This group kicked so much booty. I really hate these guys broke up. They went out on top. The thing I loved about them is that they had such a chemistry within the group and they had a sound all their own. "Ghost In The Machine(with that clever album cover)was awesome. A lot of high-spirited energy was displayed on this record. "Spirits In The Material World" is a stunner which finds Sting grooving hard on the bass and he comes up with a fierce terrifying riff on the relentess "Demolition Man". But it is Stewart Copeland's drumming that gave this group their distinctive sound. In the 80's I could always tell when a new Police sound was being played on the radio by the drums.

After their 1981 release Ghost In The Machine, they came back even strong with Synchronicity(one of the greatest albums of the 80's). This album started off with "Synchronicity 1" which they play at a rapid break-neck speed. I don't think they could have played this song any faster than they did. That song too me is CLASSIC. Then you had "O MY GOD" which is a tight rhythmic tune with a nice jazzy backdrop. We all know about the hits on this album...Every Breath You Take..King Of Pain and Wrapped Around Your Fingers. These guys were the only ones to give Michael Jackson any real competition on the charts in 1983...(THE YEAR OF MICHAEL JACKSON). Every Breath You Take went to number #1 stayed their for 8 weeks. The album "Synchronicity" went to number #1 on Billboard's pop album chart and stayed there for 17 weeks. The album has a rather dark and sardonic mood throughout....particularly..."Murder By Numbers which is musically brillant. A whole lot of people not listening carefully thought "Every Breath You Take" was a sweet love song .....HA!!!! At the time of the recording of this album Sting was going through a rather bitter divorce with his wife. The bitterness spilled over into his songwriting and the rest as they say is history.

While all was well with this great group commercially and artistically, the relationship within the group was horrific. At one time, Andy Summers stated that at times the band would be straight scrapping it out in the recording studio and in the dressing room when they would be on tour. Sadly, we all know they are now defunct as a group. Some critics were calling them the Beatles of the 80's. Me personally, I felt these guys had at least 3 more good albums left in them. Now what do you think of the group with that ARRESTING sound???


[This message was edited Mon Feb 24 16:31:37 PST 2003 by Brother915]
[This message was edited Tue Feb 25 4:29:15 PST 2003 by Brother915]

Don't know what this has to do with Prince but yeah, The Police were great. I had recently been listening to Message in a Box (Complete Recordings) & they definitely had their own sound going. My favorite is probably "Tea in the Sahara". I think. Hard to choose.

I'm a huge Police fan! Did you see Behind the Music "1984" What an amazing year for music- Prince, Michael Jackson, the Police, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and Madonna were all on the top of the charts. Compare that to the music of what these poor kids have today and it is very very sad. Sure there's good music out there but most kids can't find it if it's not on MTV or the radio. In 1984 good music was everyhere and I took it for granted.

PS I have Stewart Copeland's signed picture in my room. Sting aint the same without them!

"Synchronicity(one of the greatest albums of the 80's", no one of the greatest albums of the 20th century I think, Brother 9/15 do you know the jazzy live version of "murder by numbers" by Sting & Frank Zappa.
& "Rumble fish" soundtrack by Stewart copeland is great too,
I think that Sting's ego is responsable for the end of this band but it's good that their last album is a masterpiece & that Sting doesn't sing "I cant stand loosing you" anymore

Timing was perfect. While I like their songs I always get tired of their albums. There's only just so much white-boy punk-reggae I can listen to. Still have the same problem when I get Sting's albums. They're great musically, but I just get tired of him.

LMAO @ myself...when i first saw this topic, i was like who in the hell doesn't know the police are no more? lmao

i loved them. i loved their music and their game faces (stage presence, interactions w/ea other that we saw, playfulness, etc). unfortunately, they got to the point where they couldn't work together or apparently liked each other. mostly copeland and sting i think. poor andy was stuck in the middle singing to his blow up doll, '...won't u be my girl? won't u be my girl? won't u be my be my be my girl...'

their songs stand the true test of time, unlike so much of the crap we loaded up on in the 80s. sometimes, i wish sting would sing some of the old police other than message and roxanne. i'd like to hear him sing "Walking in Your Footsteps."

"Oh My God" from Syncronicity was always one of my favorites...it could have been about a man cursing his ex-gf, or cursing God himself...that, and "Syncronicity 2"...that song was fierce...and Copeland could drum his ass off, that fucker was(still is?) fantastic...

I would have loved a follow-up to Syncronicity, though...

By the way, "Disbanded Too Song"???....lol...that is a typo, right??...






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[This message was edited Wed Mar 20 16:31:40 PST 2002 by wellbeyond]

XtrueX said:

That's why it's on the "Music: Non-Prince" forum...lol 8)

None of 'em are dead. Potentially speaking, they're not broken up. Let's see what happens when they're inducted to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame....

WELLBEYOND-----(LOL) You're right I meantto say Disbanded TOO SOON OR NOT????? I always have a least one typo in my posts(LOL)!!!!!

*Brother 9/15 aka CR3

According to JAZZIZ magazine, The original members of the Police: Sting, Copeland and Summers will reunite for a peformance during the next Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony.
[This message was edited Tue Feb 25 4:28:20 PST 2003 by Brother915]

I've grown to love The Police more and more every time I listen to them. I don't think a month can go by these days without listening to their music. From "Walking on the Moon" to "Spirits in the Material World," to "Wrapped Around Your Finger," I can still listen to it all without being tired of it. Their reunion for the Hall of Fame induction will definitely be one to watch.

I'll never forget watching, maybe it was BTM or some music special countdown or something, anyway somebody commented on using "Every Breath You Take" for their wedding reception. When Sting was told about it, he was surprised and actual amused that the song has been embraced as a love song when it's actually about stalking or being obsessed in a negative way about somebody. I was definitely rolling when I heard that.

Sting's solo work IMO is just as good as when he was with The Police.

I always Enjoyed there Vibe&Stylings together.I think Sting dominated so much of them but they weren't His Musical Sidekick Flunkys these Cats all have Chops&I Miss there Element coming as one.Sting needs to get back to them because I ahven't been knocked out by a Solo Album from him all the way through since 1987.

Sting is a meat and potatoes bassist, but a very underrated meat and potatoes bassist. It seems he has neglected his low end playing once he went solo, I'm not a fan of his solo material. I defy anyone to listen to "Driven To Tears" and say that as a rhythm section Sting and Stuart Copeland weren't badass. And that's just one out of many others. Their pop hits were the least interesting music they made, you have to find the deep tracks (non-singles).

Supernova said:

you weren't feeling the "dreams of a Blue Turtle"? when He had Branford Marsalis&Omar Hakem on board?? I thought He was tight with that Band.I dug the Police Non-Hits alot as well.

mistermaxxx said:

No, not really. I know a lot of people (including Wynton) crucify Branford for doing that, but I don't see the big deal. It's not like he was hanging out with Kenny G. and recording. But none of Sting's solo material that I've heard ever moved me.

Supernova said:

Remember Miles Davis was Pissed because Most of His band went to Sting.Branford&The Other Band-Mates were tight on Miles's "Decoy" Album.I dug Sting with Branford&Crew on "Bring on the Night" Live back in 87.Peace

Supernova said:

Another good example is "O My God" from the Synchronicityalbum. Especially toward the end when Sting's bass and Copeland drums interlock to create this serious mamma-jamma groove. That was off the hook...for sure!!!

Prior 2 my getting hooked on Prince, my world revolved around The Police. Their music is timeless. My all-time favorite tracks:

Close To You
So Lonely
Message In A Bottle
Walking On The Moon
Does Everyone Stare (the most underrated Police track)
When The World Is Running Down . . .
Shadows In The Rain
The Other Way Of Stopping
Spirits In The Material World
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Demolition Man
Omegaman/Secret Journey/Darkness (I think of these last 3 tracks on Ghost In The Machine as one track)
Every Step You Take
Oh My God
King of Pain
Wrapped Around Your Finger
Synchronicity II

I love the Police as well. I actually prefer listening to Sting's albums rather than Police albums though. I just think Sting's solo work connects with me more on a larger emotional level. Certainly he has mellowed out a little bit, taken a jazzier route- that probably has a lot to do with it for me. The ballads he has written during his solo years are beautiful and full of emotion. His Mercury Falling album is totally underrated and one of my all time favorites.

My favorite Police albums are Regatta de Blanc and Synchronicity. The one from 1980 is pretty good too, the one that has "Don't Stand so Close to Me" and "When the World is Running Down..." on it. Can't remember the name of it, those titles in foreign languages evade me sometimes!

Zenyatta Mondatta is my joint! Especially side 2. I love "Voices Inside My Head." You should all be arrested for not mentioning this one! You don't hear much Police played on Urban Contemporary stations, but WBLS rocked that cut!

UptownDeb said:

DOUBLE-U-BEE-EL-KICKIN'-ESSS! (rock on . . .)

Got mad respect 4 the Police...& Much 4 Sting. Some may not dig the fact the group broke up. But I know Sting was so much of the brains behind & front 2 that success... he had 2 do the solo thing exploring the music aves that were limited by his then group.
And as a solo artist my love 4 his passion & soulful ways, his approach 2 music & the vision that has come 2 B known today has made that respect soar 2 a higher level, a true pro.

"Ghost In The Machine" Had me really feelin there music in a strong way. It was a great first introduction 2 the bunch. U knew these guys were influenced some by African/Jamaican music. And of course "Synchronicity" more great music that fought an won its deserved time on the charts with all that competition at that time...there music was not 2 B denied.

Good thread*

i love the Police, and Sting solo, also. Mercury Falling is an amazing record. But there was something about the edginess of the Police that is missing in solo Sting.

Ok KS...this is for you. I actually created this thread (March of 2002} because this group is so awesome. So why not revive it. Anybody that says they CAN'T GROOVE doesn't TRULY know the Police. As good as their singles are {the fun stuff is on the album tracks...as Supernova stated}.

My jam is "When The World Is Running Down". I challenge anybody to listen to the song and say Sting and the fellas can't groove. Once Sting lays down a bass riff like this against the precision of Copeland's unique drumming...the results are astonishing.


Back in the 80's The Police used to get played on R&B/funk stations here in Atlanta. You'd hear "Spirits In The Material World" sandwiched between jams like " Let The Feeling Flow" by Peabo Bryson and "Let's Groove" by Earth Wind And Fire...no kidding. As long as you groove, R&B radio would give you some play

SouthernBrother aka BRO915

SouthernBrother said:

That song was on repeat last weekend. Makes me want to learn an instrument right now. If you haven't bought the Police box set, it's a must-have gem.

SouthernBrother said:

That's my fucking jam, too! I LOVE that song!!! That and Behind My Camel...Miss Gradenko...

I THINK STEWART COPELAND WAS A VERY UNDERRATED DRUMMER BUT HE CAN PLAY HIS BUTT OFF WITH THOSE GROOVES!!