For a band that almost didn’t happen, the Police were truly outlaws, instead of “Outlaws of Love” by the end of their somewhat rocky road. Formed in London in 1977,the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar), and
Stewart Copeland (drums).
Initially considered a “new wave band,” their style was influenced by punk, reggae, and jazz, and was multi-dimensional and transcended traditional genre categorization. Their first album was initially recorded with a budget of £1,500 that the band borrowed from Stewart Copeland’s brother, Miles. The album was recorded over six months, with the band jumping in whenever the studio had free time. Miles agreed to pay additional £2,000 when the album was completed. At first Miles was unhappy with the result, until he heard “Roxanne.” He took that recording to A&M records and persuaded them to release it as a standalone single. The...
