In late 1977 and early 1978, Sting and Summers recorded and performed as part of an ensemble led by German experimental composer Eberhard Schoener; Copeland also joined for a time. The band performed "Roxanne" on BBC1's Top of the Pops, and the re-issue of the song finally gained the band widespread recognition in the UK when it peaked at No. It also appeared on the 1986 compilation Every Breath You Take: The Singles, which reached No. Top Soft Rock Songs of the 1980s. The Police signed with A&M by the spring of 1978, committing to a contract that gave the group a higher royalty rate in lieu of a large advance. Ice Cube feat. The drummer Howlett had in mind, Chris Cutler, was unavailable, so Sting took Copeland. [21] The musical background of all three players may have made them suspect to punk purists, with music critic Christopher Gable stating,.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, "The truth is that the band merely utilized the trappings of 1970s British punk: the bleached blond short hair, Sting in his jumpsuits or army jackets, Copeland and his near maniacal drumming style. [77], In February 2008, the band announced that, when the tour finished, they would break up again. [73] On 29 and 30 September 2007, Henry Padovani joined the group on stage for the final encore of their two shows in Paris, playing the song "Next to You" as a four-piece band. [5][6][7] The band won a number of music awards, including six Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards—winning Best British Group once, and an MTV Video Music Award. 17 in the UK Singles Chart (although chart regulations introduced later in the decade would have classed it as an album). Top '80s Songs of The Police. ", "1979 Top 40 Official Singles Chart UK Archive 19th May 1979", "Those Were the Days: URGH! 1 studio albums. That wasn't to be our fate. Format: 12" Vinyl, Year: 1979, Label: A&M Records (AMLH 64792), Length: 42:06 [67] The Police Reunion Tour began in late May 2007 with two shows in Vancouver. 6 in the UK Albums Chart on the strength of the singles "Roxanne" and "Can't Stand Losing You". 10/22/07 12:01AM. Learn more about the band and its music. The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Want the supreme mixtape featuring the music of Andy, Stewart, and Sting? [60] In the autumn of 2003, Sting released his autobiography, Broken Music. During this time, the band were considered one of the leaders of the Second British Invasion of the US; in 1983 Rolling Stone labelled them "the first British New Wave act to break through in America on a grand scale, and possibly the biggest band in the world. The Police released some of the hugest hits of the 80s. 1 in the UK album charts. 6. [31], In October 1979, the group released their second album, Reggatta de Blanc, which topped the UK Albums Chart and became the first of four consecutive UK No. Overview ↓ Biography ↓ Discography ↓ Songs ↓ Credits ↓ Awards ↓ Of course we could have. For most of their history the band consisted of Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). In 2004, Henry Padovani released an album with the participation of Copeland and Sting on one track, reuniting the original Police line-up for the first time since 1977. 12 on the UK Singles Chart. The film, which captured the music scene in the wake of punk, was masterminded by Stewart Copeland's brothers Ian and Miles. [12], Summers's musicality impressed Sting, who was becoming frustrated with Padovani's rudimentary abilities and the limitations they imposed on the Police's potential. At the 1982 Brit Awards in London, the Police received the award for Best British Group. Where he had been less enthusiastic about the band's other songs, the elder Copeland was immediately struck by the track, and quickly got the Police a record deal with A&M Records on the strength of it. The idea that an all-female rock band was both writing its own songs and playing its own instruments was new to mainstream music. Become a People's Choice Member", "People's Choice Awards Past Winners: 2008", "O My God: Religion in Sting's Early Lyrics", Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings, When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around, Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984–1994, The Living Sea: Soundtrack from the IMAX Film, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Police&oldid=1006550763, Juno Award for International Album of the Year winners, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 13 February 2021, at 13:50. [55] They ended their set with "Invisible Sun", bringing out Bono to sing the final verse. Their 1978 debut album, Outlandos d'Amour, reached No. The night before we went into the studio Stewart broke his collarbone falling off a horse and that meant we lost our last chance of recovering some rapport just by jamming together. The Police, British-American new-wave band that blended reggae, jazz, funk, punk, and world music influences into hook-laden pop-rock. They just needed another guitarist and I thought I was the one. [52] After the Synchronicity tour ended in March 1984, the band went on hiatus while Sting recorded and toured in support of his successful solo debut LP, the jazz-influenced The Dream of the Blue Turtles, released in June 1985; Copeland recorded and filmed The Rhythmatist (1985); and Summers recorded another album with Robert Fripp (Bewitched, 1984) and the theme song for the film 2010—which was not used in the film, but included on the soundtrack album. Except for "King of Pain", the singles were accompanied by music videos directed by Godley & Creme. 31 in Canada and No. [40][41] The instrumental "Behind My Camel", written by Andy Summers, won the band a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, while "Don't Stand So Close to Me" won the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance for Duo or Group. [31], Pressured by their record company for a new record and a prompt return to touring, the Police released their third album, Zenyatta Mondatta, in October 1980. The three members recorded their contributions individually in separate rooms and over-dubbed at different times.[46]. [90] Four of the band's five studio albums appeared on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Ghost in the Machine (number 322), Reggatta de Blanc (number 369), Outlandos d'Amour (number 434), and Synchronicity (number 455). Their second album, Reggatta de Blanc (1979), became the first of four consecutive No. [43] After the Ghost in the Machine Tour concluded in 1982, the group took a sabbatical and each member pursued outside projects. The bleached-blond hair that became a band trademark happened by accident. "[12], The Police's power trio line-up of Copeland, Sting, and Summers performed for the first time on 18 August 1977 at Rebecca's club in Birmingham in the West Midlands. Also in 1983, Sting filmed his first big-budget movie role playing Feyd-Rautha in David Lynch's Dune. 47 in the UK. Their next two albums, Zenyatta Mondatta (1980) and Ghost in the Machine (1981), led to further critical and commercial success with two songs, "Don't Stand So Close to Me" and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", becoming UK number-one singles and Top 5 hits in other countries; the latter album and single were their breakthrough into the US as both reached the Top 3 there. [54], —Bono, on the Police's final concert at Giants Stadium, June 1986. In 1982, The Police received the Brit Award for Best Group … Categories: Songs, Artist, Best of [List166171] | | +3. That summer, "Can't Stand Losing You" was also re-released in the UK, becoming a substantial hit, peaking at No. In 2006, Stewart Copeland released a rockumentary about the band called Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out, based on Super-8 filming he did when the band was touring and recording in the late 1970s and early 1980s. John Wiley and Sons. [84], In 2003, the Police were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. London and New York: Proteus Books. The most successful Police album yet, it produced ‘Every Breath You Take,' one of the most-remembered rock ballads of the '80s and the recipient of the 2016 BMI Award for Thirteen Million Radio Plays. [31] A rerecorded version of "De Do Do Do De Da Da Da" was subsequently also included on the DTS-CD release of the Every Breath You Take: The Classics album in 1995. The Police will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their recording debut with their first double-disc CD 'Best of' collection entitled, The Police (A&M/UMe), to be released June 5, 2007. Synchronicity became a No. [64][65][66] Side-Line also stated the Police were to embark on a massive world tour. [9][10], In late November 1976, while on tour with the British progressive rock band Curved Air in Newcastle upon Tyne, in the northeast of England, the band's American drummer, Stewart Copeland, met and exchanged phone numbers with ambitious singer-bassist (and former schoolteacher), Gordon Sumner a.k.a. Shortly after the Strontium 90 gig, Sting approached Summers to join the band. "Once we're done with our reunion tour, that's it for the Police. Copeland said later that "after about three minutes, it became 'the thing' again". The group opened and closed the 1981 concert film, Urgh! "[47] Looking back, Copeland states, "Playing Shea Stadium was big because, even though I'm a septic tank (rhyming slang for 'Yank'), The Police is an English band and I'm a Londoner – an American Londoner – so it felt like conquering America. The Police set out on a tour of America in the summer of 1978 without any record to support, traveling across the country in a rented van and playing with rented equipment. —Summers on Sting and Copeland after first hearing them at the Marquee Club in Oxford Street, London. We did a 15-minute lightning set and I squealed and screamed. By that time, several critics deemed them "the biggest rock band in the world". They also headlined the last night of the 2008 Isle of Wight Festival on 15 June,[76] the Heineken Jammin' Festival in Venice on 23 June and the Sunday night at Hard Rock Calling (previously called Hyde Park Calling) in London on 29 June. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to achieve international commercial success. The Synchronicity Tour began in Chicago, Illinois in July 1983 at the original Comiskey Park, and on 18 August the band played in front of 70,000 in Shea Stadium, New York. On 10 March 2003, the Police were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and performed "Roxanne", "Message in a Bottle", and "Every Breath You Take" live, as a group (the last song was performed alongside Steven Tyler, Gwen Stefani, and John Mayer). The Police were a British rock band formed in London in 1977. [17] This is the only Police recording featuring Henry Padovani. Few punk bands were three-pieces, while contemporary bands pursuing progressive rock, symphonic rock and other sound trends usually expanded their line-ups with support players. By this time, Sting was becoming a major star, and he established a career beyond the Police by branching out into acting. Be My Girl - Sally (1978) Behind My Camel (1980) Bring on the Night (1979) Can't Stand Losing You (1978) De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da (1980) Demolition Man (1981) Don't Stand So Close To Me (1980) Driven To Tears (1980) [34], The band's first live performance of "Message in a Bottle" was on the BBC's television show Rock Goes to College filmed at Hatfield Polytechnic College in Hertfordshire. Police lead singer Sting wrote the song, inspired by the prostitutes he saw near the band's seedy hotel while in Paris, France in October 1977 to perform at the Nashville Club. Mick Jagger reviewed the single in Sounds Magazine! 2. [26], During one of his periodic studio visits, Miles heard "Roxanne" for the first time at the end of a session. The single "Don't Box Me In (theme From Rumble Fish)", a collaboration between Copeland and singer-songwriter Stan Ridgway (of the band Wall of Voodoo) received significant airplay upon release of the film that year. before launching into "Roxanne". "[78] The final show of the tour was on 7 August 2008 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Top 25 Police Songs. Pop Music 80s Hits Basics Genres & Styles Reviews Top Picks Top Artists 90s Hits Rock Music Alternative Music Classical Music Country Music Folk Music Rap & Hip Hop Rhythm & Blues World Music Punk Music Heavy Metal Jazz Latin Music Oldies Learn More. The 28 songs bring together the biggest hits from the band's five original studio albums … p. 85. Top '80s Songs of The Police Share PINTEREST Email Print Michael Putland/Getty Images Music. Sutcliffe, Phil & Fielder, Hugh (1981). [55] As the lead singer of U2 – who themselves would soon be regarded as the biggest band in the world – Bono stated, "It was a very big moment, like passing a torch. 1 album in both the UK (where it debuted at No. [19] The band also recorded several demo tracks: these were released (along with live recordings and an early version of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic") 20 years later on the archive album Strontium 90: Police Academy. [23] Various appearances by the Schoener outfit on German television made the German public aware of Sting's unusual high-pitched voice, and helped pave the way for the Police's later popularity. Pan Macmillan, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors, "Anglomania: The Second British Invasion", "Madonna News  – The Police Are Considerably Richer Than You", "Interview: Sting on bringing his debut musical to Scotland", "Andy Summers finds new magic in Rock 'n' Roll", "Guitarist Andy Summers and Rob Giles release 'Circus Hero, "The Police: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time", "Whatever we do, this will always be the seminal band", "(Thé ou café) Tea or coffee - Catherine Ceylac talks to Sting", "The Police's first ever single 'Fall Out' was released #OnThisDay 43 years ago! [97] Despite the band's well-documented disagreements with one another, Summers confirmed in 2015 that Sting, Copeland and he are good friends. Here's my 30 favorite Police songs. [31][34] As the band was unable to agree on a cover picture, the album cover had three red pictographs, digital likenesses of the three band members in the style of segmented LED displays, set against a black background. Emerging from the London punk scene, the trio were gifted with energetic tunes, intelligent hooks and the kind of dexterous musicianship associated with jazz combos. Back in 1979, he had made a well-received debut as the "Ace Face" in Quadrophenia, the film version of The Who's rock opera, followed by a role as a mechanic in love with Eddie Cochran's music in Chris Petit's Radio On. L'Historia Bandido. As Sting's fame rose, his relationship with Stewart Copeland deteriorated. On 2 October 1991 (Sting's 40th birthday), Summers joined Sting on stage at the Hollywood Bowl during The Soul Cages Tour to perform "Walking on the Moon", "Every Breath You Take", and "Message in a Bottle". Il est issu de la génération new wave et post-punk, et formé par le Britannique Sting au chant et à la basse, l'Américain Stewart Copeland à la batterie et le Britannique Andy Summers à la guitare électrique qui a rapidement remplacé en 1977 le Français Henry Padovani. This was due to the single's cover, which featured Copeland hanging himself over an ice block being melted by a portable radiator. p. 125. However, they only performed live twice: on 25 July 1977 at the Music Machine in London and on 5 August at the Mont de Marsan Punk Festival. [49][50] It was nominated for Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, but lost to Michael Jackson's Thriller. Le groupe est très populaire vers la fin des années 1970 et au début des années 1980 grâ… ADVERTISEMENT. [35] The instrumental title track "Reggatta de Blanc" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. However, a few events did bring the Police back together, albeit briefly. [31] The group's first single, "Fall Out", was reissued in late 1979, peaking at No. These performances resulted in three albums, each of them an eclectic mix of rock, electronica and jazz. Police Read more about this and other GRAMMYs news at GRAMMY.com Here's my 30 favorite Police songs. Restrained by loyalty, Copeland and Sting resisted the idea, and the Police carried on as a four-piece version. [25], Copeland's older brother Miles was initially sceptical of the inclusion of Summers in the band, fearing it would undermine their punk credibility, and reluctantly agreed to provide £1,500 to finance the Police's first album. I'm certain we could have done that. "[98], On 25 June 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed the Police among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.[99]. On 22 August 1992, Sting married Trudie Styler in an 11th-century chapel in Wiltshire, southwest England. A&M consequently promoted the single with posters claiming "Banned by the BBC", though it was never really banned, just not play-listed. 70 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[62]. "Every Breath You Take" also won the Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, while "Synchronicity II" won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. [38] The album gave the group their third UK No. Billboard magazine later confirmed the news, quoting Summers' 2006 statement as to how the band could have continued post-Synchronicity: "The more rational approach would have been, 'OK, Sting, go make a solo record, and let's get back together in two or three years.' N.W.A, "Fuck Tha Police" It's easy to forget those simpler times—on the back of Straight Outta Compton, this classic of legal-civilian relations is listed as "F___ Tha Police." [1][86] With a history of playing to large audiences (such as Shea Stadium in 1983), the Police were a featured artist in the stadium rock episode of the 2007 BBC/VH1 series Seven Ages of Rock along with Queen, Led Zeppelin, U2 and Bruce Springsteen. Format: Vinyl, Year: 1979, Label: A&M Records (AMLH 64792), Length: 42:06 [12] On 12 January 1977,[13] Sting relocated to London and, on the day of his arrival, sought out Copeland for a jam session. [55], In June 1986, the Police reconvened to play three concerts for the Amnesty International A Conspiracy of Hope tour. Those sets with two DVDs also included a documentary shot by Copeland's son Jordan entitled Better Than Therapy as well as some photographs of Buenos Aires taken by Andy Summers. [14] After their debut concert on 1 March 1977 at Alexander's in Newport, Wales (which lasted only ten minutes), the group played London pubs and toured as a support act for Cherry Vanilla and for Wayne County & the Electric Chairs. "Sting: the secret life of Gordon Sumner". [59] Summers and Copeland were invited to the ceremony and reception. This article is about the band. The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Top Styx Songs of the '80s. Their next album helped cement The Police's position as a leading rock act. Their last performance on stage before their split was on 15 June at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. "Trance-Formation" (EMI 1C 064-32 526) with Andy Summers (1977); "Flashback" (EMI 1C 066-32 839) with Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland (1978); "Video-Magic" (EMI 1C 064-45 234) with Sting and Andy Summers (1978). 10. A&M released "Roxanne" in the spring of 1978, but it failed to chart. [34], While the three band members and co-producer Nigel Gray all expressed immediate regret over the rushed recording for the album, which was finished at 4 a.m. on the day the band began their world tour,[39] the album received high praise from critics. 25 on the US album charts. [29] Though "Roxanne" was never banned, the BBC did ban the second single from Outlandos d'Amour, "Can't Stand Losing You". "When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around", Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic / Flexible Strategies, Every Breath You Take / Murder by Numbers, Wrapped Around Your Finger / Someone to Talk To, Walking on the Moon / Visions of the Night, The Bed's Too Big Without You / Truth Hits Everybody (Live), Bring On the Night / Visions of the Night [USA], One World (Not Three) / Too Much Information. In Dr. Dre's 1999 single "Forgot About Dre", Eminem pays homage to the group, rapping "So what do you say to somebody you hate or anyone tryna bring trouble your way, Wanna resolve things in a bloodier way, Then just study a tape of N.W.A" referring to the negative reception of N.W.A's works by the mainstream radio, which considered their songs to be violent. 3 in the U.S.), "Invisible Sun", and "Spirits in the Material World". The Police, Soundtrack: Red Planet. One of the first bands I fell in love with. [70], A&M, the band's record company, promoted the 2007–08 reunion tour as the 30th anniversary of the band's formation and of the release of their first single for A&M, "Roxanne". Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner CBE (born 2 October 1951), known as Sting, is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and actor.He was the principal songwriter, lead singer, and bassist for new wave rock band the Police from 1977 to 1984, and launched a solo career in 1985. A Music War. [36], The Police's fourth album, Ghost in the Machine, co-produced by Hugh Padgham, was recorded at Air Studios on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, with the exception of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" which was recorded at Le Studio at Morin Heights, Quebec, Canada, and released in 1981. [31], In March 1980, the Police began their first world tour, which included places that had seldom hosted foreign performers—including Mexico, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Greece and Egypt. "[67][68] The band opened the 49th Annual Grammy Awards on 11 February 2007 in Los Angeles,[69] announcing, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are the Police, and we're back!" 1 UK, No. Sting's look, dominated by his orange-coloured hair (a result of his role in Dune) and tattered clothing, both of which were emphasised in the music videos from the album, carried over into the set for the concert. [37], In May 1980, A&M in the UK released Six Pack, a package containing the five previous A&M singles (not including "Fall Out") in their original sleeves plus a mono alternate take of the album track "The Bed's Too Big Without You" backed with a live version of "Truth Hits Everybody". [32], The group's UK success led to gigs in the US at the famous New York City club CBGB, The Rathskeller (The RAT) in Boston and at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, New York, from which "Roxanne" finally debuted on US radio on WPDH, and a gruelling 1979 North American tour in which the band drove themselves and their equipment around the country in a Ford Econoline van. Here's our picks. Top '80s Songs from Hard-Rocking … In the 1980s, Sting and Summers became tax exiles and moved to Ireland (Sting to Roundstone in Galway, and Summers to Kinsale in County Cork) while Copeland, an American, remained in England. Summers played guitar on Sting's album ...Nothing Like the Sun (1987), a favour the singer returned by playing bass on Summers' album Charming Snakes (1989) and later singing lead vocals on "'Round Midnight" for Summers' tribute to Thelonious Monk Green Chimneys (1999). Top '80s Songs of Australian Mainstream Rock Band INXS. Format: 2×CD, Year: 2007, Labels: A&M Records (1736143), A&M Records (1736145), A&M Records (1736146), Barcode: 602517361430, Length: 1:58:43 In February 1978, the band, desperate for money, was asked to do a commercial for Wrigley's Spearmint chewing gum (directed by Tony Scott) on the condition they dye their hair blond. 42 in the UK. In 2003, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. [72], Tickets for the British leg of the tour sold out within 30 minutes, and the band played two nights at Twickenham Stadium on 8 and 9 September. John Blake Publishing, Limited. "Walking on the Moon: The Untold Story of the Police and the Rise of New Wave Rock". The album has sold over five million copies in the US. We could have easily carried on, and we could probably still be there. The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. [74] In October 2007, the group played the largest gig of the reunion tour in Dublin in front of 82,000 fans. Also in May 1977, former Gong musician Mike Howlett invited Sting to join him in the band project Strontium 90. The Police became globally popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s. "[48] They played throughout the UK in December 1983, including four sold out nights at London's Wembley Arena, and the tour ended in Melbourne, Australia on 4 March 1984 at the Melbourne Showgrounds (the final concert featured Sunnyboys, Kids In The Kitchen, Bryan Adams and Australian Crawl, with the Police topping the bill).

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