STING IN THE TALE

Once Sting has finished the pension tour for The Police, perhaps he may wish to consider some older friends who are probably in greater need of the money, assuming that they are still alive, of course.

For a considerable chunk of the 70s, Last Exit, featuring Ronnie Pearson (drums and vocals) Gerry Richardson (keyboards), and Sting (bass, vocals and black and yellow striped jersey), with John Hedley, then Terry Ellis on guitar, were the funkiest band in Newcastle Upon Tyne, as well as providing the rhythm section for the Newcastle Big Band/Tyneside Jazz Orchestra. In 1975 they recorded a limited collector’s issue of Last Exit music, nine tracks with John Hedley recorded in Impulse Studio, Newcastle. It also appears that they started recording 13 tracks in Pathway Studios, London, at the end of 1976.

Isn’t there a case for putting together a CD of these tracks for more general issue, if this is possible? Some of these tracks were recycled as Police/Sting songs, but Sting would presumably still have the copyright. As liner notes, he could use the 2½ page review of the band by Phil Sutcliffe in the issue of Sounds dated 8th January 1977.

To begin with, Sting was a pretty raw talent who learnt a lot from playing by these more experienced musicians, so there’s a lot to say for giving them some recognition. The photo (below) shows Terry, Ronnie, Sting and Gerry disturbing the peace in Jesmond Dene, Newcastle.

by Peter Johansen
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