Has anyone got a copy of this ? It was broadcast in 1996...

Melvyn Bragg is HERE this Friday night !

YEAH,I HAVE.EASILY THE BEST PROGRAMME EVER SHOWN ON TV ABOUT STING OR THE POLICE.BREATHTAKING STUFF ! MELVYN BRAGG IS BILLY'S
MOTHER - BET YOU DIDNT KNOW THAT ?

I LIKE GUINNESS TOO !!

Have you got a copy of the Jimmy Nail interview ?!

I woud love a copy too !!!!!!!!!!

I could quite cope with a GUINNESS too if it tastes GOOD !

Does it ? :-P

I think they still sell it in the Half Moon !!

Where and what is this Half Moon ?

It is a pub, how foolish of me. I have not lived in this area long and have not ventured into the Cities watering-holes YET !

I will visit this Half Moon :-p

That's just LIES MAN !!! :-)

This was a great program, as it captured what was (in my humble opinion) Sting in the final stages of musical and artistic integrity. It featured him relaxed and happy at home, composing the music that he was genuinely interested in, exploring a wide array of styles, and not seeming to care about the sales figures. This documentary captured the culmination of an arc Sting began with his first solo album - in the "Bring On The Night" documentary, he talks about challenging his audience by reinterpreting the "hits" and playing material they might not necessarily be familiar with. "Mercury Falling" (and its numerous b-sides - remember when Sting was so prolific that he didn't have to resort to countless remixes?) is a fascinating glimpse into the breadth that is Sting's musical knowledge...even though it barely scratched the surface of his experience.

Then the album and tour tanked.

Then he hooked up with Kipper and suffocated the organic output of the previous albums with synth-laden noodlings and drum machine patterns.

Then he got corporate sponsorship and started playing more corporate gigs for the big bucks.

Then he surprised us with the "...all this time" project, which was a brief return to the concept of being adventurous with his catalog.

Then "Sacred Love" was a step backward.

Then "Broken Music" which signaled the possible return to organic rock.

Then more corporate gigs.

Who knows where it's headed next? But the South Bank Show is a great reminder of how much can change in ten years.

The album nor the tour tanked....it was the singles that tanked... The album was devoid of a single that radio could pick up on (such as If I Ever Lose My Faith In You or Fields of Gold). But the album went right up the charts when first released, the sales figures were still relatively strong and the tour made mega dollars. Many artists dream of selling that much amount of product. It was just that Sting's pride and vanity were bruised when his latest release failed to take hold and fit in with what else was going on in popular music. So he shifted direction and the pandering began. And he continues to pander to this day. Last year's Broken Music tour is yet another form of pandering. I'm hoping that this year's model is a little more adventurous in presentation.

Thanks for the clarification, Dr. B. I made the assumption that the MF tour tanked because it didn't seem to require corporate sponsorship. Brand New Day was sponsored by Compaq, Best Buy, Jaguar, and Target (to name a few). Then again, MF had lower overhead because it was more about music and less about snazzy jackets and foxy backup singers :)

It's a shame that Sting took a business approach to his music...the b-sides (THE B-SIDES FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!) from MF rank among some of his most gorgeous compositions. I thought "End of the Game" would pave the way for more.

Alas...

Just browsing and thought this thread said Sting on SOUTH PARK!! Wouldn't that be fun.

NO!! :X lol!!