Why did the band The Police Break Up?

The Police were a band that became notorious for bitter squabbles and proper fist fights but the drummer Stewart Copeland has insisted that he and Sting can get on famously – as long as they don’t play music together.

The band split without any formal announcement in 1984 after five stratospherically successful albums and No 1 hits which included Walking on the Moon, Don’t Stand So Close to Me, and Every Breath You Take.

It later emerged that Sting, Copeland and the guitarist Andy Summers were often at each other’s throats, verbally and physically.

In an interview with Radio Times Copeland explained that the problem between himself and Sting was their different approaches to music.

“For Sting, music was a painkiller, an anaesthetic, a way to escape from the evil, harsh, grim world, to a place of utter, unassailable, unblemished beauty,” he said. “For me, it’s a celebration: let’s light up this room and let’s have fun.

“This can overlap – we made five albums as the Police. But the conflict grew and grew, out of that diversity of purpose. And now we understand that, and Sting and I get along famously … as long as we’re not playing music!”

The Police have divided opinion since the first single Roxanne was released in 1978. Some see them as one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Others see them as one of the blandest.

One huge fan is the award-winning choreographer Kate Prince, founder and artistic director of the hip-hop dance company ZooNation. She has created a new show opening in London next month using songs from the back catalogue of the Police and Sting.

Copeland is exploring the whats and whys of music for a new three-part BBC Four series, Stewart Copeland’s Adventures in Music.

He was asked about his feelings to other drummers, including one of the most influential and irascible of them all: Ginger Baker.

“Oh, the guv’nor!” said Copeland. “I got along famously with Mr Baker. He called me Young Man, I called him Your Lordship.”

They met at a polo game in Colorado, he said. Baker later went to Copeland’s studio in Hawaii and after one minute of playing became ill and paramedics were called. They tried to take him to hospital. “He told them to fuck off, then he played a show that night.”

The Police were considered one of the leaders of the Second British Invasion of the US with their successful records such as ‘Synchronicity’ and ‘Reggatta de Blanc.’ Despite their short-lived music career, they managed to become one of the best-selling bands of all time, won numerous awards, and gained the title of one of the greatest artists of all time.

Regardless of their accomplishments, the band members decided to disband due to personal conflicts. The most heated relationship was between lead singer Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland. Although they did a great job together despite their differences, the band members tried hard not to fight. Things got worse over time, and according to their statement, their dispute got physical.

Sting And Stewart Copeland Got Physical

It was a well-known fact that the band members had multiple disputes during their time with the Police. While these were often verbal fights, things got physical between Sting and Steward Copeland. The drummer broke Sting’s rib, and the vocalist was rushed to the hospital in 1983.

Things got so bad that the three musicians recorded their parts individually in separate rooms to avoid each other during their recording sessions. The conflict eventually ended with their breakup in 1986 but the band has appeared on stage for several occasions ever since.

Former Bandmates Don’t Fight As Long As They Don’t Make Music

Regardless of their turbulent past, the former bandmates surprisingly managed to bury the hatchet. Their now healthy relationship has an unexpected secret of course. According to the drummer, they rebuilt their friendship by not clashing over music anymore. As long as they don’t make music together, they are close friends.

During an interview last year, Stewart Copeland stated that they have different reasons for making music. Sting finds music therapeutic and as an escape from the brutal world, whereas Copeland thinks it’s a celebration. These two opposite points of view resulted in fights and the reason why they get along now that they don’t make music together.

During the interview, Copeland said:

“For Sting, music was a painkiller, an anesthetic, a way to escape from the evil, harsh, grim world, to a place of utter, unassailable, unblemished beauty. For me, it’s a celebration: let’s light up this room and let’s have fun. … And now we understand that, and Sting and I get along famously … as long as we’re not playing music!”

Most of the time musicians who had major disputes in the past prefer not to talk. Thus, seeing the two former Police members come up with a solution for their relationship is thrilling for their fans. Although seeing them performing together would be much more amazing, it’s still a breath of fresh air to see Sting and Copeland’s friendship grow.

In a new interview with Mojo, Sting has elaborated on what caused the Police's split in 1984 and suggested being in a young person's game – ideally teenagers. 

“I don’t think any grown man can be in a band, actually,” Sting told the magazine in a wide-ranging chat. “A band is a teenage gang. Who wants to be in a teenage gang when you’re knocking 70? It doesn’t allow you to evolve.” 

As much as I love the Stones and AC/DC, it’s hard to see growth in their music

Tell that to Mick Jagger. But the remark is all the more curious in spite of the fact Sting enjoyed commercial success as part of a band relatively late; The Police were at their peak when he he was in his early 30s in the first half of the 1980s.

“You have to obey the rules and the gestalt of the band," the musician continues. "As much as I love the Stones and AC/DC, it’s hard to see growth in their music. For me, the band was merely a vehicle for the songs and not the other way around."

Now that is an interesting point – something he's alluded to before when discussing his decision to go solo with The Dream Of The Blue Turtles after the Police split in 1984 when they were at the height of their powers. 

My frustration was I would have written an album's worth of material but also had to entertain these others songs that were not as good

"I just wanted a larger Palette," Sting explained to Rick Beato earlier this year. "The three-piece is a wonderful vehicle but it's limited; drums, bass and guitar. I think we achieved an amazing amount of stuff in the short time we were together. Very unique, but I just wanted a broader palette because I was song-driven and not necessarily band-driven."

But he's even more candid about the shift in the Mojo interview… 

"For me the essence of music is surprise," he says. "When I listen to music if I'm not surprised within eight bars I move on. Maybe 16."

Sting repeats in the interview that it was songwriting that ultimately lead to the split between himself, drummer Stewart Copeland and guitarist Andy Summers in The Police, but he goes into a different level of metaphorical detail.

"My frustration was I would have written an album's worth of material but also had to entertain these others songs that were not as good. Explaining to someone why their song isn't working is a bit like saying their girlfriend's ugly. It's a very personal thing. That pain was something I did't want to go through any more.

Nevertheless, the trio had a lucrative reunion with a world tour in 2007/2008 with no regrets… though some old issues started to surface.

"I said no, no, no, no. no on numerous occasions but I thought my timing was impeccable," Sting told Mojo. "Any later I think would have been wrong. Any sooner would have been wrong. It was cashing that asset in, saying, 'Let's do it one more time and see what happens.' It was hugely successful but I wouldn't do it again. That would be a bridge too far."

"I mean it was hard because the power struggles were still apparent," he adds later. "but we got through it and people loved it, they really did."

Sting on the Beatles: "They conquered the world with their own songs, and therefore gave permission to a younger generation to try the same thing"