Andy Summers

Last updated

Andy Summers
Andy Summers 2023.jpg
Summers performing in 2023
Background information
Birth nameAndrew James Summers
Born (1942-12-31) 31 December 1942 (age 81)
Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England
Origin Bournemouth, Hampshire, England
Genres
Occupation(s)Guitarist
Years active1959–present
Labels
Formerly of
Website andysummers.com

Andrew James Summers (born 31 December 1942) is an English guitarist best known as a member of the rock band the Police. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a band member in 2003. [1] Summers has recorded solo albums, collaborated with other musicians, composed film scores, written fiction, and exhibited his photography in galleries.

Contents

Early life

Andrew James Summers was born in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England, on 31 December 1942. [2] [3]

During his childhood, his family moved to Bournemouth, which was then in Hampshire. After several years of piano lessons, he took up the guitar [4] at the age of 10. [5]

In his teens, he saw a concert by Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie in London that left a lasting impression. [6] By 16, he was playing in local clubs, and by 19, he had moved to London with his friend Zoot Money to form Zoot Money's Big Roll Band. [4] In his teens he played jazz guitar and was influenced by Kenny Burrell, Jimmy Raney, Wes Montgomery, Charles Mingus, and Miles Davis. [5]

Musical career

Pre-Police career

Summers' professional career began in the mid-1960s in London as guitarist for the British rhythm and blues band Zoot Money's Big Roll Band, which eventually came under the influence of the psychedelic scene and evolved into the acid rock group Dantalian's Chariot. [7] In September 1966, Summers was the first guitarist encountered by Jimi Hendrix after landing in the UK. [8] The young Summers is portrayed in fiction as one of the "two main love interests" in Jenny Fabian and Johnny Byrne's 1969 book Groupie, in which he is given the pseudonym "Davey". [9]

After the demise of Dantalian's Chariot, Summers joined Soft Machine for three months and toured the United States. For a brief time in 1968, he was a member of the Animals, then known as Eric Burdon and the Animals, with whom he recorded one album, Love Is . The album features a recording of Traffic's "Coloured Rain", which includes a 4 minute and 15 second guitar solo by Summers. The LP also included a reworked version of Dantalian's Chariot's sole single "Madman Running Through the Fields".

After five years in Los Angeles, mostly spent studying classical guitar and composition in the music programme at California State University, Northridge, from which he graduated in 1972, he returned to London with his American girlfriend, Kate Lunken. [10]

In London, Summers recorded and toured with acts including Kevin Coyne, Jon Lord, Joan Armatrading, David Essex, Neil Sedaka and Kevin Ayers. In October 1975 he participated in an orchestral rendition of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells .

In 1977, Summers was invited by ex-Gong bassist Mike Howlett to join his band Strontium 90, but was soon coaxed away by future Police bandmates Sting and Stewart Copeland. [11] According to Copeland, Summers met him and Sting when the three worked together as session musicians. Later, when Summers by chance encountered Copeland on the London Underground and got coffee, Summers told Copeland, "Stewart, you and that bass player (Sting), you've got something. But you need me in the band, and I accept." [12]

The Police

Summers in 1979 Andy Summers Atlanta 3.jpg
Summers in 1979

Summers achieved international fame as the guitarist for the Police, which he joined in 1977, eventually replacing original guitarist Henry Padovani. Emerging from London's punk scene, the Police gained international renown with many hit songs, including "Message in a Bottle", "Roxanne", "Don't Stand So Close to Me", "Every Breath You Take", and "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic". During his time with the band, Summers twice won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, first in 1979 for "Reggatta de Blanc" (written with Copeland and Sting) and in 1980 for "Behind My Camel".

Although Sting was the lead singer of the band, Summers occasionally contributed lead vocals, as in "Be My Girl/Sally" (1978), "Friends" (1980), "Mother" (1983), and "Someone to Talk To" (1983). Other notable Summers compositions from this period are "Omegaman" (which would have been released as the debut single from the 1981 Ghost in the Machine album had Sting not objected), "Shambelle" (1981), "Once Upon a Daydream," and "Murder by Numbers" both co-written with Sting (both 1983). In early 1984, after seven years together and record sales around 80 million, the Police disbanded. [13]

Summers wrote the guitar riff for "Every Breath You Take", though was not given a songwriting credit. It was recorded in one take with his 1961 Fender Stratocaster during the Synchronicity sessions. The song was number one for eight weeks. Sting won the 1983 Grammy Award for Song of the Year, and the Police won Best Pop Performance by a Duo Or Group With Vocal for this song. Summers provides an account of the session in his memoir, One Train Later. [14] [11]

As a member of the Police, Summers created a trademark guitar sound, which relied heavily on a chorus effect. He explained in 2017 how the sound came about:

"I created it sort of out of necessity; my mission was 'We're going to play for two hours each night as a trio,' so I wanted to have this fantastic, coloured guitar sound that was different for every song. So, I used the Echoplex, then a chorus, and a few other pedals…envelope filters. As we went on, I acquired more stuff and got a Pete Cornish board, but what was driving it was to invade and push the edge of what the guitar was supposed to sound like, and make it really interesting over a show. So, it wasn't just one straight sound all the time. I could move it around. And it was appreciated by many millions of people (laughs). Of course, it's very tired and a bit 'retro' now; I'm not very keen on it anymore. But in those days it was new, fresh, and exciting." [15]

Post-Police

Summers in 1989 Andy Summers 1989.jpg
Summers in 1989

Summers's solo career has included recording, touring, composing for films (including Down and Out in Beverly Hills and Weekend at Bernie's ), and exhibiting his photography in art galleries around the world.

He recorded the duet albums I Advance Masked (1982) and Bewitched (1984) with guitarist Robert Fripp of King Crimson, as well as duet albums with Victor Biglione, John Etheridge, and Benjamin Verdery. His solo debut album, XYZ , was released in 1987 and is the only noninstrumental album in his solo catalogue. Although it included pop material, such as the single "Love is the Strangest Way", it failed to dent the charts. In 1987, Sting invited Summers to perform on his second album ...Nothing Like the Sun , a favour the singer returned by playing bass on Charming Snakes (1990) and later contributing vocals to "'Round Midnight" on Summers' tribute album to Thelonious Monk, Green Chimneys, in 1999. In the mid-1990s Summers briefly returned to a more rock-oriented sound with Synesthesia (1995) and The Last Dance of Mr X (1997) before recording a string of jazz albums. He also participated in the formation of Animal Logic. In 1992, he led the house band (credited as musical director) for The Dennis Miller Show . [16] [17]

Summers in 2006 AndySummers.jpg
Summers in 2006

The Police reunion

During the 2007 Grammy Awards show, the Police played "Roxanne" and subsequently announced that they would be going on tour. The Police Reunion Tour began in Vancouver, Canada, on 28 May 2007 and continued until August 2008, becoming the third-highest-grossing tour of all time. [18]

Circa Zero

In August 2013, Summers announced he had formed the band Circa Zero with Rob Giles from the Rescues. [19] Originally, drummer Emmanuelle Caplette was also a member of the band. [20] Their debut show was 25 July 2013 at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. [21] The band's debut album, Circus Hero , was released 25 March 2014. [22] It is titled after a malapropism of the band's name made by a radio disc jockey during an interview of Summers. [23] [24]

Call the Police

In March 2017, Summers announced he had formed Call the Police, a Police tribute band, with two Brazilian musicians, Rodrigo Santos (Barão Vermelho) on bass guitar and vocals and Joao Barone (Os Paralamas do Sucesso) on drums. [25]

Awards and honours

Personal life

Summers in 2015 Andy Summers with guitar 2015.jpg
Summers in 2015

Summers was married to American singer Robin Lane between 1969 and 1970. He married his second wife, Kate, in 1973 and they had one daughter in 1978, Layla Zoe Summers. Summers' years with the Police took its toll on their marriage, however, leading them to divorce in 1981, although they remarried in 1985. In 1987, Kate and Andy's twin sons Maurice X and Anton Y were born. [36] As of 2022, Summers resides in Santa Monica, California, with his wife and family. [37]

Discography

Solo albums

Collaborations

Film soundtracks

Singles

As band member

With The Police

With Eric Burdon and the Animals

With Kevin Ayers

With Kevin Coyne

With Dantalian's Chariot

With Eberhard Schoener

With Strontium 90

With Zoot Money's Big Roll Band

As guest

Books

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Police</span> English rock band

The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting, Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland, and remained unchanged for the rest of the band's history. The Police became globally popular in the late 1970s and early to mid 1980s. Emerging in the British new wave scene, they played a style of rock influenced by punk, reggae, and jazz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Every Breath You Take</span> 1983 single by the Police

"Every Breath You Take" is a song by British rock band the Police from their album Synchronicity (1983). Written by Sting, the single was the biggest US and Canadian hit of 1983, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for eight weeks, and the Canadian RPM chart for four weeks. Their fifth UK No. 1, it topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. The song also reached the top 10 in numerous other countries.

<i>Reggatta de Blanc</i> 1979 studio album by the Police

Reggatta de Blanc is the second studio album by British rock band the Police, released on 5 October 1979 by A&M Records. It was the band's first release to top the UK Albums Chart and features their first two UK number-one singles: "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon". In early 1980, the album was reissued in the United States on two 10-inch discs, one album side per disc, and as a collector's edition with a poster of the band.

<i>Zenyatta Mondatta</i> 1980 studio album by the Police

Zenyatta Mondatta is the third studio album by British rock band the Police, released on 3 October 1980 by A&M Records. It was co-produced by the band and Nigel Gray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stewart Copeland</span> American drummer and composer (born 1952)

Stewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician and composer. He is best known for his work as the drummer of the English rock band the Police from 1977 to 1986, and again from 2007 to 2008. Before playing with the Police, he played drums with English rock band Curved Air from 1975 to 1976. As a composer, his work includes the films Wall Street (1987), Men at Work (1990), Good Burger (1997), and We Are Your Friends (2015); the television shows The Equalizer (1985–1989), The Amanda Show (1999–2002), and Dead Like Me (2003–2004); and video games such as the Spyro series (1998–present) and Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (2001). He has also written various pieces of ballet, opera, and orchestral music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roxanne (The Police song)</span> 1978 single by the Police

"Roxanne" is a song by British rock band the Police. The song was written by lead singer and bassist Sting and was released as a single on 7 April 1978, in advance of their debut album Outlandos d'Amour, released on 3 November. It was written from the point of view of a man who falls in love with a prostitute. When re-released on 12 April 1979, the song peaked at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walking on the Moon</span> 1979 single by the Police

"Walking on the Moon" is a reggae song by British rock band the Police, released as the second single from their second studio album, Reggatta de Blanc (1979). The song was written by the band's lead vocalist and bassist Sting. It went on to become the band's second No. 1 hit in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Padovani</span> French musician

HenryPadovani is a French musician noted for being the original guitarist of English rock band The Police. He was a member of the band from January 1977 to August 1977 and was replaced by Andy Summers, who had originally been part of the band as a second guitarist. Following his departure from the band, Padovani was handed the rhythm guitar spot with Wayne County & the Electric Chairs, before forming his own band, The Flying Padovanis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Message in a Bottle (The Police song)</span> 1979 single by the Police

"Message in a Bottle" is a song by British rock band the Police. It was released as the lead single from their second studio album, Reggatta de Blanc (1979). Written by the band's lead singer and bassist Sting, the song is ostensibly about a story of a castaway on an island who sends out a message in a bottle to seek love. Having received no response for a year, he despairs, believing that he is destined to be alone. The next day, however, he sees "a hundred billion bottles" on the shore and realizes that there are more lonely people like him.

George Bruno Money is an English vocalist, keyboardist and bandleader. He is best known for his playing of the Hammond organ and association with his Big Roll Band. Inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis and Ray Charles, he was drawn to rock and roll music and became a leading light in the vibrant music scene of Bournemouth and Soho during the 1960s. He took his stage name 'Zoot' from Zoot Sims after seeing him in concert.

Last Exit were an English jazz fusion band formed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in 1974. It is best remembered as the group Sting was in before finding stardom with The Police.

<i>Love Is</i> (The Animals album) 1968 studio album by Eric Burdon and the Animals

Love Is is the third album by Eric Burdon and the Animals. It was released in 1968 as a double album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bed's Too Big Without You</span> 1980 single by the Police

"The Bed's Too Big Without You" is a song by British rock band the Police, released as the final single from their second studio album Reggatta de Blanc (1979). It was written by lead vocalist and bassist Sting. An alternate version was released as a single in the UK in 1980 in the set Six Pack in conjunction with the re-release of the Police's earlier singles "Roxanne", "Can't Stand Losing You", "So Lonely", "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spirits in the Material World</span> 1981 single by The Police

"Spirits in the Material World" is a song by the British rock trio The Police, written by Sting. It is the opening track for their 1981 album Ghost in the Machine. It was released as a single in 1981 and reached No. 12 in the United Kingdom and No. 11 in the US in early 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Stand Losing You</span> 1978 single by the Police

"Can't Stand Losing You" is a song by British rock band the Police, released from their debut album Outlandos d'Amour, both in 1978. The song also was released as the follow-up single to "Roxanne", reaching number 2 in the UK Singles Chart on a re-release in 1979. It was written by the band's lead singer and bassist Sting as a song about suicide.

<i>I Advance Masked</i> 1982 studio album by Andy Summers and Robert Fripp

I Advance Masked is a 1982 album by English guitarists Andy Summers and Robert Fripp. It is the pair's first of two album collaborations and it consists of 13 instrumental tracks.

"Behind My Camel" is the eighth track from the 1980 album Zenyatta Mondatta by the British rock band The Police. The song was written by guitarist Andy Summers and was the first one to be composed solely by him during his career in The Police. It won the Grammy Award of 1982 for the Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

"Reggatta de Blanc" is a 1979 musical composition by The Police, and the title track on their second album. The instrumental evolved from improvisational stage jams during early Police performances of the song "Can't Stand Losing You". The track won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1980.

Dantalian's Chariot were a British psychedelic rock band formed in 1967, led by keyboardist and bandleader Zoot Money, and also featuring Andy Summers. They are best remembered for their single "Madman Running Through the Fields", and for their live performances, which featured early psychedelic light shows. The band would all wear white robes and kaftans in concert, with all of their equipment painted white, to heighten the effect of these light shows. The group disbanded in April 1968, with Money going on to join Eric Burdon & The Animals and Summers joining Soft Machine.

"Driven to Tears" is a song written by Sting and first released by The Police on their 1980 album Zenyatta Mondatta. Although not released as a single, the song reached #35 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The political overtones of the song represent the beginning of the political activism that would recur throughout much of Sting's and the Police's subsequent music. On classic rock radio stations, the song is usually followed immediately by “When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around”.

References

  1. ↑ Savage, Mark (30 January 2007). "The arresting case of The Police". BBC News . Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  2. ↑ Welch, Chris (1996). The Complete Guide to the Music of The Police and Sting. London: Omnibus Press. p. xii. ISBN   978-0-7119-5302-4. Andy Summers was born Andrew James Summers on December 31, 1942, in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire
  3. ↑ (The birth date of Andy Summers -- aka Andrew James Somers aka Andrew James Summers -- is predominantly listed as 31 December 1942, on numerous online sites, including , , , and . The link in Citation #3 confirms this. Summers' age was also listed as 44 in the birthdays segment of the 31 December 1986, episode of Entertainment Tonight.)
  4. 1 2 Huey, Steve. "Andy Summers". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  5. 1 2 Moon, Grant (3 March 2022). "Andy Summers: "One of the things I loved about playing in The Police was that it was all guitar all the time! But it needed someone like me to fill that out"". guitarworld. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  6. ↑ Maxwell, Jackson (26 October 2018). "Andy Summers Talks Echoplex Pedals, Recording with the Police and Jamming with Jimi Hendrix". guitarworld. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  7. ↑ Bennett, Graham (2005). Soft machine. London: SAF. p. 141. ISBN   978-0-946719-84-6.
  8. ↑ Hepworth, David (2017). Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars. London: Bantam Press/Transworld. p. 101. ISBN   978-0-593-07762-7.
  9. ↑ Wilkinson, Roy (July 1997). "All I ever got asked was, Which band is which, did you really do it, can I have a blow-job?". Select : 115.
  10. ↑ Martin, Jorge (11 April 2015). "CSUN Alumnus Andy Summers Reflects on His Police Days and More in "Can't Stand Losing You: Surviving the Police"".
  11. 1 2 Beato, Rick. "Andy Summers: His Career with the Police and Iconic Guitar Style". You Tube. You Tube. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  12. ↑ Ferriss, Tim (18 March 2022). "Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stewart Copeland — Fear{less} with Tim Ferriss". Fear{less}. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  13. ↑ Welch, Chris (1996). The complete guide to the music of The Police and Sting. London: Omnibus Press. p. 25. ISBN   978-0-7119-5302-4.
  14. 1 2 3 Summers, Andy (2007). One Train Later: A Memoir. Macmillan. ISBN   978-1429909297 . Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  15. ↑ Prato, Greg (2017) (23 April 2019). "Andy Summers: Creating Light From Dark". Vintage Guitar . Retrieved 17 February 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ Lebovitz, David (28 August 2015). "Talk Show Graveyard: The Dennis Miller Show". DeadShirt.net. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  17. ↑ "The Dennis Miller Show". RadioTimes.com. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  18. ↑ Leeds, Jeff (30 January 2007). "The Police Will Kick Off the Grammys". The New York Times.
  19. ↑ Baltin, Steve (13 August 2013). "The Police's Andy Summers Goes Back to Basics With Circa Zero". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  20. ↑ Ragogna, Mike (26 March 2014). "Silver Rails and Circus Hero: Conversations With Jack Bruce and Andy Summers". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  21. ↑ "CIRCA ZERO DEBUT SHOW EL REY THEATRE LOS ANGELES". AndySummers.com. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  22. ↑ "Circa Zero's Circus Hero March 25, 2014 Release Date". AndySummers.com. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  23. ↑ Ragogna, Mike (26 March 2014). "Silver Rails and Circus Hero: Conversations With Jack Bruce and Andy Summers". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 1 May 2014. I was on this early morning radio station and the guy said, "Yeah, here he is with the new record from Circus Hero!" and I went, "Oh, god. It's Circa. Zero." But anyway I told Rob and he said, "Yeah, we should call the album that." Just to be a little bit weird. I thought about the early Police albums where we had all these weird titles that kind of got people's attention. Might as well have fun with it.
  24. ↑ Summers, Andy and Kerr, Jim (12 November 2012). Andy Summers Interview Promo Movie & Circa Zero. youtube.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  25. ↑ "Brazil Tour Dates with Call the Police - Andy Summers". andysummers.com. 15 March 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  26. ↑ "The Police: inducted in 2003 | The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum". Rockhall.com. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  27. ↑ "Cérémonie de remise des insignes de Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres à Sting, Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers, du groupe The Police". 1 October 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  28. ↑ "2008 Graduates – Graduation Ceremony – Bournemouth University". Bournemouth.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  29. ↑ Beaudin, Jon (2 September 2016). "Jon Anderson & Andy Summers Big Winners at Prog Magazine's Progressive Music Awards - Smooth Jazz Now". Smooth Jazz Now. Archived from the original on 8 January 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  30. ↑ Browne, Davis; Doyle, Patrick; Fricke, Davis (23 November 2011). "100 Greatest Guitarists". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  31. ↑ "The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  32. ↑ Basham, David (23 February 2000). "Andy Summers, Jeff Beck, Sheryl Crow Win Guitar Awards". MTV News. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  33. ↑ "Roland and BOSS Present Lifetime Achievement Awards to Andy Summers and Jean-Michel Jarre". www.rolandus.com. 17 February 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  34. ↑ Frank W. Hoffmann, Howard Ferstle (2005). Encyclopedia of recorded sound. New York, NY: Routledge. p. 845. ISBN   978-0-415-93835-8.
  35. ↑ "2015 Theatrical Movies". Soundtrack.net. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  36. ↑ Hiscock, John (23 August 2015). "Andy Summers: In The Police we were so desirable to girls but I paid heavy price". mirror.
  37. ↑ Wright, John (23 January 2022). "The Police's Andy Summers: 'I made $1m a night – and played 150 times'". Sunday Telegraph. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  38. ↑ "Andy Summers Discography". andysummers.com. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  39. ↑ Summers, Andy (1983). Throb. William Morrow. ISBN   0-688-02339-8.
  40. ↑ Summers, Andy (2004). Light Strings. Chronicle Books. ISBN   978-0-8118-4324-9.
  41. ↑ Summers, Andy (2007). One Train Later: A Memoir. Macmillan. ISBN   978-0-312-37481-5.
  42. ↑ Summers, Andy (2007). I'll Be Watching You: Inside the Police 1980–83. Taschen America LLC. ISBN   978-3-8228-2764-2.
  43. ↑ Summers, Andy (2009). Throb. Nazraeli. ISBN   978-1-59005-256-3.
  44. ↑ Summers, Andy (2018). The Bones of Chuang Tzu. Steidl. ISBN   978-3-95829-403-5.
  45. ↑ Summers, Andy (2019). A Certain Strangeness. University of Texas Press. ISBN   978-1-47731-890-4.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.