Bring On the POLL - ILM Artist Poll #116 - THE POLICE - (Results Thread)

There was that overlap era in the early '90s when all these boomer pop stars were still pop stars, before they were put out to pasture.

before they were put out to pasture fields of barley

Peter Gabriel - Red Rain

9. Red Rain - Peter Gabriel w/Stewart Copeland on hi-hat
132 Points, 3 Votes, 2 Number Ones

ch-ch-chick ch-ch-chick

That is a great live performance at Live Aid.

It is. It also makes you realize how much Sting really drives a lot of that song -- not just with the "I want my MTV" stuff but his harmonies throughout the verses and chorus. And while I didn't vote for it, it's def. one of the biggest celebrity cameos that comes to mind.

I remember putting on So fresh out the plastic wrap, hadn't heard anything off it except "Sledgehammer," and those hihats immediately made me go to the liner notes to verify the obvious culprit.

I one day need to do a deep dive into Peter Gabriel as I know I'm missing out. I only know the hits.

Sting - We'll Be Together - Live In Verona 1988

8. We'll Be Together - Sting
149 Points, 4 Votes

UGH

I hate the squeaky keyboard preset, his panderer's approach to songwriting and singing, the way the song stinks of I NEED A TOP TEN.

lmao come on

Sting - Love Is The Seventh Wave

19. Love Is the Seventh Wave - Sting
78 Points, 2 Votes

Never noticed this before, but when I watched the video the entry was linked to, it actually has a different version of the song.

At 1:35, there's a whole section that does not appear in the album version (the only version I was familiar with). Looked into it and found out there's a single mix that's different than the album version - I couldn't find it on YouTube but it's possible that's what's used in the video. I don't think it's an improvement though - much prefer the album version.

(Also, very amused when Sting flashes that look at the camera when he sings "every breath you take.")

ok to be fair I thought the whole origin of this song was just that? Nothing Like the Sun didn't have anything commercial on it and the label asked for a single. Sting himself said he didn't really like it.

xxxp I thought he wrote that to order for a Japanese beer company?

There was that overlap era in the early '90s when all these boomer pop stars were still pop stars, before they were put out to pasture.

Any votes for "All for One, All for Love"? #1 on the charts the week Kurt Cobain died!

(so not so much "I NEED A TOP TEN" as "THE BEER COMPANY GAVE ME A SHITLOAD OF MONEY!")

I'm not selling out, I'm buying in.

Per Wikipedia:

Sting wrote the song for a beer commercial for Kirin Brewery Company. He said that they asked him for the word "together" to be included in the song. He wrote the song in a few minutes and said both the Japanese and the producers both liked the song, despite the short amount of time it took to come up with the song. The original recording included Eric Clapton on guitar, while other takes feature Bryan Loren instead.

ok to be fair I thought the whole origin of this song was just that? Nothing Like the Sun didn't have anything commercial on it and the label asked for a single. Sting himself said he didn't really like it.

Other thoughts ...

I'll have to check that video for "Love Is the Seventh Wave." I would have expected the jokey world music stuff to have aged really badly ("Every cake you bake ...") but it's actually not bad. The bgd vocals and Marsalis's sax interludes are all pretty solid.

"Why Should I Cry For You" was pretty turgid IIRC, like a lot of Soul Cages.

"Children's Crusade" was on my ballot, I think. It holds up and feels like one of Sting's more sincere and successful political statements.

"Englishman in New York" always seemed like Sting's version of twee to me, with all of the bouncy pizzicato strings. Not entirely unpleasant but kind of annoying.

I was a huge fan of "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" at the time, tho I remember a percussionist in college who was obsessed with Vinnie Colaiuta told me he thought that Ten Summoners Tales was disappointing because despite great playing and memorable tunes Sting had stopped writing incredible bridges and middle-8s. Re-listening last night, I was struck by how in this one, instead of a middle-8 proper, he does a little key change on the chorus and builds the shit out of it before another transposition up that returns the song to its proper key and allows him to end with a bang. It's super powerful still.

Yeah, I like "Love Is the Seventh Wave." Nothing earth-shaking, but it's frothy and pleasant and sounds like it could've been a track on a new Police album.

^^ yeah I know what you're talking about. Sting was so good at writing big powerful choruses like that. I also like the one in "Seven Days" though the lyrics are so snotty and dumb that it practically ruins the tune.

"They Dance Alone" was a good 'un.

I was struck by how in this one, instead of a middle-8 proper, he does a little key change on the chorus and builds the shit out of it before another transposition up that returns the song to its proper key and allows him to end with a bang. I

otm. And it didn't get as much airplay (though it did earn lots!) as "Fields of Gold," which hung around well into the late '90s.

...Nothing Like the Sun has worthwhile songs -- I voted for a couple! -- but not its hit. We should poll Worst Songs Written to Be Hits.

speaking of

xpost

Sting - Fields Of Gold (HD) Ten Summoner's Tales

7. Fields of Gold - Sting
150 Points, 4 Votes

song is pretty...almost too pretty

I had a soft spot for this when I was a kid (back when I knew maybe three albums). Hearing it now, it's a complete snooze, but I do remember liking it a lot when I was really young.

Now for something completely different.

Andy Summers and Robert Fripp - I Advance Masked

6. I Advance Masked - Andy Summers and Robert Fripp
168 Points, 4 Votes, 1 Number One

Whoa

"Ten Summoner's Tales" is pretty MOR, iirc, but I saw him and the band touring behind it in a Spanish bullfighting arena and it was awesome.

yess I did not vote for this part but I love love love I Advance Masked

Song is great, thanks everybody.

I'm a big I Advance Masked stan -- there are a ton of great tracks on it, it's basically Fripp's Crimson riffs combined with Andy textures. What's not to love?

Don't Care - Klark Kent (TOTP) (RM)

5. Don’t Care - Klark Kent
189 Points, 4 Votes, 2 Number Ones

lol nice

all the songs on that Klark Kent record are so catchy. feel like the best stuff probably didn't make it though.

Sting and Branford Marsalis - If You Love Somebody Set Them Free (Sting's 60th Birthday Show)

4. If You Love Somebody Set Them Free - Sting
198 Points, 5 Votes

you can do you can do

Another one that could've been a Police track, though had that happened, I wonder if it would still have Marsalis's sax solo or if Summers would have stepped in? Guess we'll never know.

Yay for "I Advance Masked," that's a really nice album. Maybe the most artistically respectable solo Police work period.

Sting || Live @885 KCSN || All This Time (The SoCal Sound)

3. All This Time - Sting
204 Points, 5 Votes, 1 Number One

My favorite solo Sting song: for once the Simon-indebted talk-singing finds a correlative in well-chosen words and a killer chorus. His last solo top ten.

yup fantastic tune

Totally blanked on this one or I'd have given it a sixth vote.

I also voted for it. I'd be down for a Greatest Hits EP from Sting - this would be one of the tracks I'd want on it.

beginning to think "take me home" may not place... guess I should have voted win this side-poll but I trusted y'all to do the right thing!

Not one vote for "Take Me Home" FWIW.

Sting - Fragile Live

2. Fragile - Sting
210 Points, 5 Votes, 1 Number One

Didn't vote as I'm only casually familiar with their discography but am happy to follow along with the rollout. Thanks Bee OK!

One of Neil Tennant's favorite songs by anybody.