‘The Best Covers Ever’ series counts down our favorite covers of great artists.
Conceived and delivered during a time of band strife, Synchronicity was nevertheless the biggest record (and cassette) in the world in 1983, and was the fourth consecutive #1 album for The Police. Every band who formed in the ‘80s, and many subsequently, knew their music. Already on rotation on the radio, The Police also timed their run well to coincide with the launch of MTV, and they and their publicity team were keen to harness the power of that medium. When a new musical format emerged (a regular occurrence in the ‘80s) re-releases of The Police would be top of the list as guaranteed sellers, generating more listens. The back catalogue is quite compact, but it hums with complex, sophisticated music that speaks to many.
That breadth of interest means that the world of Police covers is particularly rich. Reggae and dub artists, keen to repay and mark the favor that The Police did for them in publicizing their craft, were grateful and expressed themselves in their genre. Sting recorded phonetic vocals for some tracks in Spanish and Japanese, and there are great covers in those languages as a thank you. Indie god Juliana Hatfield was the perfect age to be a Police completist as she dreamed of a career in music, and repaid that love with a whole tribute album. There is a great goth and emo covers album, and not all of it is covers of “King of Pain” and “So Lonely.” Punks can see themselves in the ramshackle start of the band. Genre tribute albums have to incorporate The Police, with a greater or lesser level of success.
Musicians who have a different taste in music, but similar in nasal stimulants, can be difficult to keep together. Especially when one of them keeps 80% of the writing royalties to himself, not allowing his talented bandmates to record more than one of their own songs per blockbuster album. Synchronicity was the last studio album the band made. The other great thing about ubiquity, though, is that you can find copies, in multiple formats, of their records in vinyl and thrift stores throughout the world. New bands will be formed from what people find there. It was a challenging task to identify the best Police covers, but it was very worthwhile.
— Mike Tobyn
This might need an asterisk, but I’d include Sting’s version of “Roxanne” that he did with Branford Marsalis at Live Aid. https://youtu.be/Kman7MzhC0g?is=_MiKVCGJV5qBWTNG
CDs and DATs.
Nothing else, really. Not exactly a “regular occurrence.”
The list has kept me busy for days, with multiple versions newly discovered (pun intended). Thank you so much. Let me try to return the favor.
One or two reggae covers would add extra flavor to the list. Although Matisyahu is still white reggae – Reggatta de Blanc – he is sending out a good Dub version of the first song from the album of that name, “Message in a Bottle”. https://youtu.be/cLWxKuQG32k?si=PbL6aQKPZjw8Pj9R
Or better; “Reggatta Mondatta”. https://secondhandsongs.com/release/22726 Quite like Angelique Kidjo took Talking Heads’ “Remain in Light” (https://secondhandsongs.com/release/210359) back to Africa, this bunch of reggae artists from across the world (Monde in French) took The Police back to Jamaica. I get under full influence when Jazz Jamaica Feat. Courtney Pine deliver an instrumental “Wrapped Around Your Finger”. https://youtu.be/eYsj0iZlhoI?si=IOPvt8ChDBsSkom0
When I hear Cas Haley play an acoustic “Walking on the Moon” my feet seem to leave the ground. https://youtu.be/6Qv1rGUs_3M?si=5pAScKOtXGe8Z6rW I hope my legs don’t break when Coffee Zombie Collective speed it up to go honky-tonk. https://youtu.be/5yHbyLlI7b8?si=mm7utVC1HFSoGihr
Aware of the acapella hate at Covermesongs, I take a deep breath and suggest this South Asian style medley by Penn Masala: “Every Breath/Bheegey Hont”. https://youtu.be/oGExnx1gKVY?si=Esl1ygBilob_xxyG
Caballero Reynaldo, easy as 1-2-3 adapted deepcut Murder by Numbers (B-side to Every Breath… and exceptionally credited to Sting and Summers) into Spanish (Mata par orden). https://youtu.be/j5JqkY9mVzI?si=4Ss5pBI1ZpBmkAqE
Your #8 might have topped my personal list: Denmark + Winter Don’t Stand so Close to Me, from the television series Pretty Little Liars. They also did a nice Wrapped Around Your Finger. https://youtu.be/fb5RaNoPx-c?si=kJ6f7Uo_3ItOFsUW
Then, commenting on your top 5; Police women all abound, 4 out of 5. Starting with Lucy Kaplansky’s Secret Journey as a nice new discovery, elaborating the quasi-mystical style of the song from Ghost in the Machine.
Sorry. If Grace Jones is allowed as a cover, even if released far ahead of The Police’s version (and without explaining how this came about), then let’s also break with that other rule: Composer re-interpreting their own work does not count as a cover. Sting’s “Bring on the Night” is full of jazzy worldmusic inspired versions of his Police work. https://secondhandsongs.com/release/2585 From the album my favorite is Bring On The Night / When The World Is Running Down You Make The Best Of What’s Still Around. Not only a long title, but also reaching nearly 12 minutes. https://youtu.be/iXviYxufvOg?si=Oj-JQzJkFU2Ku67K
Juliana Hatfield “Can’t Stand Losing You”? Mwah. With the video copy that misses the charisma of the original (with those hard to lose glasses)? https://youtu.be/nH0vjLwMyc4?si=-JPQ8b14qF91GrYR She, however, makes her “Canary…” sing a different tune. My clear preference from her great tribute album. https://youtu.be/IaXIKDIB0ho?si=iWk1GihihXv-vqli
Which brings me to Bring On The Night by Leaders of the Shift. Wow, with wonderful other Police covers on the same album. Why don’t they rush and bring it out on Bandcamp? Bring it on! https://leadersoftheshift.bandcamp.com/track/forever-is-when
Alanis Morisette, OK pretty good choice. Although arguably this song is so personal, it would fit the best of Sting list on Cover Me a week later. “King of Pain” was also played painlessly by Nashville Acoustic Trio. https://nashvilleandbackbones.bandcamp.com/track/king-of-pain
Let me stop here. This message has become far too long to still fit in a bottle.