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

I kinda think it's a great song? I expected it to place higher.

I was the #1 vote for "I Burn For You." Floating mystery dream menace is maybe my favorite genre of music.

This, plus "Voices Inside My Head" and "Tea in the Sahara" all held prominent places of my Dream Music mixtapes in the '80s, with short, abstract Andy Summers solo tracks like "How Can I Forget" and "Guide" as transitions.

like, the makers of the movie clearly thought they were the most popular act that would the flick

― sleeve, Wednesday, December 7, 2022 6:48 PM (four hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

that would *sell* the flick

when in reality, in my experience, people went to see the Cramps/DKs/Gang Of Four/Numan/etc

― sleeve, Wednesday, December 7, 2022 6:49 PM (four hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

The film was partially financed by the Copeland's, hence the heavy Police involvement and early IRS acts on the bill.

“Bombs Away” is delightful. That and “Contact” (a total jam with some great Andy textures) remind me how Sting sings Stew songs with a playfulness and lightness he rarely brings to his own material – given the odd way the vocals on those songs are mixed I wonder if it’s because he’s singing over Stew’s guide vocal (he almost certainly is on “Does Everyone Stare”).

“Tea in the Sahara” feels like Sting had gotten a head-start on Dream of the Blue Turtles.

I finally figured out the flaw, I was wondering how did "The Bed’s Too Big Without You" getting 16 votes but only ended up at number 30. It turns out some people named this song "Beds too Big" so instead of modifying the spreadsheet I manually add those points and votes to the total. So it did not only get 192 points it actually got 392, 492, 592, 692 points, something like that. It was only the first number that I mistyped. I will recalculate the results and it will now show up again in this rollout. I do believe this will be a one-time correction.

Sorry!

no worries, good catch! really enjoying this although I am not able to keep up with the relistening

It turns out some people named this song "Beds too Big"

this was me; meant to fill it out before i submitted -- sorry

at the risk of being Captain Obvious, but since Grace Jones's cover of "Demolition Man" was posted: "The Bed's Too Big Without You" also charted in the UK (in 1981) in a cover version by Sheila Hylton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USeqDNeovNs

the extended version

Theres also a super loose and dubby version of it by Julie Roberts that came out in 1980 that I really like but can't link to on this dumb phone

le voilà:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj1hHZ-Mz-M

Ah thanks, that's the one! tail-end of that goes super deep, love it

also these instrumental versions by Sly & Robbie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlTjAq8hOvM

Underwater Dub! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBTzJsez_VA

Ooh, i like those a lot! I think sly & Robbie are playing on that Sheila hylton version too? Or they're involved with it somehow anyway. And they play on the Grace Jones 'demolition man' as well obviously

yup, it's Sly & Robbie. i'm an uber fan of the Sheila Hylton version and used to forget it's a cover. If i had voted in this the OG would have been in my top 5 Police songs.

The Julie Roberts version is so similar to the Hylton; i've never been sure which came first.

Would be logical if the UK production came first I suppose, just due to geographical proximity

Time to reset those numbers

https://i.imgur.com/HROLYpd.jpg

28. No Time This Time
From: Reggatta de Blanc
Released: October 2, 1979
245 Points, 8 Votes, 1 Number One

banger

Good one! Lyrically it's the exact same sort of commuter hellscape as 'Synchronicity II' but without the paranormal stuff. Music-wise it's almost... surf rock? If Andy's guitar tone was a bit twangier, it would sound like he was playing 'Batman'

the fade out is really neat too

https://i.imgur.com/AnhCsLP.jpg

27. Truth Hits Everybody
From: Outlandos d'Amour
Released: November 2, 1978
266 Points, 8 Votes

Frist track from Outlandos to place.

Whoa-oa-oa

28. No Time This Time
From: Reggatta de Blanc
Released: October 2, 1979
245 Points, 8 Votes, 1 Number One

I somehow don't know this song at all.

I went for a different punky Outlandos track, but this one's a good rocker.

Don't think I've ever figured out what the lyrics are for this one, Sting's mumbliest performance perhaps? Also the crescendo at the end makes me incredibly anxious (because I know 'Born in the 50s' is just about to start)

the cool thing about the punk tunes from Outlandos is that they kinda sound like they could be Beatles songs.

I love "No time" cuz its Stew at his hot doggin-est": I doubt that they played it live…

"No Time This Time" is '78 -- originally the b-side of "So Lonely."

The drum performance was pretty inspirational for me when I was 15. Its energy still holds up.

Thanks for that. I did not know that and didn't come across that info with my little bit of research I do before posting a new song.

https://i.imgur.com/l8fQ1zX.jpg

26. Voices in My Head
From: Zenyattà Mondatta
Released: October 3. 1980
271 Points, 8 Votes

oof too low!

another one i love that i came to via a cover version -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-VeNMdMTjw

this too -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j6bxexpjkM

I feel its one of their few songs that successfully crossed-over into dance music, like their 'theme for great cities'? Lol xxp :))

Throughout this poll, I had forgotten about Sting & Puff Daddy's "Roxanne 97" until just now. I think I bought the CD single from FYE for $1 and "Voices In My Head" was the randomly selected b-side.

sampled in this r&b monster, one of Missy Elliott’s first hits:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ojOERy-mf8

I never noticed that! That's a pretty inspired, subtle use of the sample.

superb

https://i.imgur.com/cKY4wTC.jpg

25. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
From: Zenyattà Mondatta
Single Released: November 20, 1980
276 Points, 9 Votes

I was trying to make an intellectual point about how the simple can be so powerful. Why are our favourite songs 'Da Doo Ron Ron' and 'Do Wah Diddy Diddy'? In the song, I tried to address that issue. But everyone said, 'This is bullshit, child's play.' No one listened to the lyrics. Listen to the lyrics. I'm going to remake it again and put more emphasis on what I was talking about.

— Sting, Rolling Stone, 2/1988

Sting also said that "I was trying to say something which was really quite difficult – that people like politicians, like myself even, use words to manipulate people, and that you should be very careful.”

The phrase "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" supposedly was made up by Sting's son. Sting said of this, "In fact, my son came up with it. I've never paid him – so that's another possible lawsuit. He writes songs himself these days. He's got a lot of self-confidence – I don't know where from."

from the sublime to the re-do-do-do-diculous

See, Zenyatta was doing fine until the singles presented themselves.

There were no notated votes for the 1986 version.

I hated that song when it was first released. It's grown on me since. Like a fungus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Fk_mDem4o

I hated that song when it was first released. It's grown on me since. Like a fungus.

first one from their infamous singles collection to place. I am guessing the other 11 are coming.

https://i.imgur.com/MVm6OXF.jpg

24. Canary in a Coal Mine
From: Zenyattà Mondatta
Released: October 3. 1980
312 Points, 10 Votes