Stewart Copeland credits the fans for keeping the Police afloat for as long as they did. Copeland, while promoting the new multimedia project The Police: Around The World Restored & Expanded, spoke to Rock Cellar about the band that nearly 40 years after splitting still continues to thrill and inspire fans and musicians worldwide.
Copeland shed light on the magic of the Police, recalling, “There were three of us, which meant that the formula was very simple. Each of us had a larger role, because there were fewer of us. And we just found that sweet spot of how to take Sting songs, how to use Andy (Summers’) guitar playing and how Andy’s guitar playing inspired me. This three-way crosstalk landed on a magic place that seemed to work for people outside the band.”
He added, “We just got into that groove. We knew what it was that inspired us in each other and worked it and played show after show after show, working it. When you’re getting a positive response from an audience as you’re doing something like that, there’s a feedback, and it builds momentum and that sustained us through five albums.”
Regarding the band’s massive globe-trotting, sold-out 2007/2008 reunion tour, Copeland expalined, “Those old songs that people grew up with, whether they’re even a Police fan or not, they were on the radio. They were part of the zeitgeist of their formative adult years, and they have emotional impact, and that had an impact on the three of us on stage. We were very emotionally overwhelmed by the audience, and we’re prepared to look at each other. ‘Okay, we’re ready to give it up. We rule.'”
SIDE NOTES
The DVD & Blu-ray / CD tracklisting of ‘The Police: Around The World Restored & Expanded’ is:
Next To You
Walking On The Moon
Born In The 50’s
So Lonely
Man In A Suitcase
Can’t Stand Losing You
Bring On The Night
Canary In A Coalmine
Voices Inside My Head
When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What’s Still Around
Shadows In The Rain
Don’t Stand So Close To Me
Truth Hits Everybody
Roxanne
Bonus Features:
Complete live performances of:
Walking On The Moon (Live from Kyoto)
Next To You (Live from Kyoto)
Message In A Bottle (Live from Hong Kong)
Born In The 50’s (Live from Hong Kong)
The CD version:
Walking On The Moon – Live from Kyoto
Next To You – Live from Kyoto
Deathwish – Live from Kyoto
So Lonely – Live from Kyoto
Can’t Stand Losing You – Live from Kyoto
Truth Hits Everybody – Live from Kyoto
Visions Of The Night – Live from Hammersmith
Roxanne – Live from Hammersmith
Intro
Born In The 50’s – Live from Hong Kong
Message In A Bottle – Live from Hong Kong
Bring On The Night – Live from Hong Kong
CHECK IT OUT: The Police on November 29th, 1980 performing “Bring On The Night” live in Passaic, New Jersey: