The Police
On the 25th of September 1976, American drummer Stewart Copeland met singer-bassist Gordon Sumner in Newcastle upon Tyne while touring with the band Curved Air. Music journalist Phil Sutcliffe facilitated their introduction, and Copeland later obtained Sting's phone number from Sutcliffe's partner. By the 14th of December 1976, Sting moved to London and sought out Copeland for a jam session that same day. The two formed a trio with Corsican guitarist Henry Padovani after Copeland joined the burgeoning punk scene inspired by recent events. Their debut concert took place on the 1st of March 1977 at the Alexandria Club in Newport, Wales, lasting only ten minutes before they began playing London pubs as support acts. On the 1st of May 1977, the group released their first single "Fall Out" recorded at Pathway Studios in Islington, North London with a budget of just £150. Mick Jagger reviewed this early recording in Sounds magazine, marking one of the few industry validations during these initial months. In May 1977, former Gong musician Mike Howlett invited Sting to join his project Strontium 90, which included Andy Summers as a fourth member. Summers impressed Sting despite being a decade older than the other two musicians and having played with Eric Burdon and Kevin Ayers previously. After performing twice in July and August 1977, Summers delivered an ultimatum that led to Padovani's dismissal on the 18th of August 1977. The final power trio lineup performed for the first time at Rebecca's club in Birmingham in the West Midlands that month. A bleached-blond hair style became a band trademark following a commercial shoot for Wrigley's Spearmint chewing gum in February 1978. The commercial was directed by Tony Scott but never aired, though it required the members to dye their hair blond to appear as punks.
The Police released their debut album Outlandos d'Amour in 1978 without any manager or record deal initially. Miles Copeland provided £1,500 to finance the recording sessions held at Surrey Sound Studios in Leatherhead, Surrey above a dairy run by brothers Chris and Nigel Gray. His brother heard "Roxanne" during a studio visit and secured them a contract with A&M Records based solely on that track. The song failed to chart initially and did not make the BBC playlist due to its depiction of prostitution. A&M promoted the single with posters claiming "Banned by the BBC," even though no official ban existed. The group made their television debut on BBC2's The Old Grey Whistle Test in October 1978 to promote the album release. Their second album Reggatta de Blanc topped the UK Albums Chart in October 1979 and spawned two number-one singles: "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon." The instrumental title track won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in February 1980. The band began their first world tour in March 1980 covering Mexico, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Greece, and Egypt. This extensive journey was documented in the film The Police Around the World released in 1982. Their third album Zenyatta Mondatta arrived on the 3rd of October 1980 after being recorded over three weeks in the Netherlands for tax reasons. The recording process finished at 4 a.m. on the day the band embarked on a new world tour despite producer regret over the rushed schedule. The album reached number five on the US Billboard 200 and produced two hit singles including "Don't Stand So Close to Me," which became the UK's best-selling single of 1980. The instrumental track "Behind My Camel" written by Andy Summers won another Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
The Police released Ghost in the Machine in 1981 featuring thicker sounds and layered saxophones recorded at AIR Studios on Montserrat. The album spawned four hit singles including "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" which featured pianist Jean Roussel. Sting and Summers moved to Ireland as tax exiles while Copeland remained in England during this period. The group opened and closed the 1981 concert film Urgh! A Music War masterminded by Stewart Copeland's brothers Ian and Miles. In 1983, they released their final studio album Synchronicity which spawned hits like "Every Breath You Take" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger." Recording sessions were tense with members contributing individually in separate rooms and overdubbing at different times. The Synchronicity Tour began in Chicago, Illinois in July 1983 at Comiskey Park before playing Shea Stadium in New York on the 18th of August 1983. At that venue, 70,000 fans watched the performance where Sting thanked the Beatles for lending them their stadium. The band played throughout the UK in December 1983 including four sold-out nights at London's Wembley Arena. Their tour ended in Melbourne, Australia on the 4th of March 1984 at the Melbourne Showgrounds. Sting's orange hair from his role in Dune dominated his look during these concerts alongside tattered clothing emphasized in music videos directed by Godley & Creme. Synchronicity stayed at number one in the US for seventeen weeks and topped charts in multiple countries simultaneously. The song "Every Breath You Take" won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
During the 1983 Shea Stadium concert, Sting felt performing there was "Everest" and decided to pursue a solo career according to documentary footage. After the Synchronicity tour ended in March 1984, the band went on hiatus while each member pursued outside projects. Sting recorded The Dream of the Blue Turtles released in June 1985 while Copeland filmed The Rhythmatist and Summers worked on Bewitched with Robert Fripp. At the 1985 Brit Awards held at London's Grosvenor Hotel on the 11th of February, the band received Outstanding Contribution to Music. In July 1986, Sting and Copeland participated in Live Aid at Wembley Stadium before reconvening for an Amnesty International A Conspiracy of Hope tour. Their last performance together occurred on the 15th of June at Giants Stadium in New Jersey ending with "Invisible Sun." They handed U2 their instruments during the finale of "I Shall Be Released" as Bono stated it was like passing a torch. The trio reunited in the studio to record a new album but Copeland broke his collarbone falling from a horse in July 1986. This injury prevented him from playing drums and doomed efforts to recover rapport through jamming sessions. Andy Summers explained later that Sting had no real intention of writing new songs making the exercise empty. Following this failed effort, the Police effectively disbanded after selling over 75 million records globally. Summers played guitar on Sting's 1987 album Nothing Like the Sun while Sting returned the favor by playing bass on Summers' Charming Snakes in 1990.
Reports surfaced in early 2007 about a reunion tour marking the Police's 30th anniversary more than twenty years since their split. On the 22nd of January 2007, punk wave magazine Side-Line broke the story that they would reunite for the Grammys to perform "Roxanne." The band opened the 49th Annual Grammy Awards on the 11th of February 2007 in Los Angeles announcing their return before launching into that song. Tickets for the British leg sold out within thirty minutes leading to two nights at Twickenham Stadium on 8 and the 9th of September. In October 2007, Padovani joined the group on stage for Paris shows playing "Next to You" as a four-piece band. The largest gig of the reunion occurred in Dublin in front of 82,000 fans during October 2007. They headlined multiple festivals including Werchter Belgium on the 7th of June 2008 and Isle of Wight Festival on the 15th of June 2008. Sting announced in February 2008 that no new album or big tour would follow after the reunion concluded. The final show took place on the 7th of August 2008 at Madison Square Garden in New York City where they performed with the brass band of the New York Metropolitan Police Corp. During this event, the group donated $1 million to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's initiative to plant one million trees by 2017. The tour sold 3.7 million tickets grossing $358 million making it the third-highest-grossing tour of all time at its conclusion. The Police were named world's highest-earning musicians in 2008 due to these earnings.
The Police won six Grammy Awards including Best Rock Instrumental Performance twice and Song of the Year once. They received two Brit Awards winning Best British Group in 1982 and Outstanding Contribution to Music in 1985. An MTV Video Music Award also recognized their visual contributions during the early 1980s. In 2003, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Four of their five studio albums appeared on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time published that same year. Sting was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002 for his primary songwriting role within the group. "Every Breath You Take" ranked number 84 on Rolling Stone's 500 greatest songs list and became the most performed song in BMI's catalogue by May 2019. Q magazine named Synchronicity among top ten British Albums of the 1980s while ITV voted it The Nation's Favourite 80s Number One in a UK-wide poll. Despite well-documented disagreements, Andy Summers stated in 2015 that all three members remained good friends supporting one another. Stewart Copeland recalled working with Sting as being like a Prada suit made out of barbed wire during interviews in 2022. Sting concluded reunion shows served its time but would not do them again calling it a bridge too far. Their legacy includes being featured artists in stadium rock episodes alongside Queen Led Zeppelin U2 and Bruce Springsteen.
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Common questions
When did The Police form and who were the founding members?
The Police formed in late 1976 with American drummer Stewart Copeland, English singer-bassist Gordon Sumner known as Sting, and Corsican guitarist Henry Padovani. They officially began their journey after meeting on the 25th of September 1976 in Newcastle upon Tyne and holding a jam session by the 14th of December 1976.
What was the first album released by The Police and when did it come out?
The Police released their debut album Outlandos d'Amour in 1978 without an initial record deal or manager. Miles Copeland provided £1,500 to finance recording sessions at Surrey Sound Studios in Leatherhead, Surrey above a dairy run by brothers Chris and Nigel Gray.
Which song won The Police multiple Grammy Awards including Song of the Year?
Every Breath You Take won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal from their 1983 album Synchronicity. This track became the most performed song in BMI's catalogue by May 2019 and ranked number 84 on Rolling Stone's 500 greatest songs list.
When did The Police disband and what caused the split between members?
The band effectively disbanded after selling over 75 million records globally following a failed reunion attempt in July 1986. Stewart Copeland broke his collarbone falling from a horse which prevented him from playing drums and doomed efforts to recover rapport through jamming sessions.
How many tickets were sold during The Police 2007-2008 reunion tour?
The reunion tour sold 3.7 million tickets grossing $358 million making it the third-highest-grossing tour of all time at its conclusion. The final show took place on the 7th of August 2008 at Madison Square Garden in New York City where they donated $1 million to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's initiative to plant one million trees by 2017.