When thinking of fractious groups, there are numerous classic examples that spring to mind; The Byrds, CSNY, Cream, and of course, The Police. While each of the aforementioned provide famous exhibits of band members clashing both creatively and personally, The Police are a fairly unique example as their music has far more crossover appeal than the rest of that list, despite how legendary they are.
Their story is a notorious one. Although, when the band played together the sparks flew, things could be really painful between them due to their different creative proclivities and the varying directions that each of Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland wanted the trio to be steered in. It was a prime example of brilliant musicians and big characters coming into conflict, or a situation you might dub “too many cooks in the kitchen”.
Despite the group going out on a high with 1983’s fifth and final album, Synchronicity being their biggest hit, producing their most successful single, ‘Every Breath You Take’, the making of the record was a Herculean task. This is largely because frontman Sting had long since decided he wanted to go it alone, and that his songwriting was much better than that of guitarist Summers and drummer Copeland, which he made readily apparent. This left a bitter taste in the mouths of his bandmates.
Although Sting’s ego took control of proceedings, and gravely soured the relationship between him and his bandmates, over the years since their 1984 split, they’ve also been disparaging of some of his songs for The Police. This is fair enough, given that he’s been openly dismissive of their songwriting efforts on numerous occasions.
Yet, to be fair to Copeland, who has long been deemed the biggest thorn in Sting’s side, he’s also given credit to the frontman where it is due, and even named the song he wishes he wrote for The Police. Somewhat unsurprisingly, it’s one of their signature cuts.
Speaking to the Associated Press in 1982, when the writing was on the wall for the band, the diplomatic Copeland named The Police song he wished he wrote, 1979’s ‘Message in a Bottle’.
“Sting has to fight for his songs, too, but when you hear a song like ‘Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,’ what are you going to say?” the drummer admitted. “When you hear a song like that, you play it.” He went on to praise Sting’s songwriting and squelch any talk of tension between them. “I don’t hate Sting, and I don’t sit here green with envy,” he said.” But I wish I’d written ‘Message in a Bottle’.”
