Murder By Numbers
| "Murder By Numbers" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Recorded by The Police | |
| Released: | 1983 |
| Recorded: | December 1982 |
| Length: | 4:36 minutes |
| Album(s): | Synchronicity (Cassette / CD) |
| Label(s): | A&M |
| Writer(s): | Andy Summers, Sting |
| Producer(s): | The Police, Hugh Padgham |
| Studio(s): | AIR Studios |
| Released as single? | B-SIDE |
"Murder By Numbers" is a song written by Andy Summers and Sting and recorded by The Police in 1982.
Contents
About the song
Writing
Sting wrote the lyrics to a different melody, probably in mid-1982.
Utopia demo
Sting recorded a demo at Utopia Studios which features this other melody. It was a rather run-of-the-mill up-tempo song with a drum machine pattern, guitars and bass. The lyrics however were completely in place.
The demo had the working title Nos 6. It lasts 3:25 minutes and can be found on the Synchronicity box set that was released on 2024-07-26.
Montserrat recording
The song was developed rather quickly at AIR Studios on Montserrat. Andy Summers had the guitar chords, Sting obviously had thy lyrics in place. According to Stewart Copeland the very first take of that song ended up as the B-Side of the Every Breath You Take 7" and the cassette versions of the Synchronicity album. He often told the story that he was already playing the rhythm in the dining room, then Sting and later Andy joined in.
Stewart's memory might have been influenced by the long drum intro on the version that has been officially released - and he always likes to tell a good story. But in the original take - and it still IS a one take wonder - the song didn't start with a drum intro at all.
Sting counts the band in and plays the first bass notes right before that first bell you hear on the official release. Bass and guitar are playing throughout the whole song, but were muted for the „drum intro“ and the first verse. For the rest of the song only the occasional bum note and a Sting adlib were muted.
Jeff Seitz remembers that he and other roadies did their handclaps "live" (and not as overdubs) right after The Police finished their take. They had been instructed not to be too enthusiastic with their handclaps at the end - to give the impression of an unimpressed club audience.
Hugh Padgham however is sure that "they were definitely not recorded live when the band played the song".
Personnel
- Sting - bass, vocals
- Stewart Copeland - drums
- Andy Summers - guitar
- Danny Quatrochi, Jeff Seitz, Tam Fairgrieve - handclaps
Release History
Albums
Murder By Numbers appears on the following album releases:
| Cover art | Album title | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Synchronicity | 1983-MM-DD | Country |
| 40px | At The Movies | 1997-MM-DD | Japan |
| 40px | My Funny Valentine: At The Movies | 2005-03-23 | Japan |
 
|
Every Move You Make: The Studio Recordings / Flexible Strategies | 2018-11-16 | UK |
Singles
7" Singles
| Cover art | Catalog no. | A-side song/B-side song | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
AM 117 | "Every Breath You Take"/"Murder By Numbers" | 1983-05-20 | UK |
|
AMX 117 | "Every Breath You Take"/"Murder By Numbers" | 1983-05-27 | UK |
|
AM 117 + AM*01 | "Every Breath You Take"/"Murder By Numbers"/"Man In A Suitcase (live)"/"Truth Hits Everybody (remix)" | 1983-06-03 | UK |
12" Singles
| Cover art | Catalog no. | A-side song(s)/B-side song(s) | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Catalog no. | "A-side song"/"B-side song" (add more songs as necessary) | YYYY-MM-DD | Country |
Video
"SONG TITLE" appears on the following video and dvd releases:
| Cover art | Video title | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Video or dvd title | YYYY-MM-DD | Country |
Awards, nominations, and certifications
Awards
This section needs more information.
| Year | Winner | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| YYYY | WINNER (album, song, producer, etc.) | AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.) | CATEGORY |
Nominations
This section needs more information.
| Year | Nominee | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| YYYY | NOMINEE (album, song, producer, etc.) | AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.) | CATEGORY |
Certifications
This section needs more information.
| Country | Certifier | Classification | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| COUNTRY | CERTIFIER (RIAA, IFPI...) | CLASSIFICATION (Album, singles, foreign artist...) | CERTIFICATION (Gold, Platinum, Diamond...) |
Lyrics
Lyrics are property and copyright of their owners, and provided here for educational purposes only.
Once that you've decided on a killing First you make a stone of your heart And if you find that your hands are still willing Then you can turn a murder into art There really isn't any need for bloodshed You just do it with a little more finesse If you can slip a tablet into someone's coffee Then it avoids an awful lot of mess It's murder by numbers one two three It's as easy to learn as your ABC Murder by numbers one two three It's as easy to learn as your ABC Now if you have a taste for this experience And you're flushed with your very first success Then you must try a twosome or a threesome And you'll find your conscience bothers you much less Because murder is like anything you take to It's a habit-forming need for more and more You can bump off every member of your family And anybody else you find a bore Because it's murder by numbers one two three It's as easy to learn as your ABC Murder by numbers one two three It's as easy to learn as your ABC Now you can join the ranks of the illustrious In history's great dark hall of fame All our greatest killers were industrious At least the ones that we all know by name But you can reach the top of your profession If you become the leader of the land For murder is the sport of the elected And you don't need to lift a finger of your hand Because it's murder by numbers one two three It's as easy to learn as your ABC Murder by numbers one two three It's as easy to learn as your A B C D E
Quotations and trivia
Jeff Seitz originally remembered that the song was done at Le Studio, but Stewart Copeland and Hugh Padgham are sure that it was already done on Montserrat.
Alternative and cover versions
Alternative versions of Murder By Numbers appear on the following album releases:
| Cover art | Artist | Album title | Release date | Release country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Frank Zappa (with Sting) | Broadway The Hard Way | 1989-05-25 | Country |
|
Maxeen | Policia! A Tribute To The Police | 2005-MM-DD | USA |
See also
This section needs more information.
External links
This section needs more information.
References
- Police, The. Synchronicity. (1983) [Audio recording], A&M Records.
- Stewart Copeland, Hugh Padgham, Jeff Seitz
- Fabio Trentini (demo info after listening to Pete Smith's tapes)
