Murder By Numbers - The Police

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by AFOS, Oct 22, 2014.

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  1. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    Just heard this song for the first time - cool song. Was is it in contention for Synchronicity? If so it was a poor decision to include "Mother" over "Murder By Numbers".

     
  2. Demolition Man

    Demolition Man Forum Resident

    With exceptions of the first vinyl pressings it's at the end of the album.
     
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  3. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    I knew it was a bonus track - just not on the original release.
     
  4. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

    It has always been one of my favourites fom this period... I thought it should have been included on Synchronicity when it was released.

    B-side of "Every Breath You Take"

    And to answer your question, yes, much better than "Mother", which while somewhat funny would have been better released as a B-side or EP track.
     
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  5. Bill Mac

    Bill Mac Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I always thought it was the B side of the Every Breath You Take single and not on the album (vinyl). It is an excellent song and I agree that it should have been used in place of Mother, what a horrible song!

    "Murder by Numbers", originally the B-side of "Every Breath You Take," was added to the CD and cassette versions of the album, and has lyrics comparing political power to the development of a serial killer.

    Bill
     
  6. But Murder By Numbers is a shared writing credit while I believe Mother is not. Contractually, I think both Andy and Stewart had the right to get at least one of their own songs (and to collect publishing on that).
     
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  7. Demolition Man

    Demolition Man Forum Resident

    Odd because I'm so used to it being at the end of "Synchronicity" that I never think of it as anything else. I still wish Sting didn't have such a big ego and had "Someone To Talk To" relegated as a throwaway B-Side.
     
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  8. southamorican

    southamorican Forum Resident

    Location:
    São Paulo
    My favorite version:

     
  9. AZRunner

    AZRunner Forum Resident

    Location:
    SW FL
    I was at that show. A memorable night in many ways.
     
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  10. slipkid

    slipkid Senior Member

    Paul Gilbert's instrumental version on his new album, Stone Pushing Uphill Man, with Kenny Aronoff on drums, is pretty amazing (the drums are especially awesome IMO).

    Starts around 24:40.




    (Description from Amazon, of what Paul was trying to achieve with this album:
    "Paul Gilbert's new record Stone Pushing Uphill Man is a guitar oriented instrumental record on which Paul covers a group of his favorite songs, originally recorded by some of the world s best vocalists. Paul uses his guitar like a voice to convey a wide range of emotions, while retaining his signature cutting edge solo work which should more than satisfy his legion of loyal guitar fans.")
     
  11. Black Widow

    Black Widow Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    If Sting wasn't such a confident & self-serving control freak, the Police's artistic & commercial success would have fallen far short of what they achieved. Although a hyper-inflated sense of self worth + domineering personality often leads to friction within a group, many highly (commercially) successful bands have been led by musicians with that combo of unpalatable traits.
     
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  12. J_D__

    J_D__ Senior Member

    Location:
    Huntersville, NC
    It was on the cassette tape on the 1st day of release.
     
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  13. ginchopolis

    ginchopolis Forum Resident

    Location:
    ginchopolis, usa
    I happen to be a big fan of "Mother" for a number of reasons. Synchronicity is a very dark album - even songs like "Every Breath You Take" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" are mistakenly thought of as "love songs." I think "Mother" works really well on the chaotic first side of the album.
     
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  14. Golden Richards

    Golden Richards Forum Rodent

    I wish they would have used the Summers song 'Someone To Talk To' instead of 'Mother'.
     
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  15. ginchopolis

    ginchopolis Forum Resident

    Location:
    ginchopolis, usa
    I seriously think the use of the "f-bomb" was too risky for a band whose fan-base stretched so far into a younger demographic.
     
  16. Golden Richards

    Golden Richards Forum Rodent

    Yeah, that makes sense. Good song, though.
     
  17. Rne

    Rne weltschmerz

    Location:
    Malaver
    It seems, generally, that "Mother" is not liked around here. I think it provides a nice delirious contrast in that album so full of hits. Anyway, back to the main topic: "Murder by Numbers" is a hell of a song, no doubt about it.
     
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  18. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

    It takes at least two to have friction...

    Personally, as a big fan of the band at the time, I felt that they were a much stronger band on every level when Copeland and Summers were more involved as writers. And in the case of Stewart Copeland especially, as singers as well.

    Synchronicity, while obviously a commercial home run, was to me their least interesting album... some of songs had the energy of the early band, but the tempos were slowing down and you could hear early signs of what was around the corner (Don't Stand So Close To Me '86)...

    Give me Regatta de Blanc and Klark Kent any day...
     
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  19. reb

    reb Money Beats Soul

    Location:
    Long Island
    Sounds great on the 12"single
     
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  20. raphph

    raphph Taking a trip on an ocean liner…

    Location:
    London
    The greatest missed opportunity for The Police to have a killer single was OmegaMan - probably because Sting didn't write it...
     
  21. chrischerm

    chrischerm Forum Resident


    What a great song!
     
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  22. pool_of_tears

    pool_of_tears Searching For Simplicity

    Location:
    Midwest
    Somtimes I feel that way about Someone To Talk To, and then I think to myself "it's a gem of a b-side, it works better this way". I do prefer Murder By Numbers as a b-side or bonus track. I first heard Synchronicity in 1983 and it was form the vinyl, so for me, the album ends with Tea In The Sahara. Another good Synch b-side is Once Upon A Daydream.
     
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  23. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

    One of my all time favorite B-sides by The Police -
    A Sermon (written by Stewart Copeland)

    always wondered if the lyrics were aimed at Sting... ;)

     
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  24. ginchopolis

    ginchopolis Forum Resident

    Location:
    ginchopolis, usa
    I'd say yes.

    After all, this was the tour where Stewart had that nice message to Mr. Sumner written on his drum heads...
     
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  25. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

    And he played with passion... :)
     
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