but fuck me they were a trio and, er, a half weren’t they?
I’ve grown tired of wondering whether such and such an act ‘really meant it man’ and just appreciated the majesty of their ability. Summers, Copeland and Sumner were certainly majestic. Bear in mind that the clip below (Message in a Bottle) was from a period when they presumably felt obliged to tone down the talent in line with the Zeitgeist. Christ they were good. Summers’ guitar work on a punk-era song is stupendous.
*see here.
“… three stairs up, thi wumman in the middle floor hit me wi a cup”
don’t know anymore
me neither James, but below may assist…
also, I distinctly remember the Still Game / Chewin the Fat team ‘cover’ Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s classic ‘Murder Polis on the Dancefloor’ but YouTube proves elusive…
Thanks and Holy Shit Dougie, I’ll be passing that along.
But whit’ll ye dae when the wee malkies come?
Great singles! I just wish they had released one consistently good album.
Really like the playing and production and pop sensibility on the first two Police albums but find Sting’s impersonation of the bloke out of Steel Pulse (or whatever it is he’s doing) annoying. Third album very patchy, fourth album sounds like it’s playing on next door’s stereo. Fifth album veers between po-faced and smug.
Message In A Bottle does still sound fab.
I liked all their singles, but ‘Walking On The Moon’ is the real standout for me…love Andy Summers’ minimalist, crystalline guitar work and the deliberate sense of, er, space the song evokes.
My first band that I got into, aged 10. Message In A Bottle always takes my back to listening to it in my bedroom. What an intro…….
My first band that I got into, aged 10. Hearing Message In A Bottle always takes me back to listening to it in my bedroom. What an intro…….
Did you always play it twice, then?
*smiles*
Massage in a Brothel is not their greatest single but catchy as herpes.
Yes, great singles band. Synchronicity is pretty good though. Sting has extremely annoying and obvious rhyming couplets though which I can’t quite get past anymore.
They were my favourite band 1979-80, first contemporary band I liked.
I loved them, they were a huge part of my teenage years. The only single I hated with a passion from the very first time I heard it on the radio was Every Breath You Take, god it’s so dull and annoying!
Saw them live twice, once back in the day and later for the reunion tour.
And yes, as a fan of the band I do own five Sting solo albums. Haven’t bought one in a good while, though. But he had a good run for a few years.
I loved Stewart Copeland’s album The Rhythmatist, and even bought an Andy Summers’ solo album sometime in the late 80s or so; barely played it once…not very good.
I can’t say I play the Police albums anymore, but always very happy when one of their tunes comes up on shuffle.
As a fan of both punk and disco simultaneously I was never bothered about what you were supposed to think about any artists.
Every Breath You Take is my favourite. I love the coiling guitar figure, the tight drum and the disguised threat. It’s pretty dark.
The best Police rendition is Eddie Murphy capturing the base essence of Roxanne!
I have a soft spot for Sue Lawley. I bet we all do.
http://youtu.be/SaNt9-QkiHI
I remember clearly the In Concert sat evening programme on BBC2 which showcased them early on, Sting rocking his boiler suit look. It was before they hit their stride, and I got a lot of weird looks from my chums, feeling it wasn’t appropriate watching for the bar after a rugby game, bloody philistines. I remember also not liking it quite as much as I claimed. As they became famous I bought the green Klark Kent single, Don’t Care instead.
Thru’ the mists, yeah, good band, but history will forever remember Sir as a plonker
Always thought they were pretty crap live (although never saw them)
Ghost In The Machine gets my vote -it’s the one i played the most at the time. These days a greatest hits delivers the singles – mostly outstanding – but it’s this considered work that I go back to and wonder “what if?”.
I saw them just before they broke big. The first album had been out for a wee while and I think they had at least two A&M 45s at this point.
They were bottom of the bill at Strathclyde Uni under Albeto Y Los Trios Paranoias and John Dowie. Within a year they could have bought and sold the other two acts.
There was a track on the LP called ‘Born in the 50s’. Mister Sting did a bit of patter. Who was born in the 50s? Most of the hands went up. The 40s? Andy Summers hand went up to much laughter. The 60s? Me and my pal. Both just about to turn 18 and under age to be in the Students Union. Hands down very quickly!
My main memories are missing the harmony vocals from the records and John Dowie doing ‘I Hate The Dutch’. I haven’t heard that from that day to this and I would really like to hear it again.
Yes
Yes!.Damn iPad won’t let me delete stupid double post!
And “Next to You” has just appeared on the iPod…..