Police

The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history, the line-up consisted of main songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police became globally popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Emerging on the British new wave scene, they played a style of rock influenced by the genres of punk, pop, reggae, and jazz.

Her 1978 debut album, Outlandos d'Amour, reached number 6 on the UK Albums Chart thanks to the singles "Roxanne" and "Can't Stand Losing You". Her second studio album, Reggatta de Blanc (1979), became the first of four consecutive No. 1 studio albums in the UK and Australia; The first two hit singles from her, "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon", became her first UK number ones. His next two studio 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 previous album was their breakthrough in the US, reaching number five on the US Billboard 200. Their last studio album, Synchronicity (1983), was number 1 in the UK, Canada, Australia, Italy and the US, selling over 8 million copies in the US. Its lead single, "Every Breath You Take", became their fifth UK number one and their only US number one.. During this time, the group was considered one of the leaders of the Second British Invasion of the United States; in 1983, Rolling Stone labeled them "the first British new wave act to break through in America on a large scale, and possibly the biggest band in the world". The Police disbanded in 1986, but reunited in early 2007 for a one-off world tour that ended in August 2008. They were the top earning musicians in the world in 2008, due to their reunion tour, which was the tour with highest grossing of 2007. The Police have sold more than 75 million records, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. The band won several music awards, including six Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards (winning Best British Group once), and an MTV Video Music Award. In 2003, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Four of his five studio albums appeared on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". The musical group was included among Rolling Stone's and VH1's lists of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".

History

Beginnings

Stewart Copeland.

In addition to singer and bassist Sting (born October 2, 1951 in Newcastle upon Tyne), the trio was made up of drummer Stewart Copeland (born July 16, 1952 in the US town of Alexandria, Virginia) and the guitarist of French origin, Henry Padovani, who would soon be replaced by Andy Summers (born December 31, 1942 in Lancashire), for those times he was a musician who already had a long career in rock music, since he had been in bands like The Animals or Zoot Money. He had also played with Kevin Ayers and Neil Sedaka.

In January 1977, Copeland, Sting, and Padovani began trying to break into the punk genre. His recording debut came with the single "Fall Out", a song composed by Copeland, released on the independent label IRS. The subject picked up a relative resonance but it was not enough for the takeoff of the band. The first problem the group faced was Padovani's little experience as a guitarist, which limited the group's creative capacity. At that time the leader of the band was Copeland, who composed and even played the guitar ("Fall Out" was recorded in its entirety with Copeland on guitar). Copeland insisted that the group had to go with the punk current and keep Henry in the lineup. Sting was not satisfied since he did not like punk because of its limited structure and was frustrated at not being able to display his capabilities.

The meeting with Andy Summers would come shortly after, when, during rehearsals with the musician Mike Howlett, from the group Gong the 3 of them meet for the first time. Summers already knew Howlett and The Police (until that moment with Copeland, Sting and Padovani) was going to participate in a tribute to Gong. After the rehearsals for the tribute, Howlett proposes to Sting, Copeland and Summers to form a band but to the unusual thing of keeping two bassists in the same group (Howlett and Sting). Several demos were recorded from those sessions that would later be released under the title Police Academy as a group Strontium 90. A demo version of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" appears on that album. Summers perceives that there is something he could achieve in that band, but Padovani doesn't fit in, Summers is an experienced guy and that by now he had rubbed shoulders with all the musicians of his time (Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix or Jimmy Page) and Padovani it had a style much closer to punk. Copeland, determined to keep Padovani in the band, suggested trying a quartet, but the difference between the two guitarists continued to be enormous, the band did not fit together and there was not a good atmosphere. All of that led Summers to give Sting and Copeland an ultimatum: "I want the group to be a threesome." Summers recounted in his book & # 34; The Train I Didn't Miss & # 34; that situation saying that "I felt bad because I was taking someone else's job, but what job am I talking about, that of the guitarist of a band that is nothing and hasn't gotten anywhere?& #34;.

Andy Summers, group guitarist.

Sting eventually asked Padovani to leave the band and the lineup that made them legendary remained. The group, however, still had several problems to solve: the lack of places to go to play or a number of convincing songs or places where they could record with some comfort. Soon everything would start to change: The Police had to go to open for a band in Paris, but the concert was canceled and to make matters worse, Andy's old car broke down and while they were pushing junk over a bridge in Paris they were caught by rain. At night Copeland and Summers went to see Star Wars. Sting preferred to go for a walk and in the middle of that he walked through Pigalle, a place where "pretty prostitutes" are seen. As a result of that observation, Sting composed a song in a bossa nova rhythm; Later, together with Stewart Copeland, they decide to make some modifications: add a reggae rhythm and a punk chorus. The result was called "Roxanne".

The result of that recording seemed excellent to Miles, Copeland's brother and the band's manager, who, until then, had seen no future for the band and said he would take them to the A&M label. In its first edition, "Roxanne" failed to attract attention. The song was included on their first album, Outlandos d'Amour (1978), one of their best works and the most energetic and immediate, which included classic songs by the group such as "So Lonely », «Can't Stand Losing You», «Next to You» or «Born in the 50's».

Rise to fame

Sting in concert.

This brilliant start to his discography would be confirmed with albums that topped the sales charts throughout Europe such as Reggatta de Blanc (1979), an album that included well-known songs such as «Message in a Bottle " or "Walking on the Moon". Zenyattà Mondatta (1980) the album that crowned the band in the United States reached number 5 on the Billboard chart thanks to songs like "Don't Stand So Close to Me" or "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da". These last two records were co-produced with the band by Nigel Gray who had filled the position of sound engineer for their debut.

After the 1980s The Police gradually abandoned its new wave status to focus on its more pop side. This is the case in Ghost in the Machine (1981), an album produced by Hugh Padgham that includes the singles "Spirits in the Material World", "Invisible Sun" and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic". ». The success remained unchanged in the old continent, reaching number 2 in the United States. At the beginning of the decade they toured South America, which exerted a very important influence on the embryonic South American New Wave movement. On February 19 and 20, 1982, they performed at the Viña del Mar Festival (Chile) achieving great success among the young audience attending.

In 1983 they released Synchronicity an album that received excellent reviews thanks to a set of highly rated songs such as «Every Breath You Take», which would become an anthem for the band, as well of very well made video clips such as "Wrapped Around Your Finger" (which would make Sting's face famous) or that of "Every Breath You Take". The Synchronicity tour allowed them to play at the Shea Stadium where The Beatles performed in 1965 before 48,000 people. This would be the turning point of the trio's fame.

Dissolution

The last official concert of The Police in their original stage was on March 4, 1984 in Australia on the last date of the Synchronicity album tour. The tensions and egos between the different components caused the dissolution of the trio although they never issued a statement about their dissolution. Sting began a solo career in 1985 full of commercial triumphs where there was room for pop with jazz, soul or AOR influences.

Copeland tended, among other projects, towards the composition of soundtracks. When he was still a member of The Police, he released an EP under the pseudonym Klark Kent, and after the group's split he was part of groups such as Animal Logic or the more recent Oysterhead, together with the bassist and singer of Primus, Les Claypool, and the guitarist Trey Phish's Anastasio. He also collaborated playing the drums in some pieces of the album So by Peter Gabriel.

For his part, Summers collaborated with progressive rock and jazz groups. Andy Summers played as a guest at some concerts on Sting's 1991 tour, belonging to his solo album The Soul Cages . Sting recorded as a guest musician on a Summers jazz record.

During this period The Police also performed various live concerts such as 3 benefit concerts in June 1986 organized by Amnesty International. The group also played at Sting's own wedding held in 1992. In 2003 the trio met on the occasion of his entry into the Hall of Fame. Four years later they reunited for the Grammy Awards in February 2007 and performed "Roxanne."

Reunification and tour

The Police together playing in concert.

The Police in concert in Turin singing Roxanne.

In early 2007, after a series of rumors that suggested a possible group reunion to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their first single, the band reunited to play at the Grammys, opening the ceremony with the cry of "We are The Police, and we are back to continue playing Roxanne". In the following months The Police announced a world tour, recalling the band's old hits. The tour began in Vancouver at the end of May, and ended in New York on August 7, 2008. After 150 concerts, it was one of the most successful tours of the year. They toured the United States, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Spain and Canada among other countries.

Live presentation

In general, The Police always performed live as a power-trio (guitar, bass and drums as present instruments). The exceptions were the following; In July 1977 they played as a quartet, as they were going through the transition between the arrival of guitarist Andy Summers and the firing of guitarist Henry Padovani. On the Ghost in the Machine album tour (10/2/1981 - 09/3/1982), the group hired a horn section made up of The Chops. For the tour of the album Synchronicity (07/23/1983 - 03/4/1984), they had the participation of three choristers: Michelle Cobb, Dollette McDonald and Tessa Niles. In addition, on stage, already for the Zenyatta Mondatta tour, they had two synthesizers: one for Sting and another for Andy Summers; but a supporting musician never entered the scene.

A separate chapter are the few benefit concerts they gave in 1986, since they played with Bono, from U2, and numerous chorus girls. In the tribute for their induction into the Hall of Fame, on March 10, 2003, they played the last song with the participation of Steven Tyler, Gwen Stefani and John Mayer as backing vocalists.

On their return on the new tour (05/28/2007 - 08/07/2008) they came back with a pure power-trio lineup. At a 2007 Paris concert they played as a quartet on the last song, thanks to the participation of the band's ex-guitarist Henry Padovani. The participation of Fiction Plane, Sting's son's band, deserves a special mention when they played “Next To You” together in Hawaii. Regarding the songs "Be My Girl (Sally)", "On Any Other Day" and "Mother": for "Sally" Andy tells the story of a man who bought an inflatable doll and in "Mother" a paranoid terrified of his mother. "On Any Other Day" is sung by Stewart with support from Sting on backing vocals.

Style

Their style in general terms is defined as new wave, however, throughout their career they maintained strong reggae influences, as well as including elements of jazz, funk, punk, and pop in some of their songs. They ended their career with an album recognized as their best work, both by critics and by their fans: Synchronicity, which contains one of their best-known songs, number 1 worldwide, & #34;Every Breath You Take".

Members

First training (principles of December 1976-August 1977)

• Sting - Leading voice, bass and keyboards.
• Stewart Copeland - Battery, percussion, piano, rhythmic guitar and choirs.
• Henry Padovani - Leading guitar.

Second training (August 1977 and beyond)

• Sting - Leading voice, bass, piano and keyboards.
• Andy Summers - Guitar, piano and choirs.
• Stewart Copeland - Battery, keyboards, percussion and choirs.

Timeline

Discography

Albums of study

• Outlandos d'Amour (1978)
• Reggatta de Blanc (1979)
• Zenyattà Mondatta (1980)
• Ghost in the Machine (1981)
• Synchronicity (1983)

Albums live

• Live! (1995)
• Certifiable: Live in Buenos Aires (2008)

Compilation albums

• Every Breath You Take: The Singles (1986)
• Greatest hits (1992)
• Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings: Greatest hits, sides b and rarities (1993)
• The Police (2007)
• Flexible Strategies (2018)

Albums of various artists

• Brimstone & Treacle (1982)
• Fantasy Palace (1989)