Lack of initial vision and internal tension made the band consider discarding a song that would become their biggest hit
For various reasons, some of the most famous songs in history were almost never released, often because the parties involved did not see the potential. It is the case that “Every Breath You Take”hit by The Police.
First single released from the album Synchronicity (1983), the obsessive love song was the biggest hit of the band’s career, but the demo version gave no hint of that. In an interview with Ultimate Classic Rockthe guitarist Andy Summers told the story.
He said:
‘Every Breath You Take’ It’s interesting. When you listen to the demo, you can’t believe it. The whole album was complicated, but ‘Every Breath You Take’ It was going to the trash. We thought it was too light and not good enough. Sting [baixista] and Stewart [Copeland, baterista] they couldn’t agree on where the kick drum and bass were in the arrangement, something like that.”
Furthermore, Sting He also began to exercise greater control over the arrangements, apart from the compositions. On previous albums, Summers and Copeland created their own parts. On the 1983 album — which would be the group’s last — the singer and bassist dictated how they should play.
This caused a lot of friction in the studio. As a consequence, it almost resulted in the music being discarded.
Frustration and path found
At a given moment, Sting got frustrated and asked Andy Summers take control of the arrangement. The guitarist was given carte blanche to record as he thought best.
The studio session was described as follows by Summers:
I walked into the booth and almost instantly played the guitar line, which, of course, is the most well-known part of the song. Everyone stood up in the control room and celebrated. The businessman listened and said: ‘I’m going straight to A&M [gravadora da banda]this is a number one song’. And it was. It was our first number one in the United States. It stayed at the top of the charts for eight consecutive weeks.”
The Police and the most played single in history
In addition to spending eight weeks at the top of the American charts, “Every Breath You Take” it was also the best-selling compact of 1983 and the fifth most popular of its decade. And a study shows that success lasts until recent times.
According to a 2019 survey by Broadcast Music, Inc. — entity responsible for collecting royalties for artists in the United States —, “Every Breath You Take” It is the most played single in history on radio in the United States. The song previously holding the distinction was “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”from The Righteous Brothers.
By virtue of the feat, Sting – composer of the track – was honored by Broadcast Music, Inc. during a ceremony in 2019. In a official statement about his role as a composer, he said:
The real job as a composer is to provide a soundtrack to people’s emotional lives, foundation stones for emotional landscapes, their memories. This is an unexpected and unforeseen honor, as well as a privilege.”
Synchronicitythe album that features the song, also benefited from commercial success. The work released on June 17, 1983 records more than 8 million copies sold in the United States alone.
Collaborated: Pedro Hollanda.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
