Oh, the music gods have answered my prayers – the Police are going to regroup for the February 11th Grammy Award ceremony. This has started rumors that after the award show, the band will plan a reunion tour.
I will not hold my breath on that one. The band, one of the most successful in the early 80s, broke up due to tension among its members. The band consisted of drummer Stewart Copeland, singer-bassist Sting, and guitarist Andy Summers. Along with The Clash, they were one of the first conventional bands to use reggae beats and lyrics in their music.
Their first album, Outlandos d’Amour, was released in 1978 and it produced their first hit “Roxanne.” This led them on a tour of the U.S., which helped their fan base grow. In 1979, they released Reggatta de Blanc. It produced a #1 hit in the U.S., “Message in a Bottle.” That was my first introduction to the Police and I spent many hours in my bedroom, listening to that album over and over. They would go on that year to win a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
Zenyatta Mondatta, their third album, was released in 1980 and produced even more hits including “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” and “De Do Do Do De Da Da Da.” This was during the infancy of MTV and music videos and the Police, with their youthful looks (well, mostly, guitarist Summers was in his early 40s, while Sting and Copeland were each 10 years younger) and blond locks, become a staple of music television. More Grammys followed for Best Rock Instrumental Performance and Best Rock Vocal Performance for Duo or Group. Ghost in the Machine, released in 1981 was not quite as successful, but still produced the hits “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” and “Spirits in the Material World.”
The Police really came into the mainstream with the release of 1983’s Synchronicity. The album hit #1 in both the U.K. and the U.S. They were everywhere – on MTV, winning the Grammy for Song of the Year (“Every Breath You Take”) and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group, touring the country.
Then, they just faded away into rock obscurity. There was never an official break-up announcement, but after the Synchronicity tour ended, it became pretty clear that Sting wanted a solo career. His first album The Dream of the Blue Turtles debuted in 1985 and his career without Summers or Copeland was off and running.
So five albums and one of the greatest bands ever (in my opinion anyhow) was over. They only played together twice in the last twenty years, at Sting’s 1992 wedding and when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. But now, they will reunite for the 49th Annual Grammy awards. The band has refused to speculate whether they will reunite for a tour, but I can always hope!