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

https://i.imgur.com/Dz5zOXd.jpg

27 Ballots Received
55 Songs
22 Album Ballots
10 Albums
14 Solo Ballots
43 Solo Songs

Thank you to all of you who voted! Also thanks for your patience as it took some time to put this all together and my work delayed me as well.

Were this all came from: When the World is Running Down, You Make the POLL of What's Still Around – ILM Artist Poll #116 – THE POLICE - (Voting extended to Friday, Dec 2, 2022)

A taste to get us started tonight.

Going to start with the solo stuff.

Sting - Desert Rose

20. Desert Rose - Sting
74 Points, 2 Votes

With one breath
With one flow
You will know

Sting - Love Is The Seventh Wave

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

there is a deeper world than this

Don't Box Me In Stan Ridgway & Stewart Copeland

18. Don't Box Me In - Theme From Rumblefish - Stan Ridgway w/Stewart Copeland
79 Points, 2 Votes

In tribute, here's a college band I was in — can you tell it was 1991? — playing "Love Is the Seventh Wave." I can tell because it was the only song I played congas on, I was usually on the kit.

https://i.imgur.com/3YTSl3e.jpg

Also, I was one of the 2 votes for "Don't Box Me In," good tune.

Are we expecting anything from the Sting and Shaggy album to place?

I didn't know that "Don't Box Me In" had Copeland on it, love this song.

"In this video you can see Mickey Rourke, Matt Dillon, Tom Waits, Nicolas Cage, and Dennis Hopper."

Sting - Consider Me Gone - 1985 (from the movie Bring On The Night)

17. Consider Me Gone - Sting
82 Points, 2 Votes

Only posting one more tonight and then we will chat tomorrow morning.

Sting - We Work The Black Seam (Complete, RM)

16. We Work the Black Seam - Sting
83 Points, 2 Votes

This is a reconstructed version of this video. This track from Sting's album "Dream Of The Blue Turtles" was released as a single in Germany. I believe the video was made to promote the single, but what I found online (on YouTube) was incomplete. Using some audio/video software, I decided to reconstruct the video from what was available by editing in some "old industrial England" footage, and by re-using the bit for the chorus. Then I remastered the sound.

Didn't Stew do the whole soundtrack to "Rumble Fish"?

Holy shit, I haven't heard We Work The Black Seam in years. Decades?

xp yes!

"Dont Box Me In" is such a cool tune. I guess they knew it too, because when I saw Stan Ridgway he played it, and Gizmodrome was playing it on their tour too.

Holy shit, I haven't heard We Work The Black Seam in years. Decades?

lol for a second I thought you meant the Brötzmann/Sharrock/Laswell.Jackson supergroup

I voted for those last 2, thanks for using the BOtN version of Consider, absolutely the best. Had no idea of Black Seam's pedigree (and I still laugh at the "deadliness" of carbon-14 even if it ties into the carbon of coal).

its the perfect Sting lyric

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPz93eqtAeA

Stewart Copeland on writing and recording the Rumble Fish soundtrack. He wrote and performed everything but some strings and horns.

I was the other vote.

Dang, forgot that thing of Stewart's from Earth Girls Are Easy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmKjw9UGi78

lol for a second I thought you meant the Brötzmann/Sharrock/Laswell.Jackson supergroup

the extent of my police solo opinions are that sting's "i'm so happy i can't stop crying" has such a great & bizarre video, and copeland's spyro the dragon soundtracks are so strangely unmusical - maybe a peak of late 90s digital muzak? that's not to say that i like them, just that they push so far in that direction that i have to begrudgingly respect it, they feel like they were composed specifically to be unmemorable

Yeah, his soundtrack work sometimes reminds me of Zappa getting his first Synclavier and finally being able to realize everything in his head all by himself, and it turns out it sucks.

the Spyro soundtrack is great - I guess if you were born in a certain era you maybe have an affinity for that ugly digital sound. my first thought when playing Spyro was that the music was great - had no idea who did it until later, but when I first heard the Rumblefish OST I do remember thinking "hmmm sounds a bit like the Spyro music"

agreed re: the "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying" video. was he making fun of Garth Brooks or are they just kindred spirits?

something about the sing-songy verses in ‘we work the black seam’ bugs me but i’m not sure why

isn't there a Toby Keith duet version xpost

One of my favorite Blue Turtles songs – and it dates from Sting’s Last Exit era:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy0PRsQqbVU
― Naive Teen Idol, Monday, December 5, 2022 9:37 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

amusing how he actually kept some of the lyrics. I kinda like the wild psychedelic jamming in place of the chorus. did any of his other songs originate in Last Exit?

Maybe "I Burn for You"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhNb3XK8Y0g

I have covered "Love is the Seventh Wave" on bouzouki - very much reconfigured to a vaguely celtic folk feel - but I'm not proud of it. Darkest depths of pandemic solo loneliness. My mandolin version of "Why Should I Cry for You," however, is almost acceptable.

I'm up and ready to go.

Sting - Why Should I Cry for You (HD) Live in berlin

15. Why Should I Cry for You? - Sting
90 Points, 2 Votes, 1 Number One

Love it. He rarely sounded this bitter.

Sting - Children's Crusade (from the movie Bring On The Night)

14. Children's Crusade - Sting
92 Points, 2 Votes

Away From Home - Klark Kent (Stewart Copeland) (Promo) (RM)

13. Away From Home - Klark Kent
96 Points, 2 Votes, 1 Number One

Fun video but never heard this song before. It got a number one vote and the other vote was second place.

Why Should I Cry For You? is great, sounds like it could've been one of those 80s Peter Gabriel hits. minus the electric piano of course

Dire Straits / Sting - Money For Nothing (Live Aid 1985)

12. Money for Nothing - Dire Straits w/Sting
109 Points, 3 Votes

That is a great live performance at Live Aid.

Sting - Englishman In New York (Live from the DVD at Italy)

11. Englishman In New York - Sting
112 Points, 3 Votes

boy, did VH-1 love this one

Top 10

Sting - If I Ever Lose My Faith In You (Live in studio)

10. If I Ever Lose My Faith In You - Sting
126 Points, 3 Votes, 1 Number One

Yeah, thanks again for running it. I haven't joined in on one of these in a while, it was fun.

Songs

When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What’s Still Around
So Lonely
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Bring on the Night
Can’t Stand Losing You
I Burn for You
Message in a Bottle
Voices Inside My Head
Demolition Man
Synchronicity II
Every Breath You Take
Walking on the Moon
Driven to Tears
Rehumanize Yourself
Next to You
Synchronicity I
The Bed’s Too Big Without You
Too Much Information
It’s Alright for You
Secret Journey

Albums

Regatta de Blanc
Ghost in the Machine
Zenyatta Mondatta
Outlandos d’Amour
Synchronicity

Solo tracks

“Red Rain” — Peter Gabriel w/Stewart Copeland on hi-hat
“Only You” — Sting
“Don’t Care” — Klark Kent
“I Advance Masked” — Andy Summers and Robert Fripp
“All This Time” — Sting
“Consider Me Gone” — Sting
“Fields of Gold” — Sting
“Don’t Box Me In” — Stan Ridgway w/Stewart Copeland
“Brimstone and Treacle (Theme)” — Sting
“Mr. Oysterhead” — Oysterhead

My Ballot

I Burn For You
Omega Man
Synchronicity I
When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around
Voices Inside My Head
Secret Journey
Driven to Tears
It's Alright for You
Invisible Sun
Can't Stand Losing You
Synchronicity II
Canary in a Coalmine
Wrapped Around Your Finger
Demolition Man
Rehumanize Yourself
King of Pain
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Truth Hits Everybody
Darkness
The Bed's Too Big Without You

Sting - Fragile
Stewart Copeland & Stan Ridgway - Don't Box Me In
Sting - Fortress Around Your Heart
Andy Summers & Robert Fripp - I Advance Masked
Sting - Fields of Gold
Sting - Desert Rose
Andy Summers - How Can I Forget
Sting - The Soul Cages
Sting - Seven Days
Andy Summers & Robert Fripp - Guide

Thanks again Bee OK! I mentioned upthread that the poll was great, and it doesn't get said enough that these polls --- and keeping up the rolling poll organization/communication project! --- take time and energy. It's like you're throwing the rest of us a multi-day musical picnic, or a big band-themed bar night where we can all nerd out. The magic of ILX in general, but with one person stepping up to make it extra fun. So thank you!

Also, man, I've listened to Demolition Man like seven times today. Definitely the day I first "really heard" it. In addition to whatever else I said about it earlier, it's this really tight, loopy high-speed post-punk number, almost No Wavey,

nicely done; thanks bee!

Adding to the chorus of praise for Bee in running this down (npi).

I have two minor regrets about my ballot. One is that I accidentally triple-listed "Don't Stand." I meant to do one vote for the original and one for the '86 remake. Absent-mindedly omitted "The Bed's too Big" and "Red Rain." But otherwise I stand by my votes.

1. It's Alright for You
2. On Any Other Day
3. So Lonely
4. Don't Stand So Close to Me
5. Walking on the Moon
6. Contact
7. Can't Stand Losing You
8. Don't Stand So Close to Me
9. Next to You
10. Message in a Bottle
11. Does Everyone Stare
12. No Time This Time
13. Don't Stand So Close to Me 86
14. Synchronicity II
15. Murder by Numbers
16. De Do Do Do
17. Roxanne
18. Wrapped Around Your Finger

Albums

1. Regatta de Blanc
2. Outlandos d'Amour
3. Ghost in the Machine
4. Dream of the Blue Turtles

Sting Solo and collab

1. Why Should I Cry for You
2. Shape of My Heart
3. Fortress Around Your Heart
4. If You Love Somebody
5. Love is the Seventh Wave
6. Long Long Way to Go

Tracks
Driven To Tears
Synchronicity II
Can’t Stand Losing You
The Bed’s Too Big Without You
Spirits In The Material World
Walking On The Moon
Invisible Sun
King Of Pain
Roxanne
So Lonely
Canary In A Coalmine
Bring On The Night
Wrapped Around Your Finger
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Message In A Bottle
Synchronicity I
No Time This Time
Darkness
Does Everyone Stare
When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around

Albums
Regatta De Blanc
Ghost In The Machine
Zenyatta Mondatta
Synchronicity
Outlandos D’Amour

I was disappointed to see "Mother" at #40, for two reasons:
1. I voted for it.
2. If it hadn't charted at all, it would have been a frighteningly plausible joke #1.

Not as plausible for #1, but "Friends" would work as a good joke top 10 placement.

Full Results

Solo:

Place, Points, Votes, Number Ones, Song-Artist

1	445	10	2	Fortress Around Your Heart - Sting
2	210	5	1	Fragile - Sting
3	204	5	1	All This Time - Sting
4	198	5		If You Love Somebody Set Them Free - Sting
5	189	4	2	Don’t Care - Klark Kent
6	168	4	1	I Advance Masked - Andy Summers and Robert Fripp
7	150	4		Fields of Gold - Sting
8	149	4		We'll Be Together - Sting
9	132	3	2	Red Rain -  Peter Gabriel w/Stewart Copeland on hi-hat
10	126	3	1	If I Ever Lose My Faith In You - Sting
11	112	3		Englishman In New York - Sting
12	109	3		Money for Nothing - Dire Straits w/Sting
13	96	2	1	Away From Home - Klark Kent
14	92	2		Children's Crusade - Sting
15	90	2	1	Why Should I Cry for You? - Sting
16	83	2		We Work the Black Seam - Sting
17	82	2		Consider Me Gone - Sting
18	79	2		Don’t Box Me In - Stan Ridgway w/Stewart Copeland
19	78	2		Love Is the Seventh Wave - Sting
20	74	2		Desert Rose - Sting
21	50	1	1	Across the River - Peter Gabriel/Stewart Copeland/Shankar/David Rhodes
22	50	1	1	I Burn For You - Sting
23	46	1		Bring On the Night/When the World Is Running Down (Bring On the Night) - Sting
24	46	1		Only You - Sting
25	46	1		Shape of My Heart - Sting
26	43	1		I Hung My Head – Sting
27	43	1		Excesses - Stewart Copeland
28	40	1		There's A Spy (In The House Of Love) - Animal Logic w/Stewart Copeland
29	38	1		Be Still My Beating Heart - Sting
30	38	1		The Equalizer Busy Equalizing - Stewart Copeland
31	36	1		Long Long Way to Go - Phil Collins and Sting
32	35	1		Big Time - Peter Gabriel w/Stewart Copeland
33	35	1		Hardy Country - Andy Summers and Robert Fripp
34	35	1		How Can I Forget - Andy Summers
35	34	1		Mad About You - Sting
36	34	1		The Soul Cages - Sting
37	33	1		Brimstone and Treacle (Theme) - Sting
38	33	1		China Yellow Leader - Andy Summers and Robert Fripp
39	33	1		Seven Days - Sting
40	32	1		Brand New Day - Sting
41	32	1		Guide - Andy Summers and Robert Fripp
42	32	1		Mr. Oysterhead - Oysterhead w/Stewart Copeland
43	32	1		The Ballad of Mack The Knife - "Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill"

Albums:

Points, Votes, Number Ones, Albums

1	190	22	7	Reggatta de Blanc
2	174	20	7	Ghost in the Machine
3	164	20	4	Zenyattà Mondatta
4	147	19	2	Synchronicity
5	126	18	1	Outlandos d'Amour
6	10	1	1	The Soul Cages - Sting
7	8	1		...Nothing Like The Sun - Sting
8	8	1		Klark Kent
9	7	1		Dream of the Blue Turtles - Sting
10	6	1		Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings

Songs:

Place, Points, Votes, Number Ones, Tracks, *Notes

1	875	22	5	Message in a Bottle	
2	802	21	2	Synchronicity II	
3	753	22	3	Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic	
4	748	21	1	Walking on the Moon	
5	672	19	4	When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What’s Still Around	
6	653	20	1	Don’t Stand So Close to Me	1986 Version 2 Votes
7	652	20	1	Bring on the Night	
8	628	19	1	Driven To Tears	[live in Fréjus 1980, from "Urgh! A Music War" 1 Vote
9	603	19		Invisible Sun	
10	601	16		Can’t Stand Losing You	
11	600	19		Spirits in the Material World	
12	599	17		So Lonely	
13	589	17	1	Synchronicity I	
14	529	17		King of Pain	
15	508	15	1	Roxanne	
16	492	16		The Bed’s Too Big Without You	
17	486	14	2	Ωmegaman
18	473	17		Wrapped Around Your Finger
19	436	13	1	Secret Journey
20	374	11		Every Breath You Take
21	366	11	1	It’s Alright for You
22	354	11		Next to You
23	322	10	1	Darkness
24	312	10		Canary in a Coal Mine
25	276	9		De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
26	271	8		Voices in My Head
27	266	8		Truth Hits Everybody
28	245	8	1	No Time This Time
29	209	6		Demolition Man
30	200	7		Man in a Suitcase
31	183	5	1	I Burn for You
32	176	6		Tea in the Sahara
33	174	6		Bombs Away
34	170	6		Does Everyone Stare
35	165	6		Contact
36	149	5		Murder by Numbers
37	148	5		Shadows in the Rain
38	143	5		Too Much Information
39	119	4		Rehumanize Yourself
40	110	4		Mother
41	101	3		Regatta De Blanc
42	100	3		Walking in Your Footsteps
43	92	3		Miss Gradenko
44	74	2		On Any Other Day
45	65	2		O My God
46	57	2		Hungry For You (J'Aurais Toujours Faim De Toi)
47	51	2		Deathwish
48	49	2		Behind My Camel
49	47	2		Hole in My Life
50	32	1		Low Life
51	28	1		Masoko Tanga
52	26	1		Be My Girl - Sally
53	25	1		Born in the ‘50s
54	24	1		Shambelle
55	24	1		The Other Way of Stopping

love the raga rock thing that 'deathwish' does, surprised that it came so low down. has a good dose of andy's psych-rock heritage in that one

You guys are gonna be mad but listening to Ghost in the Machine again I still think there's too many horns on it

too many notes?

Any guesses as to which album tracks will receive zero votes?

― Halfway there but for you, Friday, November 25, 2022 5:19 PM (two weeks ago) bookmarkflaglink

"Peanuts"

― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Friday, November 25, 2022 9:46 PM (two weeks ago) bookmarkflaglink

Correct! The other album track no-one voted for was "One World".

It's fine!

"Zero Votes (Not One)"

Peanuts was a late cut from my ballot.

I wonder how much the voting thread title affected the result for When the World is Running Down? It sure focused me on how much I love that track.

I really dislike that Sting rhymed "rain" with "reign". feels like you're not supposed to do that

have you spoken to Bernard Sumner about rules

Wow, I had no idea “Fortress Around Your Heart” was held in such high regard. More than twice the number of 2nd place votes! I need to listen to solo Sting again.

I lost my ballot and didn't email myself.

Thanks for all the kind words. ❤️

My wife gave me Questlove's book Music Is History and it has a pleasant vignette on RDB and "Does Everyone Stare."

This poll got me to listen to Synchronicity for the first time since 1984 and I'm still traumatized by "Mother", which I'd completely buried.

I'm trying to recall which version of "Roxanne" has a mastering error in the first 5 seconds. The tape starts just slightly slower than it should and increases a half-tone (or maybe more) throughout Andy's first 8 strums. This is immediately before the thing where Sting sits on the piano and laughs, which is all that's coming up for me when I search for any evidence of this error. It's a cool sounding error and I just wanna hear it again lol.

It's possible this is on the original Message In A Box CD box set -- this is not the version on any streaming service.

maybe you could download it from Soulseek? I find things like that fascinating for some reason too. one I remember is that on the Police Live CDs, the first track ("Next To You") starts off very quiet until suddenly cranking up to normal volume about a minute in. so if you adjusted the volume up you have to suddenly adjust it back down again. it's pretty annoying and I'm surprised such an error made it to the CD of a high profile band like that.

I'd have to check, but IIRC the best place to get "Roxanne" mastered correctly is the old Every Breath You Take: The Singles CD (at least in the U.S. - I'm guessing pressings overseas have the same mastering).

I can't remember if it's an issue on the original CD's, but on the '90s remasters (which were originally done for Message in a Box), they all have that tape drag in the beginning. It was corrected again in the '00s, but if you want the full dynamic range without the extra compression, get that old Every Breath You Take: The Singles CD.

Whoops, misread that post. Yeah, look for that box set or any remaster from the '90s including Every Breath You Take: The Classics, they will have the tape drag.

in case any of y'all haven't heard it, I highly recommend that first live Sting album, Bring on the Night. IMO it's a must-have because 1) nearly everything is drastically rearranged (minus some of the Blue Turtles stuff), 2) the setlist has no real hits at all on it (so it's not just stuff you're burned out on) and 3) that jazz band he had was really sick. I mean god, that jam session on the first track is crazy. and Kenny Kirkland raps on it! you won't hear that on another Sting album that's for sure.

also wanna point out the line in Low Life that goes "you pay for love/but the hate comes free" is really funny to me for some reason

The thought of Sting nodding along while doing bass face with these superior players horrifies me.

he does let them style all over his catalogue though, it's really neat

Fortunately (or not?) he's largely playing guitar on the live album.

yea just listen to Demolition Man, I don't think Sting can play that fast

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

That is, of course, future Stone Darryl Jones on bass. When you're that good, "hard" for you is keeping it simple for Sting and the Stones.

Yeah Josh OTM. Darryl is a muthflippin GOD and he effortlessly plays stuff that der stinglemeister could never even aspire to play.

(And I say this as an ardent admirer of the Stingster! There are many reasons to hate on him, and his punchable face, but the dude has mos def put together a couple of fucking killer bands.

He's also a really good bassist! Just not, you know, Darryl Jones good.

Agree 100%. Like, there is a reason you call Darryl Jones. Or Nathan East. And there is a reason you call Sting.

(Now I am imagining if Nathan East had played on a Sting record, and how awesome that might be. Jones has an extremely wide vocabulary and a supple style; East is a groovemeister with a funkier edge. Sting's thing is songcraft.)

Nathan East co-wrote "Easy Lover!"

Another good one from the period: Guy Pratt.

Off-topic for this thread, but... I really wish I had seen the Clapton/Collins/Phillinganes/East lineup back when that was a thing.

Like, seriously, that may be as close as rock music will ever get to assembling an ideal all-star quartet, with one of the world's best practitioners in each slot.

Lord Alfred, are you secretly a Momentary Lapse of Reason stan? Pratt was an MVP for that era.

I agree with the live album love, I think it's the best thing in his solo catalog. The logic of that band really comes through live — they're good on the album, but they don't get to jam. The rearrangements and medleys are all good, it was a great way for him to take the Police material out post-Police — not trying to replicate the Police, but hanging onto the songs.

Like, seriously, that may be as close as rock music will ever get to assembling an ideal all-star quartet, with one of the world's best practitioners in each slot.

Ironically Clapton was the weak link of that era!

Guy Pratt doesn't play on "Lapse," but he did the tour. Soto, you should read Guy Pratt's book, a lot of fun.

Your point is well taken, Mr. in Chicago.

He does play on Delicate Sound of Thunder, which in my head is basically Momentary Lapse of Reason live.

note that they scan the same:

Delicate Sound of Thunder

Momentary Lapse of Reason

I sense a pattern

Only bummer about it is it ends with “Tea in the Sahara” which I think is just not a great tune to play live, much less as the final track, much much less with a band like THAT

Otherwise so much of it works for me - I know it’s corny but that key change between One World and Seventh Wave is so cool

This poll was great, one year ago seems like a different world to me now.

Come across my Ghost in the Machine LP today as it was misplaced.

Great poll. Agreed that it feels a lot longer ago. I have a very clear memory of the specific long subway ride during this rollout when I got hooked on Demolition Man for the first time.