30th anniversary interview for Reggatta de Blanc

[ChattyKathy]

October 2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the 1979 release of The Police’s second studio album Reggatta de Blanc. This milestone begs for both celebration and reflection on this musical masterpiece resulting in the breakthrough success of The Police. In honor of the occasion, In The Studio with DJ and radio producer Redbeard has released a 23-minute composite of interviews with the band discussing their beginnings and music over the years, including Sting and Andy Summers together on the actual Reggatta de Blanc tour from early winter 1980, Sting in 1991 and 2006, Stewart Copeland twice in the late 1990’s, and Andy Summers in 2006. Go to www.IntheStudio.net and click on “Listen To In The Studio Now” in the upper right-hand corner to hear the full interview.

Thirty years later, I recognize the monumental impact Reggatta de Blanc had on my own life. It was the first music I ever heard from The Police, and upon first listening to this “White Reggae” dubbed album as an impressionable teenager, I was at once summoned to a higher musical journey and transformed to the appreciative, hero worshipping Police fan and Sting fan that I remain to this very day. While I’ll admit I was easily led to the commercially successful and popular songs “Message in a Bottle”, “Walking on the Moon” and “The Bed’s Too Big Without You” like a horse to water and also impressed by the Grammy win for best rock instrumental performance for the title track “Reggatta de Blanc”, two other songs grabbed my attention and admiration more and still remain a couple of my favorite Police songs of all time.

I adored the oddly humorous and fun “On Any Other Day”, the only song written and sung by Stewart Copeland on the whole album, and I played this amusing ditty about the worst birthday ever repeatedly and extremely loudly to the chagrin of my entire family. But the pièce de résistance that solidified my absolute adulation and lifelong devotion to The Police was “Bring On The Night”. It might have been due to the gorgeous guitar intro or poetic and hypnotic lyrics referencing “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot, but more likely it was Sting’s distinctive voice and plaintive wail for the cover of darkness that bewitched me with the spell known as The Police.

I’m still under their spell thirty years later, and Reggatta de Blanc will always be my favorite Police album. Unlike their diamond-in-the-rough first album Outlandos D’Amour, Reggatta de Blanc is more polished and produced, showcasing their unquestionable songwriting skills and finely-tuned musicianship, while still retaining just enough of that punk energy to make the album extraordinary. My original vinyl pressing of Reggatta de Blanc has earned a special place of honor in my aging record collection, and holding that vinyl record still fills me with the sentimental thrill of my musical discovery thirty years later.

That emotional response extends gratefully to my personal life as well, because the young man who first put Reggatta de Blanc on his turntable, unknowingly but fatefully introducing me to the music of The Police, also became my wisely chosen husband eight years later. I was impressed for many reasons the first time I heard Reggatta de Blanc, and this one special album provided the fork in the road that determined the path I would travel into my own future.

From Message In A Bloggle:
http://stingfield.com/blog/2009/10/26/3 ... -de-blanc/

[thedaner]

Thanks for sharing that! Listening to it right now! Also, thanks for clearing up the fact that the interviews are from various times in the past.

[thedaner]

Just learned that the In The Studio theme was written and performed by (Dallas) local guitar hero Andy Timmons. Very cool!

[zilboy]

I listened to it on the way into work this morning. The CD will never send chills up my spine like my vinyl, but I still get a grin and the memories come rushing.

[smax]

Happy Gattaversary everyone. thanks Kathy for the links n that.... i've just driven past the studio where it was recorded (as i do every day).

Slightly generous I think to say that gordo "referenced" T.S Elliot when he basically just nicked the line. The poem was recently celebrated on UK telly by the unfunny half of an english comedy double act (Webb from Mitchell And...). You're not wrong tho; Bring on the Night is a great tune... shame that it didn't find a comfortable place in the tourzilla set list...

"“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot

Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells................

[Chatchka]

Thanks for the link. Loved hearing their view of things as things were beginning to happen for them.

[stevel]

Wowwwwww.
Fabulous writing.Really.Great great piece encapsulates feelings for the album perfectly.
Bravo.
Still my favourite album.

Timeless masterpiece.

[Howstupidmrbates]

Yep, this was the one that did it for me!

[English-lion]

Ghost in the machine is what drew me into their web and Reggatta held me captive