The Police

The Police

It was an important and influential Anglo-American rock trio active since the late 1970s to mid-1980s, under the power trio format.

Padovani, The Police, rock, Reggae, punk, Pop, Jazz, biografia, discografia, guitarra, Roxanne, hard rock, Aerosmith, Every Breath you Take, 

His musical style was marked by influences of rock, reggae and jazz. It was formed in 1977 in London, officially they played until 1986, with a hiatus from March 1984 to July 1986 and never issued a statement on its dissolution. The band has sold nearly 70 million copies worldwide. 

Led by Gordon Matthew Sumner, aka Sting (meaning "thorn" in English, and derived from a jersey of rugby to yellow and black stripes, wasp style, bassist always wore in his youth), Andy Summers on guitar, and drummer Stewart Copeland, The Police was the most popular set New Wave of the '80s thanks to his brash pop-rock "new wave" by some doses of reggae enriched and sublime instrumental and compositional talent; and also because it was the only New Wave band on tour that went beyond the Europe-United States area, thus contributing to globalize the renewal of the Rock-Pop music.

History
Beginnings

The trio, besides the singer and bassist Sting (born October 2, 1951 in Newcastle upon Tyne), was composed by drummer Stewart Copeland (born July 16, 1952 in the US city of Alexandria, Virginia) and guitarist of French origin, Henry Padovani, who soon would be replaced by the experienced Andy Summers (born December 31, 1942 in Lancashire), for those times was a musician who already had a long history in rock music, as it had been in bands like The Animals or Zoot Money. He had also played with Kevin Ayers and Neil Sedaka.

Padovani, The Police, rock, Reggae, punk, Pop, Jazz, biografia, discografia, guitarra, Roxanne, hard rock, Aerosmith, Every Breath you Take, 

In 1977, Copeland, Sting and Padovani began trying to break into the punk.Su moved recording debut came with the single "Fall Out", song composed by Copeland, which was released on the independent label IRS. The theme picked a relative resonance, but it was not enough to take off the band. The first problem the group was faced was the lack of experience of Padovani on guitar, which limited the creative capacity of the group. By then the leader of the band was Copeland, who composed and even played guitar to record some things ( "Fall Out" was entirely recorded with Copeland on guitar). Copeland insisted that the group had to follow the current punk and keeping Henry in training, but Sting was not satisfied with that, in fact Sting hated punk so limited in its structure and was frustrated at not being able to deploy their capabilities.

The meeting with Andy Summers would come soon, when, for a few trials with musician Mike Howlett, the group match Gong 3 for the first time. Summers already knew prior to Howlett, and The Police (at that time with Copeland, Sting and Padovani) was to participate in a tribute to "Gong". After those trials for the tribute, Howlett proposes to Sting, Copeland and Summers form a band. The problem was that a group with two bassists (Howlett and Sting) looked weird. Of those sessions were tape with demos that would see the light 20 years later the title Police Academy: group called Strontium 90. There appears in demo version of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic". Summers perceives that there is something that could accomplish in that band, but does not fit Padovani, Summers is an experienced guy and at that point had already rubbed shoulders with all the musicians of his time (Clapton, Hendrix, Page ...) and Padovani He had just a few months playing the guitar. Copeland Padovani stubborn to keep the suggested try a quartet band, but the difference remained abysmal between the two guitarists, did not reach the same chords at the same times, for example. All this led to Summers to give an ultimatum to Sting and Copeland: "I want the group a trio." Summers recounted in his book "The train that I did not lose" the situation by saying that "I felt bad because he was taking the job to someone else, but what job talk, the guitarist of a band that is not and has not gotten anywhere? "

So finally Sting and Copeland was fired Padovani and formed the band the way became legendary. But that was only the beginning, the band still had several problems to solve, such as lack of places to go play or a number of compelling issues or where to record with some comodidad. Soon all start to change: The Police had to go to the opening act for a band to Paris, but the concert was canceled and to top it spoiled the old car to Andy and while pushing junk on a Paris bridge were caught in the rain. At night Copeland and Summers going to see Star Wars. Sting chose to go for a walk and in the midst of that paced Pigalle, where "beautiful prostitutes" (Andy Summers, One Train Later) are. The result of this observation, Sting makes a song in a bossa nova rhythm; later with Stewart Copeland decided to perform some modifications: put rhythm reggae and punk choir. The result was called "Roxanne".

The result of this recording seemed excellent to Miles Copeland's brother and band manager who, until then, did not see him future to the band and said that would take the seal A & M. In its first edition, "Roxanne" failed to attract attention. The song was included on her first album, Outlandos d'Amour (1978), undoubtedly one of his best works and the most energetic and immediate, where they sounded like the aforementioned classics "Roxanne," "So Lonely" or "Can ' t Stand Losing You ". Besides other lesser known pieces as "Next to you" or "Born in the 50's" they were part of an extraordinary LP. The first big step had been taken, but that was just the beginning.

Rise to fame

This brilliant start of his discography would be confirmed with discs that are permeating the charts across Europe as Reggatta De Blanc (1979), LP with excellent songs like "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon" and zenyattà mondatta ( 1980), the album that the band also crowned in the United States (No. 5 on the Billboard) thanks to songs like "Do not Stand So Close to me" or "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" .These last two albums were co-produced with the band by Nigel Gray, who had served as sound engineer its debut.

Pierced 80, The Police was abandoning its new wave condition to focus on his more pop side. This happens in Ghost in the Machine (1981), an album produced by Hugh Padgham including the singles "Spirits in the Material World", "Invisible Sun" and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic". Success remained unchanged in the old continent, reaching number 2 in the United States. Beginning the decade, they made a tour to South America exerted a major influence on embryonic moved New South American Wave. In 1983 they released Synchronicity, a record that was consolidated as one of the best masterpieces of the 80s, with "Every Breath You Take," which became an anthem of the band and 80s, plus music very well done as was that of "Wrapped Around Your Finger" (which would become famous Sting's face), and even the video for "Every Breath you Take". Synchronicity tour allowed them to play at Shea Stadium, where The Beatles appeared in 1965 to 48,000 people. The Police that day became a rock legend to summon some 70,000 people. This would be the turning point of Fame trio.

Dissolution

The last official concert of  The Police in its original stage was the March 4, 1984 in Australia, the last date of the tour of the album Synchronicity. Tensions and egos between the different components led to the dissolution of the trio. The striking thing was that he never issued a statement on its dissolution. Sting began a solo career in 1985, full of commercial triumphs where there was room for pop influences with jazz, soul or AOR.

Copeland tended, among other projects, to the composition of soundtracks. When still militated in The Police released several EPs under the pseudonym Klark Kent, and after separation of  Police was part of bands like Animal Logic or the latest Oysterhead, with bassist and singer of Primus, Les Claypool the guitarist Trey Anasthasio of Phish. He also collaborated playing drums in some parts of the album So Peter Gabriel.

Meanwhile, Summers worked with progressive rock bands and jazz. Andy Summers played as a guest in concerts of Sting tour in 1991, part of his solo album "The Soul Cages". Sting recorded as a guest musician on a jazz record Summers. Live performances of The Police who registered being separated as a group, benefit concerts took place on 3 June 1986 (Amnesty International). They also played at the wedding of Sting himself in 1992. Finally, The Police was reintroduced in 2003, occasion in which they entered the Hall of Fame. Four years later, they met for the Grammy awards in February 2007 and performed "Roxanne".

Reunification tour

In early 2007 after a series of rumors that suggested a possible meeting of the group as a commemoration of the 30th anniversary of their first single, the band meets to perform at the Grammys, opening the ceremony shouting "We are The Police, and we are back to continue playing Roxanne ".In the following months the Police announced a world tour, recalling the old hits of the band. The tour began in Vancouver in late May and ended in New York on August 7, 2008, after 150 concerts, it was one of the most successful tours of the year. They toured the United States, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Spain, Canada, among other countries.

Live Presentation

Generally, The Police always acted live like power-trio (guitar, bass and drums as instruments present). The exceptions were the following. In July 1977 they played as a quartet, as they passed by the transition between the arrival of guitarist Andy Summers and firing of guitarist Henry Padovani. On the tour the album Ghost in the Machine (10.02.1981 - 09.03.1982), the group hired a wind section formed by The Chops. Finally, for the tour of the disc Synchronicity (23/07/1983 - 03/04/1984), counted with the participation of three chorus girls: Michelle Cobb, Dollette McDonald and Tessa Niles. In addition, on stage, and for the tour of zenyattà mondatta, they had two synthesizers one for Sting and another for Andy Summers; but he never entered the scene a musician support.

Chapter apart are the few benefit concerts, which took place in 1986, as they played with Bono, U2, and many showgirls. In tribute to his entry into the Hall of Fame, March 10, 2003, they played the last song with the participation of Steven Tyler, Gwen Stefani and John Mayer as showgirls.

On his return in the new tour (28/05/2007 - 07/08/2008), returned to the ring as always, with a pure power-trio lineup. In a 2007 Paris concert as a quartet they played the last song, thanks to the participation of former guitarist Henry Padovani. Special mention should participation "Fiction Plane", the son of Sting band when they played together, "Next to you" in Hawaii.Respecto of issues "Be my girl (Sally)", "On any other day" and "Mother "to" Sally "Andy tells the story of a man who bought an inflatable doll and" mother ", a paranoid terrified by his mother. "On any other day" he is sung by Stewart and is supported by Sting on backing vocals.

Style

His style passed from the Post-punk of its beginnings in (Outlandos d'Amour) to reggae fusion practiced in Reggatta Blanc, exploiting his worldwide success with their third album Zenyatta Mondatta which would follow Ghost in the Machine, in which they include elements of ska and post-punk. They ended his career with a record recognized by critics as one of his best productions: Synchronicity, which is one of their most famous, No. 1 worldwide, "Every Breath You Take".

"I was much older, much more sophisticated musician and a softer person than Johnny Rotten or Sid Vicious could relate to the anti-establishment sentiment. Energy and aggression - hatred "!.

Sting

Members

First Formation (early 1977)

• Sting - Voice, leader and bass guitar.

• Stewart Copeland - drums, rhythm guitar and backing vocals.

• Henry Padovani - Guitar leader and piano.

Second training (August 1977-April 1984)

• Sting - Lead vocals, bass, piano and rhythm guitar.

• Andy Summers - guitar, keyboards and vocals.

• Stewart Copeland - drums, keyboards, percussion and vocals.

Discography

• Outlandos d'Amour (1978)

• Reggatta Blanc (1979)

• zenyattà mondatta (1980)

• Ghost in the Machine (1981)

• Synchronicity (1983)

• Every Breath You Take - The Singles (1986)

Sting, singer and bass player; Stewart Copeland, drummer, and Andy Summers, guitarist, formed the trio that began its history in 1976, in London. Three young men who came to the world of music with the idea to revolutionize pop. His debut came with the single 'Fall out', which was widely accepted.

In 1978 they published 'Outlandos d'amour', undoubtedly one of his best works, energetic and immediate, which included classics like 'Roxanne', 'So lonely' or 'Can not stand losing you'. The following year he released his second album, 'Regatta de blanc', after which they began their first international tour.

In 1980 they released 'Zenyatta Mondatta', an album that made reluctantly and under pressure from the record company. In the 80s, The Police was abandoning his condition new wave reggae to focus on his more pop side. So it is checked in 'Ghost in the Machine' (1981), which includes the hit singles 'Spirit in the Material World' and 'Invisible Sun'.

Two years later he came to light 'Sinchronicity', the latest album of the band containing their biggest hit, 'Every Breath You Take', and which won three Grammy. Everything indicated that the Police had begun his road to success and nothing could stop him, but eventually the tensions and egos between the different components led to the dissolution of the trio.

Sting began a solo career full of commercial triumphs where there was room for pop, jazz and soul. Meanwhile, Copeland focused on composing soundtracks and formed part of groups such as Animal Logic. Also, Summers worked with some progressive rock bands and jazz.

1985 was the year of farewell to The Police, which at that time was one of the most popular and best-selling worldwide groups. Now, in 2007, this legendary trio meets on an extensive tour that will travel with the US, Canada and Europe, to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of its formation.

Padovani, The Police, rock, Reggae, punk, Pop, Jazz, biografia, discografia, guitarra, Roxanne, hard rock, Aerosmith, Every Breath you Take,