Stewart Copeland recently opened up to the New York Post about The Police’s tumultuous final days and his tense relationship with frontman Sting, admitting there were moments when he had thoughts of violence towards the singer.
Copeland revisited the internal dynamics of the band, especially around the time of their fifth and final studio album, ‘Synchronicity.’ He described the atmosphere within the group as ‘hell on earth’ and continued:
“It was a very uncomfortable place — and we drove each other crazy. We now understand where all that tension came from. And in fact, given that understanding, I’m very grateful that we got as many as five albums out of Stingo, because by then, he had a very clear idea of how the arrangements should go.”
The root of the conflict seemed to be their differing opinions on the band’s direction and purpose:
“At first, it was collaboration. It became more and more compromise for him — and it got tougher and tougher for him to make those compromises.”
As tensions flared, Copeland disclosed that the most agitating moments were when Sting gave notes on his drumming. He shared:
“The times when I came the closest to homicide, the times when it became absolutely critical that I choke the life out of this man, were when he would come over to me and tell me something about the hi-hat.”
Copeland claimed that while Sting sought serenity, intellectual depth, and beauty in the music, his approach was different:
“Sting was looking for a beautiful place and to create something serene and moving and, dare I say, intellectual. For me, it’s about burning down the house — it’s a party.”
Copeland’s Previous Thoughts on Conflicts With Sting
Earlier in the year, during a conversation with the ‘Talkhouse Podcast,’ Copeland talked about the differences in his and Sting’s musical motivations and shared how their early synergy evolved into challenges. He recounted:
“We lit each other up, but album after album, as time went on, we did grow into different kinds of shapes, and fundamentally we make music for different reasons.”
Despite the internal conflicts, the band’s chemistry led to a string of hit records throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. However, their personal disagreements became infamous.
The High Tension Within The Police
Copeland and Sting’s disagreements even escalated to physical altercations. One of the most severe incidents involved Copeland breaking Sting’s rib in 1983. You can read the story here.
The friction among the band members became so intense that during recording sessions, they decided to record their parts individually in separate rooms to avoid confrontations. In a previous interview, Stewart admitted that they even sought therapy to solve the issues between each other.
These resulted in The Police’s breakup in 1986, although they have since reunited for occasional performances.
It is also worth noting that Sting shared his own thoughts on the band’s dynamics in a 2021 interview with the Mirror. The singer acknowledged his leadership role within The Police and admitted to being a ‘benign dictator.’
Recent News From Sting and Copeland
Copeland is currently getting ready for the November 17 release of a deluxe edition of his work ‘Klark Kent.‘ This comprehensive collection will be available in 2LP, 2CD, and digital formats. It will feature remastered audio, previously unreleased tracks, and 12 demo versions that were not available before.
He also has a new book titled ‘Stewart Copeland’s Police Diaries,’ which is available in various editions, including signed copies. Here are Copeland’s own words about the book:
“It’s full of my original diary pages, hand-made poster designs, ragged accounts, callow observations, and other scribblings of a proto-rock star, illuminated by hitherto unseen vintage photos from the deepest vaults. It’s a big, noisy book about one heckuva ride.”
Sting, on the other hand, has been on ‘The My Songs Tour‘ to support his thirteenth solo studio album ‘My Songs,’ with upcoming dates in November and December. He also has numerous shows in store for 2024.
More recently, he collaborated with Marshmello and P!NK on a song titled ‘Dreaming.’ You can listen to the song below.
