The Meldrum Tapes- Molly Meldrum Interviews Sting- 1986

A segment from the Australian music interview TV series The Meldrum Tapes, of which 24 episodes aired on the ABC in 1986. The Meldrum Tapes featured full length interviews that Countdown Talent Co-Ordinator, Ian 'Molly' Meldrum, conducted over his many overseas trips during the Countdown years, which aired on the ABC from 1974-1987. Where Countdown would feature a small part of the interview (constrained due to time), The Meldrum Tapes aired the interviews in full.
This clip features an interview of British singer Sting, conducted by Countdown Talent Co-Ordinator Molly Meldrum.
The interview begins with a discussion about criticism Sting has received about his music having tainted the purity of "Black music",
which Sting responds by expressing his belief that differing music forms should be combined, otherwise the individual forms die. Sting also discusses the challenge in writing a song about various political and social issues.
Sting also discusses using the concert audience in his music. He also discusses some of his most memorable concerts.
Molly and Sting then discuss how his moviemaking affects his music. They also discuss the past year he has had, and what he will be doing in the future, and whether he is likely to do another concert tour with The Police.
Vaxfacts: Sting (real name Gordon Sumner) got his stage name from a bandleader he played jazz with in the late 1970s, when Sting once wore a sweater with hooped black and yellow stripes. The bandleader, Gordon Solomon, thought he looked like a bee, and thus the name Sting stuck.

[@user-nc6mj1zx5u]

Dear Sting, I could not express it better myself!! Thanks a lot for being so clever and accomplished!!

[@juntito]

2021 HAPPY birthday .🥳🥳🥳💞

[@kmm2442]

I love everything he says bar the 600l bear remark. Ego damn. Don’t know what that is

[@jiros00]

Prescient criticism of the concept of "cultural appropriation" in music. Music belongs to everyone.

[@BlueBeeMCMLXI]

That idea has been around for centuries. Without the wanker terms.

[@alaresrock904]

Wow Great interview, I agree with Sting. There is no originality in music anymore, young musicians borrowing from the old bands and not creating anything new.

[@birdman4274]

Sting stole from Bach 🤣🤣

[@darrenhenderson3]

Mind you he’s saying this in the 80s which is considered the golden age of mainstream pop

[@BlueBeeMCMLXI]

Yeah, but that was 1986. So 40 years of crud ...He's a prat.

[@fosterch11]

Interesting that he uses acting roles, like a writer would in some cases to create stories, as a way to refresh his songwriting. I've seen him live enough now to confirm that he succeeds in using the audience as an instrument and getting them "into it". I look forward to seeing him live again either with the Police or solo - or both. It worked for Van Halen when they did one set with Roth and one with Hagar - then bring the Police back out for the encore. I'm a genius.

[@BlueBeeMCMLXI]

ALL performance depends on the AUDIENCE.

[@AmyWinehouse.914]

I'd like to see the Amy Winehouse interview on Sunrise I have about 10s of it.

[@oldladykai3031]

gee whiz I'm the first--he is wise and deep as well as pretty

[@jocelynf139]

I agree

[@BlueBeeMCMLXI]

He is the thoughts of others. All the time.

[@lukehunnable]

Why the hell is he wearing a tie?

[@ThvonS]

Gordon M. Sumner. Maybe the only bass playing polar bear in the world

[@mrbungle7586]

Lol, yep the best bass playing and singing bear on the planet. I remember watching this on channel 2 in Australia. The show was called countdown and the the host, Ian (Molly) Meldrum. Fook, getting old. Cheers

[@thecolourrose9022]

All the people criticising bands like led zeppelin of “copying the blues” saying its for black people only makes me laugh those big bands gave more than enough compliments to their inspirations its near common knowledge so im with stingo here

[@JesusChrist5000]

hey its Ward Cleaver!

[@davidbull7210]

His Geordie accent is really coming through in certain words. He's much tamer now...

[@BlueBeeMCMLXI]

A fake.