@@OffBeatChannel Extremely insightful, informative exploration of considerations I'd never understood until this short doc on what goes on behind the scenes in genius compositions. Talent. Now off to check out my old Police LPs
those 2, Peart and Copeland are people without overdone and inflated ego's, they are genuine People unlike those narcissistic, sheeple, dumb asses that are constantly trying to prove something and compensating for their faults because they don't even try, they do a crappy job in whatever they do, are self-defeated and always lose the race before they finish (they never fkn finish anything because they are eternally non committal and have patent excuses for not succeeding in anything all except for boasting and running their lying, loud mouths! I'm positive that all of you know those level of rats I mean people!)... Neil Peart' Spirit is alive whenever I listen to Rush and for Gheddy Lee and Alex Lifeson too!...and the rest of the millions and millions of dedicated fans!... those two are my favorite drummers of all time when Stewart Copeland passes to the other side of the spectrum as it were no one can ever shine like them, as well as you and i know and those people who are in- the- know that are reading this right now, to replace them or even be half as pure as them is totally impossible! They are the epitome of not only what a professional musician should be but what a Human should represent also! 😐
@@Georgia-Vic i idolized peart and copeland in my teen drumming years...first peart, then Copeland..i moved on as i progressed, but still they left a mark on my style.....but lol....relax ...you sound mid teens and you will snap out of it and grow
@Jckhammer my top two were Bonham and Seraphine. As far as victors rant, you really going to give someone in their mid teens that much credit?? I dont believe hes in his mid teens, theres too much life experience in some of the things he said to only be in his.mid teens. I'd say hes in his 20s. I'll also add that victor has trouble reading and comprehending what he reads... he read this, totally misunderstood it, and is trying to start some shit... over what? Me saying that his rant couldn't have been written by someone in their mid teens? Well. He may have typed out the words that gives the appearance of being older and wiser, but he destroyed that idea when he decided to act like that mid teens snotty nosed brat who acts before they think... good job!! 👍 😒
One thing that impresses me is his distinct sound. You know when it's Eddie Van Halen playing guitar and you know when it's Stewart Copeland on the drums.
He plays the hi-hat on Red Rain by Peter Gabriel. Imagine being hired just to play hi-hat. I guess the joke is that for years PG never wanted a hi-hat on his recordings at all. So when he brings it, he brings the best.
Spirits in the Material World is perhaps the best example of the band’s use of space to highlight syncopation. It’s a tour de force. Not only is Stings’ bass line syncopated against his vocal part, but also against Copeland Hi Hat part. That’s a song worth breaking down.
Great bands are like perfect storms. Sting's songwriting, singing, bass playing matched with Andy's masterful guitar playing and Stewart's drumming was just that. A musical perfect storm.
Some of the most complicated rhythms I’ve ever heard. Sometimes I close my eyes to concentrate and isolate his rhythms. He plays so effortlessly, makes it look simple yet bangs the hell out of those drums. LOVE me some Stewart Copeland!!!
Stewart Copeland is so much more than a drummer ,he's a solid percussionist as well as a multi instrumentalist who's an excellent composer who's scored dozens of movies as well as atleast 1 fully mounted opera ,I'm 72 years old and have seen everybody , Copeland is the only musical genius who's eligible to be ranked alongside the genius of Frank Zappa and Miles Davis ,Stewart's orchestral pieces are outstanding and I'm a huge fan of modern classical .
A. Barnard The police weren't even a band where any instrumental solo would have worked musically ,however Stewart's lack of soloing was far over shadowed by the complexity of his compositions using rythm over time in insane time structures like 19/16 ,for me I would much rather watch drum legend Ansley Dunbar play Frank Zappas instrumental 5/5/5 than to watch Neil Peart play a long predictible solo .
Tenth??? The man was precision perfect on drums, and understood the drumming styles of many cultures - he was like an historian of the drums and was an absolute master of the snare as well as instant change of beats smoothly to perfection.
Tim C if your talking about him he wasn’t overrated Just like Copeland was a major influence on the Police’s sound, Neil was a big influence on Rush’s sound. From the complex drumming to the lyrics, and to the way he carried himself as a person. Rush and the Police were two different genres and Both of these guys looked up to the same drummers. Neil Peart was not overrated And neither is Stewart Copeland
They are both incredible drummers no doubt... Neil was definitely a bit more flashy and a show boater... That was also part of the sound... Copeland while extremely technical, his approach had a subtlety to it that forced you to listen even harder to what he was doing... Again... Both are so good... Hard to compare really...
Allan Holman Neil‘ s drumming was technical due to complex time signature changes in Rush’s music. Copeland’s drumming was technical for the Reggae foundation of the Police. I’m sure they both can play each others music and from what I recall Neil liked the Police and Copeland’s style as he said in a 1980 interview. Copeland had nice words for Neil when he died. No reference to your comment, I hate when people try to compare greatness.
The drums and the bass, the two most underated instruments there are yet also the two most important!!!!! You can build a house without a foundation of course, but if you want it to be strong and last for a century or more, a strong foundation is absolutely fundamental and the sole means of support!!! The brave and unsung folks who do play these two have to understand the role they play, they have to be willing to be steady and at times boring. Above all else the two must be in sync with each other. This is the reason the police were as good as any others out there!! The bass and drums were other worldly!! Perfect synchronicity, perfect rhythms, solid foundation on which they built a monster structure fit for a king and queen! Both of them knew exactly what their job was and both were willing to not only do what was needed, superstar sounding or not, but at the same time they pushed the boundaries and did more than most could to change the image of their instruments and change the face of the industry. I've been a bass player for about 30 years and have gotten to the point where I can play a single note for an entire song and virtually nobody will notice. While practicing with some friends of mine once, I couldn't come up with anything to do for the bass line the song needed and kept coming back to the root note of the song. Half way through the song I quit trying to fight that note and just stayed on it. Afterwards we were talking and they all asked if I was playing just one note, I said yes, it blew their minds. One said I e never heard anything like that. It worked so well that even when the changes for the chorus and bridge came I could stay on the same note, changing only the rhythm and my string strikes, it makes for a very interesting song to say the least!!! Drummers as good as Copeland are more rare than diamond and way more valuable than anyone can grasp. It's no wonder the man is in 3 halls of fame and likely more to come I would say!!! Sting is a singing bassist, that is every bit as rare as Copeland's drum talents!! That needed to be mentioned too...... MUSIC IS THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE!!!!!!!! LEARN IT!!!! EMBRACE IT!!!!! LOVE IT!!!!!!!
Francisco Vazquez: You are spot on. I'd like to add that Copeland was severely under-appreciated by a very jealous, self-centered 'Sting'. A strange personality who not only violently rejects his real name but, has consistently lied about his origins and upbringing. Weird.
I’ve always particularly admired Stewart for placing accents and spaces in unusual places. For example (like Roxanne) no kick or snare on the one. Blows my mind that more drummers don’t try it.
Copeland was/is more than a skin basher. He is a complete musician. If he had not turned to music I suspect he would have been a mad professor in a laboratory. PS - Andy Latimer of Camel was an excellent drummer and percussionist, relatively unknown and very underrated and sadly went off the rails.
Yes, one of the best and most distinctive snare sounds ever - along with Bill Bruford’s, John Bonham’s and Gene Krupa’s - but do you know who he got that tuning from? (Hint: check out the top jazz fusion bands from the 1970’s!)
Hey drewper73 ! You got it on the first guess! Back in 1985 or ‘86, I had the good fortune to study with Lenny White at the Long Island Drum Center in Merrick, NY (as part of a 4-student ongoing master class), and one of the things he’d told us was that Stewart Copeland had lived nearby and would often come by his gigs “to ask me a million questions about my snare sound and how I got it”! (That’s just one of those cool little tidbits you sock away, never expecting they’ll ever be of interest to anybody else, and then, someday...) Fun stuff!
Honestly, as great as Sting is, he never would have had the success he had if people hadnt memorized the versions of the songs that Copeland played. His takes were so full of life.
@@robvoyles Stewart moved onto composition. That takes some fucking guts. He's a drummer who could have played with any band. Yes Sting had solo success, but he's a brilliant song writer whose job is to write songs. Comparing records by a drummer is pointless because you know as well they both can't do each other's job.
@@barmalgran666 No one is denying that. I'm just saying Stewart Copeland did things as well. He's considered a top 5 drummer of all time. He's a musician just because he didn't sell 75 million records doesn't mean he went home.
Copeland is incredibly precise in his playing without ever getting boring. Most drummers are either precise and feel like some kind of drum machine or they can improvise but lose timing in the process, but very few are perfect in both.
Ghost in the Machine was released when I was 14. It was my first exposure to The Police and I was amazed by the stripped down sound they had. I've always wondered why Stewart Copeland didn't get more recognition than he did, esp. since his beats provided the structure for every song. Thanks for posting.
not being a drummer, but a fan of mr. copeland, i always liked the way he'd almost rush the breaks a smidgen and come right back in perfectly... it drove the songs forward by tapping the gas pedal a bit, so to speak...
Tha fact about Stewart Copeland is that you may listen, only listen, to many good drummers without knowing who they are and say "this one is good, this one is amazing... this is Stewart Copeland". Making your own signature in percussion is very difficult.
I hate the whole idea of ranking musicians. Clearly there are greats, near greats, mid road and guys lucky to have made it with limited skills. I’ll never say whose the best at anything. It’s nothing more than opinion. I happen to have always been a Copeland fan. He’s a rock great in my mind.
Copelands approach is really the answer between robotic time playing vs chops and technique. Very few drummers bring such melodic approach. Gavin Harrison does a bit.
@@Aleinikov65 Gavin is more an evolution of Peart's sound. I always thought a guy like Benny Greb was more the next step in what Copeland pioneered, just that raw improvational energy that oozes groove.
Thank you! I've been praising Copeland for DECADES and people just look at me funny. The Police were only The Police because of him. He was the foundation, the groove and the glue.
I've been looking for a straightforward explanation of Copeland to really understand the praise he gets (as a non-musician), and you did it. Great editing and voice over, and I can't wait for you to continue getting better with every video you put out
Voices inside my head,reggatta de blanc,shadow in the rain,shambelle,no time this time,driven to tears,one world,murder by numbers,the other way to stopping. COPELAND RULES . BEST DRUMMER EVER.
must admit hes my number one . i know theres more capable drummers but he was inventive an musical an unique.never heard anyone play like him at that time
Such a great drummer. I have no idea how his left hand isn't complete demolished from hitting like that. He's such a powerful hitter and all that pressure is going on 1 finger. It's pretty insane.
He's a master of making more out of less. One of the few drummers you can pick up by his distinct sound, which has nothing to do with flash and speed, and everything to do with adding in a well-placed hi-hat flourish, an accent, or a flam. So clean, crisp, and precise, with a very melodic sensibility, always playing in service of the song. One of my favorite drummers.
He's style is such a unique one...you know it's him when you hear it...i love picking up my Bass and playing along to The Police , but mostly playing along to Stewart Copeland..He and Jeff Pocaro are my all time favorite Drummers.
A good quick study of Stewart Copeland.! I moved from New York to L.A. Cal. in 1978. Nearly every audition the band asked me to play like Stewart.!!! Top OF THE WORLD STEWART.!!
"noise gate is a way of controlling the pitch and the volume of the sound"... No. Noise gate, as the name tells you, is nothing else that an automated 'mute' button: when the sound decays below a chosen threshold the channel is muted (it can be more subtle than that, but this is the principle). He used gating so the sustained ringing of his typical, uptight snare would be cut-off after a chosen time, say half-second. This technique was made famous by Phil Collins who used it on its toms ("In the air tonight"...). The result is, yes, a tightening of the sound because... it cuts off the standing ringing. To be clear.
And the REALLY cool kids use a contact pickup, (C-Ducer, etc) on the drum (batter head or the shell just below the top rim, to trigger the gate via its side-chain. This causes the gate to open just BEFORE the sound from the drum reaches the actual microphone. This way, the microphone is muted in between strikes on that drum, but it is un-muted in time to catch the full transient of the strike. It's an old studio technique that crept onto the stage. You just need a whole lot more electronic stuff hanging off the kit, which means there is more to go wrong....
im 25, on the younger side but a lifelong musician. my frist introduction to stewarts music was his score for Spyro the Dragon. that sound track absolutely floors me and you can hear his personailty truly shine.
Bit of a missed opportunity at the end - Copeland didn't get his effects ideas from thin air. He's extremely knowledgeable about reggae, and so many of his quirks that sound so innovative in the Police come from reggae drummers before him. While he indeed uses live effects differently, these ideas come from reggae as well - dub and DJ-style reggae use these cavernous echoes and filtering/gating extensively. He's not the inventor, but a master at recontextualizing these techniques.
ctdjazz in fact he didn't play reggae with The Police... Roxane is not reggae, Can't Stand Losing.. is not teggae or walking on the moon is not reggae either; He invented a new rythm!!! that rythm has no name... well "The Police", and no one else has do it... He's the most unique drummer indeed, and those delays where just another little stuff that he add to the records... Yes, he understood reggae but he did aomething else
DiazdelVivar He didnt play reggae ? The song Dont stand so close to me in the verses Driven to tears is a steppers rhythm Every little thing she does is magic same one drop as Dont stand so close on the verses That rhythm he does at the end of Too much information on Ghost in the Machine is a Sly Dunbar steal but not surprising since they used to .open for Black Uhuru The delays or echo is a dub steal I I love Mr Copeland but he stole a lot Respect the originators
Listened to this way back on cassette, i had no idea how much thought/planning/skill he put into his art. Thank you Off Beat for pointing out and explaining clearly the intricacies and genius of Stewart's drumming.
I love this. I only find it strange that you used the past tense as if Stewart wasn't alive and kicking. He may have moved on from The Police, but he's still at it!
One of the best drummers ever. Copeland's is a "thrift" drumming style; not the egomaniac-like, just what is needed, not even one more strike; he does not repeat patterns, is hugely creative, sounds amazing, not the kind of a trash-can sound, thinks thoroughly, most obviously, what he will do. My favorite along with Bill Buford, Phil Collins, and to a lesser extent the bright Billy Cobham.
I never thought I would see my personal sentiments regarding Stewart Copeland put to words to effectively. He compliments the other players so perfectly and never tries to turn to the drum set into something it isn't supposed to be. Also, I never realized until now how all of my favorite drummers belong to trio groups. It's a whole new perspective I have to consider now. Great work producing and analyzing this.
The Police are right up there!!! Rush and Cream are as well. The drummers for those three bands are not just AMAZING drummers. They're MUSICAL GENIOUSES
This was really cool... I learned a lot about Stewart's perspective, approach, & techniques.. gives a lot of insight to his playing, & highlights just how much his contribution changed the landscape & texture of The Police's music. Thanks for posting! Really enjoyed this & have a new respect for him now!
Mr. Stewart Copeland You are a Drum God I like your style The sound The way you play I grew up in the 1980s One of my Dreams in life is to meet you May God Bless You To my #1 Drummer Of All Time I Salute You"
I just ADORE Stewart Copeland who reminds me of a CRAZY guy I went out with when I was a student at Leicester University when I was 19 !! I don’t remember this chap being musical, though he was known to try his hand at the guitar!! He was just bloody bonkers (and couldn’t spell for toffee ! ), spending his time writing me letters containing the most ridiculous jokes and hitchhiking across Europe( sleeping in cars when he couldn’t find better accommodation ). Funnily enough, now I’m probably dying of bloody cancer, I’ve been reviewing my life and I still have a few old tapes from when I was a presenter and part of the team which produced and presented the Campus radio programme on Radio Leicester. In one programme I was involved with there is reference to a 24 hour hitch hike across Europe for the Leicester students’ Rag charities . Guess what ? Said Jamie did that too did that too ( though before I’d met him !!!), winning the competition for hitching the furthest across Europe !!! Unfortunately the first real love of my life was a Rod Stewart (can’t forget that ‘ Maggie May ‘ was THE song of freshers’ week, so Jamie used to send me the crazy letters referring to my obsession with Rod Stewart !. After about 6 months of all this nonsense (which in hindsight is quite a long time when you’re not 19 ), Jamie sent me another letter referring to the album ‘ Every Picture tells a story ‘ and that the words ‘ Madame Onassis got nothing on you’ were written just for me !!! A few weeks after that he wrote pulling the plug on our relationship, saying a ‘ long distance ‘ relationship would never work as he was by then working in London and I was still an undergraduate in Leicester!! Looking back,this was a bloody copy out on his part and I was just devastated !!!!! Took me one hell of a long time to get over all that, I can tell you !!!
STEWART WAS TO DRUMS AS JIMMY HENDRICKS WAS TO THE GUITAR. HE WAS ABLE TO BRING ALL THE ABSTRACT SOUNDS IN HIS HEAD THROUGH THE DRUMS. STEWART COPELAND IS/ALWAYS WILL BE, IN MY OPINION, A DRUM LEGEND TIL INFINITY.
Wow. I knew I always LOVED Copeland's drumming, but you actually "scrathched the surface as you say - and gave me oceans of depth to think about on his drumming. Thank YOU.
Traditional grip goes back to the drummers in the American Revolution & Civil Wars. (Even earlier)Marching drummers had it way before jazz drummers used it.
The traditional grip comes from marching bands where the drum was angled so it made sense. In the context of a drumkit, however, I'd argue that it is indeed mainly associated with (old) jazz drummers.
I don't know Peart very well but after looking up some pictures and videos he seems to play mostly matched grip. Even then he might still have a traditional/jazz upbringing. So currently it's 1 vs literally thousands. What are you trying to prove? I'm not telling you that you need to stop playing traditional or anything but the grip has not evolved from playing in a marching band and not from playing behind a drumset.
that's because he wouldn't be able to monetize this video with copyrighted material.. My favorite Copeland drumming appears on So Lonely, Every Little Thing and Walking on the Moon..
As a major Neil Peart fan that l am, Stewart Copeland’s style is more my groove. Neil is more fluid in motion, totally amazing! Stewart looks like could kick your ass in 3 seconds. lol 8:26 is off the hizzle... fo schizzle
Cion O'Callaghan Exactly! That’s why Peart always played “studio perfect” in concert, while Copeland played somewhat different but the same in concert.
In the Eighties, I had a drunken conversation with a friend at a bar. When a Police song came on jukebox, he asked me which Police band member contributed the most to their distinctive sound. "That's easy," I said. "Stewart Copeland." Almost four decades later, I haven't changed my mind.
You have an amazing channel. You deserve a lot more subs! I need to tell my friends about your channel
Boric Mite Thank you! And please do!
@@OffBeatChannel Extremely insightful, informative exploration of considerations I'd never understood until this short doc on what goes on behind the scenes in genius compositions. Talent. Now off to check out my old Police LPs
Agree. And I was thinking today that maybe Copeland's intensity and speed got Sting to sing on a high pitch. Free thinking here
When Neil Peart says he was influenced by Copeland, and even looked up to him, that’s high praise.
The greats influence each other
those 2, Peart and Copeland are people without overdone and inflated ego's, they are genuine People unlike those narcissistic, sheeple, dumb asses that are constantly trying to prove something and compensating for their faults because they don't even try, they do a crappy job in whatever they do, are self-defeated and always lose the race before they finish (they never fkn finish anything because they are eternally non committal and have patent excuses for not succeeding in anything all except for boasting and running their lying, loud mouths! I'm positive that all of you know those level of rats I mean people!)... Neil Peart' Spirit is alive whenever I listen to Rush and for Gheddy Lee and Alex Lifeson too!...and the rest of the millions and millions of dedicated fans!... those two are my favorite drummers of all time when Stewart Copeland passes to the other side of the spectrum as it were no one can ever shine like them, as well as you and i know and those people who are in- the- know that are reading this right now, to replace them or even be half as pure as them is totally impossible! They are the epitome of not only what a professional musician should be but what a Human should represent also! 😐
Particularly when Neil was lying flat on his back.
@@Georgia-Vic i idolized peart and copeland in my teen drumming years...first peart, then Copeland..i moved on as i progressed, but still they left a mark on my style.....but lol....relax ...you sound mid teens and you will snap out of it and grow
@Jckhammer my top two were Bonham and Seraphine.
As far as victors rant, you really going to give someone in their mid teens that much credit?? I dont believe hes in his mid teens, theres too much life experience in some of the things he said to only be in his.mid teens. I'd say hes in his 20s.
I'll also add that victor has trouble reading and comprehending what he reads... he read this, totally misunderstood it, and is trying to start some shit... over what? Me saying that his rant couldn't have been written by someone in their mid teens? Well. He may have typed out the words that gives the appearance of being older and wiser, but he destroyed that idea when he decided to act like that mid teens snotty nosed brat who acts before they think... good job!! 👍 😒
One thing that impresses me is his distinct sound. You know when it's Eddie Van Halen playing guitar and you know when it's Stewart Copeland on the drums.
My favorite drummer of all time. The nuance and finesse... he's a master craftsman.
Copeland's hi-hat work is legendary
Yes, so subtle but so effective
And his rim shot work!
He plays the hi-hat on Red Rain by Peter Gabriel. Imagine being hired just to play hi-hat. I guess the joke is that for years PG never wanted a hi-hat on his recordings at all. So when he brings it, he brings the best.
When he turned up his sound was new an unique
It's so fkn awesome!
Spirits in the Material World is perhaps the best example of the band’s use of space to highlight syncopation. It’s a tour de force. Not only is Stings’ bass line syncopated against his vocal part, but also against Copeland Hi Hat part. That’s a song worth breaking down.
Great bands are like perfect storms. Sting's songwriting, singing, bass playing matched with Andy's masterful guitar playing and Stewart's drumming was just that. A musical perfect storm.
Doesn't get better
As a drummer, Copeland to me is the pinnacle. Thank you so much for this insightful video.
Some of the most complicated rhythms I’ve ever heard. Sometimes I close my eyes to concentrate and isolate his rhythms. He plays so effortlessly, makes it look simple yet bangs the hell out of those drums. LOVE me some Stewart Copeland!!!
The stuff Stewart did with The Police is the best drumming I've heard. It's a pity that they split up after only five records.
Sting is a "primadonna", he was waiting for a solo career from the beginning.
I've always thought that Stew would have been the obvious drummer for Sting's solo stuff.
Stewart Copeland is so much more than a drummer ,he's a solid percussionist as well as a multi instrumentalist who's an excellent composer who's scored dozens of movies as well as atleast 1 fully mounted opera ,I'm 72 years old and have seen everybody , Copeland is the only musical genius who's eligible to be ranked alongside the genius of Frank Zappa and Miles Davis ,Stewart's orchestral pieces are outstanding and I'm a huge fan of modern classical .
Not much of a soloist though.
A. Barnard The police weren't even a band where any instrumental solo would have worked musically ,however Stewart's lack of soloing was far over shadowed by the complexity of his compositions using rythm over time in insane time structures like 19/16 ,for me I would much rather watch drum legend Ansley Dunbar play Frank Zappas instrumental 5/5/5 than to watch Neil Peart play a long predictible solo .
19/16 is more in Bill Buford's neck of the woods.
Michael Ledford SPYRO
Farticus Maximus very nice ,there is hope .
I've been listening to the Police for almost 40 years and this brought me a new appreciation of Stewart Copeland's style. Thank you!
What I loved from him is just how he plays his hi-hat, no one plays it like him, he has such a tasteful way of playing it.
Tenth??? The man was precision perfect on drums, and understood the drumming styles of many cultures - he was like an historian of the drums and was an absolute master of the snare as well as instant change of beats smoothly to perfection.
All three members were masters, I will always regard Stewart as the best ever rock drummer.
Best ever drummer full stop
I'd have to say Neil Peart (but I'm Canadian so I have to say that, eh 😀), however Stewart would be 2nd.
Love Neal Peart but Stewart will always be my favorite drummer! His work with The Police is just pure gold!
Copeland simply trashes Peart. I'm a big longtime Rush fan, but not because of the drumming - which is severely overrated.
Both are exceptional separated only by style.
Tim C if your talking about him he wasn’t overrated Just like Copeland was a major influence on the Police’s sound, Neil was a big influence on Rush’s sound. From the complex drumming to the lyrics, and to the way he carried himself as a person. Rush and the Police were two different genres and Both of these guys looked up to the same drummers. Neil Peart was not overrated
And neither is Stewart Copeland
They are both incredible drummers no doubt... Neil was definitely a bit more flashy and a show boater... That was also part of the sound... Copeland while extremely technical, his approach had a subtlety to it that forced you to listen even harder to what he was doing... Again... Both are so good... Hard to compare really...
Allan Holman Neil‘ s drumming was technical due to complex time signature changes in Rush’s music. Copeland’s drumming was technical for the Reggae foundation of the Police. I’m sure they both can play each others music and from what I recall Neil liked the Police and Copeland’s style as he said in a 1980 interview. Copeland had nice words for Neil when he died. No reference to your comment, I hate when people try to compare greatness.
Sting had a lot of luck having Stewart Copeland as his percussionist because Police's sound was Copeland... he is a genius.
You can still hear Stewart in Sting's songs.
Sting had stew as his percussionist?
The police was STEWARTS band.
Stew found sting. But yes, sting got lucky.
The drums and the bass, the two most underated instruments there are yet also the two most important!!!!! You can build a house without a foundation of course, but if you want it to be strong and last for a century or more, a strong foundation is absolutely fundamental and the sole means of support!!! The brave and unsung folks who do play these two have to understand the role they play, they have to be willing to be steady and at times boring. Above all else the two must be in sync with each other. This is the reason the police were as good as any others out there!! The bass and drums were other worldly!! Perfect synchronicity, perfect rhythms, solid foundation on which they built a monster structure fit for a king and queen! Both of them knew exactly what their job was and both were willing to not only do what was needed, superstar sounding or not, but at the same time they pushed the boundaries and did more than most could to change the image of their instruments and change the face of the industry. I've been a bass player for about 30 years and have gotten to the point where I can play a single note for an entire song and virtually nobody will notice. While practicing with some friends of mine once, I couldn't come up with anything to do for the bass line the song needed and kept coming back to the root note of the song. Half way through the song I quit trying to fight that note and just stayed on it. Afterwards we were talking and they all asked if I was playing just one note, I said yes, it blew their minds. One said I e never heard anything like that. It worked so well that even when the changes for the chorus and bridge came I could stay on the same note, changing only the rhythm and my string strikes, it makes for a very interesting song to say the least!!! Drummers as good as Copeland are more rare than diamond and way more valuable than anyone can grasp. It's no wonder the man is in 3 halls of fame and likely more to come I would say!!! Sting is a singing bassist, that is every bit as rare as Copeland's drum talents!! That needed to be mentioned too......
MUSIC IS THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE!!!!!!!! LEARN IT!!!! EMBRACE IT!!!!! LOVE IT!!!!!!!
99 out of a hundred times I'm only listening4 stew. Bo matter what song. I anticipate and get rewarded that way2. Such a hard working machine
Francisco Vazquez:
You are spot on. I'd like to add that Copeland was severely under-appreciated by a very jealous, self-centered 'Sting'. A strange personality who not only violently rejects his real name but, has consistently lied about his origins and upbringing. Weird.
I’ve always particularly admired Stewart for placing accents and spaces in unusual places. For example (like Roxanne) no kick or snare on the one. Blows my mind that more drummers don’t try it.
Stewart is the main reason I picked up the sticks. Thanks for the inspiration !☮️❤️🙏🏻
I have - always - counted Copeland as one of the three best drummers in rock history.
he is wonderful isn't he
Keith Moon and Ginger Baker or Ringo and Dinky Diamond from Sparks?
@@craigfishcake2543 ginger baker? he was nothing but a cranky old douche.john Bonham could play circles around him.
Copeland was/is more than a skin basher. He is a complete musician. If he had not turned to music I suspect he would have been a mad professor in a laboratory. PS - Andy Latimer of Camel was an excellent drummer and percussionist, relatively unknown and very underrated and sadly went off the rails.
Bonham, Copeland, and Porcaro for me. Obviously Peart can be thrown in there but those are my 3 favs.
best snare sound in history! My fav drummer of all time
ianA snare of Stewart it's fantastic
I wouldn’t argue that point. It is great. I’d also offer the sound of Bill Brufords snare. Been distinct since the early 70’s. Always grabbed me.
Yes, one of the best and most distinctive snare sounds ever - along with Bill Bruford’s, John Bonham’s and Gene Krupa’s - but do you know who he got that tuning from? (Hint: check out the top jazz fusion bands from the 1970’s!)
Douglas Turet Lenny White? Billy Cobham?
Hey drewper73 ! You got it on the first guess! Back in 1985 or ‘86, I had the good fortune to study with Lenny White at the Long Island Drum Center in Merrick, NY (as part of a 4-student ongoing master class), and one of the things he’d told us was that Stewart Copeland had lived nearby and would often come by his gigs “to ask me a million questions about my snare sound and how I got it”! (That’s just one of those cool little tidbits you sock away, never expecting they’ll ever be of interest to anybody else, and then, someday...) Fun stuff!
"message in a bottle" amazing drums
Glad Stewart is getting the recognition he deserves. He truly is a great drummer.
Honestly, as great as Sting is, he never would have had the success he had if people hadnt memorized the versions of the songs that Copeland played. His takes were so full of life.
HUH?
you are out of your mind, when sting left, he went on to continue hit records, Stewart went home.
@@robvoyles Stewart moved onto composition. That takes some fucking guts. He's a drummer who could have played with any band. Yes Sting had solo success, but he's a brilliant song writer whose job is to write songs. Comparing records by a drummer is pointless because you know as well they both can't do each other's job.
Sting sold over 75 million records on his own matching Police sales- Facts my man…
@@barmalgran666 No one is denying that. I'm just saying Stewart Copeland did things as well. He's considered a top 5 drummer of all time. He's a musician just because he didn't sell 75 million records doesn't mean he went home.
Copeland is incredibly precise in his playing without ever getting boring. Most drummers are either precise and feel like some kind of drum machine or they can improvise but lose timing in the process, but very few are perfect in both.
Filling space as a drummer, so glad you pointed that out in regards to his brilliance and how that is important in a 3 piece band👍🏻
Ghost in the Machine was released when I was 14. It was my first exposure to The Police and I was amazed by the stripped down sound they had. I've always wondered why Stewart Copeland didn't get more recognition than he did, esp. since his beats provided the structure for every song. Thanks for posting.
Just realised that it should be 'Matched' grip and not 'Matchstick' grip, not sure what happened there. Apologies!
Another victim of autochanger. I mean autocratic. I mean autoclave. Well anyway.
You know, for some reason, I used to always call it "Matchstick" too. I don't know why.
It brought pictures of matchstick men to my mind when I saw/heard that ;-)
Gone are the days of smoking whilst drumming
It's "match" grip not match stick grip or anything else.
not being a drummer, but a fan of mr. copeland, i always liked the way he'd almost rush the breaks a smidgen and come right back in perfectly... it drove the songs forward by tapping the gas pedal a bit, so to speak...
Good ear, and I have heard that also.
it's funny because sting absolutely hated when he did that but you're right, it's the little push they needed
Yes! he leans forward into the beat slightly at key moments and it really gives the music energy.
yeah, totally!
Hi I am a drummer and agree with you doing this Copeland added another dynamic to the police's music, you have a good ear
Made a little girl from Wolverhampton England wanna be a drummer!! Perfection.
Ayye, hope you're still going
And a little girl from Charleston, West Virginia.
Blimey,
I was from Wolverhampton!
Where did you do your drumming ?
Stewart Copeland is a Drum GOD !!!!!! enough said ......
Tha fact about Stewart Copeland is that you may listen, only listen, to many good drummers without knowing who they are and say "this one is good, this one is amazing... this is Stewart Copeland".
Making your own signature in percussion is very difficult.
He was always my favorite drummer before I even knew why. Now i'm starting to know...
BEST, DRUMMER, in THE. WORLD, period,
Absolutely 👍
And the delicate work he did on the cymbals...is just beautiful....
Stewart Copeland is really part of history of the drumset. Along with Phil Collins, one of the most important drummers of the 80's.
Jeff Porcaro
Police were 70, s
I hate the whole idea of ranking musicians. Clearly there are greats, near greats, mid road and guys lucky to have made it with limited skills. I’ll never say whose the best at anything. It’s nothing more than opinion. I happen to have always been a Copeland fan. He’s a rock great in my mind.
Ranking legends is dumb and subjective
@@erice3933 Especially those polls online too.
Copelands approach is really the answer between robotic time playing vs chops and technique. Very few drummers bring such melodic approach. Gavin Harrison does a bit.
Gavin Harrison is as good as Stewart. Maybe better ....
@@Aleinikov65 Gavin is more an evolution of Peart's sound. I always thought a guy like Benny Greb was more the next step in what Copeland pioneered, just that raw improvational energy that oozes groove.
Thank you! I've been praising Copeland for DECADES and people just look at me funny.
The Police were only The Police because of him. He was the foundation, the groove and the glue.
Stewart Copeland GENIUS
I've been looking for a straightforward explanation of Copeland to really understand the praise he gets (as a non-musician), and you did it. Great editing and voice over, and I can't wait for you to continue getting better with every video you put out
Thank you very much for the support!
Took him for granted for many years. he's a genius
Very informative. You put into precise terms many of the little flairs I have noticed in Copelands drumming. Excellent video.
Thanks!
Voices inside my head,reggatta de blanc,shadow in the rain,shambelle,no time this time,driven to tears,one world,murder by numbers,the other way to stopping. COPELAND RULES . BEST DRUMMER EVER.
I like how you added that within a three piece the drummer has more room to fill in the gaps. It’s a very interesting philosophy!
That is such a stinking load!
You think that Frank Beard ever did that with ZZ Top?
Best drummer of all time. Steward Copeland
Fabio Impuls Then you must have never listen to many Police songs...
must admit hes my number one . i know theres more capable drummers but he was inventive an musical an unique.never heard anyone play like him at that time
Stewart is amazing I agree, but I've never seen a more talented drummer than Buddy Rich.
I like Stewart Copeland better...
Such a great drummer. I have no idea how his left hand isn't complete demolished from hitting like that. He's such a powerful hitter and all that pressure is going on 1 finger. It's pretty insane.
He's a master of making more out of less. One of the few drummers you can pick up by his distinct sound, which has nothing to do with flash and speed, and everything to do with adding in a well-placed hi-hat flourish, an accent, or a flam. So clean, crisp, and precise, with a very melodic sensibility, always playing in service of the song. One of my favorite drummers.
Amazing drummer
He's style is such a unique one...you know it's him when you hear it...i love picking up my Bass and playing along to The Police , but mostly playing along to Stewart Copeland..He and Jeff Pocaro are my all time favorite Drummers.
Great video. Any drummer should watch this!
Kudos to you man! Out of all the Copeland videos on the interwebs, you're the only one that mentioned Copeland's unique traditional grip.!
Seen The Police in 81" outdoor festival. Copeland was spectacular !
Stewart Copeland: Master innovator and creative genius extraordinaire!
Listen to the high hat delay on "Walking on the Moon"... absolutely amazing
A good quick study of Stewart Copeland.! I moved from New York to L.A. Cal. in 1978. Nearly every audition the band asked me to play like Stewart.!!! Top OF THE WORLD STEWART.!!
"noise gate is a way of controlling the pitch and the volume of the sound"... No. Noise gate, as the name tells you, is nothing else that an automated 'mute' button: when the sound decays below a chosen threshold the channel is muted (it can be more subtle than that, but this is the principle). He used gating so the sustained ringing of his typical, uptight snare would be cut-off after a chosen time, say half-second. This technique was made famous by Phil Collins who used it on its toms ("In the air tonight"...). The result is, yes, a tightening of the sound because... it cuts off the standing ringing. To be clear.
And the REALLY cool kids use a contact pickup, (C-Ducer, etc) on the drum (batter head or the shell just below the top rim, to trigger the gate via its side-chain. This causes the gate to open just BEFORE the sound from the drum reaches the actual microphone. This way, the microphone is muted in between strikes on that drum, but it is un-muted in time to catch the full transient of the strike.
It's an old studio technique that crept onto the stage. You just need a whole lot more electronic stuff hanging off the kit, which means there is more to go wrong....
im 25, on the younger side but a lifelong musician. my frist introduction to stewarts music was his score for Spyro the Dragon. that sound track absolutely floors me and you can hear his personailty truly shine.
Bit of a missed opportunity at the end - Copeland didn't get his effects ideas from thin air. He's extremely knowledgeable about reggae, and so many of his quirks that sound so innovative in the Police come from reggae drummers before him. While he indeed uses live effects differently, these ideas come from reggae as well - dub and DJ-style reggae use these cavernous echoes and filtering/gating extensively. He's not the inventor, but a master at recontextualizing these techniques.
I'm amazed that this video managed to not mention reggae at all. I'm sincerely impressed.
ctdjazz "Average artists borrow, great artists steal." -Pablo Picasso
ctdjazz
in fact he didn't play reggae with The Police... Roxane is not reggae, Can't Stand Losing.. is not teggae or walking on the moon is not reggae either; He invented a new rythm!!! that rythm has no name... well "The Police", and no one else has do it...
He's the most unique drummer indeed, and those delays where just another little stuff that he add to the records... Yes, he understood reggae but he did aomething else
DiazdelVivar He didnt play reggae ? The song Dont stand so close to me in the verses Driven to tears is a steppers rhythm
Every little thing she does is magic same one drop as Dont stand so close on the verses That rhythm he does at the end of Too much information on Ghost in the Machine is a Sly Dunbar steal but not surprising since they used to .open for Black Uhuru The delays or echo is a dub steal I I love Mr Copeland but he stole a lot Respect the originators
And that would have been the Lebanon where he grew up which also has the same Rhythm. Just a bit earlier. ;-)
Always one of my favorite drummers. Glad I watched this video.
Another famous drummer who pioneered the use of a noise gate (gated reverb): Phil Collins
Copeland is my all time fav
Listened to this way back on cassette, i had no idea how much thought/planning/skill he put into his art. Thank you Off Beat for pointing out and explaining clearly the intricacies and genius of Stewart's drumming.
Thanks for checking it out man!
I love this. I only find it strange that you used the past tense as if Stewart wasn't alive and kicking. He may have moved on from The Police, but he's still at it!
One of my fave drummers- thanks for a great mini doc!
One of the best drummers ever. Copeland's is a "thrift" drumming style; not the egomaniac-like, just what is needed, not even one more strike; he does not repeat patterns, is hugely creative, sounds amazing, not the kind of a trash-can sound, thinks thoroughly, most obviously, what he will do. My favorite along with Bill Buford, Phil Collins, and to a lesser extent the bright Billy Cobham.
It’s that one drop reggae style.
This is a great video of a great drummer! He's always been my favorite drummer; the most "interesting" drummer/percussionist ever!
Love The Police and Copeland is an amazing musician
He is one of my faves. Thank you for sharing.
all the respect to Copeland . and we cant forget the legendary Jeff Porcaro.
Yes! Stewart Copeland, Jeff Porcaro, and Bruce Gary, three of the most influential drummers of all time, and all playing around the same time.
I never thought I would see my personal sentiments regarding Stewart Copeland put to words to effectively. He compliments the other players so perfectly and never tries to turn to the drum set into something it isn't supposed to be. Also, I never realized until now how all of my favorite drummers belong to trio groups. It's a whole new perspective I have to consider now. Great work producing and analyzing this.
The best bands in history:
1. Only come in trios
2. Have a dynamic drummer
The Police are right up there!!! Rush and Cream are as well. The drummers for those three bands are not just AMAZING drummers. They're MUSICAL GENIOUSES
Blink 182 too! Crazy drummer
That's true, even with Zeppelin and Sabbath, they were like a power trio + vocalist
Nirvana
Oysterhead.
This was really cool... I learned a lot about Stewart's perspective, approach, & techniques.. gives a lot of insight to his playing, & highlights just how much his contribution changed the landscape & texture of The Police's music. Thanks for posting! Really enjoyed this & have a new respect for him now!
His unique back beats and high hat playing made him great
excellent vid ? would have been nice to hear some of these live clips.cheers.
Saw The Police for the ZM tour. Just like it was yesterday, Stewart Copeland's presence and playing were something Ill never forget.
Real nice research and analysis. Great job!
Thank you! Thanks for checking out the vid
He reminds me of a manic painter. There's so much color in his drumming.
Very interesting and enjoyable presentation. Thanks.
Thank you for checking it out!
Mr. Stewart Copeland You are a Drum God I like your style The sound The way you play I grew up in the 1980s One of my Dreams in life is to meet you May God Bless You To my #1 Drummer Of All Time I Salute You"
Best rock drummer ever - so tight - listen to "So Lonely"
John Bonham in his last interview with the Melody Maker: “The best drummer England has ever produced is Barriemore Barlow!“ I knew it all along.
I just ADORE Stewart Copeland who reminds me of a CRAZY guy I went out with when I was a student at Leicester University when I was 19 !!
I don’t remember this chap being musical, though he was known to try his hand at the guitar!!
He was just bloody bonkers (and couldn’t spell for toffee ! ), spending his time writing me letters containing the most ridiculous jokes and hitchhiking across Europe( sleeping in cars when he couldn’t find better accommodation ).
Funnily enough, now I’m probably dying of bloody cancer, I’ve been reviewing my life and I still have a few old tapes from when I was a presenter and part of the team which produced and presented the Campus radio programme on Radio Leicester.
In one programme I was involved with there is reference to a 24 hour hitch hike across Europe for the Leicester students’ Rag charities .
Guess what ?
Said Jamie did that too did that too ( though before I’d met him !!!), winning the competition for hitching the furthest across Europe !!!
Unfortunately the first real love of my life was a Rod Stewart (can’t forget that ‘ Maggie May ‘ was THE song of freshers’ week, so Jamie used to send me the crazy letters referring to my obsession with Rod Stewart !. After about 6 months of all this nonsense (which in hindsight is quite a long time when you’re not 19 ), Jamie sent me another letter referring to the album ‘ Every Picture tells a story ‘ and that the words ‘ Madame Onassis got nothing on you’ were written just for me !!!
A few weeks after that he wrote pulling the plug on our relationship, saying a ‘ long distance ‘ relationship would never work as he was by then working in London and I was still an undergraduate in Leicester!!
Looking back,this was a bloody copy out on his part and I was just devastated !!!!!
Took me one hell of a long time to get over all that, I can tell you !!!
The best original drummer for years. Since Ginger Baker.
Liking before I watch. Stewart deserves that.
listen to Stewart on no time this time
An absolute genius in his drumming philosophy, and in application. Such respect and admiration due. Compliments for this great documentary.
STEWART WAS TO DRUMS AS JIMMY HENDRICKS WAS TO THE GUITAR. HE WAS ABLE TO BRING ALL THE ABSTRACT SOUNDS IN HIS HEAD THROUGH THE DRUMS. STEWART COPELAND IS/ALWAYS WILL BE, IN MY OPINION, A DRUM LEGEND TIL INFINITY.
Its all about the groove and sound! THAT IS MUSIC.....
Every time I hear Stewart Copeland I think of Spyro the Dragon.
frozen altars theme
Wow. I knew I always LOVED Copeland's drumming, but you actually "scrathched the surface as you say - and gave me oceans of depth to think about on his drumming. Thank YOU.
Only the tenth best?! Dude, WTF?! Easily top 3, if not the best.
One of my favorite drummers.
Traditional grip goes back to the
drummers in the American Revolution & Civil Wars. (Even earlier)Marching
drummers had it way before jazz drummers used it.
The traditional grip comes from marching bands where the drum was angled so it made sense.
In the context of a drumkit, however, I'd argue that it is indeed mainly associated with (old) jazz drummers.
JackFou Buddy Rich has his snare tilted “marching band” style.
I love traditional grip, and I also tilt my snare, very comfortable.
GSXR RIDER
Yes, Buddy Rich used traditional grip. Also, Buddy Rich was a jazz drummer.
q.e.d.
JackFou Yeah... besides Peart and Copeland, not sure who else in rock plays with a traditional grip on a regular basis.
I don't know Peart very well but after looking up some pictures and videos he seems to play mostly matched grip.
Even then he might still have a traditional/jazz upbringing.
So currently it's 1 vs literally thousands.
What are you trying to prove?
I'm not telling you that you need to stop playing traditional or anything but the grip has not evolved from playing in a marching band and not from playing behind a drumset.
Today is july 16, 2018 Happy Birthday Stewart Copeland....you made a lot of people happy!!!!
A nice explanation but strange when you don't actually HEAR Copelands drumming...
Except on one of their most boring tracks... With so many gems to choose from...
That's the difference between this video and a polyphonic video
that's because he wouldn't be able to monetize this video with copyrighted material.. My favorite Copeland drumming appears on So Lonely, Every Little Thing and Walking on the Moon..
It’s the SPACEINESS in his playing, the incredibly hard hit of his sticks and the space between those blows.
Yovra 1964 What do you mean? We got 5 seconds of Demolition Man!
I concur 100%, Stewart set a new standard of drum technique, and creativity, I consider him a genius. He's been a major influence on me since 1979.
The problem with using a gate effect on drums is that the drummer has to play very hard to avoid losing ghost notes on the recording.
He's my second favourite drummer of all time, awesome. 👍
As a major Neil Peart fan that l am, Stewart Copeland’s style is more my groove.
Neil is more fluid in motion, totally amazing!
Stewart looks like could kick your ass in 3 seconds. lol
8:26 is off the hizzle... fo schizzle
Cion O'Callaghan Exactly! That’s why Peart always played “studio perfect” in concert, while Copeland played somewhat different but the same in concert.
Peart couldn't wax Syewart's playing,or,compositional skills.
Check the soundtrack to 'One from the Heart'.
@@rnarly They both have different amazing styles. Love em both.
Fantastic article. Especially that delay effect he used. Thanku! What a drummer!! What a sound!!
In the Eighties, I had a drunken conversation with a friend at a bar. When a Police song came on jukebox, he asked me which Police band member contributed the most to their distinctive sound. "That's easy," I said. "Stewart Copeland." Almost four decades later, I haven't changed my mind.
You were drunken, Sting was the Police.
Copeland is the Bruce Lee of drums excellent timing ,powerful, mastered many styles ,and precise.