Sting and The Police

Successful around the turn of the 1980's, the three-piece of Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland produced a run of great albums with wacky titles, achieved massive success around the world, and then packed it in. Whereafter Sting went solo and released yet more successful albums, and made his mark with environmental campaigns and the like. Both solo and as a band, he has had his music sampled and inspired by other genres. His most recent project was the stage production "The Last Ship", featuring fellow Geordie legend Jimmy Nail and others.

Here are a few of their highspots:

Walking On The Moon (The Police)

Every Breath You Take (The Police)

Russians (Sting)

Fields of Gold (Sting)

The Last Ship (live) (Sting)

How The Brits Rocked America: Go West
This was a 3-part series looking at how & why so many British acts have tried to make it in America, who succeeded, who failed, and why. The first part looked at the 60's, chiefly the Beatles, and the following British Invasion. The second week looked at the 70's, and how acts like Led Zeppelin eventually proved as big a success, but with a different aim and style. Finally, the third week looked to the 80s', though starting with the Sex Pistols ill-fated US tour, and then acts like The Police and Depeche Mode, and a mention up to date with Coldplay and Adele.

What really impressed about this series were the sheer number of relevant talking heads, many of whom only had about 30 seconds to say their piece, but were all fascinating. Some of the footage, particularly from the 1960s', was quite enlightening, too. Overall, a well-made and sensible series.

Sting: When The Last Ship Sails
Last year Sting released a new album, which is the soundtrack to a proposed stage show, and here was a concert from Oct 2, from the Public Theatre in New York, with help from Jimmy Nail, Jo Lawry and the Wilson Family. The plot is neither here nor there, but the songs were impressive stuff, and the performance was superb.

Discovering: Sting
The son of a milkman, who left his NE roots to play Spanish guitar in jazz bands, and after meeting Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland, rocked the world with the Police. After he went solo, and discovered the joys of spreading messages of peace, he produced some cathartic albums about his parents (not to mention writing a book), but he continues to be successful, and experimental, even now.

Sting: Live in Berlin
From Sep 21, 2010, with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (Sting did George Michael's recent shtick years ago), running through a lengthy show covering his solo highs and some Police material. Branford Marsalis guested on saxophone, whilst Jo Lawry was again a whizz on backing vocals. His between-song banter was also worth hearing.

The South Bank Show Originals: Sting
Originally from 1996, during the making of his "Mercury Falling" album, Bragg feels that Sting's previous occupation as a teacher is the key to all his later work - whether academic methods, or scorning restrictive musical rules (?). He was also interested that he rejected his destiny of joining his family in the shipyard, and his experiments in soul and jazz show him as a pupil as well as a teacher.

Rock Milestones - The Police - Regatta De Blanc
As much the story of their 1st album, and less on their later ones, this featured original guitarist Henry Padovani which was interesting. RdB was their peak album, with 2 #1 singles in the UK, turning them from a middle-of-the-road feature to top-of-the-bill. But their combined musicianship ultimately couldn't save them as Sting pulled away on his own journey.

Bryn Terfel at 50
Popular Welsh tenor has lengthy extravaganza show at the Royal Albert Hall, marking his half-century, with Michael Sheen as MC, and performances from guests such as Alison Balsom, Only Men Aloud, Aleksandr Antonenko, Ksenija Sidorova, Hannah Waddingham, and most notably Sting. Sting sang "When We Dance" alone, and then duetted with Bryn, inevitably, on "Roxanne".

Sting has a new album coming out in November, called "57th and 9th":

I Can't Stop Thinking About You (live)

Also another compilation coming at the end of this month.

Sting to receive new award:

BMI Icon

Sting is to join the likes of Ray Davies, Van Morrison and Sir Tim Rice when he becomes one of the recipients of the BMI Icon award next month.

The star will be honoured for his contribution to music, as well as his acting and humanitarian work.

What luck to coincide this with his new album, eh?

Sting will play a concert on the eve of the 1st anniversary of the Bataclan tragedy, at the venue as it reopens:
on 12th November

British singer Sting is to reopen the Bataclan music venue in Paris the day before the first anniversary of the attack that killed 90 concertgoers.
The former Police frontman will perform there on Saturday 12 November.
He said he wanted to "remember and honour those who lost their lives" and "to celebrate the life and the music that this historic theatre represents".
The venue has been shut since Islamist gunmen stormed a gig by US rock band Eagles of Death Metal last November.

Sting's gig at Bataclan went well enough.

His new album was released on Friday.

Brian Johnson's A Life on the Road: Sting
A far chattier hour than the previous ones, from their meeting in New York, throughout their van ride to their destination, the former CBGBs, and even in their final spot, Phebe's Bar & Grill. Sting was drawn to American records even as a child, and inspired by others from his area who had made it, from Bruce Welch to Eric Burdon. He learnt his chops in bands around Newcastle, then moved to London where he was picked for the Police by Stewart Copeland, and they gigged endlessly to get attention. They repeated this format in America, where it worked, though their success was glacial rather than meteoric. Having felt he'd no more challenges in the Police, he left to start all over again. He was moved to do the Bataclan reopening gig (a topic unfortunately all the more topical this week).

Needle Time: Stewart Copeland
The drummer is part of a new super-group, Gizmodrome, together with Mark King, Adrian Belew and Vittorio someone. He spoke of how he learned musical skills, and was already gigging at the age of 12, having a distinctive style. His dad, the CIA one, played jazz. He was older than the usual punk set. He played with Curved Air, but formed the Police by taking Sting out of Last Exit and meeting Andy Summers during session work. Sting's songs were good enough to leave Copeland's on the cutting room floor. After a few years, they realised they had out-grown each other, but once they made the call to split the band, they improved relations. Copeland went on to make film scores, and doesn't see technology replacing drummers yet. The new LP was 16 years since his last one, and described as "punk-prog".

Though "The Last Ship" only ran for a few months in the US, it's being revived next year in Newcastle, with Jimmy Nail still on board for some of the singing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41801572

Sting - A Free Man
A decent retrospective from French telly, looking at his constant quests for new musical avenues, his diverse collaborations (Cheb Mami, Mylene Farmer, Craig David), how his music has connected with tragedies from 9/11 to the Bataclan massacre, and respect from fellow musicians Bob Geldof, Zucchero and Will.i.am.

Sting's got a new album out today, which is a collaboration with reggae legend Shaggy:

44/876

Sting wrote:"For me, reggae is something I respect and value, and take seriously. It's something I've learned from.
"I owe a great deal to the whole reggae bass community. My spiritual, musical mentor was Bob Marley - who I knew - and I really feel that I'm doing something that feels authentic to me.

Why not, I guess?

Entered the chart at #9, which isn't bad really.

Music Icons: The Police
The familiar story of how 2 Brits and an American got together and discovered they were really musically talented, but that they also had conflicting control issues, and a love for really wacky album titles.  They put in the slog to win over the American audience, and made sure to deliver the big hit records to help build a global fanbase. Finally they went on hiatus after their 1983 album, and did their last show at the infamous Shea Stadium. They came back together when Sting married Trudie Styler, and more formally reconvened for a Reunion Tour in 2007, one of the most money-spinning in rock history. But then they realised they still couldn't get on personally, only professionally, so they went their separate ways again.

Larry King Now: Shaggy
Tom Green, filling in for Lazza, was less wretched than usual in talking to the Jamaican ex-marine & reggae legend. Shaggy was very generous about working with Sting (they won a reggae Grammy for their album). He calls the Geordie ex-teacher "Earl". As for Shaggy, he's voicing Sebastian in a forthcoming production of The Little Mermaid. He also spoke of how he got his name and why the UK made it seem cool, how Boombastic means so much, and being a fan of Bill Withers. He got good advice from James Brown about the importance of talent. His son is Rob Banks, also a star (it says here). He's fond of Sting, but then he's fond of Rayvon too. Their collab album was named after international dialling codes for the UK & Jamaica.

Sputnik - Stewart Copeland
The erstwhile drummer and broadcaster has written a book about his CIA father. He was also a jazz trumpeter, but he was proud of his son's success. Stewart mentioned being reticent about signing autographs when he was younger.

Police In The East
An infamous special from the Old Grey Whistle Test team, as Annie Nightingale followed the trio through dates in Japan, Hong Kong, India, Egypt and Greece. Annie was able to present them with a BPI/Brits award for Best album for Regatta de Blanc along the way. There were some dubious vignettes, but the band weren't entirely at each other's throats at this point.

The Police & Sting: The Story of the Songs
Those songs being Roxanne, Every Breath You Take and An Englishman In New York, so slightly more likely than usual. Producer Hugh Padgham and backing singer Tessa Niles were somewhat more connected to the act/s than others.

The veteran rocker turned 70 on Saturday, and has a new album, The Bridge, out next month too.

Later w/Jools Holland - Sting
He did half the show, playing new single Rushing Water, and picking tracks from his pal Shaggy, and fellow Tooner Sam Fender. He's 3 days older than Bob Geldof. The new album is his first for a few years.

Top of the Pops 2 - The Police
A special compilation from 2007 to mark their live reunion. There were a couple of Sting numbers, a Klark Kent spot, an early cover, but mainly the hits (and more) of the Police. Notable were tracks like Fall Out and Hole In My Life, which don't otherwise get a mention.

Reel Stories: Sting
Dermot O'Leary helped the ex-teacher face his image. There was a disproportionate coverage of the Police, perhaps inferring his solo career is much of a muchness. Footage of Sting's mother and family clearly moved him, he said he'd never seen it before. He was proud and overwhelmed about Live Aid. He mentioned his latest album, and how the record company trusts him with his odd album ideas.

Sting's another of many acts inspired by the war in Ukraine, and in his case to redo his 1980s hit Russians. He's also another of many acts to sell off some rights, in his case to Universal.