The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Their core line-up comprised Sting (lead vocals, bass, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police became globally popular from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. The band emerged in the British punk scene, but soon expanded into other styles such as new wave, reggae rock, and post-punk.
The Police's debut album, Outlandos d'Amour (1978), reached number six on the UK Albums Chart and contains the singles "Roxanne" and "Can't Stand Losing You". Reggatta de Blanc (1979) was the first of four consecutive number-one studio albums in the UK and Australia; "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon" were the Police's first UK number-one singles. Zenyatta Mondatta (1980) and Ghost in the Machine (1981), were also successful, 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 five-hits in other countries. Zenyatta Mondatta was their breakthrough in the US, reaching number five on the US Billboard 200.
The Police's final studio album, Synchronicity (1983), was number one in the UK, Canada, Australia, Italy, and the US, selling over eight million copies in the US. Its lead single, "Every Breath You Take", became the Police's fifth UK number one and their only US number one. The Police were considered one of the leaders of the Second British Invasion of the US: in 1983 Rolling Stone described them as "the first British new wave act to break through in America on a grand scale, and possibly the biggest band in the world"."When Video Killed Radio Stars" . New York Times. Retrieved 30 March 2013 The Police disbanded in 1984 at the height of their fame. They reunited periodically before fully reuniting in 2007 for a world tour. It was the highest-grossing tour of 2007, making them the world's highest-earning musicians in 2008."The Police Score Top-Grossing Tour of '07' ". Billboard. Retrieved 10 October 2022
The Police have sold over 75 million records, making them one of the best-selling bands. Their awards include 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."The Police: Timeline" . Rock on the Net. Retrieved 16 October 2012 Four of their studio albums appeared on Rolling Stones list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". The Police were included among both Rolling Stones and VH1's lists of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time"."The Greatest Artists of All Time" . VH1/Stereogum. Retrieved 11 January 2015.Flowers, Brandon. "The Police: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time" . Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 January 2015
History
1977: Formation On 25 September 1976, the American drummer Stewart Copeland was on tour as a member of the British progressive rock band Curved Air. In Newcastle upon Tyne, via the music journalist Phil Sutcliffe, Copeland met the singer-bassist Gordon Sumner, a.k.a. Sting, who at the time was playing in Last Exit, a jazz-rock fusion band. Copeland obtained Sting's number from Sutcliffe's partner. On 14 December 1976, Sting moved to London, and on the day of his arrival, sought out Copeland for a jam session.
Curved Air had recently split up. Copeland, inspired by the contemporary punk rock movement, was eager to form a band to join the burgeoning London punk scene. While less keen, Sting acknowledged the commercial opportunities, so they formed the Police as a trio, with Corsican guitarist Henry Padovani recruited as the third member."The Police: Biography"; . Allmusic. Retrieved 8 April 2013 After their debut concert on 1 March 1977 at the Alexandria Club in Newport, Wales (which lasted only ten minutes), the group played London pubs and punk clubs touring as backing band and support act for Cherry Vanilla and for Wayne County & the Electric Chairs.Copeland 1995.Sting 2003. On 1 May 1977, the Police released their debut single "Fall Out" on Illegal Records, recorded at Pathway Studios in Islington, North London on 12 February 1977 (a couple of weeks before the band's debut live performance), with a budget of £150.Sutcliffe, Phil & Fielder, Hugh (1981). L'Historia Bandido. London and New York: Proteus Books. . Page 41. This is the only Police recording featuring Padovani. Mick Jagger reviewed the single in Sounds.
In May 1977, former Gong musician Mike Howlett invited Sting to join him in the band project Strontium 90. The drummer Howlett had in mind, Chris Cutler, was unavailable, so Sting took Copeland. The band's fourth member was guitarist Andy Summers. A decade older than Sting and Copeland, Summers was a music industry veteran who had played with Eric Burdon and the Animals and Kevin Ayers among others. Strontium 90 performed at a Gong reunion concert in Paris on 28 May 1977, and played at a London club (under the name of "the Elevators") in July. 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.
Summers impressed Sting, who was becoming frustrated with Padovani's rudimentary abilities and the limitations they imposed on the Police's potential. Shortly after the Strontium 90 gig, Sting approached Summers to join the band. He agreed, on condition the band remain a trio, with him replacing Padovani. Restrained by loyalty, Copeland and Sting resisted the idea, and the Police carried on as a four-piece band. They performed live twice: on 25 July 1977 at the Music Machine in London and on 5 August at the Mont de Marsan Punk Festival. Shortly after these two gigs (and an aborted recording session with ex-Velvet Underground member John Cale as producer on 10 August), Summers delivered an ultimatum to the band and Padovani was dismissed. Copeland later said: "One by one, Sting's songs had started coming in, and when Andy joined, it opened up new numbers of Sting's we could do, so the material started to get a lot more interesting and Sting started to take a lot more interest in the group."
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.Christopher Sandford (2007). "Sting: Back on the Beat". p. 53. Da Capo Press, Incorporated, This line-up endured for the rest of the band's history. 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. The musical background of all three players may have made them suspect to punk purists, with music critic Christopher Gable stating:
The band also drew on influences from reggae to jazz to progressive and pub rock. While maintaining the main band, Police members continued to moonlight within the art rock scene. 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. These performances resulted in three albums, a mix of rock, electronica and jazz."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). 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.
The bleached-blond hair that became a band trademark happened by accident. In February 1978, the band, desperate for money, were asked to do a commercial for Wrigley's Spearmint chewing gum (directed by Tony Scott) on the condition they dye their hair blond in order to play a punk band (blond being associated with punk at the time). The commercial was shot with the band—Summers states, "There's a shot of us carrying a 6-foot-long packet of Wrigley's across the room"—but was never aired.
1977–1978: Recording contract and Outlandos d'Amour 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. Outlandos d'Amour was made with no manager or record deal. It was recorded during off-peak hours at the Surrey Sound Studios in Leatherhead, Surrey, a converted recording facility above a dairy which was run by brothers Chris and Nigel Gray.Chris Campion (2010). "Walking on the Moon: The Untold Story of The Police and the Rise of New Wave Rock". p. 229. John Wiley and Sons
During one of his studio visits, Miles heard "Roxanne" for the first time at the end of a session. He had been less enthusiastic about the band's other songs, but the elder Copeland was struck by the track, and got the Police a record deal with A&M Records on the strength of it. "Roxanne" was issued as a single in early 1978, while other album tracks were still being recorded, but failed to chart. It also failed to make the BBC's playlist, which the band attributed to the song's depiction of prostitution. A&M consequently promoted the single with posters claiming "Banned by the BBC", though it was never banned, just not play-listed. Copeland later said, "We got a lot of mileage out of it being supposedly banned by the BBC."Campion, Chris (2010). Walking on the Moon: The Untold Story of The Police and the Rise, page 65.
The Police made their first television appearance in October 1978, on BBC2's The Old Grey Whistle Test to promote the release of Outlandos d'Amour.Wensley Clarkson (1996). "Sting: the secret life of Gordon Sumner". p. 85. John Blake Publishing, Limited, The BBC banned the second single from Outlandos d'Amour, "Can't Stand Losing You" due to the single's cover, which featured Copeland hanging himself over an ice block being melted by a portable radiator. The single became the Police's first chart hit, peaking at No. 42 in the UK. The follow-up single, "So Lonely", issued in November 1978, failed to chart. In February 1979, "Roxanne" was issued as a single in North America, where it was played on radio despite the subject matter. The song peaked at No. 31 in Canada and No. 32 in the US, spurring a UK re-release of it in April. The band performed "Roxanne" on BBC1's Top of the Pops, and the re-issue of the song peaked at No. 12 on the UK singles chart."1979 Top 40 Official Singles Chart UK Archive 19th May 1979" . Official Charts. Retrieved 21 August 2014
The group's UK success led to gigs in the US at the famous New York City club CBGB, The Rathskeller in Boston, and at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, New York, from which "Roxanne" 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. That year, "Can't Stand Losing You" was also re-released in the UK, peaking at No. 2. The group's first single, "Fall Out", was reissued in late 1979, peaking at No. 47 in the UK.
1979: Reggatta de Blanc
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. 1 studio albums."The Police Chart history" . Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 August 2014 The album spawned the hit singles "Message in a Bottle" (No. 1 UK, No. 2 Canada, No. 5 Australia) and "Walking on the Moon" (No. 1 UK). The album's singles failed to enter the US top 40, but Reggatta de Blanc reached No. 25 on the US album charts.