Backstage footage recently emerged depicting Police guitar player Andy Summers teaching John Mayer how to play Message in a Bottle.
Summers dropped the footage on his YouTube channel. Summers plays the part on a Fender Stratocaster rather than his famous Telecaster, while John Mayer wields a Martin 000C-28 Andy Summers signature acoustic guitar.
The pair were rehearsing backstage ahead of The Police’s 2007 reunion performance at Live Earth, featuring guests John Mayer and Kanye West.
Summers is showing Mayer the upper harmony part to the main riff. This part is low in the mix of the original recording, and rarely played live because The Police have only one guitarist.
Mayer can be seen briefly struggling to figure out one of the unusual arpeggios in the riff, and Summers directs him by naming the notes: “Eb, A, E natural.”
Mayer then repeats the riffs several times. “You got it,” declares Summers approvingly.
The footage cuts to an intimate acoustic performance of the song for a tiny audience sat on sofas. This was also presumably backstage at Live Earth, since Kanye West is in attendance. Summers is playing the Martin acoustic Mayer was using earlier, while Mayer plays another Martin, this time his own signature OMJM model.
Live Earth was a 2007 benefit concert intended to battle climate change, and took place in 12 countries simultaneously. The Police performed at Giants Stadium, New Jersey. Mayer had performed his own set earlier in the day before joining The Police as a guest.
Finally, Summers’ video cuts to the actual Live Earth performance, featuring Kanye West.
Live Earth took place during The Police’s 2007–2008 reunion tour marking their 30th anniversary. These were their first full concerts since the band’s split in 1986. The band members have not performed together since.
Andy Summers recently announced he would be releasing a surprise new collaboration with Robert Fripp. Mayer, meanwhile, explained why he insisted on using tube amps with Dead & Company, but revealed the one modeler he does recommend.
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