Sting Gives Dave The PG-Version Of How He Got His Name | Letterman

Sting talks about acting, what it's like to be first rock band to play in Bombay and how he got his name. (Air date: 11/10/82)

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[mikelbell]

I really don't understand the audience's non-reaction to Sting's amazing sense of humor. It seems that it took about three minutes before they realized he was hilarious.

[mediamannaman]

Dave: "What was it like in Bombay?"
Sting: "Nothing like Peoria."
They played off of each other perfectly.

[lynnturman]

One of the great singer songwriters. And nobody had a sound like the Police. One part jazz, one part punk, one part reggae.

[joelanning]

Incredible talent. A voice terribly unique. I’ve heard him many times in concert and never been let down.

[TheGlendrum]

4:54 "we don't need any money" Sting's referring to the deal they had with the record company where they didn't take a large advance for the recording. However if the record charted- the deal was structured so they would get a huge payout .

[digitalportraitist]

Saw him and his son at Wolf Trap a few years ago and he was amazing! i also met Stewart Copeland at a polo match in Maryland back in the mid 80s. Stewart stills rides and plays polo. He was a great gentleman and shook my hand.

[MalcolmDesigns]

Those were the days in the early eighties, the music scene was so exciting and in '82 I was 19 and a freshman in college... Time and life go by much too fast!

[mitgift]

This is centuries ago. How old was Sting in 1984? Thirty-three. He is 73 today and has gained refinement in every aspect. Here you see a diamant roughly cut out of rocky attachment. Today Sting is a well-tested jewel with unfathomable depth. He tried every possible alley to find success and chose the hard way - riskng unemployment rather than the security of an established job as a teacher. He came across an alley that opened and is hard working up to this day, touring the world. It's performing that means happiness to him.

[bdbdthatsallfolks]

6:06 Sting politely gives the crowd the finger 🤣

[taketheredpill]

he took a test, as a child, that marked him as intellectually gifted.
He is also very well read.

[vintagetrikesandquads]

Watching Dave and old Carson interviews, it just seems they had more interesting and articulate conversations back then.

[babyboy]

I met him once, wonderfully quiet kind of guy. Very cool and grounded in his own mind.

[ErikPortland]

Dave listens intently. You can see that here. He always has.

[TheMICMusicInspirationChannel]

I think he was embarrassed to admit that they bleached their hair for a chewing gum commercial.

[mcphersoncompany]

I heard him give a solo concert a few years ago. He's grown a lot as a person and performer since this long-ago interview. Quite intelligent, generous, talented, all which conveyed a touch of self-deprecating humor.

[sleepydragonzarinthal]

Now watch his recent interview with Beato and you'll understand this interview and his younger persona much better

[penguinista]

Dave is amazing. He took the interview format and shifted it by several degrees, just with the power of his personality.

[tonyjedioftheforest]

We had a very dirty smelly man at work that some ignorant people nicknamed stink. He was a bit deaf and thought they were calling him sting. That name stuck. They also called him dirt and again he miss heard and thought they were calling him Dirk. That name also stuck and he answered to both. It turned out that he had been in the Falklands war in the artillery and this is how he had damaged his hearing. When they found out he was treated with respect and was called by his real name Ian. He was a lovely inoffensive bloke who was a pleasure to work with.

[wlouisharris]

To me Sting is the character he was from Quadraphenia. Smug and mysterious. Great artist. He could have accomplished a lot more I think with the Police but he was tired of the formula went more in a jazz direction. He didn't have any interest in writing more hit rock albums. The Police could have done what Bono and U2 did cranking out more hit albums and huge arena tours but just not where Sting wanted to go.

[lucasRem-kueb]

He just stopped being a teacher here, i have seen his school, 'don't stand so close so my' school girls, it was all real...
Sting, his shirt, his attitude ! That was his childhood name.
Who loves the Police, peace guy ?