Andy Summers

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.

Biography

Early life

Summers was born in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England to Maurice and Jean Somers. When he was a young child, he moved to Bournemouth, Dorset, attended Summerbee School and took up the guitar at age 14. By 17 he was playing in local clubs. While a teenager he worked in a Bournemouth music store frequented by a young Robert Fripp. Although Summers had been essentially self-taught when he began his professional musical career, he studied classical guitar at California State University at Northridge 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. In 1968, Summers was a member (for a couple of months, from May to July of the Canterbury scene jazz fusion band Soft Machine, although he did not record with the group He also recorded with Eric Burdon and The Animals[1] (Love Is), and spent much of the mid-seventies doing session work for Jon Lord, Neil Sedaka, Kevin Ayers, Kevin Coyne, David Essex and others. In 1977 he was invited by ex-Gong bassist Mike Howlett to join his band Strontium 90 along with Sting and Stewart Copeland.

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" and "Mother". In 1980 his instrumental "Behind My Camel" won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental. Although Sting was the primary lead vocalist, Summers sang lead vocals on several songs, including "Be My Girl Sally", "Friends", "Someone to Talk to" and "Mother."

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. In 1992, Andy Summers served a brief stint as Musical Director on the short-lived Dennis Miller Show. He composed and performed the show's theme song, which Miller promptly jettisoned when Summers left the show.

Equipment

The Police Years 1977–1984

Guitars

•    Fender

o    1963 Fender Telecaster either purchased from Eric Clapton and then customized by Andy after he bought it (as he stated in '97 to Guitar World Magazine), or purchased from a student with most of the customization already done (as he told Fender when they wanted to make a tribute guitar)

o    1961 Fiesta Red Fender Stratocaster

•    Gibson

o    1958 Gibson ES-335

o    1957 Gibson Les Paul

•    Roland

o    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

•    I Advance Masked - 1982 (with Robert Fripp)

•    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)

•    A Windham Hill Retrospective - 1998

•    Green Chimneys: The Music of Thelonious Monk - 1999 (with vocals by Sting on the track "'Round Midnight")

•    Peggy's Blue Skylight - 2000 (with vocals by Deborah Harry on the track "Weird Nightmare")

•    Earth + Sky - 2004

•    Splendid Brazil - 2005 (with Victor Biglione)

•    First You Build a Cloud - 2007 (with Ben Verdery)

Singles

•    Parade / Train - 1984 (with Robert Fripp)

•    2010 / To Hal and Back - 1984

•    Love is the Strangest Way / Nowhere - 1987

with The Police

•    Outlandos d'Amour (1978)

•    Reggatta de Blanc (1979)

•    Zenyattà Mondatta (1980)

•    Ghost in the Machine (1981)

•    Synchronicity (1983)

Miscellaneous

•    Love Is - 1968 (with Eric Burdon & The Animals)

•    Matching Head and Feet - 1975 (with Kevin Coyne)

•    Sarabande - 1976 (with Jon Lord)

•    Flashback - 1978 (with Eberhard Schoener)

•    Video Magic - 1978 (with Eberhard Schoener)

•    Video Flashback - 1979 (with Eberhard Schoener)

•    Ataraxis-2007 (With Deeyah)

Posted in: Guitarists