Police featured in Rolling Stone's Flashbacks

[TheEqualizer]

I really like the Amnesty performances:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/video ... 2-20130924

QUOTE

Flashback: The Police Pass Torch to U2
Watch Bono sing 'Invisible Sun' at the Police's final gig in 1986


ByANDY GREENE SEPTEMBER 24, 2013 11:35 AM
U2 were about to begin recording The Joshua Tree when Amnesty International asked them to put together a tour to celebrate the organization's 25th anniversary. "It couldn't have been worse timing," said the Edge. "I was worried that all the focus and concentration would be lost. At the same time there was no way we could not do it. It seemed too important."

See Where the Police Rank on Our List of the Messiest Band Breakups

The group pushed back the their recording sessions and began lobbying huge stars to join the tour. "We rang everyone we knew," said Bono. "Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Prince. Prince was at the height of his popularity and his manager said, 'Well, just ring this number between seven and eight.' I said, 'Oh, great, is that his home number?' He said, 'No, it's the studio.' 'Will somebody pick up?' I asked. He said, 'Well, we don't know, but sometimes he walks past between seven and eight.'"

Bono was unable to land McCartney, Jagger or Prince, but Peter Gabriel, Joan Baez, Lou Reed and Sting and the Nevill Brothers were happy to sign on. It was a six-show tour in June of 1986, and for the final three nights Sting agreed to reunite the Police. They hadn't performed together since the end of the Synchronicity tour in early 1984, and had essentially broken up. Their presence on the bill guaranteed sell-outs, especially when the tour hit stadiums.

The tour wrapped up at Giants Stadium on June 15th, 1986. The Police were supposed to close out the show, but at the last minute they opted to play before U2. They ended their set with "Invisible Sun," bringing out Bono to sing the final verse. When they finished, they handed U2 their instruments. "It was very emotional for them," said Bono. "I think it was clear in Sting's eyes that he was not going to be in a band anymore. They had come together for this tour and that was it. It was a very big moment, like passing a torch."

The Police briefly attempted to take the momentum from the tour into the studio, but Stewart Copeland fell off his horse while playing polo the night before the session. He broke his collarbone and was unable to play drums. The group went ahead anyway, re-recording "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" and "Don't Stand So Close to Me" with a drum machine. This caused a terrible fight between Copeland and Sting, marking the end of the Police as any sort of ongoing creative unit. They did reunite for Sting's wedding in 1992, their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2003 and a world tour in 2007/'08.

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The video in the article is found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... vGpWksgEI8

[TheEqualizer]

The above article contains a link to the 10 messiest band breakups. The ten bands breakups are not ranked by messiest as far as I can tell, but the Police are mentioned between Oasis and The Eagles, if that means anything. Here is the article in that regard:

QUOTE

The Police were formed in 1977 by drummer Stewart Copeland, along with schoolteacher Gordon "Sting" Sumner and guitarist Andy Summers. Within a year, they were rock's next big thing, but tensions began bubbling over as Sting took control of the band. The others began to feel like his employees and they began fighting like crazy, even as the band got bigger and bigger.

In his 2006 memoir, One Train Later, Summers recalled a fight while the band recorded their 1981 LP Ghost in the Machine. "Sting goes berserk on me," he wrote. "Calling me every name under the sun with considerable vehemence, leaving everyone in the room white-faced and in shock." Sting summed up the group's problem in a 2007 interview with Rolling Stone. "We didn't have a great deal in common," he said. "We were different generations, in Andy's case, welded together by a flag of convenience . . . Part of the frustration was that Stewart and Andy were driven to write. It's difficult to tell somebody it's not a good song, and it was usually me." Sting pulled the plug in 1984 after a long stadium tour in support of their massive album Synchronicity. "It wasn't my intention to punish Stewart and Andy in any way," Sting said. "I was following my instincts."

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[lancaster]

Sad sad sad... I stil get sad when I remember those last concerts.
Well, The Police could have just done their individual thing, their solo projects, other types of music, this and that.. and get together every 3 or 4 years to make an album, tour, cash in, grow fat and pathetic... Wait a minute, that band already exists and it's called, guess what? U2.

Sad...

[Philippe Again]

Thanks for the link!

And what is this picture on the main page of Rollingstone.com, regarding that same article ('Bono Sings at the Police's Last Gig')?
http://www.rollingstone.com/
Probably I need to clean my glasses but I do see Stewart singing along with Bono, Sting, Bryan Adams and others? I guess it's while they're performing "I shall be released" but I don't remember Stewart was in front and dressed like that.

[secretjourneyranch]

at the last gig U2 didn't play after the Police...the played before...while it was still light out even.
After Invisible Sun was over all of the performers came out and did "I Shall Be Released" with most of U2 as the backing band...

RollingStone could be more accurate if they gave it even an ounce of effort...