Sting: Political statements and touching sounds | NDR.de – Culture – Music

Sting, whose real name is Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, grew up as a working-class child in Newcastle upon Tyne, northern England. His childhood was marked by difficulties in the family: he had a bad relationship with his father, who gave free rein to his outbursts of anger. He also quickly discovered at a young age that his mother was having an affair. “His father just accepted it and didn’t talk about it. “All of this must have been very difficult for Gordon,” summarized Peter Urban in the Urban Pop podcast.

In order to free himself from these difficult family circumstances and escape the working class, Sumner developed strong ambitions: he became a good student and athlete, and studied instruments and music diligently. “Only four out of 80 students from his school got into higher school. You had to be very good too and he was. To this day, Sting is extremely ambitious,” said Urban.

Sting: Where does his stage name come from?

Sting lived out his love of music in the 1970s with his jazz fusion band “Last Exit,” which was celebrated in Newcastle. He also played as a bassist in various jazz bands. “He was the youngest and didn’t want to wear the old band clothes of the others,” reports Urban. A yellow and black striped sweater that he wore on stage instead caused his older bandmates to joke: They compared him to bees and wasps and therefore called him Sting, which translates as “sting.” Sumner liked the name and stuck with it.

“I once had an interview with Sting in Paris, it took place in the car. Suddenly we drove into the 'Arc de Triomphe' roundabout. Trying to keep the microphone level, I almost landed on his lap during the turn. ”
Peter Urban

Sumner worked as a teacher for two years

Before his breakthrough as a musician, Sting worked as a teacher at a Catholic elementary school, teaching English and music. “But he had bigger ambitions and wanted to be on stage as a musician.” And so, after two years as a teacher, he quit his secure job to go to London with his band “Last Exit” and pursue the dream of a big music career fulfill. “He had just gotten married and become a father. And he had no money at all. Termination was also a very big risk. After all, we didn’t know back then that he would be successful.”

Breakthrough with “The Police”

The band “The Police” in 1980. From left: Stewart Copeland, Sting, Andy Summers

After an unsuccessful attempt to get a record deal in London, “Last Exit” broke up. Except for Sting, all members of the band went back to Newcastle. Sting contacted drummer Stewart Copeland, whom he had previously met at a gig. Later, the final formation of “The Police” was formed with guitarist Andy Summers. In 1978, the now well-known song “Roxanne” appeared on her debut album “Outlandos d'Amour”. The breakthrough came a little later with an American tour, and the band's songs landed in the US charts.

Differences and solo projects

Despite the success, there were repeated disputes within the band over the years. While “Every Breath You Take” was well received internationally in 1983, Sting, Copeland and Summers were already pursuing their own solo projects. During this time there were increasing rumors about the band ending, which was never officially announced. Although their fifth album “Synchronicity” stayed at the top of the American album charts for weeks, it was the band's last album. “I understand that Sting has finished The Police. “He just had so much talent, the band was too limited for him,” Urban summed up in the Urban Pop episode The police.

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Songs with political statements

Sting's solo artistic work is still characterized by philosophical statements about current political and social events and the associated negative effects on people. “Childrens Crusade” focuses on the suffering of children caused by kidnapping, heroin addiction and war:

Young men, soldiers, nineteen fourteen
They marched through lands they had never seen before
Virgins with guns, a game of charades
Everything for a children's crusade
FROM CHILDREN'S CRUSADE

The song “They Dance Alone” addresses the horrors of the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile and the suffering of numerous women whose sons, brothers and husbands were kidnapped. In the podcast, Urban remembers a concert in Chile where Sting performed the song. The musician brought affected women onto the stage to make the issue visible. NDR music editor Ocke Bandixen sums it up: “It’s never about him. He takes stories and takes them far. I find that incredibly believable.”

You can hear the entire episode of Urban Pop at the top of this page and in the ARD audio library.

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