Recently, The Police drummer Stewart Copeland appeared on a radio show to discuss his work and career, including his “Police Deranged for Orchestra” concerts. When asked whether he expected that the band will score major success when they formed, Copeland replied (transcribed by Killer Guitar Rigs):
“I think I speak for most bands when I say that we are sure that we are gonna conquer the world, of course. I mean, we kick our ass. Why shall we not kick the world’s ass?”
“And that kind of optimism is what… It’s also a group thing. We’re all in the band together saying ‘We really rock. We do, don’t we? Yeah, of course we do!’ So there is that optimism of being in a band. You assume that you’re gonna conquer the world.”
Going further into it, Copeland was asked about what was it about the three of them — Sting, Andy Summers, and him — that made the whole thing work. The drummer replied:
“Well, the fact that we were pretty much the polar opposites from each other. And that tension… It caused a lot of tension and a lot of ‘Sturm und Drang.’ But actually, it’s what made the whole thing tick.”
“And we’ve realized this now. And years after it’s all over, we finally realized ‘You know, I actually understand it all.’ And we’re all at peace and very proud of what we did in our struggle.”
When asked about The Police’s final studio album “Synchronicity,” released back in 1983, and the “phenomenon” of this record that, in a way, made them “the biggest band in the world,” Copeland replied:
“Well, it was pretty noisy to us, actually. [Laughs] But yes, I suppose we kind of slipped in there in the top slot because the competition fell away. That was before U2 showed up and before The Rolling Stones reconvened…”
“I don’t know, there was a little gap for us in there so we slipped in into that slot. Mind you, we did have amazing songs by one Gordon Sumner Sting-o. He wrote those amazing songs that took us to the top.”
“And it was kind of a very satisfying move for us that we parted ways right at the top. We never saw the other side of the parabola where, inevitably, gravity starts to drag you back down to earth. So when we quit, we were still on the way up.”
Up next, Copeland was asked whether the band members knew that “Synchronicity” was their final album while they were recording it, he replied:
“No. It felt very much like drawing my final breath. The atmosphere on the island [Montserrat in the Caribbean where George Martin’s AIR Montserrat studio is located], I have to tell you, was tortuous.”
“We were driving each other insane because, we now realize this, because we all cared passionately about the music and weren’t ready to roll over, so there was struggle and strife. But as I’ve said, at the end of the day, record kind of works.”
And, of course, it was only a matter of time until the interviewer was going to ask him about a potential reunion. After all, plenty of rock bands are getting back together after supposed “farewell” tours are years behind them. So why shouldn’t The Police do the same? Copeland commented in his own uniquely humorous way:
“Oh, absolutely. I’m an optimist, I would give us absolutely a one chance in a million. I’m not quite sure how that works out as a percentage. That’s probably .001 percent [it’s actually 0.0001%] chance. You know, it could happen.”
When asked “so you’re basically saying not a chance,” Copeland said:
“Well, you know, we all are enjoying life so much. We did our reunion tour which kind of punctuated the whole adventure. I mean, we were out there for two years. Come on, you folks got enough of us surely. And we enjoy each other’s company much more when we’re not playing music together. At the dinner table, we get along just fine.”
Released in 1983, The Police’s fifth and final album “Synchronicity” peaked at number one spot both in the US and the UK. As far as certifications go, the official data says that, as of 2016, the record stood at eight times platinum.
At the moment, Copeland is promoting his “Police Deranged for Orchestra” concerts. The shows are planned throughout the spring and summer of 2023 and the next one is slated for April 28 in London, UK at the London Coliseum.
In a last month’s interview with Palm Springs Life, Copeland reflected on his orchestral experience by offering:
“I’ve been playing with orchestras for a long time. I received an involuntary education in orchestra by virtue of 20 years as a film composer, hired gun. An artist follows their instincts, but a professional does as he’s told. And so I learned how to work with orchestra and developed a great love of the orchestra and the power, the majesty, it can soar, it can dig deep, it can rage, it can love.”
He also added:
“I always played a couple of Police songs, the obscure ones that I wrote, and they always just went over so well that it occurred to me: Why don’t I play the Police hits and see what happens. What happens is that it burns the building down.”
“I think that what makes my arrangements better than if we had hired a professional is the disrespect. And I say that with great respect and love in my heart, but I haven’t got a client beating me up. So I can fuck it all up, which is what I’ve done. The big hooks are there. You’ll recognize the important parts. But other places, I go off on tangents.”
Photo: Raph_PH (TaylorHawkTributeWemb030922 (160 of 281) (52334648193))
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