Uploaded January 2009 | Updated September 2026, 13 hours ago
Right, here it is! My first ever post on YouTube, back in Summer 2007, re-recorded and, hopefully, improved!
I have to admit that I have been a bit worried about re-doing Message In A Bottle. I have been amazed at the response my original vid got since I posted it. It is by far and away my most viewed vid; it has the most comments, and almost every single comment is of the form "Duuuude!!!! Epic!!" So it would be pretty easy to do another version that would then get slammed as being crap in comparison to the first!!!
Anyway, since around four of you (out of probably 20,000!) have chosen to ignore the second sentence in my original description (and I quote "Yes, I have left out the bell on the 2 and 4, because..."), and also because some of you have said things like "those should be flams at the beginning", or "the tom progression should go like this", I thought, bugger it, I'm gonna try and do it all.
So here it is. My attempt at playing that godam bell on the 2 and 4 in the three sections that it occurs. And my attempt to play the flams, and play the tom progression right, and in fact, to play the whole thing more accurately.
In the last week or two I have obviously been studying my original video carefully, and listening again to the original Police track - it's amazing! I can find so many flaws and errors in my original vid, and it now actually seems quite a poor rendiition in some ways!! But none of you pointed out any of the things that have actually bugged me in the last few weeks!! This seems to be one of those amazing Copeland tracks that the more you listen to it, the more detail there is to find, and to try and play! We are all mad for even trying!
As MOST OF US know, Stewart dubbed a lot of things in the studio. As SOME OF US know, Stewart thinks we are all off our heads for trying to play Message with, for example, the bell that he DUBBED. Yes, dubbed. Anyway, this is how I would play it, if you insist on that bell effect! In essence, I cheat, and use my 6.5" zil-bel, and plonk it near the hi hat. None of that trying to hit the tiny bell of my ride on the other side of the kit at warp speed business - thats crazy!
Someone else has said they play it by playing the hi hat with left hand, and hitting the bell of the ride with the right hand. Damn me. Thats impressive!! I can't do that, not with everything else going on too! Anyway, I leave you to decide how best would suit you!
As an aside, I hope you can all see my bass beater more easily. I put white tape on it, so it is more visible! Good idea, eh?!
It is tempting to say nothing else about my cover, and let you find the differences. And the mistakes! (There are plenty). However, I will in fact summarise the changes for you:
Intro: I play the flams, as suggested by someone. Can't really tell though! Shame. Note the three 16th notes played with right hand on hi hat and snare at 0'13. Difficult to hear though. Pants.
First use of bell, from 0'16. Anyone wants to complain about the tuning of the bell can get stuffed! (I will admit however that it is loud).
At 0'57 note that I now come out of the snare fill by hitting both the snare and a splash.
From 0'58 I play the hi hat work with a different sticking / accenting.
From 1'10 some new tom progressions!
At 1'38 I miss a bass drum hit.
At 1'52, the rims shots are a little more accurate.
From 2'19 its that bell again!
At 2'31 I hit the wrong accents and get angry (!)
At 2'46 you might think the bass drum is wrong. Er, it is (!), though I am actually trying to play as Copeland did here, and he missed some beats and played quarter notes on hi hat. I did not quite get it right though, and missed too many bass hits!
At 3'03 the rimshot work is more accurate.
From 3'26 we get the bell again, and more accurate accents at 3'42.
The snare accents at 3'50 are fiendishly difficult, for me at least. I would say this is the hardest moment of the whole song. Am chuffed I got em right on this take!
The whole of the outro is then just trying to keep it more accurate. Very difficult, because Stewart dubs a lot of accents and lays off the backbeat and all sorts of stuff.
BTW, the yellow sticks are Flix Sticks, in fluorescent yellow. Great for playing a bit quieter (!). Get them from Ebay shops. Made in Scotland.
And thats it! Hope you enjoy, and it is gonna be interesting to see how you all react to this version. I guess it will not surprise me if some of you prefer my first version, from 2007!
Anyway, thanks for all the support! It is those of you who heard and commented on my first ever video on here that have given me the confidence to keep doing this! I thank you.
And by the way - Stewart Copeland is a God. What a masterpiece of drumming he did on this track :-)
Right, here it is! My first ever post on YouTube, back in Summer 2007, re-recorded and, hopefully, improved!
I have to admit that I have been a bit worried about re-doing Message In A Bottle. I have been amazed at the response my original vid got since I posted it. It is by far and away my most viewed vid; it has the most comments, and almost every single comment is of the form "Duuuude!!!! Epic!!" So it would be pretty easy to do another version that would then get slammed as being crap in comparison to the first!!!
Anyway, since around four of you (out of probably 20,000!) have chosen to ignore the second sentence in my original description (and I quote "Yes, I have left out the bell on the 2 and 4, because..."), and also because some of you have said things like "those should be flams at the beginning", or "the tom progression should go like this", I thought, bugger it, I'm gonna try and do it all.
So here it is. My attempt at playing that godam bell on the 2 and 4 in the three sections that it occurs. And my attempt to play the flams, and play the tom progression right, and in fact, to play the whole thing more accurately.
In the last week or two I have obviously been studying my original video carefully, and listening again to the original Police track - it's amazing! I can find so many flaws and errors in my original vid, and it now actually seems quite a poor rendiition in some ways!! But none of you pointed out any of the things that have actually bugged me in the last few weeks!! This seems to be one of those amazing Copeland tracks that the more you listen to it, the more detail there is to find, and to try and play! We are all mad for even trying!
As MOST OF US know, Stewart dubbed a lot of things in the studio. As SOME OF US know, Stewart thinks we are all off our heads for trying to play Message with, for example, the bell that he DUBBED. Yes, dubbed. Anyway, this is how I would play it, if you insist on that bell effect! In essence, I cheat, and use my 6.5" zil-bel, and plonk it near the hi hat. None of that trying to hit the tiny bell of my ride on the other side of the kit at warp speed business - thats crazy!
Someone else has said they play it by playing the hi hat with left hand, and hitting the bell of the ride with the right hand. Damn me. Thats impressive!! I can't do that, not with everything else going on too! Anyway, I leave you to decide how best would suit you!
As an aside, I hope you can all see my bass beater more easily. I put white tape on it, so it is more visible! Good idea, eh?!
It is tempting to say nothing else about my cover, and let you find the differences. And the mistakes! (There are plenty). However, I will in fact summarise the changes for you:
Intro: I play the flams, as suggested by someone. Can't really tell though! Shame. Note the three 16th notes played with right hand on hi hat and snare at 0'13. Difficult to hear though. Pants.
First use of bell, from 0'16. Anyone wants to complain about the tuning of the bell can get stuffed! (I will admit however that it is loud).
At 0'57 note that I now come out of the snare fill by hitting both the snare and a splash.
From 0'58 I play the hi hat work with a different sticking / accenting.
From 1'10 some new tom progressions!
At 1'38 I miss a bass drum hit.
At 1'52, the rims shots are a little more accurate.
From 2'19 its that bell again!
At 2'31 I hit the wrong accents and get angry (!)
At 2'46 you might think the bass drum is wrong. Er, it is (!), though I am actually trying to play as Copeland did here, and he missed some beats and played quarter notes on hi hat. I did not quite get it right though, and missed too many bass hits!
At 3'03 the rimshot work is more accurate.
From 3'26 we get the bell again, and more accurate accents at 3'42.
The snare accents at 3'50 are fiendishly difficult, for me at least. I would say this is the hardest moment of the whole song. Am chuffed I got em right on this take!
The whole of the outro is then just trying to keep it more accurate. Very difficult, because Stewart dubs a lot of accents and lays off the backbeat and all sorts of stuff.
BTW, the yellow sticks are Flix Sticks, in fluorescent yellow. Great for playing a bit quieter (!). Get them from Ebay shops. Made in Scotland.
And thats it! Hope you enjoy, and it is gonna be interesting to see how you all react to this version. I guess it will not surprise me if some of you prefer my first version, from 2007!
Anyway, thanks for all the support! It is those of you who heard and commented on my first ever video on here that have given me the confidence to keep doing this! I thank you.
And by the way - Stewart Copeland is a God. What a masterpiece of drumming he did on this track :-)
