The Police
The Police were a rock band from England who played a style of rock that was influenced by jazz, punk and reggae music. As of 2008, The Police are one of the most successful bands in the world having sold over 40,000,000 records worldwide.[1] The Police, along with The Clash, are notable for using reggae as a major part of their musical form.
The Police | |
|---|---|
 The Police performing live on 1 August 2007 at Madison Square Garden, New York. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | New wave, pop rock ska |
| Years active | 1977–1986, 2003 2007–2008 |
| Labels | A&M, Polydor, Universal Music Group |
| Associated acts | Strontium 90, Oysterhead, Gizmo, Sting |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | Sting Andy Summers Stewart Copeland Henry Padovani |
Rolling Stone ranked The Police number 70 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[2]
The Police were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 10 March 2003.[3]
History
The Police formed with Stewart Copeland in late 1976 as drummer, Sting as the singer-bassist and Henry Padovani as the guitarist. In early 1977 they recorded their first single, "Fall Out"/"Nothing Achieving,".
Band members
Line-ups
| (December 1976–July 1977) |
|
|---|---|
| (July 1977–August 1977) |
|
| (August 1977–July 1986) |
|
| (August 1986–January 2007) |
(The Police disbanded) |
| (January 2007–August 2008) |
|
Discography
Studio albums
- Outlandos d'Amour - November, 1978 - UK #6; US #23 - US sales: Platinum
- Reggatta de Blanc - October, 1979 - UK #1; US #25 - US sales: Platinum
- Zenyattà Mondatta - October, 1980 - UK #1; US #5 - US sales: 2x Platinum
- Ghost in the Machine - October, 1981 - UK #1; US #2 - US sales: 3x Platinum
- Synchronicity - June, 1983 - UK #1; US #1 - US sales: 8x Platinum
Live albums
- Live! - (1995) US sales: Platinum
- The Police: Certifiable - (November 11, 2008) - Live CD of 2007/08 Reunion Tour recorded in Buenos Aires, Argentina (packaged with DVD or Blu-ray, Also a Best Buy Exclusive.)
Singles
| Month of release (UK) | Song | UK singles | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. Main- stream Rock | Dutch Top 40 | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1977 | "Fall Out" | — | — | — | — | — |
| April 1978 | "Roxanne" | — | — | — | — | Outlandos d'Amour |
| September 1978 | "Can't Stand Losing You" | 42 | — | — | — | Outlandos d'Amour |
| November 1978 | "So Lonely" | — | — | — | — | Outlandos d'Amour |
| April 1979 (re-r.) | "Roxanne" | 12 | 32 | — | 21 | Outlandos d'Amour |
| June 1979 (re-r.) | "Can't Stand Losing You" | 2 | — | — | 9 | Outlandos d'Amour |
| September 1979 | "Message in a Bottle" | 1 | 74 | — | 2 | Reggatta de Blanc |
| November 1979 (re-r.) | "Fall Out" | 47 | — | — | — | — |
| November 1979 | "Walking on the Moon" | 1 | — | — | 9 | Reggatta de Blanc |
| 1980 (Ger. and Fra. only) | "Bring on the Night" | — | — | — | — | Reggatta de Blanc |
| February 1980 (re-r.) | "So Lonely" | 6 | — | — | 31 | Outlandos d'Amour |
| October 1980 | "Don't Stand So Close to Me" | 1 | 10 | 11 | 3 | Zenyatta Mondatta |
| December 1980 | "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" | 5 | 10 | — | 11 | Zenyatta Mondatta |
| September 1981 (UK only) | "Invisible Sun" | 2 | — | — | — | Ghost in the Machine |
| October 1981 | "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Ghost in the Machine |
| December 1981 | "Spirits in the Material World" | 12 | 11 | 7 | 6 | Ghost in the Machine |
| May 1982 (US only) | "Secret Journey" | — | 46 | 29 | — | Ghost in the Machine |
| May 1983 | "Every Breath You Take" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | Synchronicity |
| July 1983 | "Wrapped Around Your Finger" | 7 | 8 | 9 | 17 | Synchronicity |
| October 1983 | "Synchronicity II" | 17 | 16 | 9 | — | Synchronicity |
| January 1984 | "King of Pain" | 17 | 3 | 1 | — | Synchronicity |
| October 1986 | "Don't Stand So Close to Me '86" | 24 | 46 | 10 | 20 | Every Breath You Take: The Singles |
| 1995 | "Can't Stand Losing You/Reggatta de Blanc" (live) | 27 | — | — | — | Live! |
| 1997 | "Roxanne '97" (featuring Pras) | 17 | 59 | — | 38 | The Very Best of Sting and the Police |
| 2000 | "When The World Is Running Down" (Different Gear vs. The Police) | 28 | — | — | — |
Awards
BRIT Awards
- 1982 – Best British Group
- 1985 – Outstanding Contribution To Music
Grammy Awards
- 1980 – Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "Reggatta de Blanc"
- 1981 – Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Don't Stand So Close to Me"
- 1981 – Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "Behind My Camel"
- 1983 – Song of the Year for "Every Breath You Take" (awarded to Sting)
- 1983 – Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Every Breath You Take"
- 1983 – Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for Synchronicity
The Police Media
BBC Television Centre, where the Police made their television debut on The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1978, and where they made their first appearance on Top of the Pops in 1979
Summers performing with the band in 1979
Sting with the Police in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1980
Sting performing as a solo artist in May 1986
Sting with the group at Madison Square Garden, August 2007
Guitarist Andy Summers performing in Marseille with the group, June 2008
Drummer Stewart Copeland performing in Marseille with the group
The Police (pictured on stage in the Stadio delle Alpi, Turin, in 2007) are known for their stadium rock
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References
Other websites
- The Police - official website
- UnRated Magazine Review of The Police - Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out
- http://www.jambase.com/ - Stewart Copeland Interview