Stewart Copeland Says Fan Feedback Sustained The Police

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.'”

Stewart Copeland credits the Beatles' Get Back documentary for changing how the Police view their upcoming vault releases: “We had kind of a change of heart in the Police after watching the Beatles' documentary about the role of the demos, of the other versions; the versions that are the journey to the perfect version. And up till now, we've always thought, 'Just stick with what was released on the day — that's the version. Why have anything that's not up to that standard?' Well, the answer is, I now understand as a Beatles fan that I love all those other versions.”