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)

I love the verses. For once his Simon-indebted talk-singing works putting forward these crisp images imo

Oops forgot to vote for "Murder By Numbers"

One of the best interviews ever: https://renew.sting.com/news/title/Interview:%20REVOLVER%20(2000)

Revolver: Okay, we're back to Freud from Jung. We've finally come to the only cover song you ever did - that Puff Daddy hit 'Every Breath You Take'.

Copeland: In my humble opinion, this is Sting's best song with the worst arrangement. I think Sting could have had any other group do this song and it would have been better than our version - except for Andy's brilliant guitar part. Basically, there's an utter lack of groove. It's a totally wasted opportunity for our band. Even though we made gazillions off of it, and it's the biggest hit we ever had, when I listen to this recording, I think 'God, what a bunch of assholes we were!'

Revolver: Stewart, who was responsible for the groove?

Copeland: I say all this knowing exactly who's responsible for the groove. And yet, with an absolutely straight face, I will blame my two scumbag colleagues for all of it.

Summers: Wait a minute! It's stunning in its simplicity. It does have a great guitar part. I'll take credit for that.

Copeland: Andy, since we're here, I'm going to back you up on this. You should stand up right now and say, 'I Andy want all the Puff Daddy money. Because that's not Sting's song he's using, that's my guitar riff.' Okay over to you Andy, Go for it...

Summers: [meekly] Ok, I want all of the Puff Daddy Money.

Copeland: There you go, you feel better now don't you?

Sting: Okay Andy here's all the money. [pours some change on the table] Unfortunately, I've spent the rest of it.

Summers: I'll tell you what, Stewart, I'll take your share, I know Stings' not going to let me have his.

Copeland: So Sting's making out like a bankrobber here, while Andy and I have gone unrewarded and unloved for our efforts and contributions.

Sting: Life... is... f***ing... tough. Here I am in Tuscany.

Copeland: And don't we know it! You're in Tuscany in your palace with wine being poured down your throat and grapes being peeled for you. Sting can you buy me a castle in Italy too? With the proceeds from the longest running hit single in the history of radio? Just a little chateau somewhere?

Sting: We don't have f***ing chateaus in Italy, They're called palazzos. I'll lend you a room. [laughs]

Copeland: Stingo, you always considered yourself to be the 'King of Pain'. You had this concept at the time that you were Satan, that you were the evil one. I felt that it was my duty to point out to you that, no you were not Satan, you were not Beelzebub, You were just a common garden-variety asshole.

Sting: Shut up, Stewart. Have a drink, take a valium.

Wow at that exchange

Glad I decided to run this poll, it's going to be a lot of fun.

Copeland: Andy, since we're here, I'm going to back you up on this. You should stand up right now and say, 'I Andy want all the Puff Daddy money. Because that's not Sting's song he's using, that's my guitar riff.' Okay over to you Andy, Go for it...

LMAO

If anybody needs to modify a ballot you may, just point it out.

whatever one thinks of sting, stewart seems like an extremely difficult bandmate

no idea where you'd get that impression
https://i.imgur.com/TAFCSZH.jpg

Three guesses as to what is written on the tom on the bottom.

Andy's memoir is pretty entertaining on all the Sting-Stewart stuff, positioning himself as the quiet guy in the middle who just wants to make some cool guitar noises. Hard to know what the Police would have been like without that dynamic — like if Stewart was the same player he is but was a laid-back "Sure, dude" kind of guy. Probably not as weird or interesting, I'm guessing.

Also makes clear that Stewart never stopped thinking of the Police as his band.

Yeah, second the Andy book recommendation. It's a reminder of how much older he is than the other guys, peers with folks like Clapton and his ilk/generation. Summers is 79 right now, same age as Jagger.

Stewart is super obnoxious, but without a doubt is what makes the band most exciting (see: almost everything Sting has done a solo artist). I've seen similar trajectories in a few bands, where the singer/songwriter gets tired of the drummer's energy and ousts him for a stable beat keeper. It happened eventually with Tom Petty, it happened with Dire Straits, it happened with Roxy Music, it even happened with Wilco (at least to an extent; Glenn Kotche is a super creative drummer, but Ken Coomer was notorious for never doing the same thing twice). I have a hunch that once a lot of these dudes started writing or demoing to a drum machine, where nothing got in the way and everything stayed robotically steady, they had trouble going back to work with a non session dude human. I noted on this or another thread how Sting has worked with some serious chops monsters, but that is not why he went with Omar Hakim, or Keith Carlock, or Vinnie Colaiuta. Related, perhaps, is how Stew, despite being one of the most beloved drummers of all time and despite dipping his toes in, never really got many session gigs; almost everything he's done post Police has been a pet band project.

that is not why he went with Omar Hakim, or Keith Carlock, or Vinnie Colaiuta.

and Manu Katché!

I actually think part of the reason Stew didn’t get a lot of session gigs is that he isn’t the most stable timekeeper. There was a hilarious story in RS I believe around the time that Sting finally married Trudy (‘92-ish) and the Police reunited for the wedding and like two seconds after they started the first tune, Stew rushed the beat and Sting immediately shot him a death (wish) stare.

They also weren't sober.

Manu is of course awesome, but especially on Soul Cages he's pretty reigned.

I'm suspect Stew is either sampled looped or programmed for much of Breath, with overdubs. Very in keeping with the times, so to speak. Would also explain why he thinks it lacks groove.

That Revolver piece is one of the greatest things EVAH.

Still, imagine coming to the studio with something as lite as “Walking on the Moon” in lyrics and chords, and emerging with a spooked-out, dubby masterpiece crammed with hooks. I guess all trios have to be well matched but it’s thrilling how much each of them brings.

giant steps are what you take

Any guesses as to which album tracks will receive zero votes? (I'm assuming most of the b-sides will not get any.) There's a handful of their songs that I really hate, but I imagine somebody could say "it's funny" or "it's dynamic" or "it's moody".

Behind My Camel

But that's a Grammy-winning instrumental!

Plus "it's moody"

Behind My Camel is metal af tho

"No Time This Time" feels to me like it's too deep to get more than 1 or 2 other votes besides mine but it's in my top 5 for sure.

Okay I just sent mine over. I didn't put anything from Outlandos d'amour.

xpost Love that one, one of my fave Stew performances.

Up to 17 ballots, will send out confirmation emails this weekend sometime.

Just sent mine in. It came together surprisingly easily. These guys were so much a part of my youth, and my favorites have remained pretty constant since.

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

"Born in the 50's"

"Contact"

"Peanuts"

"Born in the 50's" is charming in that reminded me that all three of them would've been old enough to witness someone like Carl Perkins or Buddy Holly as an enormous chart-topping pop star. The '50s seem ancient compared the late '70s, but it really wasn't that much earlier. When I think about 2002 vs. 2022, the cultural differences don't seem nearly as great.

Nope I voted for Contact. I love that instrumental pre chorus thing

Me too

will try and bash out a ballot now. i think all my votes will be for the weirdo ones no-one likes, not trying to be a contrarian but i never really feel the urge to listen to the hits anymore

No Time This Time" feels to me like it's too deep to get more than 1 or 2 other votes besides mine but it's in my top 5 for sure.

― billstevejim, Friday, November 25, 2022 12:51 PM (seven hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

i voted for this one

I voted for the other quasi-punk track on RDB.

It's Alright for You?

I think they both are necessary

Just realized I left off Canary in a Coalmine, which I should’ve voted for. Oh well.

I voted for all three of these, I gotchu

canary rose up my ballot pretty steadily, one of my fav summers parts

Sent!

Also, never forget:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlesUq8U7KM

I wonder if that (in its original version) will be the lowest-ranked of their singles in this poll? I've never seen it get much love.

I've always found "Do Do" almost hauntingly spare. So austere for a single.

Like most of that album, my favorite.

My ballot breakdown more or less reflects my album preferences, with 5 each from Regatta and Ghost and 3 from each of the others (plus 1 non-album).

If anybody needs to modify a ballot you may, just point it out.

― Bee OK, Wednesday, November 23, 2022 10:43 PM (three days ago) bookmarkflaglink

OK, please add "Contact" to mine, you can put it in position 11 if that's not inconvenient, or if that's a pain, put it at the bottom, I'm still under 20 at any rate

but no big deal if not, it's my own omission