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. Sting moved to London, and on the day of his arrival, sought out Copeland for a
jam session. 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. 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. 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." 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. 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).
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. 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." , 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 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
. 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 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 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. The instrumental title track "
Reggatta de Blanc" won the
Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. In February 1980, the single "So Lonely" was reissued in the UK, peaking at No. 6. In May 1980, A&M in the UK released
Six Pack, a package containing the five A&M singles (not including "Fall Out") in their original sleeves plus a mono alternate take of the album track "
The Bed's Too Big Without You" backed with a live version of "Truth Hits Everybody". It reached No. 17 in the UK Singles Chart (although chart regulations introduced later in the decade would have classed it as an album). The album was recorded in a three-week period in the Netherlands for tax reasons and was completed the night before the band embarked on a new world tour. The album topped the UK Albums Chart and reached number five on the US
Billboard 200. It also gave the group their third UK No. 1 hit single, "
Don't Stand So Close to Me" (the UK's
best-selling single of 1980) and another hit single, "
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da", both of which reached No. 10 in the US. the album received praise from critics. The instrumental "
Behind My Camel", written by Andy Summers, won the band a
Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, while "Don't Stand So Close to Me" won the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance for Duo or Group. As the band was unable to agree on a cover picture, the album cover had three red pictographs, digital likenesses of the three band members in the style of segmented LED displays, set against a black background. In the 1980s, Sting and Summers became
tax exiles and moved to Ireland (Sting to
Roundstone, County Galway, and Summers to
Kinsale in County Cork) while Copeland remained in England. The group opened and closed the 1981 concert film,
Urgh! A Music War. The film, which captured the music scene in the wake of
punk, was masterminded by Stewart Copeland's brothers
Ian and Miles. The film had a limited release but developed a mythic reputation over the years. At the
1982 Brit Awards in London, the Police received the award for
Best British Group. After the
Ghost in the Machine Tour concluded in 1982, the group took a sabbatical and each member pursued outside projects. By this time, Sting was becoming a major star, and he established a career beyond the Police by branching out into acting. Back in 1979, he had made a well-received debut as the "Ace Face" in the British drama film
Quadrophenia, a film loosely based on
The Who's
rock opera, followed by a role as a mechanic in love with
Eddie Cochran's music in
Chris Petit's
Radio On. In 1982, Sting furthered his acting career by co-starring in the
Richard Loncraine film
Brimstone and Treacle. He also had a minor solo hit in the United Kingdom with the movie's theme song, a cover of the 1929 hit "
Spread a Little Happiness" (which appeared on the
Brimstone & Treacle soundtrack, along with three new Police tracks, "How Stupid Mr Bates", "A Kind of Loving", and "I Burn for You"). Over 1981 and 1982, Summers recorded his first album with
Robert Fripp,
I Advance Masked. In 1983, Stewart Copeland composed the musical score for
Francis Ford Coppola's film
Rumble Fish. The single "
Don't Box Me In (theme From
Rumble Fish)", a collaboration between Copeland and singer-songwriter
Stan Ridgway (of the band
Wall of Voodoo) received significant airplay upon release of the film that year. Sting filmed his first big-budget movie role in 1983, playing
Feyd-Rautha in
David Lynch's
Dune. As Sting's fame rose, his relationship with Copeland deteriorated. Their increasingly strained partnership was further stretched by the pressures of worldwide publicity and fame, conflicting egos, and their financial success. Meanwhile, both Sting's and Summers's marriages failed.
1983: "The Biggest Band in the World" In 1983, the Police released their last studio album,
Synchronicity, which spawned the hit singles "
Every Breath You Take", "
Wrapped Around Your Finger", "
King of Pain", and "
Synchronicity II". By that time, several critics deemed them "the biggest rock band in the world". Recording the album was a tense affair with increasing disputes among the band. The three members recorded their contributions individually in separate rooms and over-dubbed at different times. The
Synchronicity Tour began in Chicago, Illinois in July 1983 at the original
Comiskey Park, and on 18 August the band played in front of 70,000 in
Shea Stadium, New York. They played throughout the UK in December 1983, including four sold-out nights at London's
Wembley Arena, and the tour ended in
Melbourne, Australia on 4 March 1984 at the
Melbourne Showgrounds (the final concert featured
Sunnyboys,
Kids in the Kitchen,
Bryan Adams and
Australian Crawl, with the Police topping the bill). Sting's look, dominated by his orange hair (a result of his role in
Dune) and tattered clothing, both of which were emphasised in the music videos from the album, carried over into the set for the concert. Except for "King of Pain", the singles were accompanied by music videos directed by
Godley & Creme.
Synchronicity became a
No. 1 album in both the UK (where it debuted at No. 1) and the US. It stayed at No. 1 in the UK for two weeks and in the US for seventeen weeks. It was nominated for Grammy Awards for
Album of the Year, but lost to
Michael Jackson's
Thriller. "Every Breath You Take" won the Grammy for
Song of the Year,
1984–1986: hiatus, aborted sixth studio album During the group's 1983 Shea Stadium concert, Sting felt performing at the venue was "
Everest" and decided to pursue a solo career, according to the documentary
The Last Play at Shea. After the Synchronicity tour ended in March 1984, the band went on hiatus while Sting recorded and toured in support of his successful solo debut LP, the
jazz-influenced
The Dream of the Blue Turtles, released in June 1985; Copeland recorded and filmed
The Rhythmatist (1985); and Summers recorded another album with Robert Fripp (
Bewitched, 1984) and the theme song for the film
2010—which was not used in the film, but included on the soundtrack album. At the 1985
Brit Awards held at London's
Grosvenor Hotel on 11 February, the band received the award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In July, Sting and Copeland participated in
Live Aid at
Wembley Stadium, London. In June 1986, the Police reconvened to play three concerts for the
Amnesty International A Conspiracy of Hope tour. Their last performance on stage before their split was on 15 June at
Giants Stadium in New Jersey. They ended their set with "Invisible Sun", bringing out
Bono to sing the final verse. When they finished, they handed
U2 their instruments for the all-star finale of "I Shall Be Released". As a result of the tense and short-lived reunion in the studio, "
Don't Stand So Close to Me '86" was released in October 1986 as their final single and made it into the UK Top 25. It also appeared on the 1986 compilation
Every Breath You Take: The Singles, which reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. Following the failed effort to record a new studio album, the Police effectively disbanded. In the liner notes to the Police's box set
Message in a Box, Summers explains: "The attempt to record a new album was doomed from the outset. The night before we went into the studio Stewart broke his collarbone falling off a horse and that meant we lost our last chance of recovering some rapport just by jamming together. Anyway, it was clear Sting had no real intention of writing any new songs for the Police. It was an empty exercise."
1986–2006: disbandment The band members continued with their solo careers over the next 20 years. Sting continued recording and touring as a solo performer to great success. Summers recorded several albums, both as a solo artist and in collaboration with other musicians. Copeland became a producer of movie and television soundtracks, and recorded and toured with two new bands,
Animal Logic and
Oysterhead. A few events brought the Police back together briefly. Summers played guitar on Sting's album
...Nothing Like the Sun (1987), a favour the singer returned by playing bass on Summers's album
Charming Snakes (1990) and later singing lead vocals on "
'Round Midnight" for his tribute to
Thelonious Monk Green Chimneys (1999). On 2 October 1991 (Sting's 40th birthday), Summers joined Sting on stage at the
Hollywood Bowl during
The Soul Cages Tour to perform "Walking on the Moon", "Every Breath You Take", and "Message in a Bottle". The performance was broadcast as a
pay-per-view event. On 22 August 1992, Sting married
Trudie Styler in an 11th-century chapel in
Wiltshire, southwest England. Summers and Copeland were invited to the ceremony and reception. Aware that all band members were present, the wedding guests pressured the trio into playing, and they performed "Roxanne" and "Message in a Bottle". Copeland said later that "after about three minutes, it became 'the thing' again". In 1995 A&M released
Live!, a double live album produced by Summers featuring two complete concerts—one recorded on 27 November 1979 at the
Orpheum Theatre in Boston during the
Reggatta de Blanc tour, and one recorded on 2 November 1983 at the
Omni in Atlanta, Georgia, during the
Synchronicity Tour (the latter was also documented in the VHS tape
Synchronicity Concert in 1984). On 10 March 2003, the Police were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and performed "Roxanne", "Message in a Bottle", and "Every Breath You Take" live, as a group (the last song was performed alongside
Steven Tyler,
Gwen Stefani, and
John Mayer). In late 2003, Sting released his autobiography,
Broken Music. In 2004, Copeland and Summers joined
Incubus onstage at
KROQ's
Almost Acoustic Christmas concert in Los Angeles performing "Roxanne" and "Message in a Bottle". In 2004,
Henry Padovani released an album with Copeland and Sting playing on one track, reuniting the original Police line-up for the first time since 1977. Also in 2004,
Rolling Stone ranked the Police No. 70 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2006, Stewart Copeland released a
rockumentary about the band called
Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out, based on
Super-8 filming he did when the band was touring and recording in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In October 2006, Andy Summers released
One Train Later, an autobiographical memoir about his early career and time with the band.
2007–2008: reunion tour In early 2007, reports surfaced the trio would reunite for a tour to mark the Police's 30th anniversary, more than 20 years since their split in 1986. Side-Line also stated the Police were to embark on a massive world tour.
Billboard magazine later confirmed the news, quoting Summers' 2006 statement as to how the band could have continued post-
Synchronicity: , August 2007 The band opened the
49th Annual Grammy Awards on 11 February 2007 in Los Angeles, announcing, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are The Police, and we're back!" before launching into "Roxanne". A&M, the band's record company, promoted the 2007–08 reunion tour as the 30th anniversary of the band's formation and of the release of their first single for A&M, "Roxanne".
The Police Reunion Tour began in late May 2007 with two shows in
Vancouver. Stewart Copeland gave a scathing review of the show on his own website, which the press interpreted as a feud occurring two gigs into the tour. Copeland later apologised for besmirching "my buddy Sting," and chalked up the comments to "hyper self-criticism". with the group, June 2008 Tickets for the British leg of the tour sold out within 30 minutes, and the band played two nights at
Twickenham Stadium on 8 and 9 September. On 29 and 30 September 2007, Padovani joined the group on stage for the final encore of their two shows in Paris, playing the song "Next to You" as a four-piece band. In October 2007, the group played the largest gig of the reunion tour in Dublin in front of 82,000 fans. The group headlined the TW Classic festival in Werchter, Belgium on 7 June 2008. They also headlined the last night of the
2008 Isle of Wight Festival on 15 June, the
Heineken Jammin' Festival in Venice on 23 June and the Sunday night at Hard Rock Calling (previously called
Hyde Park Calling) in London on 29 June. In February 2008, the band announced that, when the tour finished, they would break up again. "There will be no new album, no big new tour," said Sting. "Once we're done with our reunion tour, that's it for The Police." The final show of the tour was on 7 August 2008 at
Madison Square Garden in New York City. The band performed the opening song, "Message in a Bottle", with the brass band of the New York Metropolitan Police Corp. Later, they performed "
Sunshine of Your Love" and "
Purple Haze" as a tribute to the rock trios that preceded them:
Cream and
The Jimi Hendrix Experience. While announcing the show, the group also donated $1 million to New York Mayor
Michael Bloomberg's initiative to plant one million trees in the city by 2017. The Police were the world's highest-earning musicians in 2008, as the tour sold 3.7 million tickets and grossed $358 million, making it the
third-highest-grossing tour of all time at its conclusion. On 11 November 2008, the Police released
Certifiable: Live in Buenos Aires, a Blu-ray, DVD and CD set of the band's two performances in
Buenos Aires, Argentina on the tour (1 and 2 December 2007). Those sets with two DVDs also included a documentary shot by Copeland's son Jordan entitled
Better Than Therapy as well as photographs of Buenos Aires taken by Andy Summers. ==Musical style==