Regata (transl. Regatta ) was a Yugoslav rock band formed in Zagreb in 1983. Led by guitarist and vocalist Nikola "Koce" Gečević, Regata is best known for the 1983 hit song "Andrea".
83-429: Regata was formed in 1983 by Nikola "Koce" Gečević (vocals, guitar), Dario Kumerle (bass guitar) and Željko Turčinović (drums), the three choosing the name for the band after The Police album Reggatta de Blanc . Gečević was in the late 1970s guitarist for the band Drugi Način . After leaving Drugi Način in 1980, he formed the band Žuta Minuta ( Yellow Minute , the name of the band being a Serbo-Croatian expression for
166-504: A cover of "Andrea" on her 2000 album Nostalgija ( Nostalgia ). The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion), and this remained unchanged for the rest of the band's history. The Police became globally popular from
249-465: 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." Each band member continued with his solo career over the next 20 years. Sting continued recording and touring as a solo performer to great success. Summers recorded a number of albums, both as
332-610: A last tour. 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
415-558: 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). Pressured by their record company for a new record and a prompt return to touring, the Police released their third album, Zenyatta Mondatta , on 3 October 1980. The album was recorded in a three-week period in the Netherlands for tax reasons and
498-421: A positive retrospective review from AllMusic journalist Chris True, who praised the lyrics and described the song as "pop brilliance". Ultimate Classic Rock critic Mike Duquette rated the song as the Police's 4th best, calling it "a heart-pounding love song for the ages." The song's B-side, "Flexible Strategies", was reportedly an improvised jam that was created in response to the record company's demand for
581-433: A punk band (blond being associated with punk at the time). The commercial was shot with the band—Summers states, "There’s a shot of us carrying a 6-foot-long packet of Wrigley’s across the room"—but was shelved and never aired. 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
664-420: A reggae feel by emphasising his bass guitar parts at the beats of four and one in the chorus, and Stewart Copeland 's drumming has reggae flourishes. The chiming notes of Caribbean steel drums are heard at the chorus. Unlike other Police songs, it features an arrangement dominated by piano and synthesisers. The lyrics concern unrequited love, telling the story of a hapless romantic who has attempted to pursue
747-528: A romantic interest for a long period of time, but is too afraid to do so. Although the song was recorded in 1981, Sting wrote it in early 1977 around the time of the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II , prior to the formation of the Police . An early demo of the song can be heard on the Strontium 90 studio album Strontium 90: Police Academy (1997), which Sting recorded entirely by himself while
830-476: 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". Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic " Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic " is a song by the British rock band the Police from their fourth studio album, Ghost in
913-693: A solo artist and in collaboration with other musicians. Copeland became a prolific producer of movie and television soundtracks, and he recorded and toured with two new bands, Animal Logic and Oysterhead . However, a few events did bring the Police back together, albeit briefly. Summers played guitar on Sting's album ...Nothing Like the Sun (1987), a favour the singer returned by playing bass on Summers' album Charming Snakes (1990) and later singing lead vocals on " 'Round Midnight " for Summers' tribute to Thelonious Monk Green Chimneys (1999). On 2 October 1991 (Sting's 40th birthday), Summers joined Sting on stage at
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#1732793593019996-543: A substantial hit, peaking at No. 2. The group's first single, "Fall Out", was reissued in late 1979, peaking at No. 47 in the UK. In October 1979, the group released their second album, Reggatta de Blanc , which topped the UK Albums Chart and became the first of four consecutive UK No. 1 studio albums. The album spawned the hit singles " Message in a Bottle " (No. 1 UK, No. 2 Canada, No. 5 Australia) and " Walking on
1079-529: Is that the band merely utilized the trappings of 1970s British punk : the bleached blond short hair, Sting in his jumpsuits or army jackets, Copeland and his near maniacal drumming style. In fact, they were criticized by other punk bands for not being authentic and lacking 'street cred'. What The Police did perhaps take from punk was a brand of nervous, energetic disillusion with 1970s Britain. The band were also able to draw on influences from reggae to jazz to progressive and pub rock . While still maintaining
1162-520: Is the only Police recording featuring Padovani. Mick Jagger reviewed the single in Sounds magazine. Also 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
1245-572: The Every Breath You Take: The Classics album in 1995. The album has sold over five million copies in the US. 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
1328-620: 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 this was a misconception. It was never banned, just not play-listed. Copeland later admitted, "We got a lot of mileage out of it being supposedly banned by the BBC." The Police made their first television appearance in October 1978, on BBC2 's The Old Grey Whistle Test to promote
1411-514: The Ghost in the Machine album at AIR Studios , Montserrat. Summers did not approve of Roussel's inclusion in the track, stating that he was "incredibly pushy" and that "there wasn't room for him. He must have played 12 piano parts on that song alone." Copeland, however, said that Roussel "wasn't pushy ... He was just like us actually." Feeling that the arrangement of the track was not enough like
1494-584: 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,
1577-642: 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. The effect of Summers's arrival was instant: Copeland 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
1660-687: 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
1743-674: 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
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#17327935930191826-682: The Second British Invasion of the US: in 1983 Rolling Stone labelled them "the first British New Wave act to break through in America on a grand scale, and possibly the biggest band in the world". The Police disbanded in 1986, periodically reuniting for one-off performances before fully reuniting in early 2007 for a world tour ending in August 2008. They were the world's highest-earning musicians in 2008 due to their reunion tour, which
1909-524: The contemporary punk rock movement , was eager to form a new band to join the burgeoning London punk scene. While less keen, Sting acknowledged the commercial opportunities, so they formed the Police as a trio, with Corsican guitarist Henry Padovani recruited as the third member. After their debut concert on 1 March 1977 at the Alexandria Club in Newport , Wales (which lasted only ten minutes),
1992-515: The " 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ". The band were included among both Rolling Stone ' s and VH1 's lists of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". On 25 September 1976, while on tour with the British progressive rock band Curved Air in Newcastle upon Tyne , in the northeast of England, the band's American drummer, Stewart Copeland , met and exchanged phone numbers with ambitious singer-bassist Gordon Sumner, a.k.a. Sting , who at
2075-472: 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,
2158-513: 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 the same year, Sting and Copeland participated in Live Aid at Wembley Stadium , London. "It was very emotional for them. I think it was clear in Sting's eyes that he was not going to be in a band anymore. They had come together for this tour and that
2241-756: The Machine (1981). It was a hit single that reached the top of the charts in the United Kingdom in November 1981 and hit No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart that same year. The song, unusual for including Jean Alain Roussel , a guest keyboardist, dates back to a demo recorded by bassist and lead singer Sting in the house of Mike Howlett in the autumn of 1976. The song has been described as new wave blended with reggae elements—the signature Police style. The popularity of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" helped to make Ghost in
2324-583: The Machine , co-produced by Hugh Padgham , was recorded at AIR Studios on the Caribbean island of Montserrat , with the exception of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" which was recorded at Le Studio at Morin Heights, Quebec, Canada, and released in 1981. It featured thicker sounds, layered saxophones, and vocal textures. It spawned the hit singles " Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic " (featuring pianist Jean Roussel ), their fourth UK No. 1 (No. 3 in
2407-461: The Machine one of the Police's most successful albums. Written in standard 4 time, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" sets up a tension between the keys of D major and D minor , with the bass line rising up a lydian scale , including portions of the song with no recognisable key. It ultimately resolves to D major, signifying the excitement of romance. The song is characterised as new wave , with elements of reggae . Sting evokes
2490-579: The Moon " (No. 1 UK). The album's singles failed to enter the US top 40, but Reggatta de Blanc still reached No. 25 on the US album charts. The band's first live performance of "Message in a Bottle" was on the BBC's television show Rock Goes to College filmed at Hatfield Polytechnic College in Hertfordshire. The instrumental title track " Reggatta de Blanc " won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. In February 1980,
2573-537: 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 detailing his early career and time with
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2656-659: 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, however, 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
2739-511: The Police style, Summers (who recalled, "as the guitar player I was saying, 'What the f**k is this? This is not the Police sound'") and the band tried to "Police-ify" the track by attempting different arrangements and styles, but none of them clicked. However, as Copeland remembers, the remaining two members of the band had to overdub onto Sting’s demo in the end: "I remember saying, 'Okay put up Sting's original demo and I'll show you how crummy it is.' So Sting stood over me and waved me through all
2822-539: The Police's first album. Recording Outlandos d'Amour was difficult, as the band was working on a small budget, 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 periodic studio visits, Miles heard " Roxanne " for
2905-561: 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
2988-692: The U.S.), " Invisible Sun ", and " Spirits in the Material World ". 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, an American, remained in England. The group opened and closed
3071-452: The UK and Australia; its first two singles, " Message in a Bottle " and " Walking on the Moon ", became their first UK number-one singles. Their next two albums, Zenyatta Mondatta (1980) and Ghost in the Machine (1981), led to further critical and commercial success, with two songs, " Don't Stand So Close to Me " and " Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic ", becoming UK number-one singles and Top 5 hits in other countries. The former album
3154-744: 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-coloured hair (a result of his role in Dune ) and tattered clothing, both of which were emphasised in
3237-527: The US at the famous New York City club CBGB , The Rathskeller (The RAT) in Boston and at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, New York, from which "Roxanne" finally 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 summer, "Can't Stand Losing You" was also re-released in the UK, becoming
3320-606: The Year , but lost to Michael Jackson 's Thriller . "Every Breath You Take" won the Grammy for Song of the Year , beating Jackson's " Billie Jean ". "Every Breath You Take" also won the Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal , while the album won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal . "Every Breath You Take" also won the American Video Award for Best Group video, and
3403-619: The album. The song outperformed its predecessor in Britain, where it topped the charts. The song also hit No. 1 in Canada, Ireland and the Netherlands, No. 2 in Australia, and No. 5 in Norway. It reached No. 3 in America, making it and " King of Pain " the band's second-best-performing single there, after its No. 1 hit " Every Breath You Take ". The lyrics of the second verse, "Do I have to tell
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3486-401: The all-star finale of "I Shall Be Released". As the lead singer of U2 – who themselves would soon be regarded as the biggest band in the world – Bono stated, "It was a very big moment, like passing a torch." In July of that year, the trio reunited in the studio to record a new album. However, Copeland broke his collarbone in a fall from a horse and was unable to play the drums. As a result of
3569-566: The archive album Strontium 90: Police Academy . "I thought there was fantastic potential in Sting and Stewart. I'd always wanted to play in a three-piece band. I felt that the three of us together would be very strong. They just needed another guitarist and I thought I was the one." —Summers on Sting and Copeland after first hearing them at the Marquee Club in Oxford Street, London. Summers' musicality impressed Sting, who
3652-449: The autumn of 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 the participation of Copeland and Sting on one track, reuniting the original Police line-up for the first time since 1977. Also in 2004, Rolling Stone ranked
3735-533: 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
3818-476: The band. 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. On 22 January 2007, the punk wave magazine Side-Line broke the story the Police would reunite for the Grammys , and would perform "Roxanne". Side-Line also stated the Police were to embark on a massive world tour. Billboard magazine later confirmed
3901-453: The changes. I did just one take, and that became the record. Then Andy did the same thing on the guitar. We just faced the music, bit the bullet, and used Sting's arrangements and demo. Damn." In the chorus, Sting, not knowing any other word which would rhyme with "magic," used the word "tragic." Copeland said of this moment, "I remember Sting for years trying to think of a rhyme for 'magic', as in 'Every Little Things She Does Is Magic.' I think
3984-405: The demo was really great. It sounded like a No 1 song to me. I took it to the band, who were reticent, still thinking it was soft. I was saying, "But listen, it's a hit." We tried to do it from scratch as the Police, but it didn't have the same energy as the demo. After a degree of hair-pulling and torturing on my part, I got the band to play over the top of my demo. Session keyboardist Jean Roussel
4067-561: The film The Police Around the World (1982), directed by Kate and Derek Burbidge, which contains footage shot by Annie Nightingale originally intended for a BBC production The Police in the East . In May 1980, A&M in the UK released Six Pack , a package containing the five previous 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
4150-404: The first time at the end of a session. Where he had been less enthusiastic about the band's other songs, the elder Copeland was immediately struck by the track, and quickly got the Police a record deal with A&M Records on the strength of it. "Roxanne" was issued as a single in the spring of 1978, while other album tracks were still being recorded, but it failed to chart. It also failed to make
4233-538: 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 on Illegal Records their debut single " Fall Out ", 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
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#17327935930194316-575: 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
4399-413: The late 1970s to the mid-1980s. Emerging in the British new wave scene, they played a style of rock influenced by punk , reggae , and jazz . Their 1978 debut album, Outlandos d'Amour , reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart and contains the singles " Roxanne " and " Can't Stand Losing You ". Their second album, Reggatta de Blanc (1979), became the first of four consecutive No. 1 studio albums in
4482-580: The late 1970s, which Sting would later use for writing and demoing songs for the Police. A second demo was recorded in January 1981 at Le Studio in Morin Heights, Canada, with Nick Blagona engineering: This was first recorded as a demo, with the piano figure, in a studio in Montreal. I had written the song long before the Police were successful, but it seemed a bit soft for the band at first. But
4565-437: The main band and attempting to win over punk audiences, Police members continued to moonlight within the art rock scene. In late 1977 and early 1978, Sting and Summers recorded and performed as part of an ensemble led by German experimental composer Eberhard Schoener ; Copeland also joined for a time. These performances resulted in three albums, each of them an eclectic mix of rock, electronica and jazz. Various appearances by
4648-826: The material started to get a lot more interesting and Sting started to take a lot more interest in the group." The Police's power trio line-up of Copeland, Sting, and Summers performed for the first time on 18 August 1977 at Rebecca's club in Birmingham in the West Midlands. A trio was unusual for the time, and 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 truth
4731-518: The moments of uncontrolled rage). Beside Kečević, Žuta Minuta featured guitarist Branko Bogunović, formerly of the bands Drugi Način and Obećanje Proljeća ( Promise of the Spring ), bass guitarist Hrvoje Grčević and drummer Ante Gečević, the group splitting up after the release of their only album Hej vi!!! ( Hey You!!! ) in 1981. Regata released their debut album, entitled Noćna regata ( Night Regatta ), in 1984 through Jugoton record label. The album
4814-406: 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
4897-572: 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 Stewart Copeland deteriorated. Their increasingly strained partnership
4980-505: The news, quoting Summers' 2006 statement as to how the band could have continued post- Synchronicity : The more rational approach would have been, 'OK, Sting, go make a solo record, and let's get back together in two or three years.' I'm certain we could have done that. Of course we could have. We were definitely not in a creative dry space. We could have easily carried on, and we could probably still be there. That wasn't to be our fate. It went in another way. I regret we never paid it off with
5063-408: The only word he could come up with, apart from 'tragic', was 'pelagic', which means 'ocean going'. There I was in my leather pants and punk hairdo, pondering the distinction between ocean-going and river-going fish." "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" was released as the second single from Ghost in the Machine in UK and Ireland, while in most other parts of the world it was the debut single from
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#17327935930195146-605: The original Comiskey Park , and on 18 August the band played in front of 70,000 in Shea Stadium , New York. Near the end of the concert, Sting announced: "We'd like to thank the Beatles for lending us their stadium." Looking back, Copeland states, "Playing Shea Stadium was big because, even though I'm a septic tank ( rhyming slang for 'Yank') , The Police is an English band and I'm a Londoner – an American Londoner – so it felt like conquering America." They played throughout
5229-485: The release of Outlandos d'Amour . Though "Roxanne" was never banned, the BBC did ban the second single from Outlandos d'Amour , " Can't Stand Losing You ". This was due to the single's cover, which featured Copeland hanging himself over an ice block being melted by a portable radiator. The single became a minor chart hit, the Police's first, peaking at No. 42 in the UK. The follow-up single, " So Lonely ", issued in November 1978, failed to chart. In February 1979, "Roxanne"
5312-424: The rushed recording for the album, which was finished at 4 a.m. on the day the band began their world tour, the album received high 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. The Police's fourth album, Ghost in
5395-403: The single "So Lonely" was reissued in the UK. Originally a non-charting flop when first issued in late 1978, upon re-release the track became a UK top 10 hit, peaking at No. 6. In March 1980, the Police began their first world tour, which included places that had seldom hosted foreign performers—including Mexico, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Greece and Egypt. The tour was subsequently documented in
5478-524: The song was still fresh in his mind (according to Mike Howlett ), using equipment in the loft of Howlett's home in Acton , London which included an acoustic guitar, a bass guitar, an African drum, a TEAC 4-track recorder and some cheap microphones. For Howlett, this demo is "a powerful testimony to the raw, undiluted talent that is Sting". The recording was made prior to the launch of the Portastudio in
5561-604: The song won two Ivor Novello Awards in the categories Best Song Musically and Lyrically and Most Performed Work from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors . 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,
5644-570: The story / Of a thousand rainy days since we first met? / It's a big enough umbrella / But it's always me that ends up getting wet," were reprised by Sting at the end of the song "O My God" issued on the band's next studio album . These lyrics were repeated once more in " Seven Days " on Sting's fourth solo studio album Ten Summoner's Tales (1993). He later re-recorded the song in an orchestral version for his tenth studio album Symphonicities (2010). Record World said that "There's urgency here that demands repeated listening." The song received
5727-401: 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. A rerecorded version of "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" was subsequently also included on the DTS-CD release of
5810-528: The time was playing in a jazz-rock fusion band called Last Exit . On 12 January 1977, Sting relocated to London, and on the day of his arrival, sought out Copeland for a jam session . "I was inspired by the amazing energy of the whole thing, and I thought, 'Well, I'm new to London and I'm totally unknown, so I'll give it a go.' We did a 15-minute lightning set and I squealed and screamed." —Sting on his first jam session since arriving in London. Curved Air had recently split up and Copeland, inspired by
5893-442: 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
5976-650: 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
6059-510: 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 the 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 version. However, they only performed live twice: on 25 July 1977 at
6142-603: 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. While the three band members and co-producer Nigel Gray all expressed immediate regret over
6225-528: 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. "MTV has paved the way for a host of invaders from abroad. In return, grateful Brits, even superstars like Pete Townshend and The Police, have mugged for MTV promo spots and made the phrase ”I want my MTV” a household commonplace." —Anglomania: The Second British Invasion , by Parke Puterbaugh for Rolling Stone , November 1983. In 1983,
6308-428: Was invited to play on the demo, to which he overdubbed multiple layers of piano, Minimoog synthesizer and clavinet. At the time, according to Roussel, Sting was considering using the song for a potential solo project before he decided to do the song with the Police. Sting later flew Roussel over to help re-record the track against the wishes of his bandmates Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland while they were recording
6391-678: Was issued as a single in North America, where it was warmly received on radio despite the subject matter. The song peaked at No. 31 in Canada and No. 32 in the US, spurring a UK re-release of it in April. The band performed "Roxanne" on BBC1 's Top of the Pops , and the re-issue of the song finally gained the band widespread recognition in the UK when it peaked at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart . The group's UK success led to gigs in
6474-588: Was it." — Bono , on the Police's final concert at Giants Stadium , June 1986. 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
6557-587: Was produced by Željko Brodarić "Jappa" , who also sang backing vocals on the album recording, and featured the cover designed by prominent artist Mirko Ilić . Tha album brought hard rock sound with macho lyrics, the song "Andrea" becoming a nationwide hit. By the time of the recording of the second album, Gečević had remained the only original member of the band, with the lineup consisting of him, Tomislav Šojat (bass guitar), Gordan Milas (keyboards) and Dražen Kovač (drums). Regata's second album, Spavaj mi vještice ( Sleep, My Witch ), released in 1986 through PGP-RTB ,
6640-508: Was released in 1990 through Jugoton and saw very little attention of the Yugoslav audience and the media, and the band ended their activity soon after. Gečević recorded an album of instrumental covers of The Beatles songs, entitled The Beatles Instrumental , released in 1990. In 1992, Croatia Records released Regata compilation album Odabrano 1981 – 1992 ( Chosen Works 1981–1992 ). Serbian and Yugoslav rock singer Viktorija recorded
6723-471: Was stylistically similar to their debut. It was, as the previous album, produced by Brodarić and featured Brodarić on lead vocals in the song "Zbogom pameti" ("Farewell, Mind"). The band's third album, Obuzdaj nagone ( Restrain You Urges ), was recorded in the lineup featuring Nikola Gečević, Alan Kolar (vocals), Dragan Kokanović (bass guitar), Zoran Kranjec (keyboards) and Krešimir Oreški (drums). The album
6806-465: Was the highest-grossing tour of 2007. The Police have sold over 75 million records, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time . The band won a number of music awards, including six Grammy Awards , two Brit Awards —winning Best British Group once, and an MTV Video Music Award . In 2003, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . Four of their five studio albums appeared on Rolling Stone ' s list of
6889-405: Was their breakthrough into the US, reaching number five on the US Billboard 200 . Their final studio album, Synchronicity (1983), was No. 1 in the UK, Canada, Australia, Italy and the US, selling over 8 million copies in the US. Its lead single, " Every Breath You Take ", became their fifth UK number one, and only US number one. During this time, the band were considered one of the leaders of
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