The Police:
Brief Biography:
The Police were a
band that used the DIY sensibilities of
Punk and infused
their own brand of
Pop music with
Reggae and Rock and
became one of the
most popular and
successful bands of
the early 1980's.
Stewart Copeland and
Sting formed the
band in 1977.
Stewart had been in
the Progressive Rock
band Curved Air and
Sting was a teacher
that performed in
Jazz bands. Pairing
up with guitarist
Henry Padovani, the
trio played in
London pubs. The
same year they
released their first
single "Fall Out" on
I.R.S. and sold an
impressive 70,000
copies. Henry
Padovani left the
band and was
replaced by Andy
Summers, who had
played with many
successful rock
groups.
In early part of
1978, The Police
signed to A&M
records, and
released their first
single "Roxanne."
Shortly after the
band began to tour
the U.S. in a rented
van with rented
equipment. They
released Outlandos
D'Amour in the fall
and began to climb
both the U.K. and
U.S. charts.
In the fall of 1979,
Regatta De Blanc,
was released
preceded by the hit
single "Message in a
Bottle." The band
immediately began to
tour countries that
were not regularly
visited by foreign
rock acts, widening
their fan base.
In 1980, Zenyatta
Mondatta was
released and became
the group's North
American
breakthrough with
two international
hits "Don't Stand So
Close To Me" and "De
Do Do Do, De Da Da
Da." The band, now
hugely successful,
went back into the
studio to record
their fourth album,
Ghost In The
Machine. The album
garnered the hit
single "Every Little
Thing She Does is
Magic."
Taking off 1982, the
band returned in
1983 with the
multi-platinum
Synchronicity.
Garnering the hits
"Every Breath You
Take," "King of
Pain" and "Wrapped
Around Your Finger."
After a
record-breaking
world tour, the band
went on sabbatical
to pursue other
projects. Sting
released a solo
album, proving that
he was a commercial
international
success and less
willing to write
songs for his former
band. After several
attempts to
reunite, the band
quietly disbanded in
1986.
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