Sting and Shaggy join Race Taylor to talk about their new song, "Til A Mawnin."
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00:00Welcome to our Odyssey chat. My name is Race Taylor. We are in New York City at the Rockstar
00:08Suite, the Hard Rock Hotel high above Times Square. Our guests today to my immediate left
00:14are the iconic duo that we didn't know we needed until about 2018. Staying shaggy the
00:21last time we talked just before the Grammys at Madison Square Garden. I think that was
00:26the year that Bruno Mars won everything, James Corden was the host. It was in New York
00:31City for the, you know, the first time in a long time. Do you guys remember that night?
00:36I love it when the Grammys are in New York because I live here so I just, I can walk
00:40there. It's easy. Yeah. And usually walk back. It was a good night. We ended up doing, I
00:45have to party afterwards too. I don't, I don't remember the party. But it was, it was an
00:52amazing night and I believe it was then the following year that your album, 44876, we
00:59did Englishman and we did, we kind of flipped it as Jamaican in New York. It was the first
01:02time we did that. That's right. It's one of my favorites. Yeah. The way you flip that
01:06entire verse. So now the partnership is back after a few lean years. If you have not been
01:11paying attention, there was some side hustle where one of these gentlemen became the beloved
01:17space bunny on the mass singer. The other suspect from the Arconia and only murders
01:25in the building. Yeah. It's nice to know you've come out on the other side of that and you're
01:29back together. I don't think we actually had left to be honest. Of course not. Because
01:34we kept, we kept making music and kept collaborating, but I, you know, our schedules are so hectic.
01:41Right. And when we decide to come together, it's always hard to, you know, but you know,
01:45we manage. Well, your Yankee hat takes me to that project, uh, that happened a couple
01:50years ago with all the Sinatra songs, because I don't know if you're aware of this, but
01:54the Yankees are now going to play that's life after every game they lose. And I think we
01:59have a deal in that was the first thing I wonder if they'll do a reggae version just
02:04when they lose. I suppose. But yeah, because they play New York, New York, and they used
02:07to play it after every game. But now they're thinking we got to play something other than
02:12New York, New York. Yeah. And I think your version so joyful, it would be perfect. It's
02:18great. Put a smile on people's faces. On the subject of joy till the morning. Yeah. Brand
02:23new song on repeat at my house all weekend long. Thank you. Heard you perform it a couple
02:28different times. How did the idea begin? Well, Shaggy played the song to me and it immediately
02:35made me smile or the melodies is beautiful, but the vibe of it, it just gives, gives you
02:40a sense of joy. And boy, does the world need some joy at the moment. You know, there's
02:44so much unhappiness everywhere. People need that medicine. So listen to this song. It'll
02:50be, it's good for you. Where was the video recorded? I watched the video. I'm thinking
02:54I missed a crazy Eddie sale somewhere. I am seeing gear that I have not seen. Yes. And
02:59for ever. We were in Brooklyn, Brooklyn. Yeah. It was a soundstage and we did it. And I think
03:07the main thing we wanted to do, because it's such a tribute to the sound system era, uh,
03:11pick up the J wheel. We wanted to be as authentic as possible to get all of those old echo chambers
03:17and those old turntables and, and those tube amps and all of that, you know, in the massive
03:23speak because that's what all, you know, Jamaican sound system was, was built. That's how it
03:29was built back in the day. So to really grab that, uh, and to make it authentic was, was
03:34a huge movement. It's such an homage to that. And I can also tell, you know, the, the 45
03:40spinning on the photo phonograph, you didn't pick that up at urban outfitters over the weekend.
03:45Like that is, that is original gear, which is fantastic. Now, uh, I believe last year or a
03:53couple of years ago, there was a one fine day festival in Philadelphia, right? We're actually
03:57doing it again this year. We're doing it again next year. Yeah. And I think you have another
04:02gig together later this week. We're playing the reggae, uh, regularize regularize up in
04:08St. Peter's resort, Florida, Florida. Yeah. That is fantastic. If I could go to each of you
04:14individually for a couple of different things. And this, uh, question for sting, just because
04:19I'm going to try to use this conversation for the next nine months. Uh, I saw three ships,
04:26a Christmas thing you did for very special Christmas a long time ago. It might've been
04:31maybe the third version of this to raise money for special Olympics,
04:35just a beautiful Christmas, little one minute, 41 second thing. Do you remember
04:40anything about that session or the meaning of that song for you?
04:44Christmas Carol. It is. You can't see, you can't see ships in Bethlehem. No,
04:49it's not even a river there. No, no, not at all. I don't know quite what it's about,
04:53but it's a lovely, it is, it is stark. It is almost a little bit Renaissance.
04:59It is certainly the spirit of Christmas. It's a very old song. It is. So now as we
05:07look past this next week and the release of the new song, where does this summer see each of you
05:13respectively? I think we're both on tour separate separate tours. Yeah. Separately. Yeah. I think
05:19we're going to try and connect as much, you know, to do whatever promo we can when, whatever
05:24time permits, you know? Um, but he's got a very solid tour schedule and so I'm always looking at
05:32the corner of my eye in case he walks on stage at any point anywhere in the world. I've done a
05:38couple of pop-ups and you can do that without any warning. Yeah. So I'm always aware. I want
05:44to recommend a date at city field, maybe in August with another New Yorker, Billy Joel.
05:49That would be, that would be a huge night. I did think I did the first one with you
05:55in Florida. No, he'll be open. He'll be open to all of that. Fantastic. It was a good,
06:00it was a good night that night too. The new track is called till the morning. It is a
06:06beautiful melody. It is instantly recognizable and it is filled with the joy we all so badly need
06:13right now. Our guests sting and shaggy. Listen for the track. Find us for more
06:19online at odyssey.com. Thank you for joining us in the heart of New York city. Thank you.