1986-07-24

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The Police record Don't Stand So Close To Me '86 in London
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Date: 1986-07-24
Location: London, England, UK - RAK Recording Studios
Attendees: The Police

The Police record new versions of De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da and Don't Stand So Close To Me for about three weeks:

  • by the end of the day a rudimentary drum pattern has been worked out (mainly Stewart's work)
  • then it's Andy Summers' guitar (probably on the 2nd day), Stewart's injury gets worse - he has to go to the hospital!
  • next day: Sting's vocals; while Stewart is gone Sting changes the rhythm
  • next day - afternoon: Stewart's back - after Sting leaves, Stewart changes the drums again
  • they try to record De Do Do Do , Stewart insults Sting by reading Sting's movie review
  • next day: Stewart working on drum tracks again - when it's ready, Sting is gone
  • next two days: Stewart tinkering with drum tracks
  • next day: still no sign of Sting at the studio - a messenger delivers a letter to Stewart, Stewart writes back while Sting is at his Hampstead home
  • next morning: Stewart talks with Miles about calling Sting
  • next day: Miles phones Stewart again at the studio - a deadline is worked out: mixing the DON'T 86 version next Friday at 10 pm.
  • Friday, 9 pm: Miles and Sting appear at studio - Sting gives Stewart a yellow flower, then he shows him the 12-inch-switchblade which was in the other hand and flicks it under Stewart's chin. They both break into convulsive laughter.


The article accounts for 11 days of studio work with a few days to pass until the final mixing "next Friday" happens. With free weekends this suggests that the complete recordings and mixing were done within three weeks ending on Friday, 1986-08-08.

Press photos feature today's date for Bob Geldof's party celebrating his Knighthood - at the Hard Rock Cafe. Hours after Geldof was knighted Sting and Phil Collins appeared at the Hard Rock Cafe with a giant sword - knighting Sir Bob a second time. This might have been the same switchblade that Sting would use on Stewart Copeland on 1986-07-25.

See also

This section needs more information.

External links

http://www.tookooltokalypso.org/dssctm.html

References

sources: Guitar World April 2003; the starting date is from The Q Book Of Punk Legends 1996; the studio is mentioned by Andy in Making Music - February 1987; press clipping


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