Andy Summers
| Andy Summers | |
|---|---|
 Andy Summers |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Andrew James Somers |
| Born | 31 December 1942 Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England |
| Genres | Rock, jazz, post-punk, New Wave, reggae |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter, Photographer, producer |
| Instruments | Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals |
| Years active | 1959 - present |
| Associated acts | The Police, The Animals, Soft Machine, Robert Fripp, Kevin Ayers, John Etheridge, Gustavo Cerati |
| Website | andysummers.com |
| Notable instruments | |
| Fender Telecaster, Fender Stratocaster, Gibson ES-335 | |
Andy Summers (born Andrew James Somers 31 December 1942) is an English guitarist and composer best known for his work in The Police and Eric Burdon & The Animals.
Contents |
Biography
Early life
Andrew James Summers was born on 31 December 1942 in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England[1] to his parents, Maurice and Jean Somers. When he was a young child, he moved to Bournemouth, Dorset,Attended Summerbee School and[1] took up the guitar at age 14. By 17, he was playing in local clubs.[1] While a teen he worked in a Bournemouth music store frequented by a young Robert Fripp.[2] Although Summers had been essentially self-taught when he began his professional musical career, he studied classical guitar at California State University at Northridge[3][4] for four years until 1973.
Pre-Police career
Summers began his recording career in the 1960s as the guitarist for the R&B group Zoot Money's Big Roll Band, and its subsequent psychedelic-era incarnation, Dantalian's Chariot.[1][3] In 1968, Summers was a member (for a couple of months, from May to July) of the Canterbury scene jazz fusion band Soft Machine,[3][5] although he did not record with the group He also recorded with Eric Burdon and The Animals[1] (Love Is),[3] and spent much of the mid-seventies doing session work for Kevin Ayers, Kevin Coyne, and others.[1] He was also a member of the band Strontium 90 along with Sting, Stewart Copeland and Mike Howlett.[6]
When he moved back to London, he changed his surname from Somers to Summers.[1]
The Police (1977–1983; 2007-2008)
Summers achieved international prominence as the guitarist for The Police (which he first had contact with in 1977, and of which he was the oldest member by almost a decade), most notably on popular hits such as "Message in a Bottle", "Don't Stand So Close to Me", and "Every Breath You Take". Summers also wrote songs for the Police, such as "Omegaman"[7] and "Mother"[8], and his instrumental "Behind My Camel" (on which Sting refused to play)[2] won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental in 1980. Although Sting was the primary lead vocalist, Summers sang lead vocals on several songs, including "Be My Girl - Sally" (which he co-wrote) and "Mother." [9]
Post-Police
After the break-up of The Police in 1984, Summers continued his musical career, both as a solo artist and in collaboration with other musicians. He has also developed his career as a writer (of books and essays) and a photographer.
Equipment
The Police Years 1977-1984
Guitars
- Fender
- 1963 Fender Telecaster Custom
- 1961 Fiesta Red Fender Stratocaster[10]
- Roland
- Roland G-303 Guitar Synthesizer controller
Amps
- Marshall Stack and Roland Jazz Chorus Combo
Pedalboards
- A custom Pete Cornish Guitar pedalboard
- Roland GR-300 Guitar Synthesizer
Discography
Studio albums
- Love Is - 1968 (with Eric Burdon & The Animals)
- Matching Head and Feet - 1975 (with Kevin Coyne)
- Sarabande - 1976 (with Jon Lord)
- Outlandos d'Amour - 1978 (with The Police)
- Reggatta de Blanc - 1979 (with The Police)
- Zenyatta Mondatta - 1980 (with The Police)
- Ghost in the Machine - 1981 (with The Police)
- I Advance Masked - 1982 (with Robert Fripp)
- Synchronicity - 1983 (with The Police)
- Bewitched - 1984 (with Robert Fripp)
- XYZ - 1987
- Mysterious Barricades - 1988
- The Golden Wire - 1989
- Charming Snakes - 1990
- World Gone Strange - 1991
- Invisible Threads - 1993 (with John Etheridge)
- Synaesthesia - 1996
- The Last Dance of Mr. X - 1997
- Strings of Desire - 1998 (with Victor Biglione)
- Green Chimneys: The Music of Thelonious Monk - 1999
- Peggy's Blue Skylight - 2000 (with vocals by Deborah Harry on the track "Weird Nightmare")
- Earth + Sky - 2004
- Splendid Brasil - 2005 (with Victor Biglione)
- First You Build a Cloud - 2007 (with Ben Verdery)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Chris Welch (1996). The complete guide to the music of the Police and Sting. London: Omnibus Press. p. xii. ISBN 9780711953024. "Andy Summers was born Andrew James Somers on December 31, 1942. in Poulton-le-Fylde. Lancashire."
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Summers, Andy (2006), One Train Later: A Memoir, New York, N.Y.: Thomas Dunne
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Pete Prown and HP Newquist (1997). Legends of rock guitar : the essential reference of rock's greatest guitarists. Milwaukee, WI: Leonard. p. 176. ISBN 9780793540426.
- ↑ "Ghosts In The Machine". Guitar World (Future US) (Vol. 28, Num. 10): 47. October 2007. ISSN 1045-6295.
- ↑ Soft machinelast=Bennett. London: SAF. 2005. p. 141. ISBN 9780946719846.
- ↑ Chris Welch (1996). The complete guide to the music of The Police and Sting. London: Omnibus Press. p. xi. ISBN 9780711953024. "Andy Summers was born Andrew James Somers on December 31, 1942. in Poulton-le-Fylde. Lancashire."
- ↑ Chris Welch (1996). The complete guide to the music of The Police and Sting. London: Omnibus Press. p. 25. ISBN 9780711953024.
- ↑ Chris Welch (1996). The complete guide to the music of The Police and Sting. London: Omnibus Press. p. 31. ISBN 9780711953024.
- ↑ Frank W. Hoffmann, Howard Ferstle (2005). Encyclopedia of recorded sound. New York, NY: Routledge. p. 845. ISBN 9780415938358.
- ↑ The Unofficial Andy Summers Website
External links
- Official website
- Andy Summers Fender tribute Telecaster homepage
- BBC interview with Andy Summers including audio
- Andy Summers in Fender News
- Book Review of Andy Summers' One Train Later
- Contemporary interview with Andy Summers
- Andy Summers Detailed Discography, Timeline and Equipment List
- Andy Summers Play-/Sound-Alike (German instructions)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Book • 
Category