The former Police drummer Stewart Copeland recently sat down with the Telegraph for an interview and shared how Sting got back at him in the late 1970s.
In June 1978, Copeland, Andy Summers, and Sting made their debut on ‘Top of the Pops’ as a side project called ‘Klark Kent.’ They performed the song ‘Don’t Care,’ originally written by the drummer. To keep their main band, the Police, unaffected, they wore masks and makeup to conceal their identities. Recalling those days, Stewart said:
“The first time any of us had a hit was Klark Kent. It was the first one out of the gate, the first time the three blonde heads were on TV, on ‘Top of the Pops.’ To see Sting go there was my favorite brag, which I never fail to remind him of, to my great hilarity.”
Sting’s Gorilla Mask And Bass Line Mimicry
Copeland then humorously acknowledged the next time he was on national TV, explaining:
“I’m sure he loves being reminded that his first time on national television was wearing a gorilla mask, miming a bass line. But [Sting] did get his revenge by writing 20 hits for the Police. The next time I was on national TV, I was in his band.”
A deluxe edition of the self-titled Klark Kent album was released on November 17. What’s interesting is that the rocker talks about the album as if it were the work of someone else, not himself. He noted:
“I’d wake up in the morning… and discover there were these tracks on the tape machine that he’d left behind. I’d had a visitation from Klark Kent.”
Reflecting On Klark Kent’s Success
In an October 2023 chat with NPR, the drummer again reflected on his Klark Kent project. When asked whether he considered it to be a more promising or successful endeavor than the Police, Copeland disclosed:
“Well, this is all in the secret diaries, the grievance-nurturing part – I don’t need those guys. My first hit was under the name of Klark Kent, where I sang, I played the drums, guitar, all the instruments, a true one-man band. And by some miracle, the BBC picked it up and I got on the Radio 1 playlist, which equals hit.”
The musician’s ‘Police Diaries,’ where he opened up about the early days of the Police, also arrived on October 26. It includes handmade posters, notes, and writings from the drummer. It’s filled with both well-known and never-before-seen photos from the band’s early career.
