Stewart Copeland joked that he was too much of an asshole to keep Sting happy when they were working on the Police’s music.
More seriously, he argued that the pair’s opposing opinions on how songs should work contributed to their frequent tensions.
Copeland spoke in a new video from drum channel Drumeo, where he was challenged to play along with the Limp Bizkit song “Rollin’” without having heard it before.
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Asked if he had a specific process for approaching a piece of music he didn’t know, Copeland replied, “I don’t – I just make this shit up. I kinda look for an alternative.”
He demonstrated a standard four-on-the-floor beat, saying if a song required one, “I can provide that.” He added, “But I’m an asshole, so I’m probably gonna not provide that!”
You can watch the video below.
Copeland’s reflections led to his time with the Police. “I did try very hard to make my band happy,” he said. “And when Sting had an idea for something, I absolutely would listen, because he’s actually pretty good at this stuff.
“I would listen – but then I’d forget. Instinct takes over and I did my best. I only wished to please, and I wasn’t being obstinate or anything when I didn’t do what he asked. It was just that I forgot!”
Copeland continued: “Every morning I’m sure Sting would look at the mirror … saying, ‘Just let Stewart be Stewart!’ And he would try his best. But then pretty soon I’d start playing all kinds of bullshit over his great song. And every morning I would look in the mirror … saying, ‘Just give him what he wants! Today I’m going to make Sting happy!’ Didn’t last.”
Stewart Copeland’s ‘Ass-Backward’ Approach to Making Music
He insisted that both musicians’ “intentions were always really good. But then that old bugaboo – that thing that used to always piss us both off, that point of conflict – would always rear its ugly head: that thing known as the music.
“The reason for that is we make music for different reasons. We listen to music for different reasons. We listen out for different things in the music.”
Copeland outlined his view of songs, accepting that very few people would agree with him. ‘I don’t listen to the words,” he said. “I don’t listen to the singing. I listen to the riff. As I’m fond of saying, I don’t know the words to any Beatles songs, but I can sing you every Ringo [Starr] drum fill.
“For me, the song is in service of the riff. In fact, the whole song and riff are in service of the band. Which is ass-backwards – I understand that; I appreciate that … the world would disagree with me.”
He summed up his position as a drummer by saying, “Sing your goddamn song, but I’m banging shit here!”
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Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci
