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)

Voted! This one was fun to think about. My first stab at a shortlist gave me 21 songs, so it wasn't hard to winnow down.

honestly have zero clue what my top 10's gonna look like. I really like a lot of the wonkier songs on Reggatta which are barely tunes but feature really cool playing, like "Contact" and "Deathwish"

I'm not going to restrict anything here even if I do agree with Chinchilla Volapük.

So everything is opened up for you who wish to vote for samples in songs.

And don't forget King of Suede by Weird Al (credit: Sting, Yankovic).

what about Velvet Elvis

Sting's greatest performance as a solo artist is on Miles Davis's You're Under Arrest.

Voice [French Policeman] – Sting

what about Velvet Elvis

Sure, why not

tbc i'm not actually voting for any of these tracks. i participate in polls purely, just want to make sure all are aware of weird al's imo superior police parody

still like this sting appearance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNYwJP8Sfq4
eberhard schoener - why don't you answer?

actually andy and stewart were on that too iirc?

I might actively enjoy 10 solo tracks. At least half are Klark Kent.

what about Velvet Elvis

Better than Locked Out of Heaven.

I don't think I have the requisite ilm skilz to correctly vote in this poll, but Regatta de Blanc is (and forever shall be) my muthaflipping jam.

a nice eno-esque piece from the second album andy did w/ fripp:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ7TQZgcscM
Andy Summers / RObert Fripp - Bewitched

Forgot Oysterhead existed until now

have posted this before but andy plays on it and it absolutely smokes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_aAsg2UTZo
Eric Burdon & The Animals - Coloured Rain

^ middle three minutes is just one epic guitar blaze up, not sure if it's andy or the other guy?

I like "Radon Balloon" and "Birthday Boy" on the Oysterhead CD more than anything Phish ever did honestly

Funny how a thread on the merits of the Police is mostly the Police as sidemen.

this is a track off stewart's first appearance on a record:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8w8ArmII-Y
Frolk Haven - Quest

weird fact: contains the lyrics "have you ever failed your part of the dream / as an organ of the soft machine?" - andy was previously a member of the soft machine but it didn't work out. synchronicity eh? would be a cooler story if he played the organ not the guitar though obv, but i guess mike ratledge had that job nailed down

Ballots are trickling in, will send out conformation emails but not yet.

Underrated Sting appearance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRLBIr5CBLI

those Fripp/Summers records are fantastic, both of them

this is proving pretty hard!

where is the love for 'all for love'?

also any takers for this?

https://cdn.ontourmedia.io/sting/non_secure/images/20220421/shaggy1650551307/shaggy1650551307.jpg

I have listened to each Police album twice now and getting that part of my ballot completed in my mind. Thanks everyone for the clips in this thread as the solo stuff is my next step.

I voted for two things off the Brimstone & Treacle soundtrack, and could have voted for more.

I will defend "Mother."

That is all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkB67-TIDsg

I'm definitely voting for Mother. I mean come on.

definitely gonna try and bang out a ballot for this!!

the Kent 10" is full of great jams, with "Away From Home" being the best, next to "Don't Care":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99c8HMxtg-Q

as far as barely-eligible covers, samples, etc. go, i just want to share out The Blow's bedroom-pop interpretation of "Everything She Does is Magic," "Come on Petunia," which first grabbed me on a mixtape left behind in a well-intentioned but under-used DIY "recess center" in 2004:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO1HSfzK1Ns

a lot of the best Klark Kent stuff isn't on the 10", you gotta get the Kollected Works CD for everything. if you like that stuff I highly recommend the Gizmodrome album, or even better the live album. I know a lot of people were disappointed in it but I think that was mostly because it was marketed as some crazy prog supergroup when it's really just Klark Kent with a better backing band.

surprised myself by including three copeland songs on my longlist. one of them will def make my final ballot

The Mother debate should be interesting and do wonder where it will end up.

Controp: the stingster's contribution to long long way to go > his contribution to money for nothing

Although money for nothing is a better song

Sidenote: I first typed monet for nothing, and I giggled imagining a very good art transaction

Also, I sing Come on Petunia to the tune of Billy Joel's "Only the Good Die Young."

Come on Petunia, don't make me wait

Controp: the stingster's contribution to long long way to go > his contribution to money for nothing

otm

"Long Long Way to Go" is a better song and record.

Voted.

Voted - I think this was the easiest ballot I've ever had to compile, 20 tracks is the perfect number for these guys.

^^^ same, this went really quickly. In theory I could have done some dedicated listening to Zenyatta and Ghost, the albums I know the least well, but I think I've got a pretty great set of tracks here in an order I could more or less defend. Feel like there'll be a lot of little things to discuss and praise with the rollout!

Voted! Didn't think about it too hard, mostly went on vibes. Really looking forward to this rollout.

Every time I see this thread title, the song comes into my head and I get lost in its groove, so maybe that tells me what my favourite Police song is.

growing up the Sting Bring on the Night live CD was playing constantly so it was pretty strange to hear the original versions of When the World is Running Down, One World, Demolition Man, & Bring on the Night. I think they work in both contexts but the arrangements are so much different it really does show what the other two brought to the band

I really like that live album, as far as solo Sting goes. But yeah, the jazz-funk vibe is very different from the Police.

Maybe I should have re-listened before voting but I've listened to these records so much in my life (OK except "Ghost") that I voted based on what I felt like hearing when I saw the title.

voted!

Voted

Ghost In The Machine became my #1 over the last 5-6 years. I get it now.

Outlandos d'Amour is the truly genius one IMO

"It means everything," he yelled back. "It's the same explanation that applies to the last two. It doesn’t have a specific meaning like ‘Police Brutality’ or ‘Police Arrest’, or anything predictable like that. Being vague it says a lot more. You can interpret it in a lot of different ways. It’s not an attempt to be mysterious, just syllables that sound good together, like the sound of a melody that has no words at all has a meaning."

https://web.archive.org/web/20030215094654/http://www.infinitedensity.net/music/copeland/Stingchronicity%20Interview%20Archive,%20Stewart%20Copeland%20interview,%20Musician's%20Only,%20Oct%201980.htm

I have had a very intense week at work, there was no way I could have run this thing this week. It's after hours now and thinking about what ahead a bit. Confirmation emails are next then...I'm stuck on images and can't figure out what I want this poll to look like. So instead, I'm going to throw it out there. Does anyone want to help out with images? If so email this box and we will talk. I'm terrible at these type of things anyways, so any help would be amazing!

Getting amped for this poll

Email confirmations have been sent, if you did not get a reply please resend your ballot.

Sent!

was just going through a pile of disco records and wow, there's a strong resemblance between this bohannon-produced caroline crawford tune and 'demolition man':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5FtxthqjnE

whoa youre not wrong ha (and i dig it)

Voted! Although I just realised I missed one of their best songs.

c'mon kp tell

I forgot to vote for Driven To Tears which should have been top ten.

i will re-listen thx!

Hello kitchen person, you may modify your ballot until you get the confirmation email which should be by tomorrow.

Only a few more hours to go...

Hello kitchen person, you may modify your ballot until you get the confirmation email which should be by tomorrow.

― Bee OK

Thanks Bee! Just sent it.

so Andy played all the parts on "Behind My Camel"? if so is he trying to imitate the way Stewart rides the hi-hat? kinda funny

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

i just came searching for something about that guitar figure in TMI. glad to find comments. damn i love that songs like, construction.