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Stuart Copeland Question??


Dbl-Strk
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Hey ya`ll.....I have a drum question thats puzzled me for a while now. Stuart Copeland is one of my favorite drummers. His intricate high hat work leaves you speechless. My question is re; his playing on," Message in A Bottle"

At the start of the second verse....." Woke up this morning, can`t believe what I saw.....

He`s playing this 4 on the floor two handed high hat pattern. There is a bell sound on every downbeat. Is this just a sampling/loop thing, or is he pulling off another impossible lick?

Are ya`ll familiar with the part?

Let me know!!

 

Ya`ll take care

 

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It's the bell of the ride cymbal and it's a 'double-tracked' part. They used to overlay multiple drum parts on those old recordings. Just little things to give it a bit more depth.

You can tell this is double-tracked because you can hear the HH, Ride & Snare all at the same time (obviously impossible unless your Rick Allen laugh.gif )

Good question though. wink.gif

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Yeah, Copeland embellished many tracks.

 

For more of this go listen to Silk Degrees by Boz Scaggs. Jeff Porcaro was the main drummer on that record and there are all kinds of multiple hi hat songs on that record. Steely Dan did a bit of that too.

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Hey Cygnus!

 

I love "Silk Degrees" and Porcaro too!

 

He embellished to eh?

 

Wow! What a wake up call.

 

Everybody cheats!

 

So Steve Gadd did it too then since he was part of many Steely Dan tracks?? The "Aja" record perhaps?

 

 

Hey I love your OAKLAND A'S icon!!

 

I bleed green and gold!

 

What's with the Dodgers though???

 

 

Kirk Gibson ruined my life in 1988!!

 

fists crying.gif

 

martini_shaken.gif martini_shaken.gif martini_shaken.gif martini_shaken.gif martini_shaken.gif martini_shaken.gif martini_shaken.gif martini_shaken.gif martini_shaken.gif martini_shaken.gif martini_shaken.gif

 

 

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Not sure if any Gadd tracks have drum overdubs. The Dan were famous for wearing the oxide particles off the tape because of incessant overdubs. Occasionally they went so far as to record the cymbals and drums independantly of each other. They would record a bass and snare drum pass then do cymbals. Crazy.

 

 

 

I was born in LA and moved north when I was 12. My first game was a Dodgers/Cubs game in the early 70's with my grandfather and dad. I have been a Dodger fan ever since. My dad and I started going to A's games in 1980. He got season tickets around '86. We used to sit behind all the player wives. It wasn't until Chavez, Giambi and Tejada that I started to appreciate the A's and Beane's approach. They play quality ball. I go to about 20 games or more every year. When the Dodgers show up I wear blue, but usually wear my retro white and green A's cap.

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QUOTE
Love those octobans too!

 

These octobans were debatable in a previous thread.

For those who arent a fan of them - Steward Copelands black ones were awesome.

 

Likely because he used them in the right areas of the Police's music. He utilized alot of wood block HH,octoban -High tom bell ride in these songs very effectivly . Next to NP - Copeland is my favorite drummer because of the uniqueness of beats,and fills and off timing he could acomplish in Police songs. From the complexity of Wrapped around your Finger to the the driving Syncronisity,the inticit HH work on walking on the moon and Dont stand so close to me etc and the up beat of Driven to tears (sorta like a Rush digital man track driven to tears is )

 

Copeland had a good character and was a showman -sometimes playing without a throne.

 

I recommend a movie that I bought on PPV about the POLICE filmed by Steward Copeland -Everyone Stares - Very cool-

 

 

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Dbl-Strk: I know exactly what you're talking about! I've always wondered the same thing. I thought maybe he was just quick and accurate enough to reach over and hit the ride-cymbal bell, and then swiftly get back to the hi-hat everytime. I guess Launchpad answered our question. Thanks!
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Stewart Copeland also recorded the music backgrounds on the Spyro The Dragon video game if any of you have heard of it. It sounds really cool! I'm not a huge fan of The Police but I've heard some of the songs mentioned above (Driven To Tears, Don't Stand So Close To Me, Walking On The Moon) and I like his style. He's especially good with the hi-hat. trink39.gif
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Stewart Copeland is my second favorite behind Neil too...

 

I was reading a Stewart Copeland interview 20 plus years ago, and he talked about the over dubs and effects he used. He specifically mentioned Walking on the Moon...said he was using a delay that would play back just behind the beat...said it sounded like two people falling down the stairs instead of one.

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I am so glad to read that there are many Copeland fans in these parts. I love his drumming with the POLICE and he probably is my second fave drummer too. trink39.gif trink39.gif trink39.gif
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He's a big influence of mine.

Something I'd kinda been pondering lately regarding influences....

 

Ever hear repeating drum loops in your head? Do you ever subconsiously hear or place certain types of drum fills in a song where they don't belong? (Like say you're listening to some current pop tune...god forbid... and you hear a Copelandesque frantic off-beat snare flurry where there is none....)

 

Anyway... I've been thinking that we all have a particular point of reference regarding what the perfect drum part should be for a given tune and I seem to typically hear something that I imagine Stewart would play. I think that's probably one of the best indicators as to who your main influences truly are.....you know....your inner drum voice.

 

I just try not to rush the hell outta everything the way he does smile.gif I think "How would Jeff Porcarro play this Stewart Copeland part?" smile.gif

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QUOTE (Dbl-Strk @ Sep 13 2006, 03:12 PM)
Hey ya`ll.....I have a drum question thats puzzled me for a while now. Stuart Copeland is one of my favorite drummers. His intricate high hat work leaves you speechless. My question is re; his playing on," Message in A Bottle"
At the start of the second verse....." Woke up this morning, can`t believe what I saw.....
He`s playing this 4 on the floor two handed high hat pattern. There is a bell sound on every downbeat. Is this just a sampling/loop thing, or is he pulling off another impossible lick?
Are ya`ll familiar with the part?
Let me know!!

Ya`ll take care

In the studio, they can do overdubs of other drum tracks to make the drums sound more complex and melodic. Now in concert, that's a different story though. unsure.gif

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Did you know this biographical date about him? Where did I ever get the idea he was Scottish or British?

 

Stewart Armstrong Copeland was born in Alexandria, Virginia on July 16, 1952,[4][5] the youngest of four children of CIA officer Miles Copeland, Jr. and Scottish archaeologist Lorraine Adie

 

Copeland's oldest brother Miles Copeland III, founder of I.R.S. Records, was the manager of The Police and has overseen Stewart's interests in other music projects. Stewart's other brother, the late Ian Copeland, was a pioneering booking agent who represented the Police and many others. His father, Miles Copeland, Jr., was a founding member of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), according to his 1989 biography[22] and files released by the CIA in 2008.[23]

 

He lives in LA. That's why he was at Rush's Farewell Party.

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it is a recording tool but copeland pulls it off live as well

He plays the songs but it's impossible to play what's recorded since he's only one person.

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it is a recording tool but copeland pulls it off live as well

He plays the songs but it's impossible to play what's recorded since he's only one person.

I have the Synchronicity Tour DVD and he does pretty well in my amateur opinion. :) I love watching him. He's always staring off to the side. I'm assuming that's how he concentrates.

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Good question and a good joke too! rofl3.gif

 

Rick Allen!

 

The only drummer in the world who can play HH RIDE and SNARE is Neil!!

 

Just kidding!

 

 

I always wondered that too!

 

Stewie is the HIGH HAT KING!!

 

Love those octobans too!

 

Earl

 

You know,...........Def Leppard is the only band who's tour bus can park Right NEXT to the arena.

You know, because of the thing on the rearview mirror...................BOO HISS...

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