not reminded often enough how great he is . His work with Robert Fripp "I advance masked" etc. is brilliant too bad that all came to exist during the Madonna MTV era deserved more exposure I think .

Mr. Summers is one of the best at playing just what the song needs, and not one superfluous note more.

I love Andy Summers’ playing. He inspired me to build my own replica of his Telecaster. One of my favorite guitars and guitarists.

Rick, your interviews are outstanding. You're keeping proper music alive and interesting. Thank you so much .😊

Andy is a great storyteller. Love the voices!

My first concert was the polices farewell tour on this album... Musta been 1981 or 1982... It changed my life. For example, that album and tour are why I am watching Rick Beatto 40 years later

Rick gives all his guests the best: Southern Hospitality!

Serving at Naval Air Station Keflavik when the album came out. Helped keep me on track listening then and all those years since.

Andy’s playing on the Police’ records is some of my favorite playing. I also like his stories. Although I equally enjoy all five full-length albums the Police recorded and issued, I still understand why Andy thought some of the music wasn’t suited for them.

I saw him at Wolf Trap "the Barns" in October. Of course, he was incredible and his droll sense of humor and funny stories helped make it an incredible evening. I will see him everytime he comes to the DC area!

This guy will be forever young

Love these interviews! 👏👏👏

I always appreciate the artists' candor.

I love this song for so many reasons and crank it up on radio every time

"It's always context." Thank you for this interview!

RIck ! Awesome !! I love that I'm hearin the behind the scenes on "Every breath you take" , the groups problems/solutions and Summers simple and extremely effective riff that brought it alive :)

Appreciate the wisdom Mr. Summers.

Thank you for this…priceless.

Another great interview. Well done all around!

Having bought that cassette when it came out, i listened to it in and out of the dessert where i was working at the time. Brings back memories when i hear it.

This guy is a true legend, genius player !

Love hearing about the inspiration for great work whatever it is!! Thank you

Always loved Andy’s guitar playing but thought that there was a lot of his talent and abilities that were suppressed. Like having a sports car but never going past 2nd gear. Great interview!

Just subscribed, love your content Rick Love from Ireland

Excellent interview, Rick!

Love it love it!!!! amazing guitar part....

Great story teller! 😍🔥

Brilliant, Rick, just brilliant! Subscribed to 1 and 2 for many years bcuz you are the 'top of the pop!' And I'm not a musician, just love music with the best host!!

I met Sting once. I was amazed at what a humble gentleman he was. I had heard Andy and Stewart say how difficult he was in so many interviews before I met him but I didn’t see it. Maybe Sting is such a perfectionist that he gets misunderstood. I hope the Police have at least one more album in them together. Great interview!

I hear so many ppl play it wrong or different. They palm mute without letting the notes ring out and blend like he does. Makes such a difference

Just.i got goosebumps the minute he struck those few cords .I still play that song flat out in the car

That is probably one of the most beautiful Teles I’ve ever seen…

Andy summers is a master storyteller

“Mysterious Barricades” is one of my favorite albums.

The effects for Walking on the Moon always get me, my god that reggae vibe so smooth! One of the greatest band ever. 😎🔥🐐

Just subscribed here...long-term on your other...didn't realize this was different, and love your work ❤❤❤❤❤❤

Thank you Rick for pointing out this is a different channel (just noticed the RB-2), I thought I was on your main channel. Subscribe button clicked! Cheers!

Monk & Ornette references that immediately went over most people’s heads. 😎🎹🎷

Love this interview. Andy is a huge influence of mine. I love the police.

3:36 is just magical

I was at that last gig.. Melbourne, at the show grounds.. 44,000 people.. incredible show.

LOL Felonious Monk, checking in here... for the late great Thelonius! Andy Summers love of jazz, infused with Sting's love of jazz, tempered at first by Stewart Copelands love of punk..... transmorgified into a portion of that New Wave that hit US shores. In a sense, they so much remind me of Steely Dan.... just so unique, there was no one else out there that sounded anything like these bands with jazz, fusion, and rock all melded into a style of music that deserved its own label as to type, there was just no pigeon hole it fit into.... Andy's totally sparse style of playing, combined with exotic jazz notes... proof that it is also leaving breathing space in the music for the rest of the band to shine, that makes absolutely great hits. I've got more love for good notes than a shredder with great chops and speed. Sadly, I missed the golden opportunity to see The Police, live. Did get to see Steely Dan live, while Walter Becker was still alive, at the Hollywood Bowl. I truly believe, if they could all get along, they could still fill huge venues with a World Tour, The Police.

Amazing,

By the way, Blue Oyster Cult's new/old album comes out today. I hope you will talk about it. I've only heard you mention them like once and they're incredible.

chills

Without Andy’s guitar part, that song is nothing.

we want a Rick Beato 3!!

This was a first-date song for a fellow servicemember I met when stationed in Frankfurt. It was on a jukebox in a small restaurant near the Kaserne we lived on.

Admiral Martin 🤘

“It got nice”

Very cool

He was boooooorn, born in the forties. Born, born in the forties.

It’s worth repeating that when Andy heard the first mix of Every Breath You Take, he flipped out because his guitar part was buried in the mix. He demanded a remix.

Vocal Sampling from Cuba does an amazing acapella version of this song.

Lovely lovely guy. Andy Summers , also funny 😂.

Mr Summers is - grotesquely - one of the most underrated musician. his guitar work is fucking magical

Andy rules

It was years before I knew about the tension and fights in the band. I was a little kid and just amazed at what three talented guys could do. Thank you for this one, gentlemen!

I have the documentary of the Montserrat sessions. So good.

Andy’s got the burps!

check out what The Bad Plus do with the guitar line ....live concert ...it'll blow your mind

Please have longer interviews.. Gives u s more insight. 🙂🙂🙂

Seems like a really nice guy

Stop fretting and looking at your watch, wisdom usually arrives on time.

I just subscribed!

That Tele is very, very dreamy

So interesting to see the man who made it happen play it all this time later. Lots of people play that guitar part and do it well but hearing and seeing Andy do it is different to me.

andy summers best policeman ever

WHAT is it about guitarists with such hilarious sense of humor? 😆I'd love to hear Andy and Lukathere doing a stand-up routine together, guarantee they'd have us dying. 🤣🤣🤣

Rick every time you upload a video on this channel, I check to see if I'm subscribed. I'm always NOT subscribed and every time I immediately re-subscribe.

George Martin❤❤❤❤

About "King of Pain". Although this clip edits out the audio, on the full interview Rick is asking about the break towards the end of the song, where it's just synth and vocals, then the band comes back in. Rick is essentially asking "how did you know when to come back in?" Andy is mistaken when he says they didn't use a metronome. I have recently been working on a cover of that song and I had the track in my DAW precisely synced to a tempo track, so I can definitely say that they did use a click track. Although the break section itself has very loose timing, the band comes back in exactly in sync with the click. My theory is that they recorded a click track to play to and left a blank section for the break (count 8 bars of silence then come back in, for example). Not that I'm accusing Andy of lying, but I think he's misremembered that detail.

Such a shame police couldn't keep it together longer... so much talent in that band.

Randy Jackson of Zebra used/played one of those Roland Guitar thing on the No Tellin Lies album. He later donated it to a Rock n Roll memorabilia restaurant…. no interest in keeping it 😂

Very simple parts, simple arrangement, simple recording.

I finally got my first Telecaster. I feel grown up now.

We want our Bands, Beatles, Police..to stay together forever but it gets to be stressful, egos, affairs, betrayals, it's never like the very beginning, it's not always laughs. Hopefully, they break them come back, for themselves, for the fans.

I thought we were gonna hear some licks from Wayne Gretzky

Copeland is an amazing player.