Sometimes it doesn’t take much to transform an ordinary song into a timeless pop culture classic. Talk to Andy Summers, author of the famous rescued guitar riffEvery Breath You Take Take the edge of the trash can.
You read that right. The most played song on radio in music history almost never made it out of the recording studios for the 1983 album Synchronicity.
“It should be put on hold,” recalls Andy Summers, who spoke to Le Journal ahead of his solo concerts in Montreal and Quebec on Friday and Saturday.
Questionable ? The deep disagreement between Sting and Stewart Copeland over the direction the title should take.
“Nobody got along. When I played my guitar part, everything changed. Our manager immediately decided that this would be the first move out. »
Forty years later, the song has reached 1.5 billion streams online, numbers usually reserved for contemporary stars like Taylor Swift or The Weeknd. “My God, it’s me,” Summers exclaims as the remark is relayed to him. I created this immortal riff that drove the song. »
His versions of the group’s songs
Despite the musician’s affection for Every Breath You Take, all indications are that it will not be on the bill during the Quebec stops of his The Cracked Lens + A Missing String tour.
However, if we rely on his recent concerts, we could also hear his reinterpretations of Roxanne, Message in the Bottle and Spirits in the Material World, among other covers and some songs from his solo repertoire.
Would he prefer not to play Police songs at all? “Well, they’re kind of my inheritance, so I don’t mind. I like the way I play them. »
Musician and photographer
As planned, Andy Summers’ show highlights his other passion. In addition to music, the now 80-year-old guitarist is also passionate about photography.
“I show series of photos that I have taken around the world, especially in Japan, China and India, and I play the guitar in the pictures. I tell stories,” explains the man who became interested in photography with the success of The Police.
Back then, you had to buy a magazine to see photos of your favorite artist. Today everything is just a click away. Do we live in a world where there are too many images?
“Yes, and it has become an incredible burden that everything always has to be online. I have to constantly update my Instagram account. We haven’t done that before. We made good songs, good albums and wanted to play them. »
Andy Summers will perform a concert at the National in Montreal on October 6th and at the Palais Montcalm in Quebec on October 7th.